Trail Update from Monson, Me

Hi Family + Friends!

Amber, here. I wanted to send out a quick update to let everyone know that we made it through the 100 mile wilderness! Phew. . . what a challenge, but so insanely rewarding. We are at the legendary, Shaw's Hostel right now with our 2 trail friends, Sky Chicken and Fish Flake. The boys are watching Soccer and doing laundry. Dad is going through his first care package from home and I'm uploading our photos while catching up on e-mail. It feels good to be in civilization with clean hair and full bellies (thanks to the Lakeshore House). Spirits are high up here in Monson. We are planning on taking a zero day tomorrow to rest our muscles and celebrate our 2nd AT milestone (1st was reaching Katahdin).

So much has happened in the past week and a half. I'm so excited to share our adventures! We have all kept notes from our 100 mile wilderness trek so I'm going to work on a recap post with pictures after a nap, of course. For now, here is how everyone is feeling.

• Tuck has blisters on every toes and lost a total of 5 pounds. Trail name is pending.
• Luke (Tree Frog) just received the biggest bag of candy from his girlfriend. His beard is growing and turning red. He's lost 3 pounds so far.
• Stacey (Fire Squirrel) has a busted knee but is happy because he gets to watch soccer. He has lost a total of 14 pounds.
• Dad (Chief Badweather) is having way to much fun playing in the hiker closet. He found an old army coat and fishing cap to wear out to lunch. He lost a whopping 17 pounds in the wilderness.
• And I have more bug bites, bruises and scrapes that I've ever had in my life. I've lost 10 pounds, but feel stronger than ever!

More details coming soon, folks!! Thank you all for your encouraging messages. I can't put into words how important they are to us while we are on the trail. They really keep us pressing on.

Sending good vibes to you all!

- Amber