a woman's work is never done......

This is how my communiques with Judd go:

20.4......and Vitamin I ..........and that's not the temp in Celsius

20.4 miles! 6 am to 6 pm. I even did some ibuprofen tonight. I will always carry water. I didn't expect to do a 20 mile day everything just felt like it was working together. Got on the trail by 0600. There's some satisfaction about getting on the road before anyone else at the camp site is awake. It's cold but not really uncomfortably cold. Stayed in the shelter and about ten other people did too. Seems like a big population of hikers gets up late and hikes late even doing night hikes. I'm not into night hikes. I have enough trouble keeping my feet under me in the daylight. I noticed that the blueberries some in bloom and some already in green berries. Water was pretty scarce today but I just kept hiking past potential camp sites until the only one available was Wind Rock camp site with a view but no water. Nice view. One of the places I hiked past was called Captains. A zip line across a little valley and the. You could camp in this guys back yard. He and his buddy will be putting on a fish fry this Friday before a hiker feast on Saturday. There was only one other tent there when I got there and another hammock when I pulled out in the morning.
37.4139° N, 80.5193° W

I got my wish: Robert Redford plays Judd in the movie!

redford-and-nolte-take-a-walk-in-the-woods

"Like a den mother" - May 26

Woke up in a hotel. Didn't sleep well. I was going to sleep in but got moving. Redivided this resupplying shuffle and ran across the street to food lion to resupply. I'm going to try and forward one unopened box I sent to myself here in pearisburgh and Mail some surplus off to another drop point up the trail. Added some stuff from the food lion trip to round out the box and hoofed it over to the post office. It's starting to rain. The post office doesn't open until 9. Who ever heard of such a thing? I'm going to send surplus gear home too. I decide to schlep my bundles down Main Street to the only diner in town. “Hiker Friendly”. On the way past the court house the requisite statue of a confederate soldier list of names and quote from Jefferson Davis. The story they told was how a union general was defeated by a confederate general in this county. All sort of ties together with the Bill Oreilly book I reading about lincolns assasination. It's raining harder. Im hanging out on the street. This sure is Virginia Tech country. Every time you turn around something else has VT on it. Vermont? Restaurant doesn't open until nine either. While standing I the dry postoffice waiting for it to open started talking with a motherly through hiker who is complaining about always ending up in a family of 22 something hikers. Like a den mother. I explained that boys become lost boys if they don't have a Wendy to hike the AT with them. She also said that she was going to “ water blaze” the section of the AT that parallels the blue ridge parkway. Lots of people still calling themselves through hikers are now doing that section in canoes. Too many campgrounds and tourists and snack are otherwise. I dunno that's not the AT I think of. She is also hiking with a dog bi asked her what she did for the no dogs allowed Smokie mountains. She said hers was a service dog. Oh, sure. I can see her pulling that crap to bring a dog in Baxter. Judging from the characters I've seen during this circus I'm thinking thru hikers need to be tuned up before they can get into Baxter. Really some keno the legislature should put a bill in that removes the AT from Baxter all together. It won't pass but it would be a good eye opener for what's expected of people in Baxter. I stewed about his all day. I finally got hiking by 11. Mostly up hill all the way and I'm feeling wicked logey. It started raining by 1 I got to a shelter by 230 and sat there with 6 other wet hikers waiting for it to let up. I started getting chilled so figures I'd stay the night. By 430 it had stopped and all the others pushed on. I e resupplies for 5 days and I'm not sure I want to carry wet stuff the whole time. The weather report is rain for 9 days. Anyway a half hour after everyone leaves the sun comes out. I hang my wet clothes out and everything is dry in the sun and wind. I looked at my book and I'll be hard pressed to gain anytime between here and the next resupply. Technically I'm stillin my two week conditioning period, I didn't sleep well last night, and the view out front is gorgeous down into the valley. The sun is shining, my clothes are drying, I 'm warm in my longies and the view goes on for miles. Also because of that mid afternoon rain I don't think anyone left town to be up here I the shelter. I have earplugs just in case.
62° Mostly Cloudy
100–198 N Main St, Pearisburg, VA, United States

