Scout, Buck, and Fuzz are.with the Merry Band of Flippers enroute to DWG soon. Doing really well and having a blast!
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Scout, Buck, and Fuzz are.with the Merry Band of Flippers enroute to DWG soon. Doing really well and having a blast!
Faith is off for now due to an injury. Getting back shortly if not akready back. Thx!!
How many are in the Merry Band of the Flip Flopper Squad? We are now the "unofficial" front of the bubble, leaving Gren Anderson Shelter, heading for High Point Shelter. Still got Spice Girl, Bourbon Bill, PJ, and Batona with me.
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Update: Last seen the Flipper pack in Duncanon. I believe Gary was helping them do a slack to the second shelter out, but I didn't see a mention of them staying there in the log. The night before, I had walked in Duncanon to the Doyle in a thunderstorm. It was nice weather leaving mountain cove shelter, which I had to slog down the hill to get water only not to need it because I'd be plenty hydrated in the thunderstorm. I raced the rocky four miles into town to beat the storm, which I didn't do, which actually stopped moments after reaching the Doyle. My push on that steep rocky down hill hurt my back. I didn't realize it until the next day. The left side lower back of sore, and hurt with every step. But I hiked out the next day anyway. I hike the 4-5 miles to the first shelter in out of Duncanon, then did a short hike the next day to the next shelter. It was very slow going with feeling sore and limping with each step. I ended up hiking back to PA 225 and getting Gary to shuttle me back to Boiling Springs to take a zero or 2 at the Allenberry. It was cheaper and nicer than the Doyle (with a roommate). I bunk with this guy from Canada for 4 days. He was in the same boat with a hurt leg and debating his hike too.
I tried to get in to see a chiropractor, but being the holiday weekend, all were closed. I had to leave the Allenberry especially after my roommate was leaving and the cost would double. So I took a train out of Harrisburg to NY, then a bus to NJ, and I've been staying with my mom for the last three days. I finally have an appointment today and I will access where I am at.
Part of me is thinking about revisiting the trail next year after I loose some belly pack weight, of seeing this years hike as a shakedown. I came to to trail very heavy, a good 70-80 overweight, which was a factor in my back. The prospect of coming back having lost some of that weight is intriguing.
Still not sure. If I don't hike this year, I realized that I'm homeless having moved out of my apartment and put things into storage. I'd have to scrabble to find a place to live. I had planned to take some time off the trail in June 3-5. I figure I take the time until then to figure things out.
Brian "Orange Whip"
Ok....off trail last week due to foot injuries.....5 days off. But went by trail days and had an Ortho check.....rehab'ed, swapped out shoes / orthodics, and leaped to Port Clinton on Sunday. Currently in Palmerton w group........just proves you can do anything with enough gear and Ibuprophen!!
The Merry Band of Flippers is in Palmerton! Doing well. The gang is all here! Keep going guys! Sorry to hear about OW. Get healthy and give it another go!
The water is currently off at Waywayanda state park.the rangers are handing out bottled water until 4pm.
good luck!
Thanks for the updates everyone. We're doing the pub crawl. Sitting in the Wits End Tavern enjoying AC and beer. Annabell's Pizza is not to be missed! Heading to the Pochuck Mnt. Shelter to hide from the storms. Resting up in Vernon, NJ tomorrow.
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Update: After three chiropractic adjustments I feel kind of better. I ice my back and take aspirin. But kind in the same boat when I got off the trail. It will take time to get my back healed up. Not sure how long, and hiking is not exactly a low impact sport to transition to.
I do miss the trail and the Flipper pack. I'll be driving out to DWG tomorrow. I could possibly meet up with the Flippers at some point during the day if you're gonna be close-ish. Let me know.
Orange Whip
Long day. In Delaware Watet Gap after a toiugh 24 mis. Steak and beer!
Wow! Good on ya, Piston!! Good luck as you move up the trail! Take care!!
Hey Y'all, first post in weeks, mainly because I've been with the Flipper family until this week when I needed to return briefly to Virginia for a responsibility break. Had to miss out on the whole challenging stretch between Port Clinton and Delaware Water Gap, but planning to make it up when the gang is doing a section I've already checked off this year. Heading back out on Sunday--YAY!!!! Legs are twitching to go, pack is ready by the door, and my hiking buddies are having way too much fun without me!
Squeezebox: Congratulations on having the courage to begin such a challenging journey, and the guts to know when it's time to take a step back and regroup. Wishing you a speedy recovery on all fronts.
OrangeWhip: Commend you for recognizing the need to go at your own speed to give your body a chance to prepare for the long miles of rocky ups and downs.
Carbo: You've had a tough stretch. Maybe after a bit more healing time at home you can jump back into the procession. Plenty of time still to get it done!
DangerDave: Nice to get occasional reports from the front. You're the FlipFlop trial balloon!
Bourbon, Spice, and Danger tenting near the Fingerboard Shelter tonight. Bring all the water you can carry up here. There's none at the shelter.
To the oncoming Flippers. NJ is pretty mellow compared to rocky PA. The terrain changed again when you hit NY. Many sawtooth ups and downs all day made today the most challenging day (for me) thus far.
I'm going back to sleep! Zzzzzz
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Thx Dave. These heads up notices are so great. Continued Good luck to you guys!
Squeezebox, Orange Whip, and Carbo,
Hummingbard said it all so perfectly I'll just say I echo what she said to you all!
DangerDave,
Your updates are so helpful--not only the cold, hard facts, like water being absent from a shelter, but also the flip-flopper perspective on terrain.
A flip-flopper's experience is simply going to be different from a northbounder or southbounder in the same places. Those rocky climbs in New York *are* challenging. You don't hear about New York from sobos because they've already been through The Whites and Maine; you don't hear about them from nobos because by the time they hit New York they've been hiking for almost 4 months and they have become hiking machines. Those climbs aren't that much different from The Whites, it's just in the Whites those climbs go on a whole lot longer and there's a lot less flat in between them.
When you guys come back and hit places in Virginia like The Roller Coaster and The Priest, you guys will probably say "piece of cake" ;-) (unless it's 80+ degrees).
Slingshot and I are holed up in Wingdale (just shy of connecticut)drying out and getting our first hot shower in over a week. Telephone pioneer shelter has no real tenting sites has not been maintained and a four foot step up into the shelter. Kinda of a dump but any shelter will do in a storm
JimmyJam & Slingshot...good to hear your progressing., bad to hear you got drenched too. Hopefully it will start feeling more like June soon. Rain is bad, but cold rain SUCKS! Be safe guys and keep us posted!!! [emoji4][emoji188][emoji4]
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Planning to go in 2018 also. A retirement walk!
Hi all, checking in from Port Jervis, NJ with Bedgie and One Sock. All are drying out after the rain and enjoying cooler temps for a change. So very glad to be done with Pennsylvania. Encountering more trail magic as the season progresses, and that is always welcome. We sure miss hiking with Charlie Horse, Falconer, Eveready, and Dagmar and we hope they will rejoin us soon! Faith