Dear Izzy, Ethan, Karlie, Alex, John, Jordan, Zachariah, Makya, Katherine, Xander, Abigail, Talon, Zackarie, and Mrs. Skelton:

Q: How are you doing so far?
A: Good. Sometimes my feet hurt. I’ve met a lot of fun people.

Q: Do you roast marshmallows when there is a fire?
A: we don’t usually carry marshmallows, but one day another thru-hiker named Achilles brought s’mores makings for everybody. We roasted marshmallows that night and it was lots of fun.

Q: How many tents do you all sleep in?
A: One (I sleep sideways in it). We might get another one when it gets warmer (now it’s nice to snuggle).

Q: Make sure you are being careful and don’t get hurt.
A: we are mostly careful. I haven’t been hurt yet, and I hope not to.

Q: We check your family blog everyday around snack time to see what progress you all have made.
A: That’s great. We have lots of snck times out here. Thank you for checking the blog because I don’t want you to forget me.

Q: We like to see that you are having fun and a great time.
A: I’ve had some fun every day (some days more than others).

Q: Does Orion carry his own stuff?
A: Yes (and he carries our trash).

Q: Do you have to pick up the dog poop along the way? If you do what do you do with it?
A: We bury it (usually without picking it up first).

A: Do you have time to fish a lot?
Q: Nathan fishes whenever he gets the chance but there haven’t been a lot of spots and he hasn’t caught anything yet.

Q: Are there special clothes you need to wear while hiking?
A: We wear the only clothes we have with us (but not cotton clothes because they don’t keep you warm when they get wet). Most of our clothes are made of wool or recycled soda bottles (and my dad has jacket filled with dead chicken feathers).

Q: How is Emily’s ankle? Hope it is doing well!
A: It’s been good but not perfect. It’s holding up well so far (fingers crossed).
Q: We hope you are not tired yet and that you have fun on the rest of your trip.
A: I get tired a lot during the day but my parents let me sleep at night. In the morning I am fresh and ready to go, but by night I am OUT.

Q: We miss you lots!
A: I miss you too. Love Maddy (Cartwheel).