Unfurled wings,
The Rays of sunshine,
Warm me.
Opened by love,
Soaking in the sweetness,
Of life’s Nectar.
Butterfly
Manina (A restaurant review in Frederick/Urbana, MD)
29 September 2022
After a long day of gardening, my husband and I decided to try out Manina, a new, local business and we were very pleasantly impressed by the high quality of food and service! This restaurant definitely has room to grow on my palate and I look forward to coming back! Full disclosure, I did provide a Yelp elite review with a rating of 4/5 stars. I typically reserve 5 star Yelp ratings for exceptional restaurants with consistently great food and service.
If you have read any of my other posts, you know we have been back from completing our thru hike of the Appalachian Trail for about 3-weeks. The A.T. is 2194.3 miles of hiking…every. day. It took us just over 5-months to complete. By “us”, I mean my husband did the daily hiking slog and I car supported along the way (hiking about 25% of what he did). He lost a significant amount of weight and now we are working to put some of it back on.
Upon returning home to Fredrick, MD I was super happy to see some of the new restaurants that have popped up!! Manina is one of them…
We were greeted with smiles and a very friendly “come as you are” attitude that we couldn’t be more grateful for at this time. I feel like with so much time in the wilderness, we have forgotten that most people actually clean up and put on “nice” clothes when going out to eat . 🤪 Thankfully our waiter was super nice and welcoming.
After being seated outside, we quickly decided on the deviled eggs and Appalachian pickle plate to start things off. We agreed that the deviled eggs are the rockstar standout of the night! With a small tear in my eye , i almost had to concede my own deviled egg recipe… almost, but not yet! Now the pickle plate, that was a total surprise. My husband was initially horrified at the thought of pickled eggplant but let me tell you, he loved it and we had to darn near fight each other for the tasty morsels. The crunch of the sun chokes were an equally interesting and tasty addition. And the peppers were lip smacking yum! Note to the chef, guard that vinaigrette recipe with your life.
I had to try a craft cocktail, and decided on the Appalachian Daisy. Side note, have you noticed an Appalachian theme here?! I swear, we just can’t get the trail out of our veins! The Appalachian Daisy had a blend of smoked apple brandy (from Baltimore) that i could have sworn was a good mezcal and fresh lime juice. As the menu states, “gives off mezcal margarita vibes…”, absolutely the truth.
My husband had a glass of a local wine, REV, from Old Westminster, MD. REV is an Cab Franc/Cab Sav blend that surprised us with the quality and rich, deep flavors! If you like Cabernet, try this one!
For our main plates I had the Autumn Harvest salad and my husband ordered the Coppa and Cress pizza. The salad had me closing my eyes to fully savor the flavors. The beets, butternut squash… and that goat cheese is magical. It must be local and very fresh made? The Coppa and Cress pizza had a fabulous flavor. The crust was a little too crispy for my personal taste but my husband loved it like that! The cress is the green stuff on top that has a spicy garlicky flavor note. I dipped my pizza slice in the remnants of my salad to scoop up more of that goat cheese and to fully enjoy the rest of the vinaigrette.
Dessert. I know, how could i possibly? I am a firm believer in dessert bringing home a fabulous meal. Think of it as the cuddle after a great love making session. We…I decided on the sponge cake. After seeing Tom’s eyes light up (Tom was our waiter) when i asked about the sponge cake… I had to get it and OMG. The presentation was awesome. There was some sort of warm, ethereal cream sauce that was poured over the sponge cake. It sort of reminded me of tres leches cake. The flavor was very light and not too sweet at all. TIP: lay the sponge cake over in the sauce and give it time to soak in. Have another cocktail or glass of wine and savor every minute of it. Even my husband enjoyed it and he never eats dessert unless we are talking a dark chocolate truffle.
I can not wait to go back and try the hand stretched mozzarella!!
Manina is fabulous and an absolute MUST TRY, if you are a foodie or just love eating great food, expertly prepared. The menu is a little limiting and you must check daily for what is being offered. But with a fabulous Chef, you can really get some unique pairings. Now, this can be risky as a new restaurant but, this foodie finds it refreshing and bold! I’m tired of trying the same old menus. Bravo to the owner for creating something new!!
I’m closing, if you are in the Frederick, MD area, stop reading reviews and go get yourself some fresh, local ingredients prepared expertly for you! I’ll be the one snarfing down the fresh mozzarella with a side of deviled eggs at the end of the bar!
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Sweet Submission
Appalachian Trail Mile, 1947.1
8/23/2022
Whack!
Another branch, wails the back of my leg.
I whisper under my breath,
Thank you Mistress, may I have another?
I stumble, slip, and fall…again.
The thick mud, made of some sort of clay and
A stink I have never smelled before, clings to my ass
And the back of my thighs.
