www.LawnAmerica.com

ContactContact

Posts Tagged ‘Harper’s Ferry’

It is Finished!

Sunday, December 12th, 2010

The big bell tower clock struck three times as I hiked down the sidewalk at the historic St. Peters Catholic Church in Harpers Ferry, as I officially finished my Appalachian Trail journey at 3:00 on Friday, December 10th, 2010.  That’s where I was exactly one month before, as I finished the northern portion of the trail, hiking south from Maine down to Harpers Ferry, the midpoint of the AT.  This time, I was not in my shorts however, as winter had set in for these final ten days of my journey, and I was bundled up hiking in the snow.   My wife Becky was waiting for me at the church, as she was able to come up with me for the final three days of my hike.  

Finished! On the steps at St. Peters Catholic Church in Harpers Ferry.

It’s finished!  I had a hard time comprehending that fact, that I was actually done.  There were times that it seemed I would never finish my journey, especially with all the times I had to go off-trail for family emergencies and responsibilities.  I was exhausted, excited, relieved, proud, happy, and sad all at the same time.  From the time I began this journey on May 28th until now, I actually was on the AT hiking for 138 days, taking 8 zero days of rest, and off-trail for about 7 weeks during four separate occasions.  I hiked from 6 to 31 miles per day when hiking, with an average of 15.8 miles per day.   Although I did not do my original plan of 17.5 miles per day, I feel good about my pace.  That’s faster than most thru-hikers, and I still had time to enjoy the trail and not kill myself.  And…I finished!  That in itself is an accomplishment, since most don’t.  I felt proud, in a good sort of way, that I was able to finish, and out-hike guys half my age in many cases.  

 As was the case on the very first day that I set foot on the AT back in May in Georgia, the emotion that was overwhelming on this final day was gratitude.  I was so thankful that I was able to do this–to my wife for letting me go and supporting me, for my employees at LawnAmerica who’ve done such a great job in my absence (maybe I should go away more often), to all my friends, family, customers, and people who have supported me, prayed for me, or donated to our charities.  I’m thankful for all those trail angels, who  came at just the right time with rides, cold drinks, food, and even overnight stays.  From big Rich down in North Carolina, Dannette in Virginia, Pete in New York, and Jim Mello in Massachusetts, along with many others who helped provide their own dose of trail magic along the

Gratitude

way–I’m thankful, and could not have made it without their help.  I’m thankful to the thousands of trail volunteers from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and many of the other regional clubs, who do such a great  job of maintaining the AT, all on a volunteer basis.  But most of all, I’m thankful to my God, who has blessed me with strong legs to hike, a strong back to carry a pack, the finances to pull this off, and the perseverance and good health to finish this journey.  

It was a struggle just getting to Waynesboro, Virginia last week.  I spent 16 hours on the plane and in airports due to bad weather in Atlanta, so I did not check into the hotel in Charlotesville until midnight.  Early the next morning, Lyle, my trusty shuttle driver from earlier this summer, was there in his old white van and his new dog, Sam, to pick me up and take me to Skyline Drive where I had left the AT in late July.  I had to go back south for about 15 miles to complete a section from there down to the Tye River Valley that I had skipped over before I went home in late July.  Back then, it was very hot, with temperatures in the mid-90’s, and the springs were drying up.  Now, the temperatures were in the 30’s with plenty of water. 

With the leaves gone, I could see the blue sky now.

  The forest now had a totally different look, with the leaves being off the trees and blanketing the forest floor.  I could now see the blue sky, and the beautiful valleys below the ridges.  The late fall forest was quiet, with few animals out and about, and no hikers at all.  It felt good to be back on the trail that day, after being off for three weeks.  I had lost some of my trail legs, and was a little stiff, but without my full backpack this first day back I did fine.  As I climbed up the ridge, I saw the huge mountain named The Priest lurking across the valley.  Back in late July, it was extremely hot in Virginia, with water scarce because of the drought drying up springs and small creeks.  Not so now, with plenty of water from recent rains and downright cold temperatures.   Several 

Water was plentiful in mountain streams from recent rains.

ago, I had descended down over 3,000′ on the other side to reach the Tye River, where I plopped down into the cold river for about an hour just to cool off from the extreme heat, along with a nice section hiker I’d met from Baltimore.  He in fact had paid the entire shuttle fee to take us to Waynesboro–another of the many cases of trail magic along the AT, with total strangers helping out a fellow hiker.   When I reached the valley where Lyle would pick me up again, the river was cold and flowing hard from the hard rains the day before.  No way I was jumping in today! 

The Priest, lurking on the opposite side of the Tye River valley.

