Appalachia is Hot (hot hot)

On Wednesday, we decided to take a paddle across the pond to the Appalachian Trail. Our landing point is about a 5 day hike from the starting point of the AT. It's pretty neat hanging out over there. You get to see a lot of hikers, some fresh-faced and just starting out, others heavily bearded and smelly after hiking for 3 months straight. There's also a neat little lean-to there, that has a notebook in it where passing hikers write notes. I always really enjoy reading what people have left as their message to the world.

Paul and I went in Kayaks, and everybody else went in canoes. Mom, Dad and Tom in one, and my grandparents another. I was pretty impressed with my grandparents, they're both in their mid-80's and managed the multiple mile paddle in pretty heavy winds remarkably well.

On the way over, we stopped at Gull Rock, which is slightly farther than half-way across. Tom got out of his boat to climb up.

Once we got to the AT, we hiked a little ways down to this really beautiful waterfall.

We took turns throwing in sticks to see if it would survive he ride, but the water was way too churning and destroyed everything.

We also walked down to this other fishing camp that does a pancake breakfast for hikers. They used to be a full-blown camping operation like cobbs, but they've really scaled back over the last few years. It's a strange little outpost now.