We've had three good days in a row. Today, we're going to try to get some media coverage. The three most recent entries will catch you up on where we've been.
3-19-06
Start: Tar Hollow State Forest (BT)
Destination: Richmond Dale, OH (BT)
Miles: 21.4
Weather: Hot on uphill climbs, cold on downhill climbs
Mom made oatmeal this morning. We had to do something to pump it up a bit, though. Just a packet of oatmeal doesn't hold long enough for us while hiking - after one hour we'd have grumbling tummies. So first we added cornmeal muffin mix. My description of the taste was something like this: You know when you were a little kid outside in the snow and your nose would start running nonstop, and you couldn't take a single second break from building your snow fort? -- even to blow your nose? -- well, it's gotta' run somewhere, and your mouth is the next stop. So you'd get that really, well, I won't be descriptive, but the snot taste... That's what the oatmeal tasted like to me in the first bite. But... when camping and hiking, just about anything tastes okay, so I kept eating it, and it didn't seem too bad after a few more bites. Mom dug in her food bag and came out with some sugary spice drops and cut them up in her oatmeal, and threw some in mine, too. Then I added peanut butter!
Mmm, that's better. I think we should submit that recipe to the Lipsmackin' Backpackin' recipe book! It really was good with the gum drops in there! So we packed up and head out. We were on the trail at 6:30 am.
Our day consisted of hills, picker bushes, more hills and more pickers, then a little brown dog with a curly tail and a long pug face that followed us for about 2 miles. We stopped to take a ten-minute nap and to share a Big Sur Bar. When he realized we weren't going to share, he must've gotten bored and went home. The company was nice for a bit - I just sure hope he got home okay.
Then, we walked into Richmond Dale where Mike and Connie, trail angels, put us up for the night. They plan to let us stay again tomorrow night, too. We are SO thankful. Tonight a snowstorm is supposed to hit, and tomorrow night it's supposed to get down to the mid-to-low teens. After that it looks like it might start warming up a little bit, so sooner than you know it, mom and I will stop complaining about the cold! Yeah! And we'll busily be working on complaints about the rain, mud, or humidity... I'm sure there'll be something! :)
Tomorrow morning Connie and Mike are going to take us to their local paper to see if we can get an article in about our hike. Then we're going to hike as many miles as our legs will take us.
Connie and Mike have put up many weary hikers for the night and have great stories. They are also involved with the maintenance of the Buckeye Trail/American Discovery Trail through their area, so they know it well. They have a "hiker's room" downstairs complete with a shower, bed, and heat. They know just how to make us feel warm and comfortable. And they had brownies after a home-cooked dinner. :) Mmmm, chocolate! We were even very tempted to take a snow-day tomorrow, but decided we have to get some miles in, so we're going to tough it out. After all, it can't be any worse than Dolly Sods!
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