Well I am still alive and have not been eaten by bears, bitten by a rattler, abducted by hillbillies or become part of some strange religious cult that denounces all wealth and then allows its leader (for leader replace with disturbed greedy criminal) to live the life of royalty on the proceeds!
NB. They really do have channels on TV out here that are devoted to parting stupid people with their money - one very "sincere" chap promised to provide you with a miracle for only $100, but you had to send the money RIGHT AWAY!! (bargain I thought)
Virginia was good but not as easy as some would have you think - and it is certainly not flat! Met a guy called Sharkey and hiked with him for a couple of weeks to Waynesboro. We got on really well and discussed pretty much every aspect of life along the way (apart from when we were going uphill - then breathing seems to take priority over talking).
We averaged about 20 miles a day and got to Waynesboro (the 850 mile mark) ahead of schedule. This allowed me to spend a couple of days with Sharkey at his home in Waynesboro. Had a great time eating gluttonous amounts of food, soaking in his hot tub and watching him feed his 12 foot Burmese Python (strange pet, but most interesting).
My mother joined me at Waynesboro and hiked thru some of Shenandoah National Park with me. I am pretty sure she enjoyed it and it is pleasing to know that at least one person in the UK will know just how physically demanding hiking the Appalachian Trail is! Am quite pleased that she did not find it easy as this would have been a little humiliating for me after hiking so far and considering myself to be really rather fit by this point!
Mum was very lucky to see a Black Bear on her second day on the trail and luckily it was not too perturbed to see us - it was busy digging up an ants nest and eating the grubs.
I am now at Harpers Ferry (the psychological halfway point of the Appalachian Trail - though the actaul half way point is still about 70 miles away). Sarah has joined me here and we have had an amazing time. We stayed in a great Victorian B & B, hiked a bit of the Appalachian Trail and went white water rafting. Today we head to Washington, then onto New York and Boston. After my holiday within a holiday I am going to return to Harpers Ferry and get back on the trail - with only a bit over a 1000 miles to go!!!