The next day I strapped on my full backpack and headed back north starting at Rockfish Gap, the southern entrance to the Shenandoah National Park.  I had nine days to complete the remaining 160 miles of the AT through the park, and on up through northern Virginia to Harpers Ferry.  The trail through the park was not real easy, but it wasn’t that tough either.  There were some ups and downs, but the slope was moderate, and the trail was well-graded and not too rocky in most places.  I was a little stiff though on this second day back on the trail, and it was tougher hiking in the colder weather wearing long pants and more clothes.  I had hiked in shorts the total time until now, but now was wearing long johns and long pants along with about five layers of clothes to keep warm.  I saw no hikers this day, as the park facilities were all closed for the season.  Hiking through the Shenandoah National Park at this time of the season

This looked like one of those scary talking trees from Wizard of Oz.

 would be good in a way, as Skyline Drive would be really quiet with few cars on it.  The AT pretty much parallels Skyline Drive, crossing it many times over the 100 miles or so in this section.  So with few cars and people, the park was really peaceful and quiet.  However, the lodging was closed, and the famous blackberry shakes would be only a dream, since the waysides and eating places were also closed.  Therefore, I would be camping out along the AT, at least for this first section of the hike, and needing to re-supply in the nearby towns.  

I hiked 20 miles to the Blackrock Hut, reaching it just before dark.  The days were very short now in winter, compared to what I’d been hiking in during the summer and even into fall.  After getting water and firing up my small stove to heat water for dinner, I read through the trail journal at the shelter to discover that I may be in for a difficult night of sleep.  This shelter was inhabited by a giant rat, which hikers had named ”Ratzilla”.  There were even sketches of Ratzilla in the journal, with tales of it taking food out of packs, and hauling off socks that were not secured.   I had a few mouse issues in shelters this season, a battle with a racoon, and a heavy-breathing bear or deer in the middle of the night, but had not had rats, at least to my knowledge.  It was dark by 5:45, so with dinner done and nothing else to do, I settled into my new sleeping bag which I’d just purchased a few days ago.  It was a thicker bag, rated at 15 degrees, which I thought would suffice.  With the possibility of having to do battle with Ratzilla during the night, I had three large rocks next to me to chunk at him if necessary, or smash him with if he got close, along with my hiking sticks to do battle with.   

About 45 minutes after laying there in the dark, and by myself of course, since I was the only hiker out there, I heard something scurrying through the leaves and up into the shelter.  Shining my headlight into the corner, there he was, a big, ugly rat!  It wasn’t quite the size of a cat, as some of the hikers had journaled, but he was big and ugly.  I chunked one of my rocks up at him, and he just scurried away into the other corner.  This shelter had a lower level, with a wooden upper level above.  Thankfully, I choose the lower level to lay my bag in, as the rats used the upper level all night to play their little games on (there was more than one rat).   One rat would run from one end to the other, wait a few seconds, and then run to the middle, and it would then sound like they were wrestling or something, before running to the other end.  I guess it was like midnight wrestling for the rats or something.  This went on pretty much all night.  So with this, along with very cold temperatures down into the teens, I didn’t get too much sleep that night.  The good news was that they did not get into my food or stuff, as I had it secured away, and they did not mess with me, at least to my knowledge.  

The next morning as I head up the trail leading from the shelter to the AT, I spotted a bear running up the trail after he heard me coming.  This was the 5th bear I’d seen on the trail, and the first one since way back in July.  Another day of hiking 20 miles put me into the next shelter, Hightop Hut, right at dark.  It was getting even colder, and I was higher in elevation, at about 3,500′, so I knew it would be a cold night.  Even with my new bag, and with most of my clothes on, I still got cold that night and did not sleep well, since the temperatures got down into the single digits.   I was looking forward to the next day because I was getting a ride into Luray in order to re-supply and sleep in a warm bed at a local motel.  I had arranged to have a local shuttle person pick me up along Skyline Drive at a certain mileage marker, but for some reason I was a little worried about my ride being there.  I covered another 20 miles in good time and was waiting for my pickup 45 minutes early.  I had seen just a few day hikers this day.  A couple happened to cross the road at one of the places where the AT crosses Skyline Drive, where I was waiting at about 3:30.  After visiting with them for awhile, I told them I was concerned that my ride may not show up and leave me up here with no food and nowhere to camp and stay warm.  The forecast was calling for even colder temperatures, with wind chills below zero.  I had decided there was no way I could camp out in this weather, so I had to find and depend upon a shuttle or hitch a ride into town, which would be very difficult now.  The couple graciously told me they would finish their hike in about 30 minutes, and drive back to check on me to make sure my ride showed up.  

