Rain

I drove over to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park this morning for sunrise.  As I approached the parking lot, I could see a fiery horizon through the trees.  I parked the car, and it immediately began to rain.  First a soft and steady rain and then intensifying into a pour.

I love days like this.

However, I have a new perspective on days like this.

I remember being on the Trail with Anna and looking at the weather forecast whenever we had cell reception.  I would pull up the Weather Channel app and see the "chance of rain" and sometimes just stare at it.

It makes me laugh, a little, remembering the relentless rain and thunderstorms we endured out in the open often without any shelter nearby.  I remember waking up on some mornings to a rainstorm outside my tent.  We would check the weather if we were able to, and a lot of the time the hourly forecast showed that little thundercloud all the way down the page.  We often packed up our gear in the rain and started hiking into the cold wet.

It's definitely nice and cozy to be looking out my window as the storm goes by, but at the same time, I'm thankful for the memories of being in the storm.

"From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work."
Psalm 104:13

 

July 1, near Kent, CT

 

Ktaadn

Anna climbs the "Greatest Mountain," finishing the last few miles of the Appalachian Trail.

Breathe deep that yet sweet, lucid air

Every day, multiple times throughout the day, I think about the Trail and miss being out there.  This song sums it up pretty well and always brings a few tears to my eyes.



So find some ground, lace up your boots, start walking
And you will find reason
Enough reason to believe

McAfee Knob / photo by KitFox

Seeks It

"No wealth of kings can compare."

I want to shout out a huge congratulations and mazel tov to our friend, Seeks It, for his recent and incredible accomplishment.

This year he walked 4,368.4 miles on the AT.

Many people attempt a thru-hike.  Only a few attempt a yo-yo (hiking to the end, turning around, and hiking back again).  Seeks It set out to hike the AT twice in one year by retracing his steps every day (essentially, a day by day yo-yo).

We had the privilege to meet him up in the Maine woods a couple days in a row as he was either setting out or retracing his daily miles.

We were blown away by what he was doing.  Everything we went through, the steep inclines, rocky uneven terrain, bad weather... he did twice in the same day.

You need to think about that for a moment, and let it sink in.

Anyways, he is a much more gifted writer than I am, and I encourage you all to check out his blog and read back on his earlier entries.

Proud of you, Seeks It!  And so glad KitFox and I had the pleasure to meet you.

The Maine Woods

The AT in Numbers

It has now been 7 months and 8 days since we left Springer Mountain to depart on our epic Appalachian adventure.

In this time that we have been back from the Trail, I find myself constantly reminiscing about moments from our journey.  Sections of Trail, campsites, people, towns, food, lack of food, animals, weather, sunrises, sunsets, fun moments, and sad moments.  Times in which we celebrated and laughed on a mountaintop and times in which we struggled and cried in utter exhaustion.

We experienced so much on the AT.  I enjoy writing about it, and I enjoy talking with people and answering their questions.  I want to present you guys with a quick summary in numbers.  Some of these might be common knowledge for anyone interested in the AT, but the rest are specific to our thru-hike.

The Appalachian Trail in Numbers

5,500,000 - approximate number of steps taken (based on 2500 steps per mile)
3,000,000 - approximate number of visitors to the Trail each year
160,000 - approximate number of white blazes painted along the Trail
6,643 - highest elevation in feet (Clingmans Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
2,184.2 - miles of Trail, Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin
1,964 - number of stream/river crossings
1937 - year in which the AT was completed (2012 being the 75th anniversary)
550 - miles in Virginia (longest State)
260 - approximate number of shelters on the Trail
178 - days on the Trail
128 - days of Starbucks VIA instant coffee until having to buy more in the store (GA to NY)
124 - lowest elevation in feet (Bear Mountain Zoo, NY)
75 - snakes (5 being venomous)
46 - KitFox falls
43 - minutes it took to each consume a half gallon of ice cream
38 - average pack weight in pounds for ManCub
35 - cats
28 - average pack weight in pounds for KitFox
27 - neros
26 - longest day in miles
25 - % of thru-hikers who successfully finish
19 - twenty plus mile days
18 - ManCub falls
17 - longest hitch in miles (Grafton Notch to Bethel, ME)
16 - number of times one could climb Mt. Everest equivalent to elevation gain on the AT
14 - States traversed
12.3 - average mileage per day
12 - zeros
10 - most consecutive days without a shower (ManCub)
5 - bears
5 - National Park Sites (Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Pkwy, Shenandoah, Harpers Ferry, Delaware Water Gap)
4 - miles in West Virginia (shortest State)
2 - movies seen in theaters (Hunger Games and The Avengers)
2 - shelters stayed in
1 - moose
0.2 - shortest day in miles
0 - number of days slackpacking

