So busy!

As you can see from Karin's Blog, we have been busy with the kids and kidlings for the past several weeks. I did not take my camera at all on the hike up to the shelter on the Appalachian Trail, we just used Karin's. It was a great hike, and we all (except John, who is still having a bit of soreness in his knee) made it to the top in great shape. Sheela carried her own pack the whole way up (4.7 miles) and back down the next day. Sunil carried his own pack part of the way up and all the way down. Sid and Karin not only carried their own gear but took turns helping out with Sunil's. I did good just to get my own gear and water up and down.

We had to take two days' worth of food and water as well as sleeping bags, ponchos, and extra clothes "just in case". We were very lucky with the weather. It rained three or four times, but not enough to penetrate the leafy roof above our heads.

The stars from the area around the shelter at 5 AM were gorgeous. We were at about 5000 feet there, I think. We took freeze-dried food which used water but added no other weight to speak of. There was no water available at the spring near the shelter because we are in the middle of a prolonged drought. Luckily, we knew that beforehand!