together we hike.: Keep on Keepin' on.

Hello everyone!

We are writing from the Green Mountains in the beautiful state of Vermont.

Here are our current trip stats:
This is our 12th state we are hiking through out of 14 states.
We've hiked a total of 1,650 miles of the 2,186 miles.
At the end of this week will mark 5 months on the trail!

Catching up from PA-NY:

Pennsylvania, most often referred to as "Rocksylvania" by thru-hikers was definitely true to its name. The southern section, although reminded us of Virginia's rolling pastures, we were once again hiking in and out of farmland and open meadows.

Slowly the rock scrambles became more frequent and by the end of the 230 miles we had spent in PA we became quite the rock climbers.

Every log book was filled with complaints of hurting feet, desperate cries to reach the NJ border and numerous curse words.

One of my favorite entries was from a quiet, humble thru-hiker reminding everyone, "The trail is not here for us, we came out here for the trail."

As we reflect on Pennsylvania because now it has been roughly 2 months, we recall, our excitement in finally reaching the halfway point, lots of rain and overcast days, numerous varieties of snakes, bellies full of wild berries and unique hostels.

The famous Doyle, where ONLY hikers would stay.

With just 16 miles left of PA we took a week off the trail and spent time with Gregg's Aunt & Uncle and cousins just over the NJ border. They provided us with comforts of life (warm showers, a cozy bed, chairs with backs, A/C, ice water) and a good time! Not to mention all the coffee we drank.Thank you Tate Family for such a great visit.

Photo credit: Josh Tate

We also had the opportunity to do a little more sight seeing. We explored Philadelphia and of course ate Philly Cheesesteaks.

From Philly we took a cheap bus that goes Chinatown to Chinatown and ended up in NYC to visit with my friends. I hadn't seen them in 5 years so it was so great to catch up on life. Thank you Luiba, Serhiy and Madlen for your conversation and warm hospitality. You are a beautiful family.

At Coney Island.

Gregg couldn't resist the call of the ocean, it's in his Florida blood.

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we could've stayed in there an entire week.

Rooftop Garden.

Sensory overload on 5th ave.

After a full week off the trail we were quite eager to get back on. We hopped on another bus from Philadelphia and headed back to where we had gotten picked up... or so we thought.

We actually were dropped of in the neighboring town and missed the connecting bus. As the sun was setting and it began to get darker we considered our options. We tried to hitch but didn't have any luck so we walked to the Starbucks down the road and the closing barista offered us a ride. He even gave us leftover raspberry tea and donuts.

We were dropped off right where we left off and we ended up pitching our tent at a local pub that allows thru-hikers to camp behind the building.

Back on the trail we headed into New Jersey, it was a pretty simple trail alongside quite a few lakes, significantly less rocks, swamps, boardwalks, and an intense heat wave. The 60 miles went by so fast. We were grateful for the many swimming opportunities we had to cool off during the heat wave.

One of the many fire towers we've climbed.

This is me explaining how hot I am for probably the 7th time... And Gregg felt the need to document it.

One of the main highlights of NJ was the chance to camp on a beautiful piece of private farm property. The owner allows thru-hikers to set up camp and relax on the vacant land. Sitting on the property was a cabin dating back to the late 1700's and an outside shower that he had installed. It was quite a treat to clean up before bed.

Within a few days we had made it to New York, which turned out to be a tougher hike than we thought it would be. We spent our days ridge walking, making our way over boulders and going over what seemed like endless small ups and downs.

Our guide book even warned us, "Despite the unimposing profile, rocks and abrupt ups and downs make this section challenging".

Collecting drinking water.

One evening as we were approaching an intersection, we remembered that 3/10ths of a mile west was a local creamery. As the sun was setting we headed up the road unknowingly that we had stumbled upon the popular summer Sunday evening spot. The line was out the door and around the fence, the dirt parking lot was completely full and people with scoops of ice cream were everywhere. We waited in line and it was worth it!

We hiked out with a sweet taste in our mouths and headed into the dark woods. We found a spot to set up our tent next to a massive rock scramble called the Eastern Pinnacles. It was a terrific night and we sat up on the rocks as the full moon was beaming down on us.

A few days later we met a group of friendly folks that come out from the city every Tuesday to hike. After chatting a little bit and telling them about our journey they handed over a bag delicious fresh cherry tomatoes! We were thrilled.

After the continued heat wave and summer humidity we had a few days of heavy rain that cooled everything off. During one of these downpours we took refuge underneath a small roof that housed a kiosk of maps and information on local hiking and fishing spots. As we were huddled together trying to stay dry a woman pulled up and started to inquire about our trip and why in the world we were out in the rain.

We chatted for a minute and when we thought she was getting ready to leave she said would sleep better if she put us up in a room for the night! We reassured her that we would be fine and that we had made it through several storms, but she insisted.

One minute we were soaked and the next we were in a warm, dry hotel room (with an impressive continental breakfast that with out a doubt we ate until we were full.) THANKS KATHY! You are such a kind-hearted, compassionate woman!