Well, my ride did not show up, and it was getting dark and cold as they pulled up.  They took me up the road and on into Luray to my hotel, which was a little out of their way.  It turns out that the husband was a retired Marine officer, so we with my sons in the Marines, we had a good conversation about life as a Marine officer.  After checking into my motel, doing laundry, and eating dinner, my shuttle driver called me and told me she forgot to pick up up until it was too late.  Oops!  She was really nice, and was a recommended trail person, and even had a free bunkhouse at their home for hikers.  She just had a little problem remembering things, maybe with her age or something.  She promised she’d be there at 7:45 in the morning to pick me up and take me up to the trailhead, so I had no other option but to trust that she’d come through this time. 

Sharron was right on time, and we drove up to the entrance from Luray to enter Shenandoah National Park so I could be taken to where I had left off the night before and hike the 20 miles back to the Luray entrance.  Well, it had snowed the previous night, and the gate was locked as we pulled up to the park.  Just a little ice and snow had caused them to

Cold, snowy ridge in Shenandoah National Park

 shut down the entire Skyline Drive, so there was no way to get to where I needed to be, and there was no way I was equipped to camp out in this miserably cold weather.  I was really frustrated, with the park being closed, and the possibility of loosing a hiking day and messing up my schedule.  Sharron had a suggestion, to drive me north up to do another section outside of the park.  It would take some time, but I had no choice, as I could not take a zero day and finish my hike by December 10th.  So we went to Wal Mart first, so I could buy a heaver wind jacket, and then up to Ashby Gap, where I started hiking at 10:45 southward to Front Royal.  I covered 20 miles, hiking really fast, even jogging in some downhill stretches, in order to finish before dark.  I finished early at 4:45, and Sharron showed up right on time at 5:15  to take me back to their home up on the mountain, where they have a hiker bunk room over their garage.  Her and her husband Tom, a former President of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, graciously allow hikers to stay in their bunk room, feed them, and shuttle them along the trail. 

The park was still closed the next day due to snow on the road, so we had to improvise my schedule again.  Sharron took me 20 miles up on a county road and then up on a forrest service fire road, from where I hiked a mile uphill to the AT where I had left off two days earlier–where she forgot to pick me up.  From here, I did 20 miles down to Thorton Gap, reaching the highway into Luray right at dark.  It was miserably cold as the sun set, and the wind was continuing to howl at 20-30 mph.  I paced back and forth for over 40 minutes trying to stay warm, waiting for my cab ride to show up taking me down to the Days Inn outside of Luray for a hot shower, dinner, laundry, and a warm bed.  

I was excited on the next morning, as Becky was going to be able to fly up to Baltimore, and drive to pick me up along Skyline Drive as I hiked along  the AT going north towards Harpers again.  It was still cold, but the wind had subsided a little bit to make the hiking not quite as cold, with wind chills at least not in single digits now.  I kicked out and just walked on Skyline Drive along the AT at about 3:00, since Becky was driving up to meet me somewhere close to Hogwallow Gap on the drive.  She was right on time, as she pulled up in her Dodge rental car.  It was great to see her, and it would make my final three days so much easier and more enjoyable with her shuttling me to my stops.  

I had set up my schedule so that my final three days would be easier, with just about 46 more miles to Harpers Ferry.  The only real challenge left was what’s called the roller coaster–a 13 mile section on the AT with continuous inclines and declines just before reaching Harpers Ferry.  I found it to be not that big of a deal.  There were about ten 500′ climbs and descents, but with switchbacks, they were not that big of a deal.  Compared to many other sections, it was no different, just the fact that they were smaller and packed into a small section.  So the next two days, with the weather moderating somewhat and my wife meeting me in the afternoon, were great hiking.  

On our last night on the trail, we drove up to Harpers Ferry to stay at the Jackson Rose B&B, for somewhat of a celebration of my almost completed journey.  It is a historic old home, over 200 years old, that has been restored and converted into a really nice B&B.  Stonewall Jackson actually used our room as his headquarters during the early days of the Civil War.  Over the last few days especially, bits and pieces of my journey flashed across my mind, as I reminisced about my incredible journey along the AT.  This evening, it really all began to sink in.  I was really going to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail!  What an adventure  it has been!  

 As  Becky drove me back up to the Blackburn Trail Center the next morning where I had left off the day before to finish the last day of my journey, I noticed snow falling up on the ridge where Virginia and West Virginia border. 

A surprise snow blanketing the forest on my last day.

There was no mention of snow in the forecast that day, so it was a surprise to see the forest  covered with a light blanket of falling snow as she left me up at the base of the ridge for my short 12.5 mile hike down into Harpers Ferry.  The snow continued to fall on this cold, December morning, as I hiked somewhat more deliberately north.  I did not want to slip on a snow-covered rock, fall, and hurt myself so close to the finish.  I thought back to that first day in late May, heading off into the hot Georgia woods, not really knowing what I was going to experience over the coming months.  And here I was, hiking in the snow. 

