Great morning. I woke up so refreshed and resting to go. We had another incredible breakfast at Woods Hole Hostel. It was bittersweet leaving this restful and peaceful place but the trail was calling. Most of the hikers that I’ve been around were also leaving. Neville, our Host, was the icing on the cake. She truly is a gift from God and an incredible light on the trail. I will always have a special place in my heart for this woman!

Our Shuttle Driver Don arrived early and we were off to Pearisburg, the same place I slackpacked from yesterday. All miles accounted for. Don gave us a road map for todays hike. Super hot and humid, ask all sobo hikers about water sources and plan to carry. We exited and the first mile was fairly flat, besides the concrete stairs that went underneath the roadway. We had a bit of a road walk and then back to the green tunnel.

Don’s assessment of the trail was correct. It was the hottest day on trail to date. Close to 90 with humidity that I am unable to calculate. But what I can tell you is I could not keep the sweat out of my eyes, even with my bandana on my forehead. It was miserable to say the least. I had a much harder time than Sid. He was a bit ahead of me and stopped to rest upon a tree, literally!

I walked around the tree, that Sid was lying on and sat on the low lying branch. We stayed there for sometime trying to figure out what we were going to do. With our later start, we were smack dab in the furnace. We decided to get water, head to the Rice Field Shelter and decide what to do.

We made it to the “reliable spring” but it was trickling. I said out loud, this is our water source? Pink Panther overheard me and she yelled to to keep coming another 100 feet up trail. Thank goodness she was there. There the spring was behind a huge Boulder with a pipe extending and flowing wonderfully icy cold water. Thank you Lord for placing Springs where they are so desperately needed.

Sid and I filled up every bottle and platypus container that we had. I carried my 1-1/2 liters and Sid carried a gallon of precious water. He put his poles away, put one platypus in his mesh pocket and carried the other two in his free hands, along with 2-one liter bottles. Bless his heart as my pack was loaded with a five day supply of food. 

We made it to the shelter and there were three others there at 2pm. No one was moving! It was evident that I wasn’t the only one effected by the temperature. Sid and I decided this was going to be home for the evening and we would wake up early in the morning and head out at daybreak.

This was a wake-up call for me regarding weather issues and cooling options. I’m thinking I’ll have to be more diligent about getting up and moving much earlier in the morning. Blue and I had this squared away. But Sid understandably, is not onboard with early wake-up’s and hitting the trail at the crack of dawn. Honestly, he has a short time on the trail and I am trying to make this as enjoyable as possible. However, I still need to get some miles done, and that’s not really up to Sid! I can always make them up once he is on his way home with Grandpa. Then I will kick this hike into high gear.

For now, I’ve got to figure out how does one sleep when it’s this hot & humid, and there’s no rain, no wind and no chance of cooler temperatures in the near or distant future? I haven’t pulled out my sleeping bag or long Johns or anything that I’ve used of past. I thank the Lord for wet wipes to clean my sticky filthy body off, and hope that does the trick till early morning.

Today was the hardest day for me on trail to date. I trust that my sweet Jesus will give me much needed guidance and assurance along the way. Waking up early to see the sunrise is always an added bonus. Getting in as many miles as possible before noon will be a huge benefit to keeping up miles with smiles! And leaning on the Lord for the rest, is what I do best.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Oh my goodness! We had a severe weather event last night. As I laid in our Safari Tent, the lightning was never-ending. And then the thunder accompanied it with winds up to 50mph. I have never thought a canvas tent could fly off its platform but last night, I thought we were going to take off and hopefully land in Maine! All I can say is thank goodness, we were not in our tiny single walled tents as we would have been blown off the mountain! And then came the rain. It was the perfect storm, that had potential to knock our socks off!

I woke up to rain. It was on and off, but needless to say, Sid wasn’t feeling the love. Can we just stay here for another day? I could stay here for the rest of the summer but that’s not an option. I talked with Neville and she said our Safari Tent was available for another night and Sid could do a “work for stay” This allows me to slackpack and get some miles in while Sid stays behind and helps at the Hostel. Win-Win for all. Even Sid is relieved as anything around here is better than hiking the trail. I get a ride into town and hike sobo around 11am.

I really like slackpacking and hiking sobo being I see many hikers I’ve missed. The first 2500’ are… you guessed it, straight uphill. The saving grace is it’s in a quasi rainforest and is cool, wet and lush. I see a few of the hikers who didn’t stop at Woods Hole Hostel. We talk, exchange trail stories and continue our different directions. The early trail was smooth, just steep as it climbed 2500’ in as little as four miles, so pretty darn vertical. Thank goodness I was only carrying my daypack!

