Off the trail :(

Hey All,
I just wanted to let you know that we're now officially off the trail. After two separate ankle injuries that took us off trail for two weeks each and then spending about four days sick with stomach viruses and colds in a hotel just off the trail, we felt it was time to call it quits. It was a very hard decision, and we weighed many factors, the main one being that we feel we have missed too much of the trail to be able to finish it this year. The plan is to try again next March, now we have some insight on just what it entails. We had a great time, had many adventures, and saw some awesome sights. We have a lot of good memories, and lots of great photographs.

We also have alot of friends that couldn't finish this year, and are looking forward to starting next year with them.

WhoAh - I don't believe I have your e-mail address, but we're interested in when you might be starting again.

Until March, this blog is going to have regular goings ons here, as well as our training hikes.

I'll keep you all up to date on our plans.

-Gadget-

Thanks

Just a short note to thank all those that have given us the encouragement to keep going on. It's a big help. -gadget-

Troutville, Not Troutdale

Well, we finally made it to the other trout town, after a long wait. Currently at the econo lodge, and will be hiking out in the morning. Our Next town stop will be glasgow, Va.

Philly

We've been in Philly for almost a week now. It's almost time to return to the trail, but my ankle isn't completely healed. It's still swollen and strange looking, although the discoloration is minor compared to before. It hurts a little still, and it's obviously still injured. I'm going to try to get back on the trail and hike, hoping it will stay strong.

Philly has been fun, although it's tough to do anything in a city without any money. Still, we went to a concert that Kerri's band, Drive Through Pharmacy, was in. (If you walk in with the band and help carry their equipment, nobody asks you for a ticket.) That was a lot of fun, and yesterday we saw Shrek 3, which was just ok. Tonight was the best - my parents drove down and we all went to our friend Gerry Timlin's pub, the Seanicie. Gerry and his singing partner Tom played and sang for us. It was so good to listen to some Irish music again. It's been too long since I've been to a pub. It was wonderful to see my parents. I had been upset that we were so close to home and wouldn't get to see them. Thanks for coming!

The plan is to drive back to the trail Sunday, and either camp a mile or so up the trail or find a cheap place to stay that night and head out Monday morning. Another week off the trail is going to make us that much softer so we expect it to be hard again, but then again, when isn't it hard?

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Let's hope for a miraculous recovery.

More pictures up.

-Scribe

Ankle Talk

Gadget and I spent the night at the Relax Inn in Atkins trying to figure out what to do next. It's so hard, because injuries are tricky - you don't want to waste too much time sitting around, but you don't want to injure them worse because then you'll have to sit around way longer. This particular injury, however, was a no-brainer. I could barely hobble around on it, and it was clear that we would have to take some time off... again.

Unfortunately, there were no hostels within a hundred miles that we could rest, and we certainly don't have the money for a week in a hotel room, so we were at a loss of what to do. Thankfully, our friend Kerri called and said she happened to be doing nothing and would love for us to come stay with her! Incredibly, she was willing to make the 5 hour drive down, pick us up, and take us to her place, provided we help her move into her new apartment. So that's what we did.

On the bright side, we've gotten to spend time with a good friend and even helped her out a little. On the not so bright side, we're starting to get worried. Maine is still a long way off, and all this recovery time is cutting into our hiking time. We took a lot of time off in Franklin way back, and then the 2 1/2 weeks at home healing my tendinitis, and now another week here. I feel like I'm cursed with ankle problems. Thats over a month of down time. Now we're at the point where we need to be doing bigger mile days, but we're still nursing injuries and can't. I'm not sure what that means as far as getting to Maine before Baxter State Park closes for the season.

Anyway, Gadget made a few extra bucks working on the apartment building for the landlord here (he's so handy!) and wants to go see Shrek the Third. I'll post more later tonight or tomorrow.

-Scribe

Rocks, Rocks, Rocks

Well, we have some bad news. scribe twisted/sprained/generally hurt her right ankle on a rocky stretch of trail. this is the other ankle from the one that was hurt before. it's all swollen and black and blue, and she can't walk on it. so, we're not really sure what to do now. we did make it to atkins, va today, however that was by a 4 mile taxi detour. the only good thing that happened today was that we were reunited with certain 'Yay!' will post more when we get to a real computer. -gadget