WOW... I am so excited for you both and cannot wait to read your articles. I live in Atlanta and the weather forcast for Sunday is awesome. Up in the mountains we are already having warm days with cool evenings. I would love to meet meet yall but I will not be up on the trail this weekend. I teach a lightweight backpacking class at the Hike Inn which is on a alternative approach trail on the way up to the top of Springer from Amicalola State Park. If you are hiking up to Springer it is worth the trip to stop in and have some cookies for the trail. Please send me a PM if you want an extra contact at this end of the trail...I will be happy to help out if you need anything.

Sounds good - thanks for the info! Good luck!

You guys should have a ball on this trip! Here are some places you should visit.

1. Grayson Highlands - Obviously you two will hike through this area but I'd plan on having Teresa and Butterfly meet you at Grayson Highlands state park for some family time. The area is beautiful and their are wild ponies (actually very tame ponies but they are cute and I'm sure Butterfly would enjoy them). From the park its a short hike into the high country so Teresa and Butterfly could get a nice hike in relatively easily if they wanted to. I think there are showers down in the campground but I'm not sure.
2. Colonial Willaimsburg - A bit expensive but if you (Balls) like American History this is the place to go. Probably about the closest thing to travelling back in time you can experience.
3. Air and Space museum.

I'm be in Virginia in early summer/late summer. Maybe I'll see you.

Edited by Cameron on 03/30/2012 16:50:03 MDT.

+1 on Number 2 Colonial Williamsburg is blast from the past.

When my wife and I were there the Play House was great. During the play the audience is invited to make comments aloud to the cast of the play. It was a "hoot"!

And what kids don't like ponies?

Party On,

Newton

Best of luck to you both! Sunshine working on triple crown before 13?

Nice video on Oregon Field Guide

http://watch.opb.org/video/2214199608

Way to go! And good luck!

In one of your earlier posts you mentioned that Sunshine's BPL backpack suffered a catastrophic failure. Because I bought one during the heyday of BPL, I would be interested in knowing the exact nature of the failure so that I can reinforce the weak part if possible.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/reed-gjonnes-walks-the-appalachian-trail-with-her-dad/2012/06/25/gJQAE09c2V_story.html

Monty, my understanding from talking to Eric was that a seam split on Sunshine's BPL Absaroka pack. The same thing happened to the Gregory pack they bought (I believe in Mammoth) to replace it. I donated them a size small Gossamer Gear Mariposa (which I bought really cheap several years ago on closeout and has been sitting under the bed in my spare bedroom because my grandkids couldn't use it). Sunshine used it for all of Oregon and Washington, and she's still using it on the AT as we speak.