Slideshow

Hi friends!  I've finally put together a slideshow about the places we saw on the hike.  Enjoy! 

-Jo

Warrior Nation!

Hinton, WV

We didn't get a picture of both of us here, because Jo was melting into a puddle when we took this photo.

Hinton, WV is the last trail-town we hiked through in southern West Virginia.  It did not disappoint!  What a beautiful part of the world this is.  

 When we got to the dam, we knew we were close to town.  It was about 900 degrees outside, and so we stopped at the best Dairy Queen I've ever been to.  The view from there is spectacular.

While there, we met a local who shared stories with us and whose son we'd once met while we were on a TuGuNu Hiking Club mission. . . it's a very small world.  Mr. Maddy, it was nice to meet you!

Hinton from Zion Mountain Road

We spent the night with Bart's cousins Christy and Lee, who prepared steak dinner and a bacon-drippin'-with-gravy biscuit feasts for us, which powered us up the mountain.  Thank you for your kind hospitality, and it couldn't have been on a more perfect night - the crazy rain lasted most of the night, turning the Bluestone brown and raising water levels quite a bit.  It was so nice to be inside.

The next morning we awoke and went to a reception held in the Belle Point park.  Mayor Blankenship was there and presented us with a certificate, and everyone who came was excited for us and eager to hear stories.  Thanks to everyone who braved the blustery weather to come out and say hi to us.  Bart was especially happy to see his cousin Kenna and her husband Jimmy - Kenna has been a fixture in Bart's life for a long time and it was nice for me to finally meet them.  Special thanks to Rick Moorefield who helped arrange the event, and to Jessica Lilly, who continues to follow our story (and who I also finally got to meet in person!).

Hinton, it was a wonderful time.  Thanks for being a Great Eastern Trail town!

This guy watched over us as we got water later in the day.

Zion Mountain Road

A view above Hinton in Zion Mt Road today.

Hinton

What a send off for me and Jo today in Hinton. Lots of pictures to come once we get to a computer so look for them. So stay in touch! Much love HillBillyBart & Someday Jo

Bluestone Lake

Just one view of the Bluestone Lake we were able to enjoy.

Water crossings

Devils Fork Creek running high and cold today. Twice we had to get wet to cross. So cold it made my teeth hurt.

Yep- my dog Sula actually loves the water crossings.

Jo, not so much.

Views near Egeria

 

 Take me home, country roads!

Mullens --> Devils Fork

My cousin Dylan Saunders Joined in on the hike from Mullens to Devils Fork. He's holding the map we needed to traverse this section.


My dog Sula taking a mud bath!



Beautiful day and fantastic views!


















Convenience in the woods is rare here in WV. Nice find today.

Hometown welcome

A HUGE thank-you to all who came to the cookout to say hi to us!  It was awesome to see so many of you!  Another thank you to those whose thoughts were with us, but who stayed safe at home rather than chance the weather. It was pretty sketchy out there.

We had a pretty good hike from Twin Falls into Mullens today - even if we did get poured on.  Thanks Tim and Morgan and Sula for coming with us!

Bart, the mayor, and Jo

We were wet and stinky, but no one seemed to care - thanks everyone, for pretending we didn't smell!

This is Dewey, who is pretending that Bart doesn't stink.

 The parade through town led by Mayor McKinney, Police Chief Ray Toler, Fire Chief Chad Cox & local volunteers was a spectacular welcome-home for us.  Thanks to everyone for their love and support!

Hey Big Ed - your food was spectacular.  You wanna follow us to New York?  'Cause that'd be okay with us.

 

 Here is Jo spreading the good word about the Great Eastern Trail!  

 

Good buds!

Twin Falls --> Mullens

Tim, Jo, my dog Sula and Morgan rest on a fallen tree near Mullens.

Pineville --> Twin Falls part 2

 It's not all trudging through the woods: we got to rest for at least 20 minutes today!  Also, did you know that Hershey's makes pomegranate chocolate?!  Pomegranate chocolate!!!  HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS.

 I am okay with the lack of snow and blowing wind. 

You know . . . . I just don't know.