I take a deep breath, sigh, and pull myself up again.
This time I speak a little louder.
Thank you Mistress, may I have another?
I continue to trudge forward, through some sort
Of swampy, high ground slog.
Over logs that have been laid by her servants before me.
They are slippery, and I lose my footing.
I slip in to the deep quick sand like mud.
Up to my knees.
I move, attempting to pull my leg out.
I just sink deeper, up to my mid-thigh in this disgusting mire.
“She” is trying to pull my shoe off. Mocking me, in my attempt to hike
Her trails.
I finally relax and laugh.
What the hell am I doing here?
I yell ahead to the group that I am with, “help?!”
With a helping hand, I am able to pull myself up and out, WITH my shoe.
Thank the Gods!
I wash myself off, in her stream, and continue to move forward.
What else can I do?
I thank “her” and ask for another bit of punishment. Please?
Up ahead I see the trail as she winds downwards to another steep descent.
My knees quiver with anticipation.
Slippery rocks, smooth as glass, and wet.
Fuck.
I continue to move forward.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
One step. Two steps.
I am sweating from the sheer amount of work it takes to think myself through each move.
Each step, so very thoughtful as to not slip.
But no!
She throws up another root. It grabs my foot.
I slip and she busts my ass.
Again.
This time I scream in pain.
Thank you Mistress, may I have another!!
She will not defeat me.
Less than 250 miles remaining.
250 miles of the “most difficult” trail.
I haven’t decided yet, is it difficult because the body is just done?
Given everything it can?
Or is it all in my mind?
The Appalachian Trail Through Hike, is not for the faint of heart.
The Trail is like a cruel Mistress.
A beautiful, punishing Dominatrix, that demands your full attention and
Absolutely destroys you for it.
She pulls everything from you and when you think you can’t possibly take more.
When your body is broken and bleeding,
you crawl through a narrow crevasse of the path ahead,
And she opens herself up to you.
In all her glory, with beaming pride, she shows you the World.
Quite literally, through her sadistic eyes, you see the most magnificent view,
She takes your breath away.
Her body, undulating across the landscape.
Laid out for you.
Teasing you, pulling you in…again.
You ask for more.
She gives it to you, in the form of sheer torturous pain.
You cry out, Why?!
She never answers you.
You feel a whisper from within, that the answers lie ahead.
So, you continue to move forward.
One foot in front of the other.
Her little forest servants laugh at you, as you pass by.
Cackling, and throwing the remnants of nuts and pinecones pieces at your head from the trees above.
Another spiderweb hits you in the face.
“I can’t possibly be the first one here?”, you think to yourself.
And then you feel a rush of excitement that you might be.
With the sunshine warming the fir and pine needles in to a musky,
earthy type of heaven you never want to leave.
As you breathe the scent of her in,
Thinking it can’t get any better than this?
Then, a bug flies in to your nose, to remind you that this is their home.
Another one continues to bite your leg from behind.
You swat it, in a futile action.
It has tasted you and wants more!
And you want more, please?
Once you have had a taste of her,
She is a part of you forever.
The trail, permeates your brain, stimulates a place inside you
That nothing else can compare.
Why?
Something inside you craves her pain and her beauty.
A dichotomy that only “she” can give you.
And when you finish, at the end of your day.
You will crawl under your quilt,
and quietly beg,
Thank you Mistress, may I have another?
~Analiese Kennedy aka FoodGuru
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1800 Miles Completed, A Love Note to the Appalachian Trail
8/8/2022
Planning.
1800 miles ago my thoughts were abuzz.
Do I have the right shoes? Did I buy the right clothes? Do I have the right tent, and will my sleeping bag keep me warm enough?
1500 miles ago, my mind is playing with me.
Is my beard thick enough? Is my hair matted enough? Is my pack heavy enough? Have I done enough miles? What is that smell?
Today, I think…
Do I have enough water? Will my food last? Is it the right food? Do I have enough calories? Is my body breaking down? Will my feet carry me for one more mile? What is that putrid smell? Do I even care anymore? What the fuck have I gotten myself in to?
What if I let go and surrendered to the trail? What if I just laid on the forest floor, basking in the sunlight and soaking in the scents? Would I get any further? Would I achieve the goal?
What If I took off my pack, burdened with the weight of the thoughts behind me? Weighted down with how other people see me.
Judgement.
Somewhere in between I hover with the things that keep me from living and the things that keep me alive.
My thoughts are dragging me down.
My feet feel so heavy. Like walking on broken glass. I feel so confused, my direction is unclear. The path blazed before me, seems so far away. I question every day, every moment. Why am I here?
I just want to finish.
Achieve my dream.
Complete the goal.
Cross. The. Finish line.
Walking, scrambling, climbing, clawing. I thought this was a hike?