A fitting end--hiking in the snow on the AT.

 It was almost like God had decided to put some icing on the cake by blanketing the woods with a layer of snow for me to enjoy this last day.  It gave the woods a totally new and peaceful look.  And, since we are going to produce a 2011 calendar with pictures of my AT journey, we needed some good pics for December and January, so here we are!  

After I met Becky at St. Peters Church in Harpers Ferry, took some pictures, and savored the moment, I told her, “Well, I’m finished!”  And with that, we headed back up the hill to the Appalachian Trail Conference headquarters in Harpers Ferry to fill out my 2,000-miler form, take some pictures, and celebrate with a few staff members and volunteers with a glass of sparkling grape juice.  I was one one the last thru-hikers to register this year, as most had completed going northbound ending in Maine in August, September, or early October.  I was one of only about 20 or so I believe ‘flip-floppers” who had finished in Harpers Ferry.  Overall, I was one of about 440 or so hikers who will have registered a complete thru-hike in 2010, out of thousands who tried.  

Celebrating my thru-hike at the ATC office in Harpers Ferry.

 I’m finished, or am I?  As Becky was walking down the blue blaze trail from the ATC office to the AT in Harpers, she was visiting with Red Hat, a thru-hiker from 2010 who was volunteering at the ATC.  She had lost her husband early this year, so she decided to hike the AT, which she did.  In fact, we passed each other in southern Maine sometime in late August.  I don’t remember her, but I do remember some of the hikers, such as Captain Slick, who she was hiking with at the time.  When Becky told her that she was so glad I was finished with the trail, Red Hat looked at her symathetically and only as an AT hiker can understand  replied, “Oh no honey, he’s not finished!”  

They say that thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail will change you.  And for that matter, all significant things we do, people we know, things we put our heart and soul into will change us.  As only a person who has hiked all or significant sections of the AT can truly understand–I’ve grown to love the Appalachian Trail–what it is, and what it stands for.  It’s America at it’s finest.  And while there are times I questioned where it’s going, I cursed the steep climbs and ridiculous paths it takes over every high mountain and boulder field it can find, and I struggled with the rocks, roots, mud, and curves along the path–I really loved it.  I conquered it.  Several months ago, I met several folks who had hiked the AT several times during their lifetime, some as many as eight times!  I thought to myself, why would anybody want to do this more than once?  Well, I understand now.  

I’m not saying I’ll be packing up again in March at Springer Mountain and heading north, but I do know there are still trails to walk in life.  Real trails, such as the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, which are other long distance trails over 2,000 miles long.  I’ve backpacked portions of the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado many times in Colorado as a young man many years ago.  And there are other trails and journeys in life, as a husband, father, business owner, friend, volunteer, and all the other roles we play.  There will always be trails to walk.  There are always people in our world who need a little compassion.  As scripture says, “Therefore, as you  received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”  The AT has changed me, and for the better I believe.  After Christmas sometime, and I’ve had time to chew and digest my adventures, I’ll write about that.  But one thing I do know, is that as Red Hat said–I’m not finished! 

Merry Christmas–and Happy Hiking!

There will be many more trails to walk in life.

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in AT2010 | 6 Comments »

Home

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

I had an easy 14.5 miles to do leaving Brick Road Shelter going to the Mohican Outdoor Center. It was either that, or go 25 miles to Delaware Water Gap, so I chose to take an easier day. The views were great hiking along a ridge looking down into the valley below. The leaves were now off the trees, allowing me clear views to the valley, which has not been the case in my ridge hiking in Virginia and other states. With only 14 miles to do, I was able to really take my time and take it all in, stopping several times to just marvel at God’s creation. The leaves continued to fall like snow onto the forest floor, blanketing it with colors of yellow, red, and brown.

Hiking a ridge in Pennsylvania, with a great view into the valley below.

I checked into the Mohican Outdoor Center, operated by the AMC, at about 3:00pm. It was nice to be done by then, giving me plenty of time to shower and hang around some in the afternoon. I was surprised to see a full bottle of wine in the refrigerator, which someone had left. I’m not much of a drinker, but I do enjoy a good glass of wine now and then, and this seemed like a great time to enjoy some trail magic in the form of a glass, or two of Italian Reisling wine on the porch of my lodge as I watched the leaves fall from the trees. For $20, this turned out to be a pretty good deal! A bunk room, shower, and a bottle of wine to enjoy. I guess it was a cause to celebrate my entering Pennsylvania the next day, the last big stretch before making it to Harpers Ferry.

Going into Delaware Water Gap along a leaf filled trail.

