The End: Katahdin's Peak

As Hansel and Gretel climbed their way up Katahdin with Mom and Dad, they discussed how it's kind of stupid that a lame sign is THE thing that signifies the completion of their 2,181 mile adventure.  It seems rather arbitrary to say "you have to get to this sign and then you're done."

"We signed in.  It's not like being on top of the mountain is going to be anything great," they said.  They were kind of poo-pooing it the whole way.  At that point, they were both just so tired and ready to be done with the Trail.  That's not to say it hadn't been the adventure of a life time, they were just ready for it to be over.  With that kind of attitude going up, neither of them were really prepared for the emotions that erupted out of them when that "arbitrary sign" came into view.

"We finally got there and, I have to tell you," Hansel said, "it was NOT an arbitrary end point and this sign was one of the most meaningful things in my life.  I can't even express the emotions that just flew through my body and I can't even explain why this piece of wood with writing on it elicited all these emotions.  [Gretel] and I just gave each other a hug and both of us just cried for like five minutes.  And everyone around us started crying too.  Mom and Dad were crying.  It really was like nothing I have ever experienced before."

It's not every day that a hiker completely the Appalachian Trail, but it's even less likely that a pair of siblings finish the Trail together.  Throughout their journey, people have wondered if Hansel and Gretel were married or dating, and they are always confused when their interactions never really match either of those statuses.  When the on-lookers realize that Hansel and Gretel are in fact brother and sister, the response is always so positive.  It must be refreshing to see that a set of siblings could be such good friends.  Having finished this adventure through the physical, psychological, and emotional hardship, there was something truly magical in the embrace that Hansel and Gretel shared at the top of that mountain.  This really was the moment of a life time.  They had done it!  And they had done it together!

True sibling love

2,181 miles with Froggie and Black Bear (the little animals they are holding)

Mom, Hansel, Gretel and Two Bad pretending to be asleep on the sign.

Not only did Hansel and Gretel climb the mountain, also climbed the sign!

Hansel posing like the cover on the AT Guide Book (click here to view)

Hoooooray!!!!!

The End: Katahdin Ascent

Hansel and Gretel started the final 5 miles up Katahdin at about 11:45am and it took them a little over an hour to catch up with Mom and Two Bad.  Their rendezvous came at the point on the mountain that Mom and Two Bad had rendered impassable.

"Well, it looks like we are going this far and that's it," they said regretfully as they gazed up at an 8 foot boulder at the top of which were two pieces of rebar (a metal rod) that had been hammered into the rock.  In order to climb this thing you had to hold on to the higher rebar rod and then swing your foot up to hook the other piece of rebar.  The foot hold was so high up you almost had to knee yourself in the face to reach it while your other foot dangled bellow your body.  Are you picturing this?  If not, you can see an example of another heel hook here.  You just have to imagine this taking place on the edge of a mountain instead of a foot off of the ground.  From the heel hook you had to pull yourself up.  If you let go, the fall would be about 6 feet and nothing to catch you after that.  It was pretty scary, especially for Mom and Dad.  Dad because he has hip mobility problems (recall previous post: Two Bad's Out of Reach Feet) so finding the flexibility to get his foot on the rebar would be extremely difficult, and Mom because she would need to find some super upper body strength to hoist herself up over the rebar.

"I don't even know how Mom and Dad did it, but they both got up over this part somehow," Hansel said.  Many people turn around when they reach that part of Katahdin, but Mom and Two Bad were determined even though Hansel and Gretel tried telling them that it was ok if they didn't go all the way to the top.  Once they got over the rebar, Mom said, "Well, I'm up now so we're going.  I don't know how I'm going to get down again, but I'm up."  As brave as she probably would have liked that to sound, she was almost crying because she was so scared.  They kept telling her that the hard part was over, but that wasn't really true.  There were more hard parts after that as the trail went straight up the mountain for the next 1.5 miles.

This was the most rock climbing Hansel and Gretel had done on the entire trail.  There were parts where they had to pull themselves up over the rocks.  Mom ended up doing a lot of seal-like belly slides to get up on the rocks.  Or she would just put her knees up because it was too hard to pull up on arms alone.  As they climbed up, a bunch of people were passing them going the opposite direction.  When they looked back, there was no one coming up the mountain behind them.  They were the last group to up and most people had already started the climb down.  This made them kind of nervous too, but as Mom said, "There's nothing else to do.  Can't do anything but keep going."