Another rock tripped over, taking more of my blood.
I want to laugh at myself but, I’m so damn hungry!
Why is my body abandoning me?
I shake my head, my thoughts tumbling to the side.
I take one more sip of the last of my water.
I look at the climb ahead and think, just another day in paradise.
This time I laugh.
One foot in front of the other, my stride more confident than it was 1800 miles ago.
I CAN achieve this. I WILL achieve this.
Just 20-more tomorrows, give or take a zero here or there!
~ For Jake-a-Lope, my husband, and my inspiration
Food Guru
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Thoughts from the Appalachian Trail: 1700 Miles completed w/ 498 Miles to go!
(8/3/2022)
As of yesterday (8/2/2022) my husband has hiked 1705.3 miles and we are in Killington, VT.
I am loving Vermont. It’s beautiful. The scenery is amazing, and the weather is nicer than it has been in several hundred miles. We even visited a cool local art gallery on our “zero” day!
I am currently battling a severe sinus infection. I’ve had this coming on for about 6-weeks now. Unfortunately, I also have a couple of cracked molars, so the pressure from the sinus infection is excruciatingly painful. I now have a deep appreciation for people who suffer from migraines. Thankfully, the ER doc was able to find the problem and get me on the right medication course to hopefully get this thing knocked out. Then I will have the teeth fixed when we get home in about 5-weeks. It should technically “only” take us about four weeks, BUT we have to account for shitty weather in the White Mountains or at Baxter State Park, which may hold up our progress. But enough about me!
For those of you reading this and think, “wow, how lucky you are to have the time to hike the Appalachian Trail…you must be having so much fun…it must be wonderful to wake up every day and experience God’s beautiful countryside…” Well, it’s not all that. It’s freaking HARD. The most difficult physical and mental “test” we have ever put ourselves through. If you would have spoken to me last week, I would have said it’s 90% suck and 10% “fun”. Today (thanks to Vermont), it’s 65% suck and 35% fun! Seriously, pretty much every thru hiker we have run in to has a scowl on their face at this point. Everyone “just” wants to get this done. Don’t get me wrong, there is the occasional happy hiker that loves every step of the journey and is whistling “dixie” the whole way, but (if I’m being honest here) they are assholes and I just want to punch them in the face. EVERY DAY of happiness on trail, just isn’t real.
We started this journey thinking, “it’s just walking”, how hard can it be? We had planned for 20-miles being an average day. What a joke. There have been NO EASY, no average days. Every day comes with a nuance of difficulty. Either physically or mentally. We all pose for the “happy, look at my awesome life” Instagram/social media pictures, but the truth is, for every one of those pictures, there are 99-other ones that tell a different story. A story of heartache, sole-ache, body breakdowns, down right FALL downs, impalements (from stray branches), black eyes and other bruises, SO. MUCH. RAIN., BUGS, more bugs…and when you don’t think there can be more…MORE BUGS. Even with the best logistics plan, there is lack of water, food, and other nice-ities. In fact, if you ever just wanted to “get real”…this is as real as it gets. So real, in fact, that people die attempting this thru hike. People you may know in passing or know from hiking hundreds of miles with quit every day. It doesn’t make them “lesser” in any way…hell, maybe it makes them smarter? I don’t know, all I know is that this journey is mostly awful.
BUT, through all the awfulness, you do find some incredible kernels of greatness. It’s these morsels that keep you going. There are people that you will never know that stop and help you, when you feel like you just can’t take another step. There are complete strangers that feed you, give you water and shelter you, when you need it most. There are creatures that stop and connect with you along the way, that seemingly communicate that everything is going to be okay. Just breathe and absorb the moment. There are butterflies that will dance along the trail with you.
There are flowers that open up their sunny faces, seeming to embrace you and carry you along for the next step.
The Chipmunks and Red Squirrels that laugh at you and with you, when you are laying on the ground after your most recent tumble.
There are colorful snails and slugs that want you to know, it’s okay to slow down…either way, you are going to get there.
Just one more step, just one more sip, just one more bite, just one more sleep, just one more moment of kindness…After today, we will have 469 miles to reach Katahdin. And then what?
For now, and for each mile of the next 469, I will be focused on each moment of this journey. The good and the difficult. It’s all part of the achievement and all part of the overall story. Hug your fellow humans, even if they stink, it may be the one thing that keeps them going for the next step!
~Food Guru
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Two Days Off Trail in Camden, NJ and Philadelphia, PA!
7/14 & 7/15/2022
I had a great couple of days spending some time off the Appalachian Trail to reset mentally and spend time with my daughter in Philly.
