Days 74-84 (Resting Up, The Four State Challenge, a Week of Rest, And a Final Goodbye to Virginia)
Days 74-76 (Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 – Friday, April 30th, 2021)
AT Miles: 0
Charles Town, WV and Harpers Ferry, WV
Because we arrived at Harpers Ferry, WV early, we had three full days of rest before we’d be doing the Four State Challenge. Usually we wouldn’t take so many zeroes in a row, but because we had set up the Four State Challenge as a fundraising push, we felt we needed to stick to the plan and do it on May 1st. We were planning on doing live updates on our progress throughout the day so that people at home could follow along with our progress. As much as we wanted to hike more and knock out some more miles before our week off scheduled for right after the Four State Challenge, it just made more sense logistically to take advantage of the three 0s. Plus, it gave us plenty of time to rest up and catch up a bit on some of our writing that we’d fallen behind on.
Our Air BnB in Charles Town, WV was located in the apartments right above Abolitionist Ale Works. In fact, the Air BnB is owned by the folks who run Abolitionist Ale Works. Suffice it to say, we were hanging out downstairs in their outdoor space a lot. To make it even more fun, Batman hung out with us for a night or two. Good beer, great company, fun atmosphere, and just a few steps away from what was our home for a few nights- what more could a couple of thru hikers ask for? If you find yourself in Charles, WV, we highly recommend the Air BnB space above Abolitionist Ale Works.
On Friday, my (Hero) dad and stepmom and brother came into town. They would be helping us with logistical support during the Four State Challenge. They arrived in the afternoon and we all went out to grab some yummy food to eat. It was great spending time with them, but it once again felt really short, this time because BAM! and I need to try and go to sleep early- we’d be waking up at 2 am to get going on the Four State Challenge. That night we stayed at the Quality Inn in Harpers Ferry because it was closer to the trail that the little gem of an Air BnB we had in Charles Town. After saying goodnight to Dad and Janis and Tyler, BAM! and I tried our hardest to get to bed quickly. We failed miserably- we were just too wired with anxiety over what was to come in just a few short hours…
-Hero
Day 77 (Saturday, May 1st, 2021)
The Four State Challenge
AT Miles: 43.3
VA/WV Border > Mason Dixon Line
1047.1 Miles Down, 1146 To Go
We tossed and turned for most of the night, so much so that by the time our alarm went off at 2:00 am, we both felt as though we’d only gotten a few minutes of sleep. We both emit a synchronized groan at the sound- why did we think it would be a good idea to hike over 43 miles today? It seemed extra crazy now that it had finally arrived. As we get packed up, I try to focus on the big picture, how doing this as a fundraising push is going to help so many families struggling with food insecurity in WNC. I resolve to keep them front and center in my mind today, to remember them during the hardest of moments. Around 2:20, there is a knock on the door and my dad’s voice asking if we were close to being ready. I respond that yep, we are just about ready. We scan the room one last time to make sure we aren’t leaving anything behind. Then we walk out, following Dad and Tyler down the hall and stairs and out into the parking lot. We throw our packs into the trunk of the car, climb in, and Dad starts driving the short drive to the trailhead.
The spot where we’re getting on trail has not even the slightest possibility of a place to pull over on this windy mountain road, so dad throws on his four ways and we work quickly to get the pack we are using for the day situated. We are not taking both of our packs with full weight today- that whole hiking 43 miles in less than 24 hours thing, ya know! We want to be as light as possible so that we have the best chance of successfully completing this challenge without hurting ourselves. This is the last time we’ll be seeing Tyler- he’s going into finals week at school and can’t stay to help my dad and Janis for the whole day. I’m just so grateful that he came out to hang with us yesterday and see us off this morning. The fact that he did so even with final exams and papers looming near means the world to me, and as we hug goodbye I’m just awash with a feeling of immense gratitude for this person who is just the epitome of thoughtfulness and genuine kindness. Tyler, if you’re reading this- you’re my hero, brother! We wave goodbye to Dad and Tyler, saying to Dad that we’ll see him soon once we reach the spot where the trail crosses over the I-70 bridge about 24 or so miles north of here. Then we turn to face the hill.