Gretel and Mom making their way up the boulders.

SURPRISE!

As Hansel and Gretel were finishing up their last mile in the 100 Mile Wilderness (the 31st mile of the day) they played the song game to pass the time.  Hansel got stuck on a song and fell silent when Gretel started singing... at least that is what Hansel thought.  It wasn't until he looked up that he saw Mom in front of him!  She and Two Bad Dad had hiked in to meet them and Mom, of course, was singing as they walked!  The four of them hiked out together while I hid out in the hotel.

Mom and Two Bad told Hansel and Gretel that I wasn't able to come to Maine since I had a job interview in the beginning of the week.  It could have been true... but it wasn't.  They all returned to one of our two connected hotel rooms.  Hansel and Gretel had no idea I was listening behind the door in the other room as Hansel recounted the story of his fall on The Notch and Gretel hopped in the shower to get ready for dinner.  Two Bad took their laundry down the hall so they would have fresh clothes for tomorrow, and while he was "loading the clothes into the drier" he took me to the restaurant we all planned on eating at once Hansel and Gretel were all cleaned up.  I chatted with the waitress in this rather empty bar and grill while I waited for the family to arrive.  15 minutes later, the rented white suburban pulled up.  Sitting in the middle of the table with a huge menu open and covering my face I listened for all of them to get closer.  Then... SURPRISE!  I dropped the menu and sat grinning at Hansel and Gretel who didn't quite realize what was going on at first.  I watched as their faces changed and suddenly realize that the goofball sitting alone at a table for five was their very own sister!

"I knew it!"  Hansel yelled!  "There was no way you had an interview!"

"I didn't!"  Gretel said.  "I had no idea!"

The three of us exchanged many hugs in the middle of the dinning room and some of us might have even gotten a little teary-eyed in the midst of it all.   We proceeded to have a delicious dinner with drinks and lobster and plenty of laughter!

We returned to the hotel where the second room was revealed.  Hansel and Gretel prepared for their final hike- Gretel braiding her hair and Hansel dividing their candy stash into two even bags that they would carry up Katahdin tomorrow.  I took a video of the two goofs preparing.  It's probably a bit longer than it needs to be, but it's a pretty accurate representation of a typical dialogue.  This was right before bed and they were both very tired after their 31 mile hike.  Click here to see one of their final conversations before the big climb!

Happy Trails!

The Whole Fam Together Again!

Hansel counting out the Good and Plenties

Hansel and Gretel with their blogger in the midst of blogging

Vermont: The Final Days

The Inn At Long Trail ended up being home for two nights.  Hansel, Gretel and Two Bad asked if the inn keepers might be able to help them slack pack, by keeping their backpacks and picking them up at the end of the day.  Hiking without the pack makes "Vermuck" slightly easier to manage.  They were able to leave their packs there again the next day since Mom was going to pick up Two Bad after finishing VT.  She grabbed their packs halfway through the day and collected them from the trail that evening.  The spent the night in a hotel where they all could clean up and have a good night sleep before the final 24 miles stretch to the New Hampshire boarder.

The poor weather and slippery trail conditions really set our hikers back.  24 miles would be the longest hike Two Bad would have ever made.  After such a rough week of falling, twisting, aching, and bleeding, Two Bad made a difficult decision.  Finishing Vermont with Hansel and Gretel was a goal he had set for himself, a goal he mostly certainly could have accomplished had circumstances been different.  But pushing out these last 24 miles was simply too much on this day.  Hansel suspected Two Bad had mixed emotions on the matter.  Perhaps he was a little disappointed that he wasn't able to finish, but in realizing what he would have to do in order to cross the boarder, he was probably a bit relieved to be off the Trail.  He has done much more than most 50+ year olds could have done.  Maybe even more than most people of any age could have done!  And we are all incredibly proud of him for that!  He is a shinning example of how approaching life with the right attitude makes all the difference.  Despite his many aches and pains, he maintained a positive perspective and kept pushing through!  Two Bad, you are a champion!

Happy trails!

Gretel at Kent Pond

The Grand Return!

Gretel and Two Bad are back!  They returned to the trail on Saturday, June 18th at the Massachusetts/Vermont boarder.  Two Bad will be hiking all of Vermont with Hansel and Gretel, but in attempt to get back into the vigor of hiking many-mile days, Two Bad and Gretel started Vermont three days ahead of Hansel.  This means Hansel will be averaging 25-mile days in order to catch up with them, which he did.