I bought tickets to the Back Street Boys a little over a year ago (maybe longer, i don’t actually remember) with a group of ladies (family) and I was looking forward to attending since I never had a chance to see BSB in my twenties 🤷♀️. Fast forward through COVID and then logistically assisting my husband for his through hike on the A.T., and i wasn’t sure if i would make the concert at all. Plus i had developed some sort of tooth or mouth infection that was absolutely killing me (turned out to be severe allergies).Thankfully after much internal debate, a convo with a fellow hiker (thanks Chirp), and some significant medicating I decided to suck it up and go!
Also, to be clear and for those thru-hikers that may be reading this, I am no longer considered a thru-hiker. I am supporting my husband’s thru hike. To his 100+ miles completed weekly, I might hike 20 miles, intermittently…when I feel like hiking🥾
Back Street’s Back Alright!
The concert was on Thursday night and we had stellar tickets, right up front in the pit! I had no idea when I bought them that they would be so fantastic! BSB put on a very energetic and super fun show! They were all rocking the dad bod’s and damn they can still move 🕺 🕺 🕺 🕺 🕺
Après-Concert
After the concert we were both in need of some heavy post concert snacking, so we stumbled in to a bar (Victor’s Pub in Camden, NJ) on the walk back to the hotel. Had a fairly decent cheesesteak (a little skimpy on the meat) and some banging parm-garlic wings (we had to send the first batch back because they were grossly overcooked)! The parmigian cheese must have been infused with garlic oil, because they were so savory and delicious, yum! And as an aside, I rarely send food back but, the waitstaff were so kind and understanding. We really appreciate the prompt response and thanks for recognizing there was an issue!
The next day, we slept in late and decided we would have one super amazing meal, and it would be Italian. After cruising through Yelp reviews for about an hour, I booked an early table at Positano Coast, just across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from our hotel.
We spent about 4-hours wandering around Philly and checking out the sights. Of course we hit up the local market area, Reading Market (pronounced “Red-ding”, which is weird because there are tons of bookstores and libraries nearby?).
Oh man! Why don’t we have fresh markets like this where I live?! So much fresh food, from farm to market to your mouth! We grabbed three BBQ pork spare ribs from an Amish lady at Glick’s Rb Shack and a donut from an apparently famous place named Beiler’s (tourist were lining up for boxes).
Everything was so incredibly tasty! The ribs were fall off the bone and had a flavor that brought me back to Texas BBQ. Dry rubbed and you could taste the hickory smoke. The donut (we shared) was very light (like a crispy cream) with way too much glaze. I felt like (my daughter agreed) they could have gone with no glaze and maybe a light dusting of powdered sugar, so that you can actually taste the donut.
It’s right about here, I realize I previously said “one super amazing meal” but, a tasting of ribs and a shared donut are more like a snack, not really a meal per se. 😜
Anyway, we had to pace ourselves in anticipation of our upcoming Italian feast, so is the friggen exit door?!
On our way to Positano we found all sorts of amazing photo ops with art installations and murals around every corner. This was very reminiscent of a recent European trip! My daughter found THE CUTEST little beer garden, tucked in between some buildings and playing the freshest chill jams. It was a great little stop to rest our feet and have a couple of photo ops!
We had about a 1.6 mile walk to the restaurant, so we sucked back our beers and hit the road.
The Restaurant
After a fairly brisk 40-minute walk we found Positano situated through a back alley and nestled behind a fairly historical looking structure and courtyard. The decor was coastal. Think Amalfi Coast with lots of blue and white mosaic tiling. It had a very clean, fresh vibe and i was already getting in to it. The music really helped with the vibe as it was pumping with my favorite “electronic chill” jams and i think i just saw a DJ walking in?! Let’s get this party started!!
I had decided the night before that we would do a multi coursed dinner so we could have maximum tasting experience. I always have to pre plan a little or I can be overwhelmed with too many awesome choices and not enough stomach or cash to enjoy them all! It’s a fricken struggle being The Food Guru and all… i obviously love food. 🤷♀️
We ordered a bottle of white wine. It was Orvieto. Clean, crisp and fresh. My daughter actually recommended it and she was spot on! Perfect for a hot, sweaty day of walking and exploring. To start, i ordered us the Roasted Beet Salad, Burrata, and Meatballs. I’ve been on a meatball kick since getting in to NJ and each place has been better than the last. I’m hoping the trend continues.
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
This salad had a perfect balance of vinegar and lemon. Am i tasting champagne vinaigrette with maybe shallots here? 🤔 It just popped in my mouth and was like a gentle nudge to my senses that something special was about to happen, then BAM 💥 the salty goat cheese! The champagne vinegar, the shallots, that lemon confit, pairs so gosh darn well with the earthy beets and goat cheese 😋 The serving was big enough for two or even three people to share (maybe four if, you have *skinny bitch friends that don’t really eat…), which i highly recommend if planned a coursed extravaganza.