We’ve got to climb back up this thing. We’d already crossed the VA/WV border when we dropped into Harpers Ferry a few days ago. I remember as we came down this hill that first time that we both miserably noted that we’d have to climb back up it for the Four State Challenge. You see, in order to do this challenge properly, we’ve got to start in Virginia, so we’ve got to backtrack a bit and redo some mileage we’ve already done. The spot where Dad and Tyler dropped us off is the closest we can get, but it’s still a 0.6 mile climb back up the hill. We sigh and start the ascent.
As we walk through the woods, which is cloaked in darkness with the exception of whatever our headlamps illuminate, the wind is whipping something fierce and trees are swaying and creaking ominously. Yesterday, the wind was even more intense, apparently so much so that several trees were brought down. We encounter a few as we near the VA/WV border, stepping over one and going around another that would have been harder to step over. We converse, in part to keep each other company but also to try and make any critters out and about aware of our presence- neither of us much felt like accidentally sneaking up on a bear at this hour. Finally, we make it to the border. We snap a few photos and BAM! does a quick video that we get up on Instagram and Facebook to let folks know that we have officially begun the Four State Challenge at 3:08 am. We nod to each other knowingly and start our journey.
We descend back down the hill and past the spot where Dad and Tyler dropped us off. We enter the woods on the other side of the road and keep going. After a few minutes, BAM! stops abruptly just ahead of me. I whisper “what’s wrong?” and as I do, he turns up the brightness on his headlamp and a deer is now clearly visible ahead. BAM! sighs in relief and tells me that with his headlamp on a lower setting, the deer ahead of us had just appeared as a pair of glowing eyes without a hint at the form around them. I let out a deep breath, too, letting the spike in secondhand adrenaline subside a little. We move slowly past the deer so as not to scare it too badly, then keep pushing forward. In what feels like no time, we are back on the bridge that crosses over the Shenandoah River. It’s so different being here in the dark without trucks and cars constantly whizzing by. There are a few early risers that zoom by us, but not many. We finish crossing the bridge and enter the woods that line the periphery of Harpers Ferry. This time, we don’t take the side trail to the ATC Headquarters. We keep moving and are soon nearing the part of the trail that actually goes through town. At one point, we pass by a tree and scare up a large bird, an owl I assume, but in the darkness it’s just a shadow of abrupt movement- my heart leaps and I let out a little gasp.
We are quiet as we walk through the town. There’s a lot of history at Harpers Ferry, and you can’t deny the energy of the place, especially in the dark early morning hours. It’s dead quiet, and the unnerving sensation that permeates the air makes me feel like I should be holding my breath as we pass through. I want to get across the bridge and into Maryland quickly, so I hurry BAM! along as he stops to take pictures and record a video, citing the fact that our friend Ben is meeting us ahead as the main reason to keep moving. In actuality, I just can’t overcome the weird feeling that I’m getting as we walk through what is considered one of the most haunted towns in America. Don’t get me wrong, I love Harpers Ferry. It is, after all, the birthplace of my AT thru hiking dream. But I feel a lot more at ease in Harpers Ferry during the daylight hours.