They all met up in Manchester Center and stayed at the Green Mountain Hostel.  The hostel was owned by really great guy named Jeff who actually had two houses; the bigger of the two was designated for hikers.  The house had 3 bedrooms that were loaded with single beds.  The room where Hansel, Gretel, and Two Bad stayed had 4 single beds in addition to a TV with a selection of DVDs.  The hostel also had a fridge that was stocked with sodas, milk, and eggs.  There were plates and silverware to use.  "This place was just hooked up!" Hansel recounted.  It just had everything a hiker could want.  

The next day the three hikers resupplied and hit the trail.  This was a big day for Two Bad and may have been more than he was really prepared for.  They needed to pack in about 16 miles, and it did not help that the weather was awful.  As a matter of fact, Vermont in general was not ideal for hiking.  Although the first two days that Gretel and Two Bad were on the Trail were nice, it rained for 4 days straight once they met up with Hansel.  It has also been established that Vermont is a very muddy state.  Two Bad thought he was very clever to dub the state "Vermuck" which he repeated over and over throughout their hike.  

Vermont is also a bit of a rocky state.  Lots of little rocks that you had to be aware of all the time.  Here is a thru-hiking formula for you: 

                 Rain + Mud + Rocks + 40 lb Backpack = Falling

All three of them have just been falling all week.  Most of the time they didn't hurt themselves too badly, but they had to slow their pace a bit in an effort to maintain a level of caution and safety.  Having a heavy pack on your back does not help when the terrain is slippery and uneven because once you start to slip, the pack can through your center of gravity and bring you down easily.  Two Bad kept catching himself on his right knee (which happens to be the worse of his two bad knees) and in two days he probably hit it at least five times.  He also hurt his wrist pretty bad, rolled his ankle, and smacked his forearm hard on a rock.  Needless to say, Mother Nature was kicking his butt. 

"Yeah, but he didn't complain, like, ever!" Hansel reported.  "He was such a trooper.  He would have kept going until he died.  He would have just kept walking."

The only time they really had to stop and take care of things was two days after leaving the Green Mountain Hostel.  The crew stopped for a lunch break.  While munching, Two Bad took off his boot to reveal and sock full of blood.  The whole thing was pink and there was blood between his toes.  Open wounds on your feet is something to be concerned about when you are hiking.  Your feet, socks and shoes are most likely wet, which increases the potential for an infection.  

So, they finished at about 10 miles and got picked up by the owners of the Inn At Long Trail.  This in lies right off of the Long Trail (hence the name).  The Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail overlap for about 60 miles until the Long Trail branches north to Canada and the AT goes east to Maine.  In any case, the inn keeps were wonderful people and extremely hiker friendly.  Two Bad was able to clean up his toe.  As it turned out, it was only his pinky toe.  It seems as though the little toe nail got ripped off somehow, but everything was okay.  

They was also an Irish Pub connected to the Inn.  Super cheap and super great!  The beer was about $3.50 a pint and most expensive meal was $11.  There was also a live band!  The famous Blarney Rebel Band is a crew of 3 Italian Brothers who sing Celtic music.  They actually won "Best Celtic Song of 2009" with their tune "Stand With Me Boys."  I couldn't find a full free version of it, but here is a link to part of the song.  

That brings us close to the end of Vermont.  It's been a tough hike, but they are hanging in there!

Happy trails and sturdy ground!

Hansel, Gretel and Two Bad at the Inn

Hansel is reading up on a new topic: The Appalachian Trail 

The Famous Blarney Rebel Band

Two Bad or Too Bad?

Now we all know how Two Bad acquired his trail name: two bad hips, two bad knees, two bad ankles, two bad feet.  But on the trail, when introduced with a verbal name exchange and a visual intake of his appearance and equipment, more than a few hikers thought he was Too Bad: Man-Who-Carries-a-Mighty-Knife-and-Probably-Says “Too Bad” After-Slicing-You-for-Looking-at-Him-the-Wrong-Way.  