Burrata
I’m going to go out on a limb here and speculate that the Burrata may be house made? This was like a light pillow of cheesey goodness, that seemed to be hovering just above the plate of ripe heirloom tomatoes. Either these were the best I’ve ever eaten, or i was really craving tomatoes!! Where the dressing on the salad was a light vinaigrette, this plate had a full bodied balsamic glaze that balanced with the delicate burrata perfectly!
Meatballs with Ricotta
Whereas most of the Jersey meatballs had ricotta IN them, these were served over a bed of ricotta. Even though they weren’t as light and huge as the others I have had recently, the meat was perfectly seasoned and they had a very equal balance of veal and pork (I’m guessing here). The tomato sauce tasted freshly made, like grandma is in the back room squeezing the life juice out of tomatoes she just picked from the garden she planted with seeds from HER Nona’s heirloom garden!! 😆
The ricotta was like she gave grandpa a job to do in the kitchen and he didn’t want to disappoint because he wouldn’t be getting any action later from grandma. So yeah, awesome job grandpa. Looks like someone is getting something extra special from grandma tonight!! 💋 💦
Obviously I was super amped up after these kind of starters. The juices were flowing and we couldn’t wait for the main event, Casarecce Bolognese and Lobster Ravioli!
The Lobster Ravioli was ok, but was a little heavy on the seafood essence, flavor-wise. I’m sure a lot of people love those big flavor notes, but i prefer a more subtle, layered flavor profile. The size of each ravioli were huge. Like 2”x2” each. They had spinach inside, which i really wanted to work, but probably would have done better with a cheese or mushroom filling. Spinach was just too overpowering of a flavor for the seafood. The sauce tasted very much like a lobster bisque. I guess what it was really lacking were lumps of lobster. And after the starters, I was ready to put some significant meat in my mouth…you know what i mean?! The chef did have some incredibly tasty shrimps thrown in to the sauce, but i would have left out the shrimp and gone a little heavier on actual lobster. 🤷♀️
Now the Casarecce Bolognese is a superstar dish! I mean the Chef obviously loves their mother kind of dish! I could feel the love with each bite. I realized about two bites in, I was actually audibly enjoying my food when i looked across to the neighbor table and they were giggling…”I’ll have what she’s having” type of giggles! Bravo Chef, you really brought the meat here!! Layers and layers of flavor, this taste like a sauce that’s been cooking and resting for the past couple of days. We are talking short rib meat and steak maybe ground together for this?
We were both stuffed and completely satiated, but dessert? I mean, who doesn’t like cuddles after a main event like that?! 😜 Well, we can at least look at the menu 🤷♀️ we decided on tiramisu and salted caramel gelato. I mean come on… Plus cappuccinos! Everything was so great! We thought, they should make an ice cream tiramisu 🤔 maybe use a layer of the salted caramel gelato in there? You’re welcome.
If you ever get to Philly, you have to try this place. You will not be disappointed! Hell, you should go to Philly for this place! Just make sure to bring a healthy appetite and an open mind with your music tastes 😜
I would be remiss if i didn’t finish out our trip notes by not mentioning our brunch on our final morning. Yes, we still had an appetite after our dinner!
First of all, shout out to my daughter for finding this place. She is the breakfast/brunch master! She found a placed named “Winkels” at 1119 Locust street. Holy Shit! I mean, how can the food here keep up with itself.
We started with the Bitterbitten.
I wasn’t sure what the hell this was. The name sounded awful but the description had pork in it so we ordered. It was tasty but the texture kind of threw me off. Like a warm, mushy tuna salad 🤷♀️ it did have a very pleasant outside texture and the flavor was good. I really liked the pickled onion on the side. They kind of teased out the flavor in the dish!
For my main, I ordered the Bread Pudding French Toast. Cooked perfectly with a nice crunch on the outside. And the candied bacon laid over the top was completely over the top delicious. Don’t give me that look. It was fricken delish!
My girl ordered an omelet with mushrooms which she said was fabulous albeit could have done with one less egg. We won’t complain about portion sizes here!!
I’m super interested in hearing what your favorite place to eat in Philly is and/or what is your “go to” Italian dish? Drop me a comment below!
*writer’s note: i love surrounding my self with skinny bitch friends. Leaves more for me and they usually have great jokes that keep me laughing all night!! Also, if you are offended by this phrase, then 🫵🏼🖕🏼🤌🏼
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Appalachian Trail Thru Hike 2022: 3/26/2022- 1st Week Thoughts from the Trail
Day 1:
We stopped off at Amicolola Falls and picked up our hiker tags, signed the hiker register and completed our Thru hike safety class.
Day 1 total miles hiked, 3.2.