March 1, 2012

September 15, 2012

Readjust

One of the most common questions I have received since being back from the Trail has been, "So, how are you readjusting back into society?"

"Good, I guess," I usually tell them.  It was a little strange (and awesome) at first being back in the familiar settings with all the luxuries surrounding us.  It did not take long to become comfortable again having access to every kind of food you could possibly imagine or crave.

But I'm kidding myself.  It's not "good, I guess."

There's nothing I want more than to be back in this moment.

AT Montage

 

Final Trail Videos

Here are the last few raw video clips of our thru-hike.
What a journey...

Video catch-up

After the Storm

And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.

Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.

And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.

I will die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I'll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and man so small.
Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

-- Mumford and Sons

Kinder

"And... don't lose heart," she said as she walked away.

My eyes immediately began to tear up as I told her, "I really appreciate you saying that."

We walked North and she walked South.

She was a retired kindergarten teacher from Georgia doing a section hike in Maine. We didn't converse long as we passed each other on the Trail. The weather. Trail names. Where we're from. Small talk.

She asked how the hike was going, and I told her, "Great." But if I was being honest with that question I would have told her how I was at an all time low.

I did not know how I was going to get through this day let alone this thru-hike.

KitFox took over my pathetic answer and opened up a bit.

"You know, it's been really difficult lately. I think we're starting to hit a point where we're ready for it to be over. It's been great and rewarding, but it's hard."

"Yeah," I agreed completely.

The former kindergarten teacher gave some last words of encouragement, and we trudged on. For a moment I recalled my own kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Keenan. I remember her being sweet, just as this lady was.

And that's when I heard her voice come again from behind us.

"And... Don't. Lose. Heart."

The words came out distinct and precise.

She smiled, turned back around, and continued walking.

I'm not exaggerating (though maybe I'm a little ashamed)... I cried for the next ten minutes.

For some reason, those words in that moment, were exactly what I needed to hear. Those four simple little words spoken at the last possible moment in a random human interaction. It might be that she will never know the impact that had on me or this hike.

But I am thankful for her and that moment and for Anna and for everyone else who continues to encourage us along the way. Not just on the AT but in life.

The day began as an ultimate low point for me on the Trail, and with a last-minute word, it became one of my favorite days.

With renewed vigor (after the crying, of course) we charged up the next mountain and made good time the rest of the day despite difficult terrain.

We came to a lake a few hours before sunset. A beautiful, picturesque, MAINE lake with clear cool water and surrounding evergreen trees.

Next thing I know, Anna is wading in and I'm sprinting in!

It was surreal.

To be so blissful and joyful splashing around in the refreshing water.

What a change.

"And... don't lose heart," she said.

Photographical update

Haven't had much luck posting videos lately. I probably have about ten or so lined up waiting for a good wifi hotspot.

Doing everything from a phone can be a bit frustrating at times, but then I have to remember that I am blogging FROM A TELEPHONE. Life ain't so bad.

The White Mountains have been breathtakingly difficult and rewarding.

Here are some photos from the past week or so. In no particular order.

ManCub's opus

Mt. Cube, yeah

Vermont stuff

A KitFox Birthday

I am so lucky to be out here with this incredible lady.
Happy birthday, my darling.

How to climb a mountain

Birthday brother

Just a gorgeous day

Marble hail

Bear zoo

Reignite

We are about to cross into New England.

Connecticut.
Massachusetts.
Vermont.
New Hampshire.
Maine.

