Over 1,000 Miles Behind Us!

     So our journey continues, and I must say, it continues to be amazing. It gets harder and harder to put into words the unbelieveable adventure that this hike has been so far. My apologies for it being so long in between posts and updates, but the internet access has often been limited. It was pretty special this morning, waking up in our tent on the Appalachian Trail, and celebrating our 5th anniversary!  Right now we're near the Maryland and Pennsylvania border where mom and dad Baker have met up with us, and we're taking a few days off the trail to rest, relax, and hang out with the folks. The past month has been great. We hiked 550 miles through Virginia, about 100 of that going through Shenandoah National Park. A few days ago we made it  to Harpers Ferry, WV which is the psychological halfway point of the trail. WOW!! What an awesome feeling! We also got to take a little side trip to Ohio for our friends Dave and Molly's wedding. Both the hiking and the break with friends was so good. We are continually finding ourselves amazed and humbled by life on the trail.
     Laura and I have a long list of thank you's and shout outs that we have been meaning to post, so here it goes. First off all to everyone who has sent us mail drops: Scott and Susan, Bryan and Carrie, mom and dad Baker, and mom and dad Boutwell. You all have helped us so much! Thanks for the notes, words of encouragement, and extra goodies! To Rick and Joyce: the yummy dried fruit, nuts and deer meat was a great surprise! To Victor and Meghan, Nate and Andrea, and Taylor: the care package that we picked up in Ohio was awesome. Thanks for thinking about us and for the great trail food! To C-Wray and Ann Lewis, our personal chauffers: Thanks for picking us up and dropping us off. You guys rock for all the driving you did. To Paul Bonner: all your help with logistics has been above and beyond. Thanks for handling all our boxes of gear and letting us take up some space in your room. Please tell your parents thanks for their hospitality as well! We want to say congrats again to Dave and Molly. Blessings and all the best to you both! Finally, thanks to everyone for the encouraging comments, the prayers, and thoughts. It's such a great feeling to be so supported.