We got a super late start, hitting the trail to the top of Springer Mountain in Georgia at approximately 5:30pm. It’s a 1-mile hike to get to the top to start!! Probably not the smartest move as it was about 30 degrees F and super windy, making the wind chill drop temps in to the 20’s. Needless to say it was super cold!!
The trail to the top was WAY more challenging than we expected. We made it to the top and headed back down to the first shelter to camp around 7pm. It was dark and freezing (literally).
We woke up the next day (see day 2 below) and i could barely feel my fingers. My feet were numb and every time i sat up, i got dizzy and had to lay back down! I finally made it up to the shelter and tried to start breakfast, but i kept getting dizzy and passing out. Jake gave me a snickers and it was completely frozen. Awesome start to the day! We were able to boil some water and warm up enough to hit the trail!
Day 2:
Miles hiked: 9.8 (AT mile 12.3)
Shelter: none. Pitched tent next to Cooper Gap parking lot. Friggen exhausted!!
Breakfast: none
Lunch: tuna pouches and nuts
Dinner: we split a snickers bar, handful of nuts. Had to ration water.
Connectivity on trail continues to be an issue with spotty service at best.
Standing up to pee is no joke. Although super freeing and convenient, you use different muscles than when squatting. I actually got a cramp in my abs!!
But for real, the feminine stand up to pee device, i will call it a “She-nis”, is amazing!
I slept like shit after Day 1, even though Jake says i was snoring like a banshee 🤷♀️
I’m completely exhausted, my legs are burnt out. My back is screaming at me and I’m completely dehydrated. We have 2.1 miles to nearest water source and down to two cups of water. 1/2 a snickers bar for dinner. But this is fun, right?! 🤷♀️
Oh well, another day in the books. On to Day 3…
Day 3
Miles hiked: 11.3 (AT mile 20.5)
The start was really rough as we were dehydrated which i think is causing my leg muscles to cramp up and move so sluggishly. Our primary goal is a 2.1 mile hike to a water source, then on to a shelter for lunch and privy usage.
The hike was beautiful and the water was a flowing! We were so thankful for water but had to move on quickly because every time you stop, your muscles cool down quickly.
We stopped to make lunch at Gooch Gap shelter. Victoria and her fiancé and brother were there, it was nice to see them again! We had nice conversation and shared a meal together. We are all shooting for Neel’s Gap tomorrow. It’s gonna be a tough push for sure.
By the end of the day i was exhausted, so when we got to the parking lot for Woody Gap, i was adamant we find a ride in to town to get cleaned up and have a burger/beer. This was a need for me at this point, as i already felt broken. At this point i was thinking about calling a ride to get me to the car, so i would head back 3-days earlier than planned… that’s how terrible i felt.
After burgers, a few beers and a great nights sleep, i was ready to lace up and hit the trail in the morning!!
Day 4: on to Neel’s Gap!! (Mile 31.3)
Miles hiked: 14.3 (includes .3 mile hike to hostel)
Holy crap! I feel SO. MUCH. STRONGER today!! Jake is just crushing the hiking but today, i am keeping up a little closer than i have been, i even took front point during our down hikes!
Blood Mountain was no joke! So incredibly difficult.
Lots of bouldering up and mostly down. The rocks really destroyed my feet so when i saw Neel’s Gap in the distanced, i got a surge of excitement and a little choked up. We had made it a little over 30 miles and to the point we’re about 20% of all thru hikers, hang up their boots and quit. I can totally see why. This shit is hard. Really pushes you on so many levels. Hiking is one thing, but backpacking is a whole other level.
We are staying a hostel tonight, Blood Mountain cottages and then back on trail tomorrow. Hike on!!
Day 5: Neel’s Gap to Low Gap, 11.5 miles (mile 42.8)
Breakfast: mountain house egg scramble
Lunch: Trail magic! Grilled cheese and ham!
Second lunch: trail magic #2! Walking tacos by Queen Diva
Dinner: ramen and mountain house chicken Alfredo.
We still haven’t figured out how to perfectly hydrate mountain house 🤷♀️
We met a hiker named AU (Mike) at Neel’s Gap just before we left. What an incredibly interesting fella! AU has been hiking this Georgia section of the AT for over 20 years! He was very encouraging for Jake and really had wonderful stories. Hiking with AU for most of the day was a Godsend, as it helped to take my mind off the pain of my hips. Jake seemed to really connect with him as well. We lost AU about 1/2!way in to our day, as we stopped to enjoy a magnificent view. Overnight camp at low gap.
When we arrived at Low Gap, AU already had his tent set up. He helped us to orient our tent to better prepare for the impending storm blowing in from the Southwest.
We made dinner and then hunkered down for the storm!! We both passed out fairly quickly and then around 2 am, the storm blew in. It was a crazy windy storm. Lots of rain. Our tent has very wet the next morning!
