Adventure Travel with Children

In preparation for our 2009 John Muir Trail hike, my research daydreaming led to the travel log of the Aiken/Widom Family, who completed the JMT together in 2007. (photo gallery)

Actually, the JMT was just the final leg of their year off adventure, which included world travel with their 10 and 12 year old children to Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.

Alex and Jennifer have been taking ambitious trips with their children for many years, and have generously posted some essays from their experience:

• Adventure Travel with Children Under Four
• Adventure Travel with Children Ages 4-6
• Novice Sailing as a Family

The $800 Million Ride

Today I picked my Uncle Phil and cousin Blake up from LAX and was able to spend a few hours with them as they prepared for their cross country bike tour. After driving them to their hotel, we unpacked their bikes and then headed to the Omelette Parlor for some brunch and story swapping.

Beginning Tuesday, they will dip their tires in the Pacific at Newport Beach and spend the next 32 days making their way across the country, ending north of Boston, MA. In their words, they'll be learning from past trip experience and won't be pushing too hard, especially early on. They expect to cover over 120 miles per day, maybe averaging a pace of 15 MPH.

Phil called it his “$800,000,000 ride,” explaining that if he had a terminal disease with a short life expectancy, he wouldn't blink an eye about spending a ridiculous fortune just to make it happen.

Priorities. I love it.

If you're interested in following their trip, you can get (hopefully) daily updates over at philandblake.blogspot.com.

Deep Creek with the Family

On Friday we took a hike down to Deep Creek. Crossing the chilly creek took a bit of courage, but everyone made it easily.



We had the big hot tub to ourselves for a few relaxing hours, and enjoyed a perfect day.



The Southern California landscape of dessert scrub, Joshua Trees and massive boulders were fun to explore with family used to the green grass yards on the east coast.

Fam Trip

Nice weekend trip with Dad and bros, showing them a sliver of the magnificent Sierra.



It was great they could make it all the way out here to visit in California; they were into it much more than I expected. Good times.

Meandering to the Middle East

A Seafaring Gentile is a blog about a young man's adventures, discoveries and observations while traveling abroad in Spain, Morocco, Egypt and beyond. He also happens to be my younger brother.

When you get used to his writing style, his vibrant depiction of humanity is quite engrossing. I'm not sure how often he plans to update, but when he does the stories and photos are quite inspiring.

Be well, man. I'm proud of you. I hope you find what you're looking for and much more.

Also Known As...

When on the trail, Lauren and I go by our trail names "Stitch" and "Figgy" for reasons I describe in this post.

Over the course of the trail we've had a few people either mis-hear our names, or forget them and make some improvements. We thought we'd share some of our favorites below:

Stitch:

• Fitch
• Hitch
  
• Stitches
• Stench

Figgy:

• Twiggy
• Piggy
• Ziggy
  
• Fergie
• Dates

Update - Vernon, NJ (Mile 1342.5)

This morning we made quick work of the beautiful boarwalk into Vernon, NJ. This part of the trail used to be a road walk, but several years ago the 2.2 miles of boardwalk were constructed and now the trail heads straight through beautiful New Jersey wetlands.



Figgy's Mom and Nan drove up a few hours from southern New Jersey to spend the afternoon with us. We shopped for three weeks of resupply, sorted everything in Dunkin' Donuts and then packaged the boxes on the lawn of the Episcopal Church.



In the evening the four of us went out for a great dinner and shared stories from the trail as well as Lynda's recent trip to Romania. We wanted to give a special shout out to Figgy's Nan who has been following our adventure closely through printouts from Figgy's Dad. Recently when Lynda and Clyde were out of the country Nan went to the library on her own and got "inline" to read our stories on the computer for herself. Thanks Nan!

Mile 1,049.9

(Phone Message Transcribed By Bethany)

Update from Penn-Mar State Park, mile 1,049.9! Today is Sunday July 8, 2007. Lauren and I have made it close to the Pennsylvania border which is where we will be staying tonight.



On Friday, we enjoyed a great evening with my parents and my little sister Hannah as we took in the sights and had a great dinner at Harpers Ferry. The next morning they escorted us to the Maryland side of the bridge at Harper’s Ferry where we said farewell and Lauren and I continued on our way.





That day was a bit challenging for us because it is often hard to switch gears from town mode to trail mode, and after such a wonderful time with my family it was difficult to get back into the trail mindset. Despite the difficulty, we hiked 23.5 miles today and finished very strong.