Once on top, I was on top of a grassy ridgeline that had a few cliff overhangs. The view of the pastureland below and old farm houses was fairytale like. My friend Linda loves these type of views, precariously perched over a deep abyss. I thought of her as I cautiously crawled over to get a photo. My stomach gets all queasy and I had to snap the picture quickly! I’m not sure why this is such a deal breaker for me but even as a kid, I never liked heights of any kind. In Gymnastics, the Balance Beam was the worse. I could do my routine all day on the painted line but put me four feet in the air, game over!

Back to the trail. I’m hiking all by myself. I meet a couple of new faces. There are three Amish Boys, dressed in Docker Pants, Buttoned-up Blue Collared Shirts with Suspenders and Straw Hats. They are fairly shy, and scared by Meat-bees, but so am I. They are hiking for a few days and they must all shop at the same place because their gear is identical just as their clothing. I was sweating out there with the heat and the humidity and these boys must’ve been also. We talk briefly and they headed nobo as I go sobo.

As I’m finishing up the day, I meet a new hiker named Backtracker. That’s an interesting name and he tells me he’s a purist. He hikes every single portion of the trail but he jumps around a bit. So he always needs to backtrack. He’s trying to get to Daleville by Sunday, which is a lofty goal. Now that he’s a New Christian, he wants to be in town on Sundays so he can attend church. I love this plan. He is quite taken back by how God keeps putting people in his path that are Christians and they help him with finding church services. I smile as I know nothing is impossible for our Lord and it’s all by design. We had a great conversation about the trials and tribulations of the trail, the hardships that we endure and how we are being refined into someone glorious that our sweet Jesus can use for his glory. We talked for a bit and continue on in different directions. I sure hope to run into Backtracker again. It always blesses me when I see God’s hand in these Devine appointments. Thank you for introducing me to another Brother in Christ.

I finally make it back to Woods Hole and find Sid looking for frogs. I’m thinking his trail name should be Frognapper as he is always relocating reptiles and amphibians from one pool to another! He saw a gardener snake eat a mouse today. I think we both would be quite content staying here at Woods Hole. All I could think about was taking a shower and getting ready for dinner. Before long, Neville rang the dinner bell and about 12-14 hungry hikers feasted on Pasta Marinara from fresh tomatoes the Amish provided, homemade bread, Black-eyed Peas, Fresh Salad with Croutons and every type of dressing you can conjure up.

After dinner, Sid helped with cleaning up, scraping dishes and storing all the unused Marinara Sauce. Sid is earning his keep. I helped with cleaning dishes and the kitchen counters. It’s nice to be part of this community and I really enjoy helping Neville. She is one compassionate person, has such joy in her heart and does everything with a smile!

Today’s hike was lovely with some challenging terrain, rainforests, cliffhangers, lots of wild flowers and tall grasses that lined the pathway. All these extra special blessings are what makes this trail so unique. The other hikers are definitely a big part of the draw which keeps us on trail. I look forward to reading log entries at Shelters, catching up with hikers from the past and meeting new ones. I’ll be looking forward to the next few days with Frognabber. Grandpa is on his way so his time on the trail is getting shorter. Praying for good weather and flat miles. That’s a big request but my God is bigger!

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Last night was magical. Sid is onboard with entertaining. He must’ve learned something from hanging with Grandpa for the past two months. One of the hikers he met yesterday, Blue Sky, he’s a native of Montana was walking around aimlessly. He was cold as his shorts were wet and was in need of warmth. Sid started a fire, allowed on the AT, in our designated campsite fire ring. Then went looking for Blue Sky. He couldn’t find him but before long we had several other hikers looking for an active fireside chat room. Hot Dish, SeaLegs & Night Owl, and Shine joined the warming station.

We all ate dinner as Sid kept the fire stoked. He has a way of making others feel welcome. Shine, the youngest of the group, maybe 20’s started his hike May 8th. He’s fast. Sid liked talking with him and as Hiker Midnight came upon us, he told Shine he’d see him tomorrow. Shine laughed and said probably not. He does 20-25 miles daily and will be far ahead. But if you want to hike with me, be ready at 6am and we can hike together. Sid said great!

Morning came and before my alarm went off at 5:30am, Sid was up and packing. Then after getting all his gear in his pack, he started a fire to stay warm till Shine showed up. Promptly Shine arrived and the boys were off.