The wind was very crazy. It sounded like a tsunami rolling in. You could hear the wind blowing Thru the trees miles away and then it would hit the campsite. It was a very weird and cool beach sounding effect.
Day 6: Low Gap to Unicoi Gap, 9.7 miles (Mile 52.5)
Final trail day for Food Guru. Overnight at Around the Bend Hostel. Dinner with Queen Diva, Hopeful, and Circuit Rider in Hiawassee.
We were invited to dinner by Hopeful after running in to them again at Around the Bend Hostel. They had provided trail magic a couple of days ago. We went to an AYCE buffet that tasted amazing 🤩 To be clear, i am not usually a buffet person but after a week on trail, it was heaven! Lol! We had great conversation and exchanged numbers to keep in touch for trail progress.
It was my last evening on trail as i had to return home to ensure the youngest son graduates high school and i tweaked my hip stepping on a rock and just could seem to get it back in place🤷♀️
I will now transition to hiker support and logistics planner as my husband finishes his thru hike! We will see how that goes…
I dropped Jake-a-Lope back to the trail and headed home! Hike on!!
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Appalachian Trail, 6/16/22, mile 980.5
Woke up at 7:30-ish. In all actuality, i was up most of the night, in and out of sweat dreams. If you have Thru hiked or long term camped, during the heat of summer…you know what i mean 😭. Dreams are super intense when #1, you are sleep deprived and #2, it’s hot as heck! Plus i was super worried about bears.
Today we will finally be leaving the Shenandoah’s!! Yay! I am so friggen happy to be out of here. I mean, it’s super beautiful and the people have been so friendly, but we are so close to Harper’s Ferry and home, that i just wanna move forward. I can’t wait to get home for a couple of days and take a proper shower, wash everything and scrub the car out. I also want to drop unneeded supplies and streamline our load. We are almost halfway through.
I know people want to hear all the happy thoughts, rainbows and butterflies but, this is work. Really hard work. You plan as much as you can for the next day but never really know how it will work out. There are so many unknown factors that can crop up. And i KNOW, my husband is doing the walking work and carrying his backpack load. I get it. Cry me a river… but damn, logistics is hard work. Throw in biting bugs. Dirt in everything. And my hair is so matted I am beginning to have one big dreadlock. Not to mention smells i didn’t know i had. *sigh*
So let’s sum up the AT through the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah National Parks. It all kind of runs together. It’s spectacular as far as scenery! The floral and fauna are truly amazing. The wayside stores every 20-miles or so can be a life saver. This allows you to shed days worth of food weight. The water sources on trail were hit or miss, so had to carry a little more water.
After 4-5 days, it does all run together though. It took a solid ten days to complete this section.
Dropped Jake-a-Lope back on trail, we are due to meet up in a couple of hours. Oops! Well, i didn’t plan that well, the Ranger Station is not actually a place we can meet up. No vehicle roads accessible. So we will meet at Fort Royal around 12:30/1p.
Finally got to Front Royal. My back right tire was a little flat, so got that taken care of and found the meet up spot. Ran in to “Day Owl” and “Mowgli”. Offered them both an ice cold beer and had some nice convo. They both needed a ride in to Front Royal which i agreed to after Jake shows up for his cold refreshment!
Jake-a-Lope showed up, right on time looking super hot 🥵. He slugged a couple of beers and hit the trail again. I dropped the two hikers off and headed forward to the next meet up. This is where i found out that not all “dirt roads” listed in FarOut are actually accessible. Yet another meetup is not possible. So frustrating. I decided to swing ahead to the final meet up spot at Mile 980. Picked up some KFC (chicken) along the way. He should be here around 4:30.
There is a huge storm blowing in, doesn’t look good. It’s now raining very heavily and it’s 4:35.. no Jake yet. There is a lot of thunder and some lightning. Hope he is ok.
4:43 and Jake just rolled in! Whew! I always get worried when he runs late. 🤷♀️ i love seeing his face after a long day! I immediately helped him get his pack off and handed him a cold beer. The rain was just starting to push off to the East, so it was starting to cool down a bit.
Another hiker walked up and asked if we were together. I think looking for a shuttle maybe… we said “yes, together” and asked if he was Thru hiking? He said yes and we offered him a beer 🍺 He looked so grateful and stoped to chat a bit. His trail name is “Heineken” and he is from the Netherlands. He owns a micro-brewery just outside of Edam called Waterland or something?? Heineken formally worked for a private equity company in marketing and then left after many years to open his microbrewery and tap room! I immediately felt horrible that i had given him a PBR! Geez… he was very gracious though and said that after a hot hike, a Pilsner was perfect! Nice guy! He and Jake-a-lope had great convo about the current market issues and also about the history of this area with slavery and Thomas Jefferson. It’s little moments like this that make the trail worthwhile. Taking a few minutes to connect with another human. 😃
We said our goodbyes, then set to the task of where to sleep for the night. I opted for hotel, as we had been sleeping outdoors exclusively for three weeks now and i really wanted a proper shower and a dry nights sleep!