After 5 - 6 miles or so, we dropped down onto Cabin Creek Road.  Someday the trail will cross Cabin Creek Road and go back into the woods to follow a trail to the Falls Trail parking lot.  For now, we roadwalked on Cabin Creek.  Tomorrow: the woods again!

The term "woods"  comes from the Old English wudu, the Proto-Germanic widuz, and Proto-Indo-European widhu.

PS. POMEGRANATE.  CHOCOLATE.

Pineville --> Twin Falls

VP Paul and President Tim of TuGuNu Hiking Club leading us from Pineville to Twin Falls State Park.

Below, Paul and Jo pause for a pose:

Pineville HS

View from above at the old Pineville High School!

Baileysville --> Pineville

Beautiful today near Brenton WV. Tim and Jo lead the way.

 Bart checks out Tim's flagging technique as we flag a proposed route of Great Eastern Trail

A parade of . . . 3!

Bart, Mayor Ellison of Pineville, me, and Tim!
Kodak and Bart's dad also joined us.  Kodak drove the fire truck.

Delicious supper with Ruby, Paul, and Tim.  Thank you!!!

Mullens cookout

There will be a cookout this Thursday at the park behind the Mullens Middle School (the old high school).  Bart and I will be walking into town then, around 5:30 or 6:00 PM.  Come on out to see us at the park, have some food, and get a hug from two stinky hikers!  You know you want to.

Bigfoot!

Thanks to TuGuNu prez Tim for a lesson on Wyoming County wildlife. 

Adventures of the last week

We were really happy to hit the Wyoming County Line a couple of days ago, but I wanted to post this picture of Bart in Mingo County.  When we get the trail through Mingo, it will be spectacular.  For now, it is all roadwalk, but a big part of that roadwalk is simply beside a road and not on it.  Expansive views of Kentucky and West Virginia mountains filled the soul, and the occasional car driving past us 20 feet to our left did little to take away from the experience.  Wilderness trail it is not (for now), but it was nevertheless a beautiful experience.  Thanks, King Coal Highway!

Also, to everyone in Mingo County: Thanks for not running us over.  We appreciate it.  We realize that 52 is not made for pedestrians.  Trust us, we tried to find another way.  So, thanks for your help. 

Yesterday we were set to tackle a large portion of trail between R.D. Bailey WMA and Horse Creek Lake.  Bart's mom made us biscuits & gravy to power us over the mountains, his dad drove us to the county line, and we were off!  Thanks, you two, for all you've been doing for us!

It was the nicest day (weather-wise) we've had since . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Tennessee somewhere, I'd say.  I was so excited to revisit some of the trail I'd GPSed last year when I was a VISTA for this project.  I'd only ever hiked this section in the rain, and I wanted to see it in sunshine.  Tim was coming with us to help us not get lost and to tell us stories.  In short, everything was perfect.

Until my foot quit working.

Suddenly, our 13-mile day over unmaintained trail became a complete impossibility for me, and we had just our daypacks, so we couldn't camp out.  Bart's Jeep was 8 miles away at Horse Creek.  When we got to Big Branch (AKA "Burning Car Gap") Tim suggested we try to hitchhike to Horse Creek.  Hitching with 3 can be very difficult, and I was not surprised when no cars were pulling over for us.  (Tim also tried to thumb from an ATVer, who just grinned at us.  Yeah, right!)

All of a sudden, from the other direction, Paul and Ruby, our TuGuNu VP and Treasurer, pulled over!  They just decided to come see if we were out and about, and their timing couldn't have been more perfect.  What are the chances?!  They gave us a lift back to the Jeep.  Can't wait for them to join us on a deathmarch hike soon!   

We took today off to ice my foot.  I went from hobbling to walking normally in just 24 hours.  I think it's my boots doing it to me, and so I will wear my sandals for the next few days.  Sandals in this section is not recommended, but I've done it before, so . . . onward.

R.D. Bailey

Looking over at RD Bailey Lake.

Wyoming County!

Almost Heaven- me and Jo stare into Mingo County as we stand in my home county of Wyoming.