That's it.

When I look at a map, I can hardly believe how far we have come.
How far we have walked.
I remember looking at a map in Georgia only a week or two in, and it was such a minimal distance of ground covered.
Now we are near the top.
Near the end.
Closer to Katahdin.

This trek has been a once in a lifetime, incredible journey, but it has been exhausting.
I feel like I will need several days of nonstop sleep to make up for all the physical exertion on the Trail.

And for me, at least, the states have not been getting any easier.
I have been expecting New England to be tough, especially once we hit Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine; but the mid-Atlantic states have proven to be strenuous as well.

Pennsylvania was rocky. ROCKY.
New Jersey was swampy (and still rocky).
And New York has been relentlessly up and down. Constantly. And swampy. And, yes, rocky.

But every step brings us closer to the end, and I have to remind myself that it will be over too soon.
March seems like so far gone, but at the same time it has zoomed by.
I want to cherish every moment out here... even the difficult moments.

It's in these moments when I feel like I am living.
When I'm trudging along, thirteen miles into a hot and humid day, and I look ahead of me and see a massive mountainside with a tiny little white blaze floating on a tree at the very top.
I stop and sigh.
Sometimes. Most times wanting to quit for the day.
Forget the other eight miles we have to do!
I stop and I sigh and I look up at the top of that mountain.
I feel defeated.
So defeated.

But this is not defeat.

Though I want to stop, I take a deep breath.
I howl.
I growl and I scratch and claw my way up the rock and earth to the top.

I am alive.

Of course, it's usually after such a climb when I drink all my water, eat three Snickers bars and collapse in some leaves not to wake up til morning.
But it's one more mountain.

And come morning, there will be more.

"I want to be a lilikoi, Boy Lilikoi
You grind your claws
You howl, you growl
Unafraid of Hoi Polloi
You run, you're free
You climb endless trees
You reignite"

Danglin'

The lemon squeezer

Grassy ovens

Hot

Rattle me this

Just terrible

Chirping crickets

KitFox climbs

A little bit steep

Knifed in PA

The Ant

We are less than one thousand miles from Mount Katahdin, Maine.

Less than 1,000! That means we have already walked over 1,000. I'm still in a bit of disbelief about that... I can only imagine how I might feel once we get to Maine.

Over the past few weeks we have seen bears and snakes and ticks [oh my!]. We have crossed out of Virgina, the longest state on the Trail. We have traversed through West Virginia, Maryland and are about to leave Pennsylvania behind us. We have eaten a half gallon of ice cream in a single sitting. Each. We have walked over 1,200 miles and have been on the Trail over 100 days. My mustache is starting to grow into my mouth, but that's another story.

Things are getting real.

The miles are difficult for me. Every single one. Some days I pound my way up mountains and feel triumphant, while other days I stop half way to the top and throw rocks into the woods out of desperate frustration. My body aches constantly, and it is easier to sit down than to stand back up.

It's difficult.

And I knew it would be difficult going into this, but that doesn't really make it easier.

I have a story for you. About an ant.

Yesterday KitFox and I took a midday break by a creek to try and cool off. Anna set up her tent, and I just threw down my neo-air pad on the ground.

Relaxation.

Two hours passed quickly, and we started to pack up our things. I undid my neo-air to let it deflate and walked away to get water and have a snack. When I came back to my pad I noticed that one of those big black ants had somehow crawled inside the mattress!

"No, anty!" You can't go in there, you stupid ant. Don't you know you'll die now? Ahhh... now there was going to be an innocent dead ant carcass in my neo-air for the remainder of my thru-hike. Trying to get him out again would be like trying to get toothpaste back in the squeeze tube. It ain't happenin'.

I rolled up the mat saying my apologies to this tragic wanderer and we went on our way. We hiked five more hours for the day and made camp at sundown. I blew up the pad again (trying to ignore the fact that there was now a dead bug fluttering around inside) and went to sleep.

Woke up. Got the food bag out of the tree. Ate breakfast. Started packing up for the day. And as I'm rolling up my neo-air, yet again, there's Anty still alive and kicking and probably having the time of his life!

