Pre-trail jitters left us wanting for a good night’s sleep. So many last minute chores to tie up loose ends before leaving the house for 5 months. It’s not our first rodeo, but that final step out the door is quite an undertaking. With only a month to really finalize our plans, make travel arrangements and train (we are 8 weeks behind), we are going to have to rely on experience and determination to get this adventure fully underway. In the months leading up to our departure, we aquired not only a “trail daughter” (more on that next paragraph), but a granddaughter! She’s a keeper, that’s for sure, and perfect motivation to knock this trail out before the holidays.

Now, onto the “adoption”. During the third season of operation of our PCT Southern Terminus Shuttle business, we aquired a “trail daughter”. And a fine one at that. We didn’t even have to go through the teenage years!

For the past three months, we’ve had the pleasure of hosting Hannah, from the UK. She sustained an injury to her back on her travel over from the UK, so much so, that she was unable to set foot on trail with her best friend. 4 years of planning halted by what was later determined to be a severe bulging disc, whose pain and slow healing has kept her off trail, and unable to tolerate sitting long enough to travel home. As such, we have taken her in while she rehabs her back. (We would hope someone would help our daughter in a similar situation) In fact, she and our daughter have become fast friends. Hannah, who is so very polite, keeps apologizing for her lengthy stay, but she is a delight, and quite the baker.

In appreciation for taking her in, and to share a bit of culture, she prepared an English Tea Party for us, with all the fixings, before we left for the trail. And rhis morning, she baked us cookies for our travel to trail. Truth be told, that 10 pounds I was hoping to shed before trail, never happened. In fact, I think I gained 10! I’m hoping that 5 months and 2190+ miles will shed a few of those pounds.

It’s Never easy!

Shelby and Hannah snicker as we pack and repack. One would think that we’ve never done this before. We get a notice from Amtrack that our train will be delayed. Perfect! More time to putter, so much so that we forget 3 crucial items that we had planned on taking. A head lamp. My umbrella. And Kenny. Of all things, I can’t believe we forgot Kenny. Maybe he didn’t really want to go. He always thought we were crazy for the thru-hiking we did. (Kenny is our good friend and hunting buddy who died, way too soon, from pancreatic cancer this past year. He was the healthiest of us all and was supposed to be the one speaking at our funerals) We had intended to bring Kenny (his ashes) with us on our hike, but as we can’t mail him to us (something about it being illegal), it will have to be in spirit. I’m sure he’d prefer a hunting trip anyways.

Out the door…finally!

Our daughter(s) dropped us at the train station in San Juan Capistrano, where we took the train to the San Diego Old Town Transit Center…a place we have become intimately familiar with as of late. It was weird traveling by rail adjacent to the beaches we have spent so much time on/at. We cant help but feel we are missing the best part of where we live, to travel to the east coast and walk. Go figure. And then theres that beautiful little grand baby, June.

From the transit center, we take the free San Diego Flyer to the airport…where we wait. Flights are delayed due to severe thunder storms back east. New York, to be specific.

It’s gonna be tight making our connecting flight from Chicago to LaGuardia. While we have no choice, we have faith that all will work out as it should.

All in all our flight out of San Diego ends up only being delayed 2 hours. That still gives us plenty of time to make our connecting flight out of Chicago to LaGuardia. Any longer and we’d be out of all the cookies Hannah sent us off with…lol.

Upon arrival to Chicago Midway, it’s nap time while we wait for our flight to LaGuardia.

New York. New York.

Pleasantly surprised that our bags arrived with us at LaGuardia, it was time to hit the free Q70 to the subway, where we’d catch the F line to the Manhattan REI. A quick shop at REI for fuel and bug spray (just in case), and then back to the F line and Grand Central Station, where we’d board a train to Pawling. Gotta say, New York, for us, is just like the movies, but the flight into LaGuardia was spectacular.

Never knew the Statue of Liberty was so small, and downtown looked like a giant Lego build…amazing!

We had intended grabbing breakfast while in Manhattan, but Hannah’s cookies would suffice till we got to Pawling.