The next day I hiked into Delaware Water Gap for lunch a little afternoon. I’m looking forward to Pennsylvania, in part because the AT goes right through or very close to many small towns. This makes it easier to re-supply, eat a good meal, and stay in town rather than in a cold shelter. In fact, the following day I decided to just stay overnight at a cheap hotel in Wind Gap instead of heading back onto the trail. I had not slept well, with rain all night and a snoring hiker in the shelter. So after doing my laundry, picking up my supply package from the post office, and eating at Arbys, I just called it a short day -10 miles done in the rain. It will make the next day into a long 21 mile day over rocky conditions, but it will be dry. I also wanted to watch game 1 of the World Series, so that was the final deal in my decision.

I had heard and read a lot about the dreaded rocks on the trail in Pennsylvania. They actually started in New Jersey going south into Pennsylvania and were fairly bad in this section of the state. There were also good areas with few rocks, along with some nice and smooth old road sections. The trail is fairly level also once it gets up on the ridge, and any climbs are fairly short. So I don’t think the rocks are that big of an issue. When the majority of NOBOs are through here, it’s in the middle of summer with the heat and humidity. And, they know they still have about 1,000 miles still to do. So that just adds to the frustration of hiking over rocks all day. In my case, the weather is great and I’m less than two weeks from Harper’s Ferry, so the rocks are not that big of a deal. And I’ve seen rocks that NOBOs have not experienced yet–in Maine and New Hampshire. They were much worse.

The AT tries to have the last laugh, throwing in rocky stretches just to keep you on your toes.

I was able to take advantage of some great trail magic in central Pennsylvania with Josh Divers from our old LawnAmerica franchise in Allentown. I slack-packed 25 miles one day and 15 the next , with Josh picking me up each day to take me into Hamburg for the night. I continue to see fewer thru-hikers on the trail, passing six SOBOs that I know of the last few days. I feel great, but my legs are tired and my feet are almost numb. I could use a zero day, but can’t afford to take one in order to get to Harpers Ferry by November 10th. So I’ll just keep walking.

Dropping down over a rocky cliff into Lehigh Gap.

It was another beautiful day, as I hiked 25 miles from Pt. Clinton to the 501 Shelter. Now that I’m into Pennsylvania, they are called shelters again, as they are in the south. Shelter is a more appropriate name, as they are not leaning against anything, so I don’t know why they call them lean-to’s up north. The Pennsylvania rocks slowly were giving way to smoother, more dirt trail packed with leaves. It made it easier to cover 25 miles in a little less than 10 hours of hiking. It wasn’t long ago it would have taken 10 hours to cover about 12 miles of trail up in Maine and New Hampshire. I haven’t turned into super hiker–it’s more a reflection of the better trail conditions and fewer mountains to climb. The 501 Shelter is one of the few on the trail that is just off a road, and has a house next to it. You can even order take-out pizza from the shelter and have it delivered, which I took advantage of. I had plenty of freeze-dried food, but after putting in 25 miles, I thought I deserved a pizza, salad, and a Pepsi. I just could not eat that freeze-dried chili mac when I could be enjoying a pizza instead.

The 501 Shelter is also one of just a few which is totally enclosed.  It even has a big skylight.  Being enclosed didn’t seem to help much in keeping it warm, as I really got cold with the temperatures dropping to the upper 20’s. My new sleeping bag is rated for 15 degrees, but I think that means once it gets to 15 degrees–you’re dead! I know it’s not keeping me warm at 35 or below.

The best little privy on the trail, with a full roll of toilet paper in coffee can!

I discovered early the following morning I was out of toilet paper. So I grabbed anything that may work–a page pulled out of my guide book I didn’t need, cut up pieces of an old ace bandage, big leaves that had not turned brown and crunchy yet. The privy was harder to find, smaller, and farther from the shelter than any I’d seen. But as I strolled up to it, I saw a big silver can, with a full roll of toilet paper and it even had hand sanitizer in it. I shouted, “Praise God!”, as I was not looking forward to the improvised method.  I don’t often say that, and certainly not over toilet paper.  Don’t believe I ever was so happy to see a roll of toilet paper, and this was the first privy I’d visited which had some supplied. Backpacking does that– makes you appreciate the small things, like toilet paper!

I wore my long johns under my shorts for only the second time on this cold day. I only had 14.7 miles to do, but had to walk another 2.3 on the road going into Lickdale, PA, as car after car just ignored my outstretched thumb. I even had my Penn State hat on, to no avail. Its been harder to hitch a ride up north versus the southern states. People up here don’t take as much pride in the AT, nor do they even know as much about it, as people in the south. I’m amazed that many people have not even been on it, even though it’s right in their backyard. So most of the people driving by me probably just thought I was a hobo or something, and didn’t have a clue that I was a thru-hiker, even with a pack on my back. As I checked into the Days Inn, the nice lady at the front desk, Jen, agreed to shuttle me up to the trail head early in the morning, as I had about 24 miles to do that day.