I couldn't believe he had survived the journey and throughout the night. Incredible! Incredible... and still hopelessly trapped inside my air mattress.

So naturally, I spent the next twenty minutes trying to free the little guy. My frustration grew as this ant kept hobbling along in the wrong direction of his one and only exit to freedom. Ahhh what am I doing?! I'm wasting our time trying to free a dumb ant from my sleeping pad! How is he even still alive?

I was about to give up until I had one final thought to get him out. With the little remaining air still inside, I bagpiped that sucker and YES! Anty shot out of there like he was being fired from a whale's blowhole.

I shared my excitement with Anna and we celebrated with high fives. Anty seemed a bit shaken (wouldn't we all?), so we found a leaf and put some water and a craisin on it. I placed Anty on the leaf with his peace offering, and instantly he attached himself to that craisin and started feasting. I imagined a pilgrim coming to the New World and kissing the ground when they finally landed. This little ant kissed a craisin.

I think I speak for all three of us to say it was a joyous moment. We said our goodbyes to Anty, the Wanderer, and we left him to his feast as we started our day (he never left that craisin).

What an interesting and bizarre way to start a day, right?

Well, he's just an ant, Micah. How many have you killed in your lifetime? How many have tried to bite you and steal your picnic food and invade your house? He's just another ant.

My friends, I am the ant.

Ankle breakers

100 days

Alright

Confusing the locals

Half Gallon Challenge

Stormcloud, the AT cat

Kids, try this at home

1,000

Shalom, Shenandoah

Fuzzle Bear

Bambi

Rise of the Zero

We have been talking about this break in the hike since before we began. It seemed so distant in the beginning, and now it has come and gone.

These several "zero" days (zero mileage) have been a great source of rest, relaxation and reorganization. But at the same time they have been somewhat overwhelming.

Have we been in the woods too long?

Or perhaps in town too long?

Our first day off the Trail, I went from Shenandoah National Park, where we maybe see 20 or so people a day, to Washington DC, where I saw maybe 2,000 people in 20 minutes.

National Park to National Capitol.

Both are places of importance and awe but in completely different styles.

We were both looking forward to these zero days for awhile, but once I spent a full day in the city, I began craving the trail again.

The trees.

The earth.

The birds.

The absence of crowds.

I started missing the purity of Nature. Even though it can be physically much more demanding and strenuous, even painful, the stillness and calmness is always waiting on the Trail. I could not find calmness on the interstates going to and from Washington DC.

The zeros serve their purpose, and some hikers prefer more than others. I think from this point out, we are pressing on to the North. There may be another zero or so somewhere in the mix, but it is exciting to know that we are in the next phase of our adventure.

It is still a long way to Maine, but we are almost out of the behemoth, Virginia, and from there the States come and go more quickly. I'm sure we will get to Maine before we know it and wish the time had not passed so quickly.

So until then and since the beginning, it will be one step at a time.

***

By the way, we still have not seen any bears yet, but the morning before we got off the Trail, a bear came into the shelter we were tenting at. The sleeping hikers woke when they heard it rummaging around and started yelling to scare it off. But not before it grabbed our friend's bag of pots and pans and scampered off into the woods. We heard the ordeal but couldn't see it from our tents pitched 50 yards away. We're still looking...

Hail

Basically Homeless

Rabbit & The Bear

Run, run so fast

Over fields and grass

At last, at last

We escaped from the trap

With the rabbit and the bear

And the sparrows of the air

Come one, come all

The hunter is gone

And this is our chance

To crawl under the wire

Through the darkest wood

On up to the mountain of fire

Where everything is free

In the light of the sun

Where every creature sings

Oh Lord, you rescued us all

Don’t listen to the snake

For he lies and he takes

Your hope, your faith

Away from you

But when the lion comes around

With his claw and his crown

Follow, follow

His every move


by Josh Garrels

Happy birthday Dad!

Hi, Will!

Happy Birthday Glenda!

Winter is Coming

Pony Baratheon

Ponies = Big Cats

Pesach on the AT

This Passover was definitely different from years past.