I meandered until 7am and never saw them. The trail was pretty nice today, just one little climb and mostly ridge walking. I stopped a few times for breaks, saw two big gardener snakes, and a deer with her fawn. Tons of birds flew overhead greeting me along the way and around 1:30pm I received a text from Sid. Where are you? I’m at the Hostel. Evidently Sid had already hiked the days miles, took the turnoff and had arrived at Woods Hole Hostel. I was quite impressed as he did 15 miles in less than 6 hours!

By the time I made it to the Hostel, Sid already had us checked in and he was relaxing on the porch with Pirate, Stormy, Tippy-Toes and Unicorn. For someone who doesn’t like backpacking, he sure is adjusting well! Once I settled, Sid took my backpack to our Safari Tent.

Woods Hole is the oldest Hostel on the AT and billed as the one you must visit. The granddaughter Neville has carried on the tradition that her grandparents Roy & Tillie Wood started in 1986. As a kid, she spent her summers helping the hikers who wandered by and fell in love with the 1880’s Chestnut Log Cabin. What is there not to admire? This place has charm that you cannot buy. It is a working farm with goats and pigs, an organic garden that supply’s all the fresh produce that the meals are prepared from and so much more. Once you arrive you are offered a Smoothis, and Fresh Bread with three different choices of cheese, along with hand whipped butter and apple-butter. This place is going to be hard to leave. Everyday at 4pm, there is yoga on the lawn, a blessing before the meal and the freshest dinner on the trail. It is such a peaceful place and one I will never forget!

I am so thankful for the turn of events. Lord, you saw what I didn’t. You have opened my eyes to this time with my grandson that will be a lifetime memory for the both of us. I have seen Sid take on something that he truly did not sign up for. When we all stood around this afternoon and introduced ourselves and gave thanks for something, Sid was thankful for the animals he has seen. He has captured snakes, frogs, crawdads and salamanders. He is fascinated with the critters around here and I’m sure when Grandpa arrives, he will be fishing for trout. Dinner will never taste so good. It’s been a treat watching him interact with the other hikers and being his own person. My Sidekick is pretty darn special!

Thank you Jesus for this incredible child of God who knows you, loves you and has this passion for people and animals. I admire the fact that a teenage boy can be so at home in a place that is so far away from where he came. What a gift it is to watch him grow!

“To the end that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭30:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What a breakfast! Weary Feet Hostess had a pile of food for us hikers. After a restful night in my tent, I was up eating scrambled eggs, sausage patty’s (my most favorite) and a stack of fluffy pancakes! it was hard not to finish it all. Sid had a double portion and he was thinking Food Coma and how many miles are we hiking today? After our big push yesterday, I had planned a Nero on the Trail. Little miles and lots of rest & relaxation.

Dismal Falls is our destination today. Maybe 2-1/2 miles with a slight climb but so worth it. We did a little road walk to get back on trail then climbed the some 20 steps to get back on trail. Back to the Green Tunnel. Sid is not impressed with the tunnel. He says it all looks the same. Well, to a point he is right. I appreciate the tunnel as it provides shade and some amount of comfort. It has tall trees, big trees, trees of many shapes, sizes and variety. But in the end, it really is applicable when hikers refer to it as, well, the Green Tunnel!

We arrived at Dismal Falls shortly after 11am. Sid already scoped out a campsite along the way. There were a few people here but most are leaving now. Maybe as the day warms up, more will arrive. But as of present time, it belongs to Sid and I. It’s a large limestone rock slabs with waterfalls cascading into a 5-6’ deep swimming hole. It’s quite nice and I imagine many of the locals come out here.

In Sid fashion, there were snakes to find. First was a harmless water snake, possibly a gardener snake. It was fairly small and had no rattles. Sid walked up Dismal Creek and by the time he made it back, Cough Drop and Dragonfly found a Copperhead. Now that’s trouble. I did not get close enough to take photos but one of the other hikers showed Sid and I a video of it. Cooper snakes are venomous and something not to be messed with. It evidently slithered away back to the dark hole that it came from!

As it warmed up, many locals had showed up. Families with kids, adults with beer and everything in between. I guess Sid attempted to get a ride out of here as he is in dire need of Taki’s! The Mom came over and offered to drive us into town as it is on their way home. Oh my word Sid! No, thank you and they probably don’t sell Taki’s in Virginia anyhow. The older daughter grimaced and said she had the Blue Taki’s yesterday. We stayed at Dismal Falls and did not take a ride anywhere.