Shirtless is NOT okay, but Viagra ads blaring IS - May 25

Got up and put before 0700. Midnight was trying to get me to stay with him at woods Hole Hostel. A very groovy place baby. I went by before Midnight caught up with me. Then I was just worried that those homophobic Trail Blazers ( boyscouts who don't think gays belong in the Boy Scouts. ) I fumed about them all day as I hiked along. How does the bible justify teaching children to hate Anyone???? I hiked past woods hole hostel , I hiked past docs knobs shelter, I hiked past the stretch of ridge that the homophobes said they were going to camp on. I hiked right into pearisburgh. 18.3 miles. The last two hours was straight down hill. Down is less effort, more pain. And this stretch was painful. Saw that my motel had a Swimming pool so I dashed across the street to food lion and bought some sliced fruit. Went to goodwill and bought a bathing suit. The Mexican restaurant reported to have draft beer is closed for the holiday. I went into the office for some quarters to do laundry wearing just my new bathing suit. The man said I couldn't walk around the motel without a shirt on. This is a 40 $ a night place and the lady on the room next to the office looks like she's been there a while. She has three cats. I mentioned that the Viagra add on the 14" TV in the corner could blare a Viagra ad, as it was, but I had to wear a shirt to and from the pool. It's Memorial Day and I try to watch Saving Private Ryan. But it is pretty graphic. I end up watching Kelly's Heros. I used to think my favorite line was screwball “catching Rays”. But Don Rickles character yells at a fellow to make a deal with some guy, “he's probably a republican”. I head over to the Chinese buffet across the street for supper and do some serious damage.
37.338° N, 80.656° W

"going to bars for breakfast" - May 24

The German fellow was up early and idol lowed suit. The nights have been chilly. Not tooth chattering cold but uncomfortably cold. And I've had my longies on my down jacket socks and the bag liner in my 45 deg. Bag. I just didn't want to lay there in the cold I got up too. It's hard transitioning from long johns to hiking clothes. But if you just do it and get on the trail everything warms up quickly. I'm less inclined to slow down and prepare a breakfast. My strategy is to get on the trail and stop once everything is warmed up and stretched out. I get outer amp by 0700 and make it to Trents for two eggs and sausage breakfast. I'm the only hiker there for a few minutes and I get to use the rest room with the out of order sign on it. I pick up my box and spread out on the grass to figure out what I can carry. I'm already carrying 4 days of excess food because that's how far ahead of schedule I am. I give away some of the break fasts I had mixed up because I am seriously considering going to bars for breakfast and a bag of tortillas. I haven't finished the bag I've got. I get everything packed up and it feels like my pack is about 6 pounds heavier.

May 23 with Midnight and the Germans

Today was mostly flat with little ups and downs all day. That makes it easier to work the up hill muscles then the down hill muscles. I started the day at my campsite at mile 585. Kind of a un remarkable day except that it felt really good to be walking. My pack was about as light as it was going to be and 18.1 miles late I'm looking for a campsite. Up rumbles Midnight. An escapee from a VA pain clinic. He said he woke up one day and told his daughter to get him outta there and he hasn't looked back since. He doesn't have many faltering stories about his treatment. He and I decide on a spot right close to the river he sets his iPod speaker up and starts collecting firewood to country music. A few minutes later a German fellow shows up to camp. Apparently there was some documentary in Germany about the AT and this year there are quite a few Germans on the trail. They all seem to understand English well enough. About a half hour later a man and a woman show up independently. The place is crowded and very animated with stories. Midnight got his name because when he started hiking he used to stay up all night and wait for the wild animals to attack. The woman was Ghost Hiker. Up until now I thought that Trents Grocery was going to be closed on Sunday, tomorrow. But ghost hiker said it was going to be open and had proof in AWOLS Guide. My plan is to get up early and have breakfast at Trents after just a short little up hill it should be flat all day and I'll decide how far I can go when I get there. 

