It's all downhill from here

Hit the halfway mark yesterday!! It must be all downhill from here right?

This was last week:

5/30- Laid by the pool again in DC with Martin, Mike and Tony. Then we went for thai food and for a beer at Carpool with Martin's roommate Brennan.

5/31- SUSHI BUFFET! Demolished 3 heaping plates of sushi and nigiri and waddled to the train station. The train was a bit late, but luckily, friends Laura and Neil picked me and Toto up, cooked delicious venison steaks, and let us sleep in beds!

6/1- Hammered out 30 big ones in the heat! This was my first day hiking with my Hyperlite Mountain Gear. They are sponsoring me, so have given me a new ultralight backpack, tent, stuff sacs, sleeping pad, and a pillow! In return, I will be keeping a blog for them, as well as marketing while I hike! This stuff rocks, and they are in Biddeford, Maine. http://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/

6/2 Hammered out another 30 big ones with Mean Gene. Stayed at the best shelter I've seen thus far: Quarry Gap. There was an air freshener in the privy, board games, magazines, and potted flowers. Got my first blister =( probably since I got new shoes (though they are the same make and size....)

6/3- Past the 1/2 mark! Hiked 17 miles to Pine Grove State Furnance where Mean Gene and I raced eating 1/2 gallons of ice cream. He won by a mere 10 seconds. After free showers, we pushed 7 miles to the next shelter with Accorn. It was a bit chilly, my sleeping bag is only rated to 59 degrees F!! Brrrr

6/4- Hiked 11 miles into Boiling Springs. There was an art festival so a town of 1,000 was suddenly 10,000! Crop Duster, Accorn, and Accorn's friend Steve and I enjoyed the festival and I ate a pulled pork sandwich, funnel cake, smoothie, and lemonade YUM. Accorn thru hiked in 95 so was just section hiking now (he has a real job...ya know how it is....he and Steve were great fun though!) It started to rain, and the next shelter is 14 miles away, so Trail Angels Joe and Bev invited Crop Duster and I into their home! I have my own room, took a shower, did laundry, and am currently typing on their computer. Talk about Trail Magic!!

With Trail Angels Joe and Bev in Boiling Springs