An alley in Harper’s Ferry as we hike by 
Harpers Ferry in the Daylight 
A big wooly Caterpillar 
Crossing the River next to the train bridge
We cross the bridge that goes over the Potomac River, and just like that, without any signage to indicate a border crossing, we are in Maryland. For a few miles, the Appalachian Trail joins up with the C&O Canal Trail, so we are now walking on what just might be the flattest section on the entire trail. It’s a bike path really, a super wide and user friendly bike path. It’s a little hard on our feet and feels more like walking on a road than walking on trail, but we feel grateful for this flat section while we have it. We’re hiking along for a while, encountering more trees that were brought down by the intense winds from the day before, when we see a headlight bobbing ahead of us in the distance, drawing nearer to us every second. I wonder for a moment… and then my thoughts are confirmed- the runner approaching us is our friend Ben! Before I see his face, which is concealed by the brightness of his headlamp when he first approaches, I recognize him because he is wearing running shorts that are bright yellow with little red peppers all over. Last time we saw him, he had similar funny running shorts- bright pink with bananas. I’ve gotta get some of these funny running shorts! Together, we all walk the way he came back towards the parking area where his car is parked. We get to know him a bit better as we all talk about our love for running, the trail, hiking and backpacking, and our shared passion for non-profit work. I feel so happy to have this time to socialize- we’ve got a long day ahead of us still, and it’s nice to start it off with some good company and conversation to keep us motivated. After a while, we get to the parking lot just off of the side of the trail and are treated to the snacks and Gatorade Ben has brought. He has packed enough food and drinks so that he can provide trail magic to as many thru hikers as possible today- what a wonderful human! We snack efficiently because we’ve still got lots of miles ahead of us. We thank Ben, tell him we’ll see him at the next spot, and keep moving.
It’s during this next stretch that the sun begins to grace us with its presence. Light starts to seep in gradually, slowly revealing the forest around us as we climb up to the ridgeline. I feel relieved as it gets light enough for us to be able to turn off our headlamps and pack them away, as yellows and oranges and pinks gently then vibrantly begin to fill the sky beyond the surrounding trees. As we hike, I love the way that the sun starts to filter through the leaves on the trees, giving them a crisp, golden glow. This moment is so calming and rejuvenating, a quiet that feels heartwarming rather than unnerving- I want to fill myself up with the feeling of this moment, carry it with me so that I have it when the going inevitably gets tough later on today.
Shortly after this wonderful sunrise moment, we start to pass by other people. I remember then that it’s a Saturday, and we are bound to see more and more people as time goes on. For now, it’s not too many people, but I mentally prepare for what’s to come. As we get closer to the next spot where we are meeting Ben, we see him running towards us. He stops running, hits the pause button on his watch, and joins us again as we hike north. He tells us that the timing of our Four State Challenge attempt is perfect- it’s his rest week for training and he’s not supposed to be doing really big miles, not like what he does most weeks. He’s in the process of training for a 112 mile long race spanning across the state of Connecticut. 112 miles- that’s some serious mileage y’all! While we walk, he tells about his time on the John Muir Trail a few years back, and I’m overcome with an intense desire to get out West. We have been loving our time on the AT, and the hiking here on the eastern side of the US while always have a deeply rooted place in my heart. But I sure do love and want very much to explore more out West. Our conversation makes the time pass quickly, and soon enough we are passing through Gathland State Park where Ben has parked his car. We immediately get to snacking and even take advantage of the restrooms onsite, which mercifully are open. While we snack and hang out, another thru hiker shows up and joins in on the trail magic. He introduces himself as Salt Lick, and in no time at all he is telling all of us his life’s story, which happens to include a PCT thru hike. After some time chatting, BAM! and I realize we’ve taken a longer break than we’d planned, so we finish up our snacks and drinks. Ben is going to meet us at one more spot before we rendezvous with Dad and Janis at around the 24 mile point for lunch. I grab the pack- BAM! took it for the first 12 miles, I’ll take it for the next 12, then we’ll go from there- and we take off.
Ben brought us Hummus! 