On the shoulder strap of his pack, Two Bad carried knives that are used by the US Special Forces guys.  It was clearly hard to miss these weapons, which he stored in an easily accessible location.  The truth of the matter is, those knives were mainly used to cut chunks of cheese, but that didn’t inhibit the intimidation other hikers felt when meeting old Two Bad.  The only person who guessed the real significance of Two Bad’s name was Bum Knee; another senior hiker (with a bum knee) who could relate to the aches and pains.  


Happy Trails and Knife Safety!

Fox Hill

After their stay at the Dutch Haus, Hansel, Gretel, and Two Bad called their old friends Mark and Sue.  In addition to being wonderful people, Mark and Sue are the owners of a beautiful bed and breakfast in Lexington, Virginia.  Following their phone call, Sue hopped in the car to come pick up the three hikers, drove them to pick up their rental car, and then they followed her back to The Fox Hill Inn.  It's probably been about 10 years since this gang was last together in Vermont, where their old Bed and Breakfast used to be located.  Even though significant time has passed, Hansel and Gretel claim that Mark and Sue have not changed a bit.  Actually, Hansel said, "I forgot how awesome they are!"  And their inn is gorgeous!  Upon arrival, they were given a tour of the cozy Fox Hill and then they were taken out to the stable which is about a hundred yards away from the main house.  It is here that Hansel, Gretel and Two Bad would spend the night, sharing the stable with two horses and a donkey.  Sue assured them that she was not putting them here because they smelled and looked like animals.

Don't worry, they didn't have to sleep on hay.  On the contrary.  Mark and Sue built the "Heron's Nest" a few years ago.  It's a separate, finished part of the stable with a private kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom!  

As dinner time drew closer, Two Bad asked Mark and Sue if they had any recommendations for dinner, to which they responded, "Well sure.  Right here!"  Sue proceeded to make them all a delicious dinner!  As they ate, they shared stories and enjoyed catching up with their old friends.  Hansel, Gretel, and Two Bad told their Trail memories while Sue talked about her latest, and most fascinating interest in animal telepathy.  She has been studying and practicing this very special technique of communicating with animals and has been able to hear their needs and feelings by looking at pictures of them after talking with their owners.

As always, the visit was such a pleasure and our Inn Keeper friends met our hikers with such kindness and generosity.  Their entire Fox Hill experience came free of charge; a gift that was well enjoyed by all!  So many people have been sending love and care to Hansel and Gretel for the past 2 months and it has made this journey ever so much more enjoyable.  Mark and Sue certainly went above and beyond this week!  We are all so appreciative!  Thank you!  And if anyone is looking for a peaceful, scenic get-a-way in Shenandoah Valley, be sure to visit The Fox Hill Inn!

A view of Heron's Nest

Two Bad Turns Hard Core

"So I'm hard core now!"  Two Bad reported.  Yesterday he hiked a whopping 17 miles with Hansel and Gretel to finish out his week-long adventure with his kids.  They spent last night in a bed and breakfast called The Dutch Haus in Montebello, VA.  Hansel and Gretel both confirmed that Dad had done a great job with them.  Even though they slowed up for him a little, by the end of the week, they had covered a lot of ground.  Two Bad hiked about 120 miles with Hansel and Gretel!  Not "too bad" for an old guy!

After the first day, Two Bad was doubting himself a little.  "Man, I might have made a mistake," he thought as he did his best to ease out the cramps in his thighs and back.  Even his shoulders were sore.  But the second day was a little better, and by the third day he really felt like he was adjusting to Trail life.  But then the blisters hit him.  Fortunately, Gretel knew the best way to deal with this problem since she battled her own blisters when she first started the Trail.

For Two Bad, this trip has been a physical challenge; one he trained hard for and still experienced plenty of aches and pains along the way.  But it was also a chance to see his children in action and share this life-changing experience with them.  After all, it was Mom and Dad who first exposed Hansel and Gretel to the woods and the joys of backpacking on the Appalachian Trail.

There was pride an his voice when Two Bad said, "They are doing great.  They have it all figured out.  The whole organizing, camping, set up, tear down, shopping, cooking."  He talked about the delicious meals that Gretel makes, throwing extra flavorful ingredients into various concoctions that she has perfected.  Not every father has the opportunity to spend quality time like this with his children after they have left college.  Walking through the woods with only the bear essentials on their back, singing the words to their favorite Bruce Springteen songs as they hiked, sitting around the campfire talking about life as their put their feet up after a long day.  The days on the Trail that Two Bad spent with Hansel and Gretel is a testament to the ever-present support and unconditional love that he has shown all three of us since the day we were born.  We are a lucky crew to have known such love from our parents.