Sent from my iPhone

CARE package

Judd sent a package home of clothes he doesn't need. He also seems to have purchased a AT Trail Days T-shirt for himself. And all I got was a bumper sticker that says "Why Carry Heavy Gear - www.hyperlitemountaingear.com"   Also an Instagram of his cocoon.

May 22- cold and damp

Woke up cold and damp. Then I heard that Trent's grocery was going to be closed on Sunday. That's when I was planning on being there to pick up a two day resupply. Actually I had been planning on having it forwarded to a place near the end of this sorte. I'm ahead of schedule, already, and especially after pooh bears magic for supper I've got plenty of food to get to pearisburgh and a resupply. Pooh bears mission can be found at “hikingforwellness”. I have been fantasizing about being home for the Fourth of July. I should look at a plan before I get carried away. If I plug along at just 2 mph, and can hike from 8 to 8 with two hours of lunch and snacks that's still 20 miles a day.
I finished Nigel T
This is my second night stealth camping. The shelters and designated campsites are full of people most of them partying and staying up late. I do my best hiking in the morning.
rent's William Wallace yesterday and have started bill oryley's who shot Lincoln.
63° Clear
Appalachian National Scenic Trl, Bastian, VA, United States

First selfie-- looks like he's been taken hostage and they said, "SMILE!"

Woke up this morning and it was pouring rain. Even tho I went to bed at 730 pm I had no trouble sleeping in until 9 am. It was still raining when I broke camp but I've gotten so that the only thing that really gets wet is the rain fly. It's the first up and the last to come down. 10 miles mostly up today. I listened to the whole of William Wallace. If I going to carry this battery I going to use it. Right now I m listening to music and writing this. It's about 630 pm but I'm in bed mostly because it's cold but also because I'm beat. I'm trying to stay north of 10 miles a day. I think I just heard rain drops. ..
Yup it rains for the rest of the night. I had thought that having a full set of woollies was overkill. Nope. I had my jacket on and socks and if I had found my gloves I would have put them on. I did find my emergency blanket one of those little plastic or aluminum what ever. I threw it off in the middle of the night because my breath condensed on it and my sleeping bag was getting soaked. Everything is going to be damp I hope it's a dry sunny day tomorrow. 
59° Overcast
36.9525° N, 81.4927° W

May 20 - "I don't do those things"

15.8 miles today with a pack full of 7 days supply. I had to sleep in a shelter a couple nights back. I donot like sleeping on the ground or the floor blowup pad or not. The hotel last night was so bad it's not even worth the list of badness. There were a couple long uphill struggle and I slowed right down. The when j got on the flat I cruised right along. I started this morning at 0645 and ended 11 hours later at a camp sight that is really filling up fast I feel a little funny putting up a bear bag but there are a couple trees nearby that have recent scars from something a lot bigger than woodpeckers. I've seen about a dozen hikers go by headed north for a night hike. It's a long stretch between water holes and some of them are actually thinking they'd rather hike in the cool of the evening. I'm of the mind to get out of bed early and get the worst of it over before 1000. This hammocks so comfortable it's hard to roll out I've sort of found myself in a bubble where I am getting to know the 30 or so people hiking all around me. Yes these young bucks do night hikes and spring up hills but they also sleep in late and have to stop to get high a lot. That lets me catchup. I don't do those things and I don't know how they can. You see them smoke up and off they go. 

37.0038° N, 81.4075° W

It sort of reminds me of Ryley's postcard from LaCrosse camp when he was 10 and all the other kids were 12-15yo.   Think Judd wants to come home?