We run into a lot more people along this stretch. Again, it’s a Saturday and we are not very far from the DC area and Baltimore. We start having to move to the side of the trail often to let people pass. It’s really not a huge hassle, and some folks are super nice and friendly. Others not so much. Twice while it is my turn to carry the pack, we get comments about the fact that I am the one carrying it. “That’s not right- why is she carrying it?” and “Wow, how’d you get her to carry the pack?” It seems as if, without fail, at least one person (if not more) always feels like they have to make such a comment when we are slackpacking and I happen to have the pack on when we pass them. I think about all of the things I could say in response to these comments: “We take turns and share the weight equitably,” “He doesn’t make me do anything,” “I walked here from Georgia for goodness sakes,” etc… The fact is that I shouldn’t have to say those things at all. The assumption that I am somehow weaker than my male partner should not be made in the first place. Because that is the root of what is being said (whether the person saying it is fully conscious of it or not)- that being female, I must be less capable, less strong. I’m tired of hearing this kind of stuff, out on the trail and otherwise. It’s demoralizing and exhausting, each micro aggression compounding one after another. As much as I often just feel like shaking my head and walking away from these situations (which I all too often do), I want to get better at bringing awareness to the way that such comments can be harmful. I don’t think that most of the people who make these comments are intending to cause harm. I hope that by speaking to how the comments make me feel, maybe some folks will think twice before they make comments that cause another person to feel less than. It’s worth a shot!
We get to the next spot where we will be meeting Ben. Just before getting there, we run into a hiker whom I recognize as being Happy Down The Trail, another AT thru hiker who has a pretty good following on YouTube. We say hi, introduce ourselves, and let him know that there’s some trail magic just ahead- he’s ecstatic! We all get up to Turners Gap and Ben is there with his car’s trunk open and the yummy snacks and drinks waiting for us. We are just overflowing with gratitude for his help on this leg of the Four State Challenge- it has really made all of the difference in the world for us! We stay for a while and snack and drink a soda and chat, making sure to top off our water and Gatorade. As we are snacking, a car pulls up and I immediately recognize Hawk in the backseat and wave to him energetically. He hops out of the car along with another person who looks like a thru hiker sitting next to him in the backseat. The driver of the car, who we learn goes by Mountain Lifer, jumps out, too, and so does the woman in the passenger seat, who goes by Sassafras. Hawk and the other thru hiker greet Happy, and I realize that the mystery thru hiker is Quicksand, yet another one of the famous AT thru hiker YouTubers. At some point, he comes up to us and asks us about the fundraiser we’re doing and then asks us if he can interview us and feature us on his channel. We say yes, absolutely! We really appreciate that he takes the time to feature us on his platform and that he advocates for people to follow along with our journey. Really nice guy!
Eventually, we get to a point where we need to keep moving so we can meet Dad and Janis at the designated lunch spot. As we’re starting to head out, Mountain Lifer catches up to us and whispers “Hey! I’m about to propose to Sassafras just up there!” So we slow our roll for a second and watch as he gets down on one knee and Sassafras says “yes!” We cheer and applaud and congratulate them on getting engaged. Then, we keep on hiking, feeling a little extra bubbly after witnessing the sweet moment shared by Mountain Lifer and Sassafras.
The Proposal 
We’re back in some familiar territory when we get to Washington Monument State Park where we had done some of our training overnights back in January. It’s funny to be back here in the spring with everything leafing out- so different from when we were here and the trees were bare and brown dead leaves littered the ground. We get here and know we only have a few miles between us and lunch, so we kick it into high gear. In what feels like no time at all, we’re crossing the bridge over I-70 and are taking the side trail up to the parking lot. When we get there, we run into Toodles and the Trouts and Ben who is helping them out with some trail magic! We yell “Hello!” and they cheer as we approach- they know that we’re doing the Four State Challenge today. They ask us how it’s going so far and we chat for a few minutes before Dad and Janis walk up and join the conversation. After a while, the Trouts and Toodles have got to keep moving on and we are in desperate need of refueling. We say “see you up the trail” and then shift our focus to food. Dad and Janis have brought us some delicious vegan Beyond Brats from Kelley Farm Kitchen, an amazing restaurant we discovered in Harpers Ferry- the brats hit the spot! We enjoy a bit of an extended lunch break, hanging out with Dad and Janis before we have to get back on trail to knock out the last 19 or so miles. Ben has to get going after some time, so we say goodbye and thank him again profusely for all of his help- what an absolute gem of a human being! He says good luck and asks us to let him know when we are done with the challenge later on today.