By afternoon the sun was shining and Sid and I jumped into the swimming hole. There was another hiker who showed up, Butt Flap and he started the parade of hikers dipping in the pool. It was so refreshing after sitting on the shoreline for sometime. Butt Flap had minnows nibbling at his feet giving him a much needed pedicure. I looked down and found a Crawdad munching on my foot. Oh my goodness, I must have more debris to be defunct and they called in the big guns. We rock climbed to get out of the pool as there was no other option to vacate the pool.

So another day in the books. It was a super relaxing day with little miles and not much to do. Those are needed from time to time. This is Sid’s fifth day on trail and he’s covered some miles. I am getting used to my new Sidekick, as I call him. He’s relaxing in his tent and will most likely stay there the rest of the afternoon. Dinner is Red Chili and Beans with Summer Sausage. He told me he’d rather have Top Ramen every night. Wow, he just might be a thru-hiker in disguise!

““Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭23:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We had one heck of a day! I woke up in the Shelter with Sid and Unicorn and you’d think I killed a goose. There were down feathers everywhere. Oh no, what has happened to my sleeping bag? Somehow someway there was a large rip in the inside seam near my feet. There were feathers all over the shelter. Unicorn was up so I had him hold the lactating goose bag as I gathered as much of my precious down that I could, and re-stuffed my bag. Unicorn watched and tried to blow the feathers into a pile. It was of no use and I grabbed my needle and thread and began the repair process. I have used this sewing kit more on this trek than any other. Thank goodness, I didn’t leave home without it!

After the repair, Sid and I had breakfast. Oatmeal, granola and hot chocolate in the cereal. No coffee as I was on water rations. The word on the trail is there is no water for over ten miles! You’d think we were hiking the PCT rather than the AT! Sid and I loaded up 2 liters each which equates to four extra pounds and headed out before 7:30am.

Sid was game to go all the way to Weary Feet Hostel if it meant he could eat a real home cooked meal. I just wanted a shower and laundry after be immersed in Ivy of the Poison for the past two days. It’s everywhere and really hard to avoid. It would be a long day, but the silver lining is the climbing would not be too terrible today.

Sid likes breaks. I like breaks so we managed to take many throughout the day. I remember Birdie from Bear Garden Hostel had said, the key to happy hiking with kids and teens is many breaks. She was spot-on. We typically walk a mile or two and stop. Sid wants to know how many miles we’ve hiked and how much longer till we reach the top of the Ridgeline? It’s a game. We guess how far we’ve come and how much farther we have to go. By our second break, we ran into Unicorn, Mulligan and Slaps. They were sitting, enjoying a flat area atop the ridgeline and snacking. Sid and I joined them for a bit and we all took off together. Sid was in the lead with me following until I stopped to take pictures. Then Unicorn and Mulligan followed Sid. He liked that as they were talking the whole time and it passed the time quickly.

I caught up with Sid as he stopped to recline. He found the 600 mile marker and knew I wanted a photo. It was made of rocks, quite artfully done and fairly large. No one was going to miss it, that’s for sure. I sat and was quite amazed by the miles that keep clicking by. At this rate, I just might make it to Katahdin. The school of thought is if you are in Harpers Ferry by the Fourth of July, you will finish. I’ll have to pick it up a bit but Sid is up for the challenge and I’m thinking there’s nothing stopping us now!

We continued on and had a brief stop at Jenny Knob Shelter. There’s no water flowing from the Spring so we kept moving. Finally after ten plus miles, we found a small creek and gathered water. There was a sleuth of hikers filling up and resting near the water. It’s a creek that is flowing both above and underground, for now. We filled up and finished the last five miles with glorious and wondrous water onboard.

Why does it seem the last mile is on a bungee cord and keeps getting longer and longer? We finally made it off the trail, across the Suspension Bridge and road walked to Weary Feet Hiker Hostel. And let me tell you, my feet were weary! On my Knees caught up and we all walked in together. The owner Julie Sloop is a class act. She showed us around, gave us towels, with washcloths (which is above and beyond) and said, whenever you are hungry, let me know. She piled on the Spaghetti in a heaping portion, fresh green salad, watermelon and of course Sweet Tea. I chose the unsweetened version but that Sweet Tea is everywhere on the AT. We ate our supper, did our laundry and retired to the comfort of our tents. I love my little tent. As Sid and I were walking outside to our humble abode, there were Fireflies all over the field. I’ve never seen them before! They were sparkling in the night air, dancing and flashing their disco lights. It’s really something special to witness. Unfortunately my camera doesn’t capture them. I’ll have to work on that.

