Crazy Hikers

We are currently 204.7 miles into our hike. Which means we are one eleventh of the way done. Woooo! Our longest hiking day so far was 17 miles... i was pretty tired after that, but think I could do it again. 

The scariest night so far was when the really bad storms went through Alabama. We were in a mountain gap in our tent. There were high winds and a thunderstorm. We were listening to trees fall and branches were hitting the side of our tent. Needless to say we both prayed a lot that night. All people in the camp were kept safe and able to hike the next day. Needless the say we both thanked God a lot that day for our safety. 

Yesterday we woke up at 4:00 am to hike to Clingman's Dome, 6,643ft- highest point on the AT, to watch the sun rise. We had to hike 3 miles uphill in the dark... I was really hoping to see a black bear, but no luck. We got there while it was still dark and super windy. Elliott and many others busted out their sleeping bags to wrap around themselves to stay warm. It was the coldest weather we have experienced so far, but totally worth it. We had fun watching the sun rise with the 8 other hikers that also got up early with us. The funniest thing was that all the hikers that got up early are the ones that usually leave camp last in the morning, including us. Elliott and I usually sleep in and then hike late... so many people get up with the sun and get to camp by 3 pm. We get up when we are done sleeping and usually get to camp before its dark.

Funny Trail Randomness
- Usually by the end of the day we are a little delusional. One day Dan was imagining that we were all animated Wisconsin icons. I was the cheese, he was the sausage and Elliott was the beer. Cheese, sausage and beer with legs hiking the AT. Believe it or not we probably talked about this for a good hour.
- There is a kid out here, who i have not met yet, but i hear is really nice, that calls himself Kid Supertramp. He has a backpack strapped to a backpack, is trying to afford the hike with food stamps, gave away his fleece for a plastic sheet because "it can be a shelter and keep him warm," tried eating a raw acorn.... he is trying to do the AT "Into the Wild" style. I'm not sure he will make it.
- Elliott and Dan both say the have more gas when they hike up hill. This is bad news for me because they are both faster then me... guess who is always downwind.

We hope you are all doing well!

Take care and have fun ______fill in the blank____ (Having your second child, buying and preparing your house, getting that job, working the job you currently have, moving, planning your summer vacation, planning your wedding, ect)

God Bless