I think it was the first time in my life I didn't have a single bite of matzah, and honestly, I missed having it. This was also the most challenging Pesach yet (for pretty obvious reasons).

Not only do we eat trail food that we can cook in the wilderness, but we eat KOSHER trail food that we can cook in the wilderness. And for one week in April, we eat KOSHER FOR PASSOVER trail food that we can cook in the wilderness.

I'll just sum that up by saying, "Nom nom nom not easy."

But we did it. And successfully. Not to pat ourselves on the back, but I think it puts it in a little perspective for us. We didn't have the typical luxury of having nice Passover foods and meals this year... instead we had nasty never do I wanna eat this again Passover food.

But at least an Egyptian army wasn't chasing us down to slaughter us (though we were invaded by an army of slugs one night), and I know our God was watching over us as He always does, providing for us and delivering us from trouble, like He did for our people many years ago.

And here we were celebrating an age old tradition as best we could, as thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail.

That's pretty cool if you ask me.

Cast of Characters

We are now in Virginia!

One fourth of the entire Trail is in Virginia.

Exciting. And kinda scary. But mostly exciting.

We haven't had as much reliable cell service as I thought we might have had passing through some of these trail towns, so this post is just a little fun one.

These are some of the trail names KitFox and I have met along our journey so far. Some started with us at Springer. Some are trail angels that greatly helped us. Some are hikers that have dropped out already. Some have passed us and continued north. And some we have just met recently.

The Trail has been an extraordinary place to meet and observe all kinds of various characters. Like people watching at the mall, but instead of walking through the food court, you're walking through the woods trying not to die.

In no particular order...

Cicada
Sunshine
Rocky
Chief White brow
Baltimore Jack
Lightning Jack
Mandela
Mandego
FireFox
Squirrel
TrailMix (Gorp)
Grok
Guac
Boulder
Quest
Baloo
GrayBeard
Badger (VA)
Badger (WI)
Bread n' Butter
GloWorm
Ron Paul
Chicken Little Chaz
Honest Abe
Jeff Davis
Bomber
Hercules
Fal
Stride
GingerSnap
Socks
Grasshopper
BrickLayer
Rat Bucket
Dog Pound
Happy Feet
Philly Ben
CoffeePot
Tarzan
Fancy Pants
Renaissance Man
Good Deeds
Thor
Uncle Spider
Lion
Old Hiker
Animal
My Time
Salty
Curry
Foster
Skittles
Scotty
Jonas
AchyBreaky
Tickle Monster
The Dark Knight

Kitty

Puppy

Skills

Roan

Not a shabby shelter

High Rocks

April First

Big Bald

Seek Shelter

My Dad, Snapshot

I have an amazing father.

We timed it so that we would be able to meet up with him near the Standing Bear hostel just after crossing out of the Smokies. Not having any cell phone reception, I wasn't exactly sure on when we'd see him, but I knew he would be hiking towards us from Standing Bear. KitFox and I crossed over the park boundary, and after about another two miles we came across a hiker sound asleep against a rock. My dad! So naturally, I quietly crept up beside him and did my best bear impression I could.

We laughed and hugged and took the first of many photos that would be snapped over the next few days. At Standing Bear we got some more food and headed off into the woods once again.

Our final destination was to be Max Patch Bald where my dad parked his car. It's about a twelve mile section of trail we were going to break up over about two days.

We left Standing Bear and started to climb (my dad's first section of the AT since 1978, when he hiked a section in Georgia in the snow when he should have been recovering from a hernia operation. That's another story). Up, up, up we continued to climb. KitFox almost stepped on a snake. As we watched it slither off it began to rain. Still further up we climbed, now in a cold rain. Now in mud.

An excellent hike to begin with if you haven't been hiking the AT for a month already. Cold. Wet. Slippery. Giant snakes. And all uphill. Sorry, dad!

But he was a trooper, and I know he was loving it despite the difficulty. We made it to a scenic little campsite and called it a day after 1.8 miles from Standing Bear.

The next morning it rained some more. We had more uphills and a couple downhills. Welcome to the Appalachian Trail. I saw my dad's blisters. Not good. But he kept pressing on and we made it to our next campsite. About an 8 mile day.