Beyond Brat – Mmmm! 
After about an hour long rest, we get back at it-we’ll see Dad and Janis in another nine miles at the next support spot in a few hours. We make our way through this next section and start to notice that our energy is beginning to flag. We have been at this since 3:08 am, and we are about to break 30 miles, which is more than we’ve done in one day up to this point. We try to keep up our energy and enthusiasm, but it’s becoming harder, especially as we get into some rockier sections of the trail- “What, are we already in Rocksylvania?” we joke to each other, trying to keep the mood light. This nine miles seems like it takes a lot longer because we’re starting to really feel the day, but we make it to the next spot where we’re meeting Dad and Janis, at a parking lot next to Wolfsville Road. We drink lots of water and top off our bottles and force ourselves to snack a bit- we don’t really have an appetite but we know we need to keep refueling.
We’ve got a little over 10 miles left to complete the challenge and we’re trying our best to keep ourselves motivated and energized. In addition to logistically support, Dad and Janis provide some much needed moral support- I seriously don’t think we could do this without them! The time and energy they have put into helping us complete this thing is nothing short of monumental. In this moment, in which I am not entirely feeling like finishing these last ten or so miles, I am motivated by their encouragement and endless support.
Getting Weird out here 
We take some last swigs of water and then push on- we’ll see Dad and Janis for one last snack and water break at High Rock before we bust out the last three miles to the Mason Dixon Line. We’ve got 7 or so miles before that, though, so we get going. We haven’t gone very far at all when we come to the Ensign Cowall Shelter where we find Toodles and the Trouts. We’ve gotta keep moving, so we yell down to them and talk to them as we keep walking. They cheer us on and wish us good luck! It might be some time before we see them again because of the time off we’ll be taking after the Four State Challenge.
We have some elevation to gain, and I swear this is where my body has had enough. I hit a wall and it takes every ounce of determination in me to push up this hill and the one that comes after it. Exhaustion is starting to take hold, and I find myself wondering how on earth I’m going to finish this challenge when all I want to do is lay down and take a nap in the middle of the trail. Somehow, I keep going- perhaps because of the “magic beans” Hawk gave me earlier which I now ingest? (Hawk kindly gave BAM! and I each a packet of Energy Beans to help us keep going when we inevitably get tired) The beans help, though my energy is still way low. I deliriously continue to walk, at one point falling and bumping and scraping up my left elbow and knee. BAM! runs over to me worried. I wince a little, but it doesn’t take long for the pain from the initial impact to dull and become tolerable. I get up and dust myself off- it could have been way worse. Just gotta keep hiking.
After what feels like forever, we get up to High Rock and it’s an interesting scene. There’s music playing loudly from speakers on a motorcycle and lots of people milling about in the parking lot and on top of what I assume is High Rock. There is graffiti everywhere- every inch of the rock that overlooks the valley below is covered in layers upon layers of spray painted colors. I’m bummed to see this. I think graffiti art can be really cool in the right context, but I’m not a fan of it out in nature. We find Dad and Janis and they tell us that there’s a weird vibe here at High Rock- we’re definitely picking up on it, too. We chug water quickly, and because we only have three miles left, we ditch everything but our trekking poles, headlamps, and phones- time to go as light as possible and finish this thing. “We’ll try to make it down in just about an hour or so,” we say to Dad and Janis, then we take off. We’re hoping to race down the trail, but the fields of rocks we encounter on the way down slows our pace. We are so done by this point, so ready to be at the Mason Dixon Line- it’s beyond hard to keep going.