What a perfect ending to a tough day. We did over 17 miles when you consider the road walk to the hostel. Sid is becoming a good backpacking partner after all. I think he likes all the people that we are hiking with and the Platinum Stays that come along with trekking the AT. It has been a long day but we had strength and even if my feet were weary, we continued on. Sid just might enjoy this thru-hiking, especially when he can soar like an Eagle!

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:31‬ NIV

We had all intentions of getting 8-10 miles today. Late start but I’m hiking with a teenager. Funny thing, the other youngsters were moving pretty slow too. We had breakfast, packed up and hit the trail like a herd of turtles. Once we crested the first hill, it was obviously painstakingly slow going.

Sid was having muchtodo about nothing! His legs were spinning as fast as a three-toed sloth. He was bent over, not to pick up some critter from the ground, but rather to wretch onto the trail! Sid, what’s up? My stomach hurts and I feel like I’m gonna throw up. Oh boy. Could he have Nora-Virus from two days on the trail? Crumb! We turned around and hiked back to our previous camp at Laurel Creek. As soon as we got here, he lost his breakfast! I pitched his tent and in he went, only to slide out and get rid of anything leftover. This isn’t going as planned.

So… here we are day three. Me and Sid on the trail. Not what I envisioned but at least we have a nice place to layover until whatever creepy crud he has in him, vacates his teenage mutant body. A huge blessing, we had a Trail Angel stop by and dropped off a cooler full of Gatorade and other icy cold drinks! Once again, the trail provides.

The sun is shining through the trees, I have a bench to sit on that was donated by Sandy, the best hiking dog ever, so it says. And I am able to relax near a River. I’m thinking, this is a fine Zero on the trail. I haven’t taken one of those yet. Sid was gracious to propose a lovely place to recover, and it’s free! No Hostel or Hotel fees. I’m thinking, I’ll read a book, and maybe take a nap. It could be much worse!

Sid had a good rest, warmed up next to the fire and was ready to take another crack at the trail. After a rocky start, we cranked out a few miles. Along the way, someone did the mileage art. 593 miles, how odd. But it made us laugh. We had picked up another hiker along the way, Unicorn. He is a riot and made the conversation light and easy as we did our final climb. His name Unicorn is based on the fact that he comes and goes freely on the trail, bringing laughs and goodwill, and then vanishes. How appropriate! And what perfect timing.

We ended at Helvey’s Mill Shelter. A short day but a great recovery! When you have lemons, make lemonade. Sid is back in the supine position sleeping in a shelter. So…tomorrow we will do it again and hit the trail with high hopes. Whatever bug Sid had, he seems to have rid himself of it. Thank you Lord for your healing powers and mercy’s. Sid is resting peacefully, and I am content. We hiked a few more miles and we are getting closer to Maine. One baby step at a time, with an abundance of mercy and grace!

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Sid and I stayed at Bear Garden Hiker Hostel for the past night in our private bunkhouse. It was a good thing because Nora-virus has been spreading like wildfire. More than half of the hikers at the Hostel had it. It’s a bug that’s highly contagious and hits you like a stomach flu. The only good thing is most of the people I’ve talked with are back to hiking within 48 hours. But in the meantime, you have no desire to hike, let alone drink or eat. It just wipes you out.

Sid and I got a ride back up to where we hiked from yesterday. It took us 45 minutes to get on trail. Once we arrived, Sid and I headed out into new territory and I was nobo again. There was tons of limestone around with huge boulders and smaller stepping stones with plenty of rocks on the trail. Sid went ahead but his legs were tired and he wasn’t coasting down the trail like yesterday. Today we had full backpacks with five days worth of food.

We stopped at Jenkins Shelter where Flora and Six had been laid up for the past two days. They also have Nota-virus, arg. You can’t escape this creepy crud. Sid was ready to call it a day but we’d only made 4-1/2 miles. He rested for an hour or two, and we headed back on-trail.

We had a slight climb and you’d think we were hiking to the moon and back. How far have we gone? Are we close? Can we take a break? Oh my goodness, we only have four miles to go and we will be there before you know it. Within a couple of hours, we made it to Laurel Creek but not before I took a hellish fall. Sid had just asked me, Grandma how many times have you fallen? I was quite proud of myself as I’d only fallen a couple of times and both were fairly unscathed. I have no idea what I did but before I knew it, I was on the ground and sliding down the embankment. Luckily Sid was right next to me and helped me up. My left knee took the brunt of it and was a bit bloody. Other than that. No real injuries to report. Praise God!

