Kentucky experiences part 1

It is easier to update from a real computer.  A keyboard feels so strange!

We have had an amazing experience in Kentucky.  Every state so far has exceeded our expectations, provided new friends for us, and given us stories that keep us up at night laughing.

We can see forever from the overlooks on the Pine Mountain Trail!

We want to give a huge shout-out to the Pine Mountain Trail guru Shad and his family for putting us up and putting up with us for a couple of nights while we waited for the weather to improve. The views we were treated to from the Pine Mountain Trail were well worth waiting for, and we really enjoyed hanging out and learning more about the area: we got to check out AppalShop, watch (& taste!) the maple syruping process, and visit the fantastic Pine Mountain Outfitters.  Thanks for having exactly what we needed when we needed it!

Thank you for everything, Letcher County!

Bart and Shad

On the night before we headed out, Shad got a phone call about a group of college kids who were lost and stuck on top of the mountain.  You can read about the incident here.  The following day when Bart and I headed out, we saw the aftermath of the rescue: 37 wet, icy towels on the trail, remnants of fires, discarded clothes, and trampled snow.  The dozens of footprints made our hike actually much easier in the snow.  Thanks to the search and rescue crew who got them all out!  Nice to know that there are folks like you to help out when needed.

We spent the night at Adena Shelter after walking and occasionally crawling through snow.  We were exhausted, but having a shelter to call home for a night made the day feel a lot easier.