Light is starting to fade from the sky as night fights for its time- now we’re racing to get this done before it gets too dark. At long last, we emerge from the woods and are on the outskirts of a big park- Pen Mar Park. We’re only 0.3 miles from the end now! Dad and Janis had said they wanted to walk with us to the Mason Dixon Line, so we find them and we all walk down there together. At long last, we are standing before the sign we’ve been yearning for all day. We hold hands, and at 8:35 pm, about 17 and a half hours after we got started this morning, we cross over in Pennsylvania. We are awash with excitement and absolutely drained at the same time. We snap a few photos, BAM! takes a video, and by then we are ready to climb in Dad and Janis’ car so we can drive to the hotel and get cleaned up. We do just that, get our sore bodies settled in and washed up. We scarf down food and have a glass of wine with Dad and Janis before the adrenaline wears off and exhaustion hits us like a ton of bricks. We curl up in bed, relishing what we’ve just accomplished as sleep takes us.
-Hero
Days 78-84 (Sunday, May 2nd, 2021 – Saturday, May 8th, 2021)
AT Miles: 0
Waynesboro, PA > Northern Virginia > Emerald Isle, NC > Blowing Rock, NC
The morning after completing the Four State Challenge, Tim and Janis drove us to Dulles Airport where we rented a car. We then drove down to Emerald Isle, North Carolina to spend a few days on the beach with Hero’s mom and a good family friend. Hero and her mom have a tradition of taking an annual beach trip and we decided we didn’t want to miss it this year.
From there, we drove over to Blowing Rock, North Carolina for one of our best friend’s wedding. They had a beautiful mountain top wedding right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The celebration was wonderful and we really enjoyed spending time with them. The time with family and friends flew by, and before we knew it we were packing our packs again and getting ready to head back to the trail.
-BAM!
Day 85 (Sunday, May 9th, 2021)
AT Miles: 19.8
Stony Creek Trailhead > Narrows Rd Trailhead (SOBO Slackpack)
1066.9 Miles Down, 1126.2 To Go
We woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning and quietly packed up the rest of our gear. We were staying with our friends and didn’t want to wake them as we left the cabin. We checked the fridge for leftover food, found some spaghetti and decided that would work for breakfast. We scarfed it down and then snuck out the front door. We hopped in our rental car and started driving towards Pearisburg, Virginia. We are headed back to Pearisburg because there was a section of trail that was closed when we came through over a month ago. It’s open now and we’re going to knock out those miles before we pick back up where we left off at the Mason Dixon Line.
We arrived at the Narrows parking lot at 8:10 am about 20 minutes before our shuttle was scheduled to pick us up. I gave Angel’s Rest Hostel a call just to double check that the shuttle we had scheduled a week ago was still on their calendar – it was and they would be coming to pick us up soon. Right on time, Pan pulls into the parking lot. Pan had given us a ride around the closed area last time we were here. We were glad to see him again. We hopped in and started the thirty minute drive up to Stoney Creek trailhead. We would be hiking southbound (SOBO) from the end of where the trail closure was back to Pearisburg and our rental car.
We chatted and caught up with Pan during the drive, asking how the season was going for them and he asked how the hike has been and how far we have gotten. We arrive at the trailhead, thank Pan and say goodbye. Now, for our first day of hiking in just over a week, we start with a solid climb. We are slack packing so it’s not too bad, and once we get to the top of the ridgeline we stay up there all day until we come down into Pearisburg. We got up on the ridge and it was very windy. The reason this section had been closed was because a huge wind storm had come through in February and knocked down some power lines and a bunch of trees. Now as we look around there are lots of broken branches and limbs hanging from the trees. We can’t help but think that some of these large limbs might be persuaded by a gust of wind to complete their descent to the ground. We keep our heads on a swivel and move quickly past any trees that look particularly precarious.
We pass several north bound thru hikers. At this point, we can pretty much discern between a thru hiker and a day hiker at a glance. We were a bit taken aback though as none of them were very friendly to us, most not even saying a word as they passed by. We thought about how grateful we are to have been hiking around so many friendly thru hikers since starting our hike and we hope to catch back up to some of them eventually.