We both headed to Laurel Creek, me to clean up and Sid to release his frog. You’d think I was hiking with Steve Erwin! Sid always has some critter in his midst or is thinking of what else he can catch. Nothing is safe with the hunter among us. We relaxed at the water for a bit and then headed up trail to scope out a campsite for the evening. We were not alone as this was the final water stop for 18 plus miles. Things are a changing on the AT!

Sid and I discussed our next plan of attack. We have forty miles to get to our resupply with little water. Sid drinks like a fish so this could be an issue. We will make it to Brushy Mountain Outfitter tomorrow for ice cream and burgers, and then push on for a few more miles. That’ll set us up for a dry camp and a short hike to water the following morning. Best laid plans of mice and men.

These past couple of days have been trying to say the least. I haven’t been myself, a bit wobbly and unsure. It’s funny when you think you have it all figured out and then you fall on your face! It reminds me so much that I don’t have anything without you Lord! What a great reminder that you are still in control of my destiny and I am not. I am grateful that you brought me Sid to keep things lively and childlike. He is everything I am not, and yet he has this love that is unsurpassable. I am truly thankful for his company, and his heart!

“And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:3-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Zero Days at Smith Mountain Lake. Oh what an unexpected surprise! Blue’s friends Greg and Rhonda swept us away from Bear Garden Hiker Hostel and took us to their beautiful condo. It was absolutely perfect. We arrived and were promptly escorted to showers. Good call on Rhonda’s part. Then we had Mexican Food and Margaritas. By hiker midnight, 9pm I was looking for a place to lay my head. Mission accomplished. I laid my head on three pillows and went quickly to sleep. And slept like a baby!

The following day was a ride on their pontoon boat around the lake. What a huge lake. It is man made and has homes that line the miles and miles of shoreline. There are numerous fingers and before long, I was hoping Greg knew his way back, as I was totally lost, or rather misplaced! An interesting fact about this lake is the water releases. Daily they release water from the dam to generate electricity and then pump it back to refill the lake. Only in Virginia would they come up with such a logical way to create energy. It’s ingenious!

I had a wonderful time with Greg and Rhonda. They are God’s people and as generous and kind as anyone could possibly be. Blue flew back home and I picked up my new partner Sid. He’s my 15 year old grandson who does not like hiking. From a perfectly suited partner to a teenager who would rather be with his friends. Hmm, imagine that! I’m hoping within the next few days I’ll change that.

On Wednesday Sid stepped his first foot on the Appalachian Trail. Just as we were getting dropped off, it started raining. How appropriate. We both put on our rain jackets and started walking the trail. I chose to slackpack today as it would be an easier way to sell Sid on this hiking thing. I don’t think it worked. The rain definitely did not help matters but it’s just what happens out here.

We saw quite a few animals from the beginning. A baby fawn and her Mama, a Mama and baby groundhog, a big bullfrog and salamanders everywhere. That helped Sid seal the deal. He does enjoy catching anything that moves and in no time he had a frog and salamander. I guess it could’ve been worse. No rattlesnakes and no bears!

The rain was off and on most of the day but nothing too terrible. We made our way to Chestnut Knob Shelter. This shelter was a Fire Warden’s cabin for years, and was later converted to a shelter that sleeps 8 hikers. This is the only shelter that I’ve seen that has four walls and a door with windows. It’s pretty swanky for hikers, especially thru-hikers!

The highlight for the day was Burke’s Garden. A clearing in the trees to the north looks down on Burke’s Garden, a very fascinating geological formation. The valley to the north, which looks like a giant, 8 mile by 4 mile crater from above, was formed by a limestone sinkhole. The valley has only one natural outlet, in the north, and only two roads leading out of it. The AT to the north walks along the rim of the Garden for 8 miles. It’s quite beautiful and many call it “the thumbprint of God”.

The day was long and we arrived at Bear Garden Hostel after 6pm. There was applause for us when we arrived. Ended up that there were two other hikers behind us that had just finished the Marathon Challenge and they were the recipients of the cheers. When you slackpack the marathon, you earn a chocolate cake! It’s well worth the pain, suffering and agony once you sink your teeth into Birdies homemade cake. Sid and I did not get cake as we only hiked 17-1/2 miles but if you combine it being both of us hiked, I’m thinking 35 miles and we earned something. We both indulged in soda and top ramen. That works for me. Chocolate Cake is overrated!