May 19 -- first selfie of the haircut

Today I hiked into Atkins and stayed at the relax inn. I'm amazed so much mold can grow in the tub considering that the water comes out of the shower is a trickle. I'm already ahead of schedule so she I went out to the gas station all I got was a salad and went home to heat up trail food. I'm supposed to get to resupply with zero food I my pack. I'm of carrying surplus. I washed my cloths out and watched “ how to steal a million”. This resupply is for 7 days. It's going to be slow going for a couple days.
73° Clear
7253 Lee Hwy, Atkins, VA, United States

May 18 - Pizza delivery

Mountain laurel, rhododendron and columbine and pink lady slippers popping all over the place. The trail is incredibly walkable more dirt and grass than rocks roots puddles or streams. I got to partnership shelter which is the mr Rogers national park visitors center really. There were a couple of shelter rats waiting. One fellow had his puppy dog and some cheeseits and was offering a shuttle ride into town for $10. The bust was due at the isotopes center in half hour and would do the same thing for50 cents. The other fellow had a nasty old pack with him but from the way he talked he had been living there for a week. I think he liked hanging with the hiker crowd such that it is. One fellow came through with about 100 pounds of camera stuff and he was going to make a movie for you tube about the trail. He described his 12 foot selfie pole he could use to show how he was hiking the trail. Everyone was getting high. I had been 9.8 miles - did I say there was a shower here and pizza delivery? And it was 2:30. I decided to push on. I could always camp somewhere. I ended up getting to Chatfield shelter. 16.5 mile day. It says more about the ez trail than anything. As soon as i started hanging up my hammock it started to rain. I decided to sleep in the shelter.
73° Mostly Cloudy
Appalachian National Scenic Trl, Marion, VA, United States

May 17 from Judd

Today was day one. About 11 miles but the trail was very easy. Gypsy Dave gave ms a ride to fox creek and this time I went north. I forgot to thank him for the last time he dropped me and said “just hike relaxed”.
Passed three guys ,one was named Goose. They each had those trash picker upper claw things and they were picking up trash. They said they have picked up 2000 something Linda since springer. I also passed three girls hiking (I can call anyone under 30 boys and girls). They weren't wearing tops they did have leaves glued or painted on their breasts. I accused them of pushing hike naked day and even thought about scolding them especially after all the flea bags it seen lately who called themselves hikers. I just kept going. They didn't present themselves as wanting to stop and chat. Maybe it was my own discomfort. Course they weren't exactly sports illustrated material either (that's bad I know…)
I had see two identical 21 yo or so hikers in Damascus. Kind of spooky. Having aboard time remembering their names. Mundii and Axus. I think something about here and there birth and death. I dunno.
36.7494° N, 81.4804° W

May 16 from Judd

The big day in Damascus. Hiker parade. No water balloons as the town council determined they were a safety threat. Mostly squirt guns townies verses Hiker's. The best getup I saw were fluorescent construction vests that had “ don't shoot I'm a hiker” everyone lined up by year. Oldest first then 2015 at the end. About 300 of them. It's a day at the fair otherwise. Lots of venders and live music. Fair food and fire department chicken bbq. Only a coupe restaurants in town and they usually have a line out front. Best thing to do is chip I on a pizza delivered to the hostel. I have never seen so many people with dogs. And tatoos. And pieces of metal stuck through their bodies. Everyone wants to tell you a story about their hikes. Some are pretty mundane. Called up gypsy Dave for a ride to fox creek. That's where he dropped me last time. Rain showers come in and out. I walked down to tent city to see what igloos like. You have topaz admission to get in and it's tents as far as you can see. Someone said there was a rumble at the drumming circle camp fire last night. I see police and rescue squares from all the neighboring towns all over the place so I guess it was put down pretty quick. My overall impression is that it's a bunch of youngish kids and pony tailed adults wearing tie died tshirts looking for Woodstock.
135 W Laurel Ave, Damascus, VA, United States

a shakedown?