I only have 159 miles to cover before reaching Harper’s Ferry. At that point, I’ll fly home to Tulsa, and spend a few weeks taking my wife on our 30-year anniversary trip, get some work done, enjoy Thanksgiving with my family, and try to stay in shape and keep my trail legs strong. Even though I’ll have to hit the trail again after Thanksgiving to finish up that little 160 mile section, mainly in the Shennandoahs, I feel that I’ll have the AT whipped when I get to Harpers Ferry in 9 days. At that point, it’s like we’re ahead by three touchdowns with two minutes to go in the game. That last 160 miles will be like a victory lap, after hiking over 2,000 hard miles already. And, if we are able to hit our $100k goal by then for our charities, it for sure will be a victory lap.

The Pinnacle - great views into the Pennsylvania farm valley.

I’ve really been reflecting on my journey as I’m on the home stretch. I’ll treasure my experiences the rest of my life. I’ve seen alot of our great country, and met a bunch of nice people. I’ve stretched myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. People ask what’s the hardest part of thru-hiking the AT. There’s no doubt that it’s physically hard. But for me the hardest part was being away from home. I missed my family, friends, employees, and especially my wife. I missed my dog, and even missed the dang cat a little bit! I missed sleeping in my own bed, and sitting down to eat at our dinner table. I missed drinking coffee in the morning, while I read the Tulsa World, and keep up on the happenings in our hometown. And not to sound too spiritual, but I missed going to church.  I missed home. I missed Oklahoma.

About six weeks ago while in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I was visiting with two guys from Boston while eating dinner at one of the mountain huts. He asked me the question, “Why did you decide to live in Oklahoma?”. He asked it in way that implied that Oklahoma is some second rate state, and that nobody in their right mind would choose to live there, when they could be living somewhere like Boston. Well, I bit my tongue, and just told him simply that it was home, and it’s a great state to live in.

Home. What a wonderful word, and a wonderful place to be. It’s being with the people we care about, and who care for us. It’s family. It’s the familiar, and places we’re comfortable with. It’s the schools we sent our kids to, the schools we went to, the churches and organizations we are involved with, and good neighbors. It’s home, and being away from it is the hardest part of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my thru-hike, but I’m ready to go home. I’m ready to get back to work, and to the things that I do. Its great to be able to get out my comfort zone, and stretch myself in doing something that few would or could do, and do it for others also. It’s time to go home though.

So the thought of home, and getting back to my wife, family, and everything else which is a part of home, drives me to the finish line. Harpers Ferry will be in my sight very soon, and I’ll be home.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in AT2010 | 3 Comments »

The Virginia Blues

Monday, July 26th, 2010

After flying back to Roanoke, I was back on the trail a week after I had left. It didn’t seem quite fair, taking seven weeks to walk from Georgia to Roanoke, while covering that same distance with a one hour flight. My mom’s funeral service in Tulsa was very nice, and a great testament to her wonderful life. One of the things the Pastor brought out was her love of fishing. She may be fishing in Heaven right now, where your line never gets tangled up, the sun always shines, the wind never blows hard, and you catch a big fish on every cast. What a deal!

After seven weeks on the trail, I was getting quite accustomed and comfortable with trail life. So much so, that while in the airport, I just couldn’t sit still. I had to get up and walk up and down the concourse rather than just sitting and waiting for the plane. It’s what I do—walk. After visiting the restroom, or as we call it on the trail, the privy, I was a little surprised to have the toilet flush, soap dispense, and water come automatically. I was looking for the little bucket of leaves and forest duff to put into the toilet (as we do on the trail), when it just automatically flushed without me doing anything. It was weird, going past hundreds of people in the airport, and they don’t even make eye contact with you, let alone say hi. On the AT, we cherish those moments when we come upon strangers to visit with. At the very least, we greet each other with a, “hi, how ya’ doin?” Often we’ll visit for several minutes about the trail, where they are from, what they’ve experienced, etc.

One of the reasons I have always loved backpacking is that it brings life down to it’s most basic level. It’s a matter of food, water, shelter, and clothing for the most part. All you need to live on for many days goes into a pack on your back. It’s a reminder to me of all the things that most of us in America have and take for granted, like a good house to live in, cars to drive wherever we want, fast food, clean water at our fingertips, etc. It really wasn’t long ago that we in America had to fight for these basic necessities of life like water, food, shelter, and clothing. Now, at least for most of us, we have no worry about these necessities, while worrying about the accumulation of much more “stuff” that we think is so important.