Blue is back home and Sid is on the scene. We had a rough start and honestly the miles were a bit long today. I have a better plan for tomorrow and hopefully we will be rain-free. It appears that the rain is heading to other places, which is a huge blessing for Sid and I.

Well Lord, this was not exactly the homecoming I expected on the trail. Just because someone is related, doesn’t mean that they will be much like I. Sid is quite capable of doing anything he sets his mind to, however her truly has no desire to hike the AT. All I ask is to keep an open-mind and he may find the silver lining on this summer trek. Time will tell!

Big to-do today. Within a mile of the first climb this morning, Blue and I passed the 1/4 Way Sign from Georgia to Maine. That is a significant milestone for me. 547.5 miles down and only… too many miles to go! But I am making progress and I’m still enjoying the trail, most of the time.

Our early morning sunshine was helpful in thawing me out from the prior night. I have been freezing the last few nights. Stupid me and total “rookie mistake” on my part, I mailed all my cold weather gear home and swapped out much too early for summer clothing and bag. Needless to say, summer has not arrived to the Virginia nights! So usually, I am the saddest in the morning when I deflate my air mattress but this past week, I rejoice. The last thing I do in the morning before I pack up my tent is roll my air mattress up and start my morning. Nowadays I can’t wait to start my day because movement means thawing and slowly warming up!

Today was ideal temperature and another easy peasy day. Only 11 more miles, and Blue will be off-trail. This is also the saddest day for me as she has been the most perfect hiking partner. We have so much fun walking together, talking about our friends and family, praying and sharing this incredible journey with each other. When Blue prayed to God to introduce her to someone who likes to backpack, I had no idea what a blessing she would be to me!

The last couple of days have been splattered with all things Appalachian Trail. We had PUDS, River crossings, Ladders and Gates to climb over or squeeze through, Open Fields of Grain, and much R&R (rocks and roots). But what has been more impressive are the animals we have seen of late. We’ve had Whitetail Deer prancing in front of us, Bear running from us, Baby Skunk hiding in a bush wanting to scurry away, and Birds singing all day! I think the critters sent out a memo and came out in groves, to say goodbye to Blue. They knew she was leaving the trail and wanted to bid a farewell.

Blue and I stopped at Quarter Way Inn to pick up our last resupply boxes. It was a good stop as Lisa was an AT Thru-Hiker in 2009 and now runs a beautiful hostel. It’s actually a home that houses stinky hikers like us. No offense Blue as you really smell more like a rose. Lisa also makes beaded necklaces that represent the 14 states you walk through on the AT, all in different colors based on the miles in each state. It’s really a unique piece of art that I acquired and am now wearing around my neck. This is another big deal as now I have to finish this trail or return my necklace!

The day was complete with a soaking our feet in the North Fork of the Holston River. We had only a mile to go and two hours to burn, so why not. It was cold and refreshing, and seemed like the perfect end to our miles together. The last mile was a narrow path through private property with a few ladders to climb and biting flies to swat! I have been bit before but typically I don’t feel it until I rub my hand over another lump or bump. These flies are feisty. I think they start biting before they even land, like a mid-air chomp! Luckily as soon as I ran into the darkness of cover, the woods, they let me be. Eventually I would need to return but for now, the forest is the trail. Just as we came to the road for Bear Garden Hiker Hostel, the cutest but most deadliest of all creatures waddled in front of Blue. A teeny tiny baby skunk, oh my. I wonder if this skunk stinks as bad as me? No, probably not but no need to find out. We turned down the roadway and made it to our final destination, Bear Garden.

Bear Garden is a Christian Hostel, equipped with a Chapel, Bunkhouse, Shower and all the amenities a hiker desires. They have two flags flying, an American and Christian Flag. What a concept! I love this place already. We met two hikers immediately. One was Cousin and the gal, Hollywood. This was her first time hiking any portion of the Appalachian Trail, and possibly any other trail for that matter. But she was dressed like she was straight off the runway of the Red Carpet gaining her Trail Name of Hollywood. She had matching shirt, pants and boots all in olive green, one of my favorite colors, along with Stylish Glasses and a Scarf. She was so excited about hiking eight miles today. We talked, shared stories and blogs. And then she helped me set up my first ever Instagram Account. I was advised by Hollywood that this is a great platform to get my blog out to more people. Great. Now I am fully vested in Social Media. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I’m thinking it’s a God thing and I’m embracing it!