This email, a forwarded TWC bill, and an Instagram are all I got from Judd this weekend. He started hiking but what does this even mean?


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <jmthompson79@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, May 16, 2015 at 9:49 PM
Subject: Re: Your TWC bill is now available.
To: Melanie Thompson <melaniemay.thompson@gmail.com>

I've got four days for a shakedown before I make the first resupply. It's still raining.

Sent from my iPhone

From the URBAN DICTIONARY

From the internet

Still day ZERO-- tomorrow is Day 1

May 16, 2015
12:40 PM

Here I am I n a Methodist church waiting for wArren Doyle to retail us with 34000 miles of trail stories if he's that over weight fellow up front in the tiedyed t-shirt grooving to the canned lute music.

Yup that's him. Instead of hearing about the AT we listened to his message about why he doesn't have to follow the rules. I left early.

Got here Thursday after a delay at the airport. Finally hitched a ride with moondog outfitters. Showed up at woodchuck hostel and managed to score a bed in the corner. The whole yard and the yard across the street is full of tents. In fact most of the pieces of land that will support it in the whole town has a tent on it. We drove by tent city on the way into town and I walked out there again last evening to try to see it. What a sight. Tent after tent. At night there a giant fire pit and last night was the drumming. Lots of smoke and beer. Last time I saw something like that was at Watkins Glenn in 1972. Most everyone Is a hiker of one sort or another and I would say half of them have dogs. One lady struggled by with two large huskeys pulling her all around. I can't imagine she can hike with them.

Just scheduled gypsy Dave for a 7 am pick up to take me back to fox creek. And I'll head north.

Lunch at Bobo's. Watched Melanie's radio video. She's good to go. Had a roasted vegetable salad for lunch. It was so good. And so good for you! Not gonna happen agin in the next few weeks.

65° Partly Cloudy
200 E Laurel Ave, Damascus, VA, United States

I dropped Judd at the Portland airport early Thursday morning. He weighed 210 lbs with his boots and clothes on.  The pack weighed 29 lbs but without 8 lbs off food and water.  Why is lbs the abbreviation for pounds again?  If I ever knew that, I've forgotten.  Oh, here it is from mental floss.com: It's from the Latin libra pondo, a Roman unit of measure which meant "a pound by weight."

Anyway, I kissed Judd good bye and waited til he was through security. It looked like it took a disturbingly long time for them to xray and pat him down. He had checked his backpack and was just carrying a Hannaford grocery bag as his carry on. He had agonized a bit over whether to put his toothpaste in a clear plastic bag.  I told him is was not a liquid or a gel but I don't think he believed me. 

This week my empty nest has Kelcy and Ryley, home from college, Velcro the cat and dog Daisy and her step-sister, Juno, while Malindi is on a road trip.  Next week it will just be Daisy and Velcro and me. With all the alone time, I should get the Melanieblog back going with details our our Scotland trip.. .....and I'll be posting all the Judd communiques.

So far, this is what he's texted, "I made it."

T minus 1..... and counting

T minus one day until Judd lifts off back to the AT in Virginia... but not sure he'll actually start hiking that day. He happens to be arriving in Damascus during "Trail Days" which sounds like a rather large party for hikers who have made it from Springer Mountain, GA to VA. Judd has been under time pressure since we arrived home from a Scotland vacation..... making sure the snow damage was cleared, tee-ing up my manual lawn-mower so I can run it by myself, getting cars registered and repaired and lining up a carpenter, plumber and tiler for my bathroom renovation.

I was initially shocked and then stunned by the amount of freeze dried food and berries that arrived by mail but today I was impressed with the amount of organization that has gone into meal planning and packing up boxes for anything between 2 and 7 day re-supplies.  It is yet to be determined if he will be mailing me back mini-Snickers at the same time I'm mailing him mini-Snickers..

This bathroom does not look done

food organization

packing his own re-supply boxes