Quick update:

Quick update:
Done! I completed my thruhike on the #AppalachianTrail yesterday at 1:21pm ET when I reached the access trail for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy at Harpers Ferry WV. I also beat the rain getting there!

Roughly speaking, eight months on the calendar since my 16 April start with six and a half months on trail.

I spent yesterday afternoon at the ATC headquarters, where the staff joined me to celebrate with Christmas cookies and sparkling cider. I also had my photo taken and added to the 2018 Hiker Book. Had fun talking with the ATC staffers and renewed my annual membership.

I also offered to help out and participate on the hiker Q&A panel at the 2019 Flip Flop Festival (details to be posted at http://www.flipflopfestival.org/).

I had dinner and spent the night at The Town's Inn (http://www.thetownsinn.com) on High Street, close to the train station. I'll be taking Amtrak home to DC this afternoon.

Once Christmas activities settle down, I'll get back to posting my backlog of daily trail updates and photos. I haven't forgotten.

Thanks for following! Have a wonderful Holiday season!

Quick(?) update:

Quick(?) update:
I'm at the beautiful Mountain Home "Cabbin" hostel outside of Front Royal after hiking through Shenandoah National Park for most of the week. Saturday was pretty easy, then Sunday began and ended with snow (only 5" total) and many time-consuming blowdowns near Loft Mountain campground. Skyline Drive was closed, so I spent most of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday hiking 20+ mile days on the drive with forays onto the trail near the huts (shelters) at the start and end of the day (both the park rangers and Appalachian Trail Conservancy recommended hikers use the drive over the trail).

Thursday was all on the trail as most snow had thinned out, where I joined 50/50, another northbound flip-flop thruhiker I last saw in Daleville VA before Thanksgiving. He had only 10 miles left to complete his hike when I stopped at the Tom Floyd shelter just outside Front Royal.

I did the last four miles to the hostel this morning, and will zero here tomorrow to let my feet rest, eat, and wait out the flood watch for the rain tonight and tomorrow.

Only 60 miles to go! I expect to complete at Harpers Ferry on the 20th.

Quick update:

Quick update:
After crossing the James River footbridge last Saturday, I stopped at Stanimal's 328 hostel in Glasgow where I had a shower, did laundry, resupplied at Dollar General, and ate a large veggie pizza (the essentials) before moving on early Sunday.

Blowdowns are still a problem on the trail. Some sections are relatively easy, then there are miles of complex and difficult to bypass blowdowns (reports at https://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/trail-updates#VA are relatively accurate for Central Virginia where I passed through the thick of it, but clearing is happening after I passed).

I got into Stanimal's other hostel in Waynesboro this morning after nearly 4 miles of extensive, difficult blowdowns. I heard from the caretaker that Shenandoah ahead has about 100 trees down across each mile of trail, which corresponds to what I saw today and yesterday between Humpback Rocks and Rockfish Gap (pictures). Still, I want to press on early Saturday hoping trail crews make progress clearing the trail and terrain makes bypassing the damage easier. Oh, and up to 4" of additional snow is in the forecast for Sunday-Monday, plus temperatures in the low 20s overnight (my socks and boots were frozen this morning).

Enjoying my break now, though. Lots of food, and Internet to work on holiday shopping, as well as catching up on 2018 movie releases at the hostel. FWIW, I haven't encountered another thruhiker on the trail since a few days before Glasgow. Nice to have hostels and shelters to myself, though I did share Maupin Field shelter with a skunk Tuesday night and almost got sprayed, so it could be worse!

I'm really looking forward to getting home before Christmas. The long nights are giving me plenty of time to plan out a bathroom remodel, household cleanup, and other post retirement activities (develop a budget) when I return.