Not only that, but we were quite surprised and rewarded to see some old friends Amanda and Leah, who ran cross country with Lauren back at Virginia Tech. Our continual trail magician, Matt, who is the same great guy who drove us to Trail Days, through a number of events helped Amanda and Leah track us down today. So, we ended up spending a celebratory dinner here at Penn-Mar State Park spread out on the picnic tables where we enjoyed watermelon, cold drinks and a bunch of snacks that they brought for us. We are at mile 1,049.9 which is two tenths of a mile away from the Pennsylvania state line, also known as the Mason Dixon line.

For our purposes it is extremely important because it is the division between where the trail is known as the “Appa-LATCH-in” Trail to where it becomes the “Appa-LAY-shun” Trail.

We reached the psychological halfway point a few days ago in Harper’s Ferry but on Tuesday we will reach the actual halfway point when we arrive at Pine Grove Furnace State Park and attempt the half gallon challenge. I hope to post more later but I just wanted to say thanks again: to my family for meeting us at Harpers, and to Amanda and Leah and Matt who all drove several hours just to come find us at Penn-Mar Park. That’s it for now.

Over and Out.

Update - Leesburg, VA (Mile 988)

First of all, it is extremely difficult for me to refer to Figgy as "Figgy" after knowing her for 10 years as "Lauren," so I am trying to get practice and will try to use her trail name while writing about the trail. So...

Figgy and I have covered about 140 miles in the last week, cruising the length of Shenandoah National Park and most of the remaining miles of Virginia. It is hard for us to believe that we are closing in on the halfway mark, now at mile 988.6!



One of our memorable moments was when we encountered a Ranger-led hike and about 15 other hardy souls who left the comfort of their cars to explore the park on foot. In our breif encounter we answered their barrage of thoughtful questions and felt like minor celebrities for a bit.



Although Shenandoah Park was a far-cry from a wilderness experience, we thoroughly enjoyed what that stetch for what it is - a nice walk through a historic park. Some distinctive points were the frequent concrete waypoint markers that noted our progress, camp stores to stop in for a quick snack, abundant scenic overlooks, fine dining at the lodge, and smooth tread over flat terrain.

Much to our surprise, we continue to see very few other "NoBo" (northbound) hikers. Figgy and I assume we are between pods of hikers travelling together, which suits us just fine. We haven't seen hikers from behind us all week and those ahead we gather are tring to reach Harpers Ferry for the 4th of July.

Last evening and this morning we cruised through most of the "Roller Coaster" - a series of ten rolling climbs and drops over 10 miles, each tree covered and without a view. Figgy was intimidated at first (I'm not sure why after all the climbs we have under our proverbial belts!) but the reputation turned out to be more hype than hurt. We were prepared for challenging monotony, but it turned out to be an enjoyable stretch with some interesting rock formations and more wild blueberries.

This morning we arrived at Bear's Den Rocks Hostel, just a short drive from Figgy's sister Amanda and her husband Jason. We're spending the holiday with them in Leesburg and will be resupplying our food and taking care of other details like laundry, bills, and Figgy's Spanish II final exam.

At Bear's Den it was a pleasant surprise to see our friend, Clearwater, a successful thru-hiker from 2005 who is hiking some of his favorite sections again this year. This was the third time we've met up and always enjoy his advice and interesting perspectives about the trail. This morning Clearwater taught us how to reclaim the remnants of partially-eaten pint of Ben and Jerry's while avoiding hiker plague. Fascinating stuff you'd never think of unless you were a thru-hiker.

Comments and Encouragement

Just a quick note to let you all know we appreciate your comments and encouragement. Even some from people we have never met! Thanks for taking the time to keep up with us and be a part of our journey...

Craigo, Lucky Charmz, Kristy R., Mark and Tamara, Anrosh, Kavita / Vijay, Kimiko, Matt A., Dale, Faith H., Future Boy, Kathleen, Simona, Tim and Emily, Hays(s), Amanda M., Sarah L., Chanie, Linda A., Linda C., Matt, Rob, G-Man, Maisi, Cousin Amy, Chinni-Minni...