We are really trying to knock this section out as quickly as possible because we have to drive another 3 hours to a hotel in Harrisonburg, Virginia once we finish. So we just snack on the go and don’t take any big breaks. We do time a couple of our short breaks with some of the nice little view points on top of the ridge. It’s a little weird to be looking out over southern Virginia again after hiking all the way to Pennsylvania. As we get closer to where the power lines had come down we see more and more trees blown down and blocking the trail. It’s been a couple of months but the trail crew still hasn’t been able to get it all cleared. There are now several side trails and walk around paths from all the hikers trying to avoid the worst of the blow downs.
We come to the power lines that had come down in the ice and wind storm earlier in the year. It is now a large dirt track about the size of two football fields. There are remnants of the tracks from heavy machinery and a giant shiny new power tower at the top of the hill. We admire the new tower for a moment and then keep on trucking. Shortly after that point, we begin our descent into Pearisburg. It is a long, fairly gradual descent but we are grateful to be nearing the end of this hike that will mark our true completion of Virginia.
As we start descending, we stumble upon a thru hiker that we recognize- Dragon Sky! We have been following her journey since before she hopped on trail a week after we started. It was incredible to get to meet her in person and talk about the trail and future ambitions. If you’re not following along with her journey yet, check her out on Instagram (i_am_dragonsky) and on YouTube (I Am Dragonsky). She’s bringing a refreshingly honest approach to all that she is experiencing as a black woman thru hiking the Appalachian Trail. Her writing and videos are unflinchingly honest and shed light on what it is like to hike the trail without the privilege of having white skin and being male. She’s doing amazing and brave work y’all- check her out and find out how you can support her thru hike!
As we get down into the town, we catch up to another thru hiker who is slack packing today- his name is Skywalker. We introduce ourselves and walk together for the last half mile or so to the parking lot where our rental car is parked. He is getting picked up there by Angel’s Rest Hostel. We chat at the trailhead before he gets picked up and enjoy the conversation with him. Pan pulls into the parking lot- we say “hi” and “bye” as Skywalker hops into the car and they take off. We are ready to hit the road, too! We throw our gear into the car and speed off towards Harrisonburg. We have a hotel reservation there for the night.
We pull up to the Super 8 and we can already tell this one is gonna be rough. We go and check in and the receptionist hands my one key card with the number 101 written on it in permanent marker. He tells me room 101 is outside the lobby door and to the right. I walk out the door and look to the right and there is the door to our room. While most of the other rooms at the hotel are located inside and down a hallway, our room opens directly outside. I find this a bit odd and go over to check it out. The key card unlocks the door and I open it. I walk inside and notice that it has a handicap accessible bathroom and think it is rather odd that they gave this room to two young hikers. Hero and I grab our stuff and head into the room. After further inspection we notice that the chain lock on the door is bent to the point that it doesn’t function anymore. And next to the broken lock is a sign the reads “please lock the door for your own safety.” We aren’t sure we want to know what happened in this room to destroy that lock. We also notice a gummy worm next to the night stand, and there was definitely makeup on the hand towels in the bathroom. All in all, this room looks like it’s going to win the award for the worst Super 8 experience so far.
We found an Indian restaurant nearby and ordered dinner. The nice thing about having a car is that you can search further than a half mile radius for food without worrying if they will deliver or not. We drove over and picked up the food and then came back and watched a bit of TV while we ate. The food was good and they didn’t skimp on the spice. We like our food spicy, especially Hero, and she got their hottest spice level. She went through several glasses of water as she ate before deciding to save a little bit for breakfast in the morning. Our eyelids were at half mast before we finished eating and we couldn’t keep ourselves awake any longer. Being up since four in the morning, driving, hiking, and then driving some more really wore us out. We turned the lights out and quickly fell asleep.BAM!
-BAM!
Hiking for Hunger 