For some Americans though, and many more in other countries, these basic necessities are not a given. Some of the tulsa charities we are supporting through AT2010 meet those basic needs of people in the Tulsa area and beyond. Habitat for Humanity provides decent housing and a roof over the head for deserving families. The Salvation Army provides temporary housing for the homeless, and meals for the hungry as part of their mission. Many of us in America are blessed with abundant material possessions. We don’t have to worry about finding clean water, as I’ve had to do while on the AT. We don’t just sleep in a shelter as I do on the trail, but live in homes with, lets face it, more than enough space than we need. I grew up living in a home with a 1-car garage and one bathroom, but in America today, that’s the exception and not the rule.  We had one black & white television, but now most of us have two or even more big screen color televisions in our homes.

There’s nothing wrong with progress. In fact, it can be a real blessing. But backpacking always brings me back to reality.  It gives me more appreciation for what we do have and the conveniences of modern life.  And, we really don’t need a lot of the stuff we think we need in life. I’m probably happier on the AT than I am at home or work, who knows. Ask my wife and my employees. I don’t have a lot of stuff on my back either, as it just adds to the burden of carrying it. I think that sometimes the stuff we carry with us can weigh us down. Maybe we should just lighten the load and get rid of it.

The AT does bring home the fact that as humans, our need for relationships with other people is just as strong as the basic needs for food and water. I’m often hiking alone. I crave for those brief times when I can meet and visit with people. I enjoyed the time that I shared with my friend Steve, my wife, and with new trail buddies I’ve hooked up with. There are some days that I just see a few people, and it gets lonely. Other days, I’ve met and visited with some great and interesting people, sharing a shelter or hostel with some, eating dinner with a few, and hiking with a few that could keep up with me.

In the many books I’ve read on the AT, many talk about how thru-hiking the AT will change you. I’m only 1/3rd of the way there, so I’m anxious to see how this change evolves in me. I can sense though, that through taking on an adventure like hiking the Appalachian Trail, I will become more appreciative of what we do have (like cold Cokes on a hot summer day), even more willingness to share in those blessings, and more aware, sensitive, and communicate more to people we meet every day while doing life.

As for now though, I’ve got to get to Harper’s Ferry by August 10th at the latest. That’s the midway point on the AT, from which I’ll fly back home for a week, and then fly up to Maine to begin my southbound trip back down to Harper’s Ferry. It’s called a flip-flop hike, which about 15% of the thru-hikers do. I’m looking forward to getting out of this Virgina heat, and enjoy the cooler temperatures up north, while taking some time to catch and eat some trout in those streams and lakes up north. It’s all about food, water, clothing, shelter, and fishing you know.

After flying back to Roanoke, I stayed at the same Holiday Inn Express, picked up my pack, and headed up to the AT. For some reason I was a little hesitant about getting back on the trail after being home for a week. It had been an emotional week. On the way up the trail, I had to call a disgruntled customer who accused us of killing his lawn, and he had prayed about it and decided to take us to court.  OK.  After a 20-minute conversation going nowhere (we did not kill his lawn), I was suddenly glad to be back on the AT.

Jurassic 2 from Switzerland

The weather became very hot, as I hiked the 17.5 miles up to Boblets Gap Shelter. Water was getting scarce as many small streams and springs were drying up. Hikers were getting scarce now, due mainly to the hot weather, which is not conductive to backpacking. I did meet and hike with a young man from Switzerland named Jurassic 2. He was hiking through Virginia To Harper’s Ferry, after completing the first section in the southern Appalachians last year. He plans to complete it all eventually. Over the next few days, we leaped frogged each other several times, as we were going at about the same pace.

The next day was even tougher, with soaring temperatures in the mid-90’s going 18.4 miles to Cornelius Creek Shelter. Some of the climbs in central Virginia were feeling a lot like Georgia, with long, steep climbs over 2,000′. I had a tough climb that afternoon up to Cornelius, dragging in about 7:00 with just enough time for dinner, a quick wash in the small creek, and hitting the sack by 9:00. I again had the shelter to myself, except for the mice I heard scurrying around that night.

Crossing the James River Footbridge at the end of a long hot day.

The next day was going to be tough, with the temperatures getting even hotter and 20 miles to go. My destination was the James River, where a trail angel named Ken Wallace would meet me at 5:30 to take me to Glascow, a small town six miles away. I was right on time, but wore myself out getting there on time. The heat was really getting to me, causing cramps all over my body. I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older, I just wilt in the heat. It’s my limiting factor. Ken took me to get a burger, fries, and Coke, and then dropped me off at the new town shelter with an outdoor shower.

