Thru Hiker Class Of 2015 Rocks
Day 94 Sunday June 25, 2017 Time: Slept In Miles: ZERO There's nothing like being a through hiker, putting on the miles week after week and then escaping the trail for two days of no hiking. Our focus was sleeping in and eating. My world of sleeping in would be considered early for most people though. We were up by 8 or 8:30am each day. We did pretty good with the calorie intake also. We had a full breakfast buffet both days. Well, I did. Shortcake was too full to eat this morning especially since we had lunch plans with friends. I can always eat. My name isn't Black Bear for nothin'. And the good thing is I can eat whatever I want and it still isn't enough. Long distance hiking is a great weight loss program. If you don't believe me check out my pre-hike photos and compare them to my naked hiking day pics. Last night we went to Chili's restaurant. I never tire of that place. I always get chicken fajitas but I switched it up. I had their ribs. OMGosh!!! They were incredible, fall off the bone finger lickin' good. I enjoyed them until later when I realized they come from baby cows. For a few hours I became a vegetarian. Then I got hungry again. The best part of the meal was our good buddy, Wye Knot and his girlfriend Lori drove over to meet us. We hiked together a significant amount in 2015. Out of the hundreds of hikers I met that year there was only a handful that stood out and remain friends and he is one of them.
Lori, Wye Knot, and Black Bear
Today we were blessed again with the whole gang getting together. Maps, Moxie, and Wye Knot drove over to meet us for lunch. Maps and Moxie were a dynamic duo I hiked with from the White Mountains in NH all the way through Maine. Another two hikers whom mean a lot to me. It was a blast to hike with them. They were an answer to my prayers. Before I hooked up with them I had been hiking mostly alone especially after leaving GQ and Walking Man. Wye Knot and Kilroy filled a void but Maps and Moxie were girls my age and we just rocked the trail. It was so much fun having lunch and retelling stories to Shortcake. We all were quite animated. We still can't believe how much a part of our lives our Appalachian Trail through hike is. It's not just something we did and is done. The friends we have made will last a lifetime because we all share an accomplishment that relatively few have done. It's a bond that can never be broken.
Black Bear, Moxie, Maps, Wye Knot, and Batman
A huge shout out goes to Steve, Liz, and Kim. Thank you for picking up the checks. That was unexpected and greatly appreciated. The Thru Hiker Class Of 2015 Rocks! Happy Hiking.