Happy Trails!


Here's one Bruce song they sang together: If I Should Fall Behind
And the Lyrics:

We said we'd walk together baby come what may
That come the twilight should we lose our way
If as we're walking a hand should slip free
I'll wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me

We swore we'd travel darlin' side by side
We'd help each other stay in stride
But each lover's steps fall so differently
But I'll wait for you
And if I should fall behind
Wait for me

Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true
But you and I know what this world can do
So let's make our steps clear that the other may see
And I'll wait for you
If I should fall behind
Wait for me

Now there's a beautiful river in the valley ahead
There 'neath the oak's bough soon we will be wed
Should we lose each other in the shadow of the evening trees
I'll wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me
Darlin' I'll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me

Two Bad's Out of Reach Feet

Gretel watched her clothes spin around in the washing machine as she called me from the Laundromat in the “lame-o” town of Glasgow while Hansel and Two Bad went to the grocery store to find “some kind of lame dinner.”  So far everything about Glasgow was falling short of expectations.  The hotel they had planned to stay at had closed down.  Then they went to a shelter-type-thing for hikers to take a shower, but there was no hot water.  Gretel said she had to exhale deep breaths so she didn’t suffocate from the shock of the ice cold water.  Hansel spent his shower shouting, “Ooooh!  Oh! Oh! Oooh! Ohh!” which Gretel overheard as she was braiding her hair outside the shower area.   There was a restaurant listed in the Trail Guide book, but that had closed down.  When they asked a Glasgow local, they were told that there was another restaurant across the railroad tracks… but actually it was closed on Mondays.  Finally they heard about some kind of deli that sold Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches.  Gretel, being a vegetarian, asked if the boys could bring her a cheese steak sandwich without the steak.  They still have three more days of hard hiking ahead of them before our family friends (who also happen to be the owners of an awesome bed and breakfast) pick them up in Montebello.

Tonight they will be staying at Johns Hallow Shelter, which is exactly 777 miles from Springer Mountain where they started in Georgia! 

I know you are all wondering how Two Bad is fairing.  Gretel reported he is doing quite well.  Today was a bit rough for him because their hike was characterized by an excess of downhills, which tend to be a little painful for his two bad knees.  Other than that, he is feeling pretty good and getting into the swing of the hike.  One of the problems he encountered was the very same blister issue Gretel had in her first few weeks on the Trail.  The difference between Gretel and Two Bad, is that Gretel can actually reach her feet to tend to her blisters.  Two Bad’s hips sometimes prevent such luxuries, so he had to request a hand from his children.  (Warning: the next few sentences might sound a little nasty.)  Two Bad asked Gretel to help him pop his blisters the first night, but the second night she had to decline on account that such a task is a little too high on the Gross Scale.

“I’m sorry Dad, but I just can’t do that again.  You’re going to have to ask Hansel.”

Luckily Hansel was able to take care of Two Bad’s feet and then they covered the blisters in duct tape for the hike the next day. 

Shoe tying is also a bit of an issue for our dear Two Bad.  His hips are particularly stiff in the morning, so Hansel has been lending a hand with shoes too.  He usually loosens up over the course of the day though.  At one point in the hike he stopped and said,

“Hold on, I think I need to tighten my boots.”

“You mean I need to tighten your boots,” replied Hansel.

“No, no, I think I can reach them now.”  And with some degree of effort, Two Bad tied his shoes all by himself.  Hooray!  (Thanks Vincent* for helping my dad with his flexibility and his endurance!  We all know that without you, this hike would have been a LOT harder!)

Until next time, happy trails!

*Vincent is a wonderful family friend as well as an incredible personal trainer.  Over the years he has trained the whole family and now he has his own business, Westfield Fitness Studio.  You can see a picture of Two Bad pumping iron in the second photo down on the website.  If you are local and want to do something great for your body, I highly recommend visiting Vincent!  He’s amazing! 

Hansel, Gretel and Two Bad crossing the longest footbridge on the AT

Snores Galores!

Last night the gang stayed at Bryant Ridge Shelter, which happens to be one of the largest shelters on the AT.  It has three tiers of sleeping space so naturally, Hansel, Gretel and Two Bad selected the very top tier.  The whole night time sleeping thing was all going well until Grandpa showed up. 

