Breadcrumbs

is officially my trail name! Why? Because I like it. I had a few options but this one stuck with me. I got it from Detour (trail magic genie) after telling him about how the lid of my Jetboil stove was coming off when attached to the outside of my pack and the contents were being left behind me in a trail. Not the proudest thing to be named after but I think most hikers can relate to pack misfortunes. Luckily Nikki (officially Rebel) was usually behind me to alert me of my stuff trail and help me put it back together. Somehow my collapsable mug vanished one of these times; I hope it’s now being used for a cup of tea by a hiker or our wildlife counterparts. Alas I finally gave in and put the stove inside my pack, and while my trail of ‘breadcrumbs’ ended, the name stuck. Perhaps other sorts of breadcrumbs will start to follow me…

Ups

Hiking through the Shennies!! Shenandoah is gorgeous and homey to me. I recognized parts of the trail I’ve hiked before, remembered viewpoints, and although it was foggy almost the whole time, there were some breaks that led to some amazing views. 


And I got to see the horses!! It’s the first time they’ve been in the stables when I walked by. 

Friends and family have been joining me on trail too 🙂

And then there’s the hikers who have kept me company along the trail. It’s been so fun to meet such a variety of people!

Downs

It’s been raining soooooooo much. I’m surprised my shoes haven’t become a terrarium. I hike in the rain with my umbrella which keeps me 90% dry, but my socks just soak up all the puddles of rain and tears. I’m so glad to have my Crocs so I can air out my feet, although airing out the shoes and socks doesn’t help them dry much when its foggy all the time anyway. So my feet go right back into the swimming pool in the morning. 

The fog also has been funking with the views. It’s a little disappointing to power up a mountain and find your reward clouded over.

Ups and Downs

Roller coaster! Of love! Say what?! 
The “3 Stooges” loved to sing that song each time the roller coaster was mentioned. Roller coaster?

oh yeah

It’s a 14 mile long section between front royal and harpers ferry where the trail relentlessly goes up steeply and down steeply. I really enjoyed the workout as you might be able to tell.

I huffed and puffed my way up and down, to Bears Den hostel where I scored a pizza and soda, past the WV state line (bye VA!), and to Blackburn Trail Center where Chris (TN Defender) blessed us (Mr Sunshine, No Rush, and I) with 3 bunks in the hiker cabin and wood for the wood fire stove. We hung our clothes to dry (did i mention it’s always raining?) and they were warm and crisp in the morning.

Then it was only 12 miles to Harpers Ferry where I gorged on some of the best food ever (Kellys Kitchen ftw!!) and crawled into bed at Halfway Hideaway surrounded by some truly friendly hikers. You might say I’ve been living in luxury the past few days. Well that’s changing as I get close to

ROCKSYLVANIA

That’s what hikers call Pennsylvania. I hope my poor feet survive 😭 I think I need new shoes already. 

Thanks for reading along! If you got this far, wish my mom a happy birthday! She deserves all the love in the world. I love you mom 🩷