Author Archives: shaylaparadeis

So, it’s winding down to my last few hours with Jesse. It’s been so great to have him, and Front Royal has been a nice little town to spend a day and a half in. Tomorrow morning, we go our separate ways. I’m getting picked up by a really nice woman from the visitor center,Continue reading “Back in the Saddle”

I just wanted to brag that I am close friends with an amazing woman! Allie Yanikoski, the only person I’ve ever called my soul mate, (Jesse doesn’t mind. He can tell when he’s defeated:)) just ran her first marathon ever, and finished the race with an incredible time of 3 hours; 57 minutes; and 18Continue reading “My Amazing Friend, Allie”

Today is my little guy’s birthday. He’s 11 years old. I wanted to text Royce to tell him to give him a nice birthday chin scratch, but I have no phone. So if any of you Montana folks read this today, and see Royce or Max, please pass along the message for me. Tell MaxContinue reading “Happy Birthday Max!”

I am very happy to see that no one thinks of me as a big cheater for doing a canoe trip. Because after hiking one day through the Shenandoah National Park with Jesse, we decided that a canoe trip actually sounded pretty rare and special. I think Virginia is trying to kill me. Temps haveContinue reading “Took the Plunge! Literally.”

Just a quick note to let everyone know that things are going fine. Better than fine, actually. We made it to Waynesboro. Which means it’s time to start the Shenandoahs and things are looking pretty luxurious for the next few days, with the promise of beer and snacks at frequent intervals. And what’s better, isContinue reading “Met my Sweetheart in Waynesboro”

Today has been excellent! We spent our last week hiking in the rain. Mostly high-spirited, but quite wet indeed. I knew that Virginia was going to be tough. Folks have been saying it’s wet, steep, plain, rocky, a lot of the same thing…the list goes on. So I’ve been mentally preparing myself, and it’s beenContinue reading “Best 0 Ever!”

I’ll post the exact amount tomorrow night, I want to read people’s guesses. But I will say that Kiddo, weighs significantly less than Shayla! I’ll try to attach some good group photos too. Special thanks to Mackenzie for adding all those pages. The captions are perfect and I really appreciate the new additions! Happy graduation asContinue reading “Guess how much weight I lost!”

I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned this yet, but my trail name is Kiddo:) I got it because I smile a lot, and look like I’m 16. Which isn’t such a bad thing. I love it. Sometimes I come up to some friends I haven’t seen for a few days and they say in unison, “Kiddo!”Continue reading “Kiddo:)”

I’m loving this great little resting place. It’s an old cabin, with a fantastic garden, and some great spirits running it. I’ve met tons of other hikers here, had some great food, and even done some yoga! It’s been a fantastic visit. There have even been a few encounters with some friendly doggies and kittiesContinue reading “Wood’s Hole”

Things are going so well, I just wanna dance around like a crazy person…..and sometimes do. I spent the last week hiking with Tide Walker. Not only was it lovely to spend time with another female, but it was just nice to say, “Look at that beautiful waterfall!” and have a response. We made greatContinue reading “Yipeeeeeee!”