Here's an unexpected note we received from Meg. Seems that more and more people are finding our little site:

Hi Lauren and Ben -
My husband, Bil, just started his journey yesterday 6/12 from Amicalola Falls - I was lucky to find your website (actually through apartment therapy!) Although you are much much further along than he will be it makes me feel closer to him by checking in on you guys! He is traveling alone without a cell phone (and that makes me nervous!) but he's been planning for so long and it's a dream of his. He'll be gone for only a month - back in July - but it seems forever!

I know he is already planning his return trip to continue his journey to Maine. We own a tea house in Newburyport Massachusetts and I am back here cheering him on with our soon to be 18 month old daughter Annie. We miss him already as it's tough to be a single parent with no relief in sight! (and he's only been gone 6 days so far - weekend in Atlanta for world tea expo)

I wish you both all the luck in the world in reaching your goal - and I will continue to check in on your progress via your website. Your photos are awesome and while I can't be with my husband, it helps to see your photos and I can sort of picture in my mind where he'll be. Be safe and thanks again for your inspiration.

Warm Regards,
Meg S.

ps. Bil's
trail name is TeaDog!!! our website is: licoriceandsloe.com
(that's the name of our tea business Licorice & Sloe Co.)

Thanks for the kind words, Meg. Hang in there. And if we're ever in Newburyport, Mass. down the line, we'll be sure to look you up.

Update - Troutville, VA

(Phone message transcribed)

It's Tuesday, 8AM, June 19th. Lauren and I have completed the section between Blacksburg and Troutville, so we are at mile 715.8.



McAfee Knob.



A 300 year old oak tree.



Sunset on Wind Rock.

We arrived in Troutville on Sunday around noon and called my Aunt Rebecca from the Cracker Barrel. We've had a couple of refreshing days with her - got to see where she lives, meet her friends, enjoy some great conversation and stock up on some good food.

So today we're headed back out on the trail. We're entering the Blue Ridge Parkway area of Virginia and we understand there's a considerable amount of pollutions that gets trapped against these mountains making the skies fairly smoggy so we're not sure what the views are going to be like.

It's also getting quite hot and humid during the day, which can make for some challenging hiking, so we'll likely be needing to carry more water than we have in the past. Lauren and I have decided that we'll be carrying 3-4 days food tops, just because we can drop into small towns with regularity. Our next stop is going to be Glasgow, VA probably on Thrusday.

We're feeling strong and have recovered as of last Saturday from any traces of the stomach bug we had out of Blacksburg. Glad to be back out on the trail. Today I think we're going to cross the 33% mark.

Update - Catawba, VA

Well, it's 6:15pm on Friday, June 15th, and we're calling from the Catawba Gas Station at mile 688.6, half mile from the trail on Virginia Route 624.



We've had an interesting several days on the trail since leaving Blacksburg. While we were in town there we think Lauren picked up a stomach bug, like the 24-48 hour whatever. So we got a late start out of town on Tuesday, and Wednesday she was feeling terrible the whole day wanting to puke. Yesterday she was back to normal, but today I came down with the same thing, but I'm not feeling as bad as she was. I've had slight nausea today.

[UPDATE: My worst day actually came later that night through the next day. It wasn't pretty, so I won't go into details here. Let's just say that it hit me harder than it did Lauren. Fortunately we both recovered quickly and are confident it was not Giardia, but something we picked up in town.]

We continue to make good progress despite the rain. It's fun to be on some of the old stomping grounds that we used to go to. We enjoyed dinner at Wind Rock the other night. Today we got to go to Dragon's Tooth which was completely socked-in by fog. Although we had nice weather years ago when we were there for a picnic dinner, today we were trying to move quickly just to stay warm as the mist and rain came down.



At points today the A.T. resembled more of a climbing wall than it did a hiking trail. Still, we enjoyed scampering around on the rocks, particularly carefully sice they were so wet and slippery. Tonight we are going to be camping just short of McAffee Knob and then Tinker Cliffs, which we're hoping to do tomorrow.



Through all the difficult going this week we've been set back one day from our projected schedule. We expect to see my Aunt Rebecca on Sunday afternoon.

As a side note about our quilt: As the temperatures have been getting warmer it's been getting too hot. We've appreciated the cooler light temperatures this week because we've actually been able to use the quilt without overheating. As an oversight I neglected to make plans for bug protection if the quilt truly becomes too hot. This week I've asked my mom to sew a net-tent to suspend under our tarp and mail it to us by the time we arrive in Waynesboro. Hopefully that's all working out and we'll have hot weather bug protection shortly.