Let’s just talk about Grandpa for a minute.  According to Gretel he is quite a character.  This middle-aged fellow with a SUPER Boston accent started thru-hiking the trail with basically nothing at all.  He had a Jansport backpack- the kind you pack your books in when you are in high school.  He was using a sleeping bag that was meant to fit a two-year-old.  He hiked in blue jeans, a cotton sweatshirt, and a pair of work boots.  So far he has gone through about 6 pairs of boots because he keeps getting really trashy old things.  His current boots seem to be holding up pretty well though.  At last he acquired a pair of real hiking boots.  People have been giving him things along the way, so he now has some slightly more practical equipment.  Some guy at a hostel gave him a proper backpack, and he got a sleeping bag from a hiker box.  In the words of Gretel, “he is looking pretty legit.”   Grandpa decided to start hiking the Trail after making a phone call to his sister in Florida.  He asked her what the weather was like down there.   She told him it was about 80 degrees, so he figured that probably meant it was about 70 in Georgia.  Needless to say, the snowstorms, freezing temperatures and wind that he hit in the Smokey’s were not something he was properly prepared for!

Hansel and Gretel have crossed paths with Grandpa several times.  It is hard to miss him because he is a notoriously bad snorer and he has a history of rolling into shelters really late at night and then waking everyone up with his nocturnal grunts.  This is exactly what happened in Bryant Ridge Shelter.  At some point in the night, Hansel and Gretel were awakened by the growls of Grandpa.  Now, considering it must have been dark and late by the time Grandpa arrived, it is easy to assume that he would have chosen to bunk up on one of the lower tiers.  Oh no.  Grandpa decided to climb all the way up to the third tier with Hansel, Gretel, and Two Bad where he smooshed himself into the corner right next to Hansel!  Unable to sleep with Grandpa snoring right next to him, Hansel gave Grandpa a little kick to wake him up, then Hansel and Gretel snuggled back into their sleeping bags and tried to fall asleep as quickly as possible before Grandpa’s snores resumed. 

While we are on the topic of snoring, let’s bring our attention back to Two Bad.  Although he may deny it, Two Bad Dad has been known to get a little noisy in his sleep as well; therefore, ground rules have been set.  Two Bad is not allowed to sleep on his back when they are spending the night in a shelter.  Side lying only.   He snores way too loud if he is lying on his back. 

That being said, Two Bad has been enjoying the nights when they camp in their tents away from shelters.  As a matter of fact, the whole gang has been enjoying this.  Shelters are great because they are convenient and require little preparation, but everyone is much more comfortable in their own tents on the ground.  Their first night camping was wonderful.  Two Bad made a nice fire, he was able to sleep comfortably on his back, and everyone dozed peacefully until morning! 


Happy trails and a good night's sleep!

Two Bad!

Introducing the newest, short term, member of the Jabeccawalk Team: 

Dad!

Around 9 this morning, Dad stuffed his pack and a small suitcase into the trunk of a cab headed for the airport (since you can’t take knives and fuel in your carry-on bag, he will have to mail the empty suit case home after he reloads the off-limits items into his backpack).  Around 3pm Dad met Hansel and Gretel at their hostel in Catawba and they started their march back into the woods. 

One problem: they weren’t nearly as far as they thought they were yesterday after tumbling down the mountain.  Very quickly, their 3-mile hike to the next shelter turned into a 6-mile hike.   So much for easing Dad into the Appalachian experience! 

I was wrong before when I said there was only one problem.  It also was raining, so they all got wet.  Good thing Dad came prepared with rain gear.  And then we have the problem of age.  As Dad was hiking he reminded the young and spry Hansel and Gretel that he was doing this hike with “two bad hips, two bad, knees, two bad feet, two bad…”  He continued to repeat all of these problems as they hiked until Hansel interrupted him.  

“Well Dad, I think you just got your trail name,” Hansel declared.  “Two Bad!” Isn't that too bad?

And so, Hansel, Gretel, and Two Bad have begun their week together!

Happy trails!

Who needs an alarm clock when you have a rooster?  This little guy woke up Hansel and Gretel this morning!

A Hostel Friend

Gretel making an epic breakfast!

Hansel with his plate.  They picked the eggs right out of the nest!

Also, does anyone else thing that Hansel's hair is getting rather fro-tastic?