Blue has been my constant companion for the past six weeks. We have laughed and cried, we’ve climbed over mountains, rocks and roots, we’ve slept in undesirable places but most of all, we have learned to love one another. She has been my constant sounding block, has heard my stories told over and over to many hikers, and she is my fact checker! That woman has the uncanny memory of an Elephant. If I say 10, she’ll tell me, it was actually 9 rocks we stepped over! And she speaks the absolute truth. Mrs. Blue, you have been a great encourager, a quick student and made me a better hiker. Seriously, I have never hiked as fast as I do trying to keep up with your tremendous pace. And that will certainly be an important factor that gets me to Maine!

Thank you Lord for answering Blue’s prayer and bringing her to me. What a glorious time we had together, keeping each other from getting lost or temporarily misplaced, and spreading your love on the trail double-time. May she be safely returned to the loving arms of her husband Alan. And may you bring her back to me when the timing is right. I will patiently wait for Blue’s return to the trail. Amen.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Early bird gets the worm. I was cold and it was time to get up. It’s funny how that works. I seem to have a built-in alarm clock that wakes me up before 5am. The problem was that there were another 6-8 hikers still sleeping! Blue and I are always the first to leave. We were packed up and hitting the trail shortly after 6am.

The morning was brisk which makes it easy to do the miles. I want to move as it warms me up. Blue and I had an easy day today being we only have 25 total miles to go in two days. So we split it, and took our time. We started in the forest, went straight up to a Ridgeline, and followed it most of the morning. Ups and downs with lots of rocks strewn on the trail. I’m not sure if they truck these rocks in from other places or if they are homegrown? Anyhow, they are a pain to walk over and makes our morning a bit slower than usual.

As I’m heading up a pass, there’s a gentleman ahead. He is taking his time and Blue blows right pass him. I stop and talk with him and find out he’s a Pastor. His name is Glen Evans and he lives in Northern Virginia. He asks where I’m from and I give him the abbreviated version I’m from NoCal just as my friend is, but she’s originally from Russia. We met while volunteering at our church in the Coffee Shop. That sparks his interest as he’s an Organic Coffee Bean Farmer and has done many missions in Honduras. What a coincidence as Blue’s husband Alan is in Honduras this very moment. We talk about his mission of teaching the Hondurans how to farm coffee so they can be self-reliant and help educate their children. What a wonderful man! I’m just in awe at the people I meet on this small stretch of dirt.

I catch up with Blue and we have our morning break, then push on to The Settlers Museum that Pastor Glen mentioned. It is an outdoor farm that has all the components of a working farm. We mill around looking at the Farm Equipment, Live Coop with grown Ducks and Chickens, Machine Shop, Laundry Room and Working Outhouse as Blue testified to. One of the remarkable things I love about the East Coast is their history. Almost daily we find some historical treasure along the trail!

Just down the road is one of the Original One-Room Schoolhouses built in 1894. There were 62 schoolhouses in Southwest Virginia in 1890’s. Typically one teacher would instruct seven grades from October-March. Her salary was up to $30 month. Teachers have a special place in my heart. My son-in-law Matt is a High School Mathematics and Special Education Instructor.

After class was finished, we headed down to Sweetwater Venue. This place is a must stop for hungry hikers. The Chef is amazing. Pulled Pork Mac-N-Cheese, Apple Dumplings, sweet tea and lemonade, and all the electrical outlets to charge your electronics. Blue and I stayed the afternoon, charged up and ate more than we needed to! There were lots of hikers and everyone was super friendly, refilling our tea all afternoon.

We still had a few more miles to hike so after 5pm when it wasn’t quite as warm, we ventured out for our final miles. We hiked through some nice farmlands that someone had mowed a strip so we had a path to walk upon. The last few days, we have walked through quite a bit of private property. It truly must have been a logistical challenge to gain the rights to pass through hundreds, if not thousands of acres of land. This trail is over 2,000 miles and I get to walk every single mile of it. That’s pretty cool!

Today was an easy day. The weather was ideal, the terrain was fairly mild minus the first few miles of rocks, and we took many breaks to visit sights along the way. If everyday was like today, I’d never make it to Mt. Katahdin before closing. I started doing some math and have determined that I need to hike 100 miles per week, if I plan to reach the terminus by the end of September. That is ambitious but very doable. If the good Lord is willing to take me all the way, then I will happily continue. Just one step in front of the other.