No book reading tonight, but we did enjoy the showers and a nice Pinot Noir!!
Cheers!
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Thoughts from the Appalachian Trail: 962 miles; 6/15/2022
Slept at Mathew’s Arm campground in Shenandoah National Park. space A62
Woke up at 6:15a. Very hot and muggy. Lots of bugs. Thank goodness for bug nets!! Eventually had to get out of bed as i was sweating bullets. Ugh 😩.
Tons of caterpillars dropping from trees. So gross.
Brushed teeth, washed face, got dressed. Made breakfast, toasted bagels with egg and cheese. Used a little of leftover pico de gallo in the eggs. A trick i learned from a former work colleague, Sue Myers! Thanks Sue!!
Did a modified camp break, so we could get rolling quicker. Rolled the mattress topper and fitted sheet up with the Luno air mattress. I kind of like this approach. Shaves off at least ten minutes of packing effort.
Saw airlife, an ambulance and a few Ranger trucks at the intersection of US 211 and Skyline. Wonder what happened? Had Jake back on trail by 8:38A. Dropped at Meadow Spring Trailhead, which is .80 from the AT (941.9). Very intense uphill hike with a lot of rocks! Will have to plan our EOD pick ups and drop offs better.
Drove back to Mathew’s Arm CG to pay for camping X2 nights. Had a nice chat with the park ranger about bears. This camp ground is fairly prolific with a few bear families. Will have to be super mindful at night with our supplies in bear boxes! Also asked about the apparent accident at US 211. Ranger said it was a hiker with significant injuries. Probably not a Thru hiker because the AT doesn’t run Thru that particular area 🤷♀️
Met up with Jake-a-Lope at Beahm’s Gap (947.5) for a quick trail cola! It’s HOT today!! Hiked in a bit. Moving ahead to Elk Wallow wayside so we can meet up for lunch!! I’m jumping on trail to find him and hike in with him 😃
We had an amazing lunch consisting of smash burger (for me) and Beyond Burger (for him). They were fresh made and delish! Sat with a couple of fellas who shared stories of past trail exploits. They were hilarious! I was laughing so loud, maybe even obnoxiously…it was a nice break before i told Jake to “hit the trail” again, “we are burning daylight!” Begrudgingly, he strapped in his backpack and got back at it!
I ran back to camp to pick up dirty clothes and then all the way back to Big Meadows! Apparently, the closest place to do laundry. It was a 45 minute drive and i will be cutting it super close for picking him up at EOD. I was able to squeeze in a shower between washing and drying, so that was nice. I’ve been sweating for about 3-weeks straight now, it’s disgusting. I will have to hose Jake off later at camp. He hates the bag shower, but it’s what we have and works in a pinch.
Was able to finally find Jake-a-lope and extract him from a freshly mowed, side of the road field. Logistics can be difficult but as long as we stay flexible, it’s all part of the journey!!
Gave Jake a camp shampoo, so he is smelling pretty fresh right now 🥳
We had bologna and American cheese sandwiches for dinner. Completed with smashed chips in the middle. We are finally winding down and getting ready for story time! Duncan will hold his baby for the first time… or will he?
Good night!!
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Blue Toad Cidery
About 4-miles off trail (an easy hitch) and just east of the Appalachian Trail at Reid’s Gap is Blue Toad Cidery. Devil’s Backbone Brewery is directly across the street, but this place is a hidden gem.
Gorgeous scenery, right along the river! You can cozy up inside or take a seat right along the river to enjoy your cider! Manager, Angela, provided a quick tour of their fermentation facility and explained, “…we brew every thing in house. All the apples are locally sourced through agreements with local apple growers.
We ferment everything in-house and have a contract with a mobile cannery. They come on site when we are ready to can. They bring everything, and it works like a conveyor line. It’s quite the process!!”
I am currently enjoying the Paddy Green Irish Cider. The description states, “dry with a tart finish. Made with 100% Granny Smith apples.” But i was still worried about too much sweetness. 🤷♀️ However, this did not disappoint! Slightly tart, very slight hint of sweetness and a whole lot of deliciousness! Very smooth, no ugly tart face here!! Full confession here, I’m on my second pint!!
They only have food on Saturdays here, so you can pack a picnic to enjoy, or go across to DB for lunch.
The property is beautiful with outdoor and indoor seating opportunities available.
They currently offer RV camping only, no tents. But hey, stumble across the street and you can shower and camp at DB! It’s all good on your trail journey!
Happy hiking!!
The Food Guru: Food, Travel, Photography = Life 