My schedule had me doing a 22 mile slack pack to Buena Vista the next day, staying at the Budget Inn. I was really looking forward to a nice bed, air conditioning, real food, shower, and watching the Cardinals beat up on the Cubs on Sunday night baseball. I was feeling so tired, and with the weather as it is, I decided that there was no way I could do a 22 miler. So, Ken graciously agreed to take me to where I left off the day before, and pick me up on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 1:15. I thought that would give me plenty of time for the 11 miles, especially slack packing. I had done a 31, 28, and 24 milers, so even though I had some big climbs, I thought I’d be fine, giving me a shorter day to re recuperate from the heat.

The stress from the heat, and hiking almost 60 miles over the past few days caught up with me. Over 3,000′ in hard climbs and heat indexes over 100 made me wilt. My legs were like rubber, with a shortness of breath on the uphill climbs. It had become an endurance test, just make it through the hike. I did run up on another bear this day. I heard a crash in the trees about 70′ ahead of me, as a small bear fell out of a tree and fell to the ground with a loud thump. It got up and scurried down the hill and quickly disappeared into the woods

It was 2:15 before I made it to the road, where Ken was waiting for me to take me to Buena Vista. I was exhausted and cramping up. It was a good decision to break up the 22 mile day into 2 lighter days. However, this day was far from easy, even though the mileage was less. If this excessive heat does not let up, I’m going to have to adjust my schedule so that I’m hiking mainly in the mornings, with fewer miles, and more slack packing. I have a little more than 200 miles to make it to Harper’s Ferry, and it’s going to be tough in this weather. I’m accustomed to backpacking the Colorado Rockies, where it seldom even gets above 80, and gets cool with every mountain shower.

The following morning Ken, my Trail Angel, picked me up at the Budget Inn and drove me up to the Blue Ridge Parkway where I had left off the day before.  I was still tired and worn out, but figured that with slightly cooler weather, only 1,000′ or so of climbing today with more downhill, and just 11 total miles, I’d be good to go the next day.  Something was wrong with my body.  On any uphill climbs, I just had nothing in my tank.  I took many breaks that day, stopping to swim in a cold stream for an hour, and layed by a lake for 45 minutes.  It didn’t help.  I’ve had some hard days on the AT, but it became apparent to me, especially after talking with my wife (RN by trade), that I’d experienced heat exhaustion with the extreme temperatures.  I’ve been there before once at work about 10 years ago, and it was the same feeling that kept getting worse every day.  The way I felt, there was no way I could strap that backpack on the next day, with a hard 2,000′ climb right off the bat, and go 16 miles.

I determined, as much as I hated to, to take a zero day in Buena Vista and let my body rest and recover.  My appetite was gone, which is not normal for a thru-hiker.  Cold Cokes even were not sounding that great all at once.  For the first time in my adventure, I’m actually a little scared about how my body is responding to the stress of this adventure.  Taking off a week to go home hurt my momentum also, as I was really feeling good before then.  And, the grief of my Mom passing away sinking in now, missing my family, and a son fighting in Afghanistan are all having an affect on my mental and emotional outlook.

Most of the books I’ve read on the AT talk about the Virginia Blues.  Virginia is a long state–with about 1/4th of the AT within it’s borders.  It’s been described as a long, green tunnel, and I can see why.  The trail is mainly through the woods, and more woods, with mountaintop vistas and valleys few and far between.  Many hikers struggle through this long, somewhat boring section, and I can see why.  Some become blue, and even quit in this section.  Virginia is a beautiful state, but a thru-hiker needs to endure alot of hiking through woods that all looks the same in order to experience those brief encounters with landscape variety and beauty.

The trail has become lonely, with the absence of many thru-hikers and even section hikers.  Most days I may see one or two people.  It’s just too hot for people to want to be out hiking in this weather.  I’m wondering if it’s too hot for me to make it to Harper’s Ferry.  I’m only two weeks away from my mid-point.  I was doing so well before this week, but I’ve just hit a wall.  Most thru-hikes hit at least one wall during their journey, and I’m definitely there.  So I’m trying to enjoy my zero day here in Buena Vista and see if I can get back to where I was.  Not much to do here in this little town, so it’s not a great zero day stop.  I will make it, but I’m learning to be flexible, and listen to my body.  The good news is once I go up to Maine in August and head south, I’ll be hiking in mainly 70 and 80 degree weather, and sometimes even cooler.  That’s fine with me, as I know I can go hard as long as the temperatures are below 90.  And, heading south, I can take even longer, as I can finish in late October, or early November even.  Luke, my youngest son, has accused me of having to slow down so much that he can come hike with me over his Thanksgiving break, as I may still be going south.

Whatever.  This is AT2010, so technically, I do have the whole calendar year to complete this deal.  Right now, it’s not just a compassionate journey, it’s a very hot and difficult journey, but one that will be made.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in AT2010, Appalachian Trail, Charity, Tulsa Charity, Virginia | 5 Comments »