Thank You Times a Billion!

We're at Mile 338.7 right now, in the town of Erwin, TN. Many of the steps it took to get here are because of YOU. Here's a short version of what and who we're grateful for!

• If you've left comments on our site--we receive them all, read them all, and feel encouraged and refreshed when we leave town!
• If you've sent us an email--we love catching up and feel strengthened by your words!
• Mom and Dad Carr for sending mail drops and countless trips to TJ's and Whole Foods.
• Mom and Dad Thompson for the calling card, sewing help and logistical help.
• Locals who pick up dirty, smelly hikers sticking out our thumbs to get a ride into town.
• Matt A. for all you did for Trail Days!
• Elmer, Sunny & the Sunnybank Inn Crew!
• The US Postal Service.
• BETHANY!!!
  
  
  

Preparations from Mickleton, NJ

Here we our with our packs this morning in Mickleton NJ before our southbound road-trip to Lauren's sister and brother-in-law Amanda and Jason in Virginia.

We spent night with Lauren's parents last night; our third location with family in as many days. After arriving by greyhound, it was an afternoon of last minute shopping details (cash, food items, shipping supplies) with Lauren's dad as our chauffeur.

Due to time constraints in L.A., we brought more hiking gear than we'll need with the intention of sorting it all out in New Jersey. Last night we stayed up late again, paring each of our base packweights(all items before consumable food and water) to below 8.5 pounds or 3.8kg. If you're curious, I've posted spreadsheet with the details.



Oh, and the red jacket I'm wearing is the one I completed from the "$500 jacket" post. It has a hood, fits perfefctly and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

The Whirlwind that was Pittsburgh

My mom helped us make some alterations to our lightweight rain gear. Who would have guessed that my mom and I would have sewing as a common interest!?



My quilts are a bit different than hers, but she did say it was "cool" and that "technically it is a quilt."

We took a break from our busy day of preparations to show my parents and Hannah our tarp shelter and quilt. When she was shopping for s'mores ingredients with my mom, Hannah said that her "bones were excited" to go camping with us in the backyard.



It was fun demonstrating our gear for my family.

Many people we meet have trouble comprehending sleeping in a tent so a summer under our tarp sounds even more extreme. And the best way to let them see the advantages of a tarp is a backyard demonstration. The truth is, our tarp is roomier and drier than because it eliminates condensation. Like most lightweight gear, carrying a tarp can be more functional than the traditional counterpart, but you can only carry less on your back if you carry more in your head.

Map On the Wall

We mounted a map of the trail on the kitchen wall of my parent's house. We oriented it diagonally because the trail heads in a more northeasterly direction than it does due north. My dad loves maps and was examining the route we will be hiking.

The maps we gave to family and friends included a sticker with our ugly mugs and the address to our AT 2007 journal.

Test Post From State College

(Phone message transcribed by Bethany)

Well, Lauren and I are here in State College, Pennsylvania, visiting my sister Bethany. We are sitting in Saint's Cafe. This is a test post of our message delivery system, to see if it will work.

If everything works correctly, I make a free phone call to Gabcast.com (link to our channel), Bethany transcribes the mp3 file, and then she sends the text as an email that posts to this blog.

Alright, over and out!

- - - -

UPDATE

It looks like the posting system works. Cool!

Lauren and I had a great time on campus with Bethany where she showed us here stomping grounds. With the chilly spring rains, we got a chance to try out our lightweight rain jackets that my mom helped finish altering the night before. Thanks for the hospitality and transcription help, Bethany!

John Pedersen Photography

My brother in law, John (who I still have yet to meet!), has a nice photography portfolio with an emphasis on outdoor sports - including some great ice climbing shots and some beautifully executed light paintings. I understand that he recently took a job at a local airport in Minnesota, so that he can get deeply discounted domestic and international airfare to travel and expand his portfolio. Smart man.

I just heard from him today, wishing us luck on our trek. Thanks, John. I wish you and Maisi the best, and hopefully your summer plans for some miles on the Superior Hiking Trail will come together. I look forward to meeting you when the time arrives.

Contact Us

Tel

323-309-3396

Email

thompson.ben {at} gmail {dot} com
laur.thompson {at} gmail {dot} com

Ben and Lauren Thompson
Durango, CO

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