Now we just had to get to the car before anyone died. It was another three miles or so. All uphill. What have I done to my poor father? He's in great shape, but these are some serious climbs. Thousand feet inclines over only a couple mile stretches. Again, not an easy hike to "ease" into.

But he did it. And we did it. We made it to his car at Max Patch. One step at a time.

I know my dad doesn't mind me sharing this story (and a little bit of his misery) because I can relate. Even though KitFox and I are in better shape now than when we started at Springer Mountain, we still have days where the Trail is simply knocking us off our feet (sometimes literally) and punching us in the face (ok, not so literal). It's not easy, no matter who you are! The important thing is to press on and keep on, one step at a time.

For my dad this time it was the car. For KitFox and I, it's Katahdin. What is it for you?

Sometimes life will punch you in the face and make you unable to breathe. What causes you to dig your hiking stick into the mud and continue climbing?

Snapshot

Rambo

Smoky Hiking

Charlie's Bunion

ManCub vs The Boy Scouts of America

It was a tough day for me as we crossed Fontana Dam and entered Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We immediately started climbing an ascent over 3,000 feet.

The miles seemed longer. One mile felt like four. Did we really only walk 0.2 miles from that last gap to this one? No, the guide book must be wrong. Is it too early for lunch? Is there such thing as post lunch?

We pass a shelter and I find the shelter journal. My entry simply reads, "ManCub hungro."

I am struggling this day. The excitement of being in a National Park had me giddy in the morning, but after steep up and downhills, swarms of gnats and flies, unusually warm weather and other hiker frustrations, I was ready for my nightly hibernation.

About twenty minutes before sunset, KitFox and I drag ourselves into camp.

*note*
In the Smokies, you have to stay at the shelters. One is not allowed to tent just anywhere they please. If you're not a thru-hiker, you must make a reservation for a shelter and stay at that shelter. But if the shelter is full, thru-hikers are the exception and may tent close by.
*end note*

I walk up to the shelter to see who we got tonight.

Chief pops his head out and greets us, but something else distracts me from his friendly hellos.

Boy scouts.

A swarm of them. Nibbling on their Chex Mix and Little Debbies. Backpacks and random gear strewn about everywhere.

"Hey guys, y'all already throw your bags down?" I ask.

One of the scout leaders asks the boys if they've all claimed their spaces yet. A boy or two scramble back into the shelter with their sleeping bags.

As this conversation is taking place, more and more hikers continue to stream in. Thru-hikers, section hikers and another group of boy scouts.

Well, I guess we get to tent tonight.

As it turned out, the second group of boy scouts was actually just a father-son group who had actually reserved the shelter. The boy scouts who were there when we arrived did not have reservations. They had reserved the shelter 6 miles south, but because they were "feeling good," they decided to move on up to this shelter.

Hence the severe over crowding.

Whatever, KitFox and I actually prefer tenting anyways, and it's a beautiful evening. We go to sleep with only a few clatters from the shelter and the sound of deer grazing close to our tents.

The next morning we are all up pretty early. The father-son group show a great interest in our thru-hike and end up giving us a bunch of extra food. MORE MAGIC! They were incredibly nice and encouraging to us. They were headed south, though, so we wouldn't see them again.

The boy scouts were headed north.

KitFox and I pass them a couple times on the trail and overhear that they are headed for the same shelter as us.

I sigh to myself but don't really think much of it since there was not too much commotion the previous night.

KitFox and I arrive at the shelter a couple hours before they do. We claim a space and lay out our sleeping bags. Thunder is heard in the distance, and soon it begins to rain.

The thunder grows louder.

A boy scout arrives.

The rain intensifies.

Two more boy scouts and a troupe leader.

Lightening.

Boy scouts.

More rain.

More scouts.

Hail.

Scouts.

Apocalypse!

There are now about 13 scouts and 4 long distance hikers including the two of us. We are all crammed in this shelter as a thunderous hail storm pounds over us.

It's gonna be a long night.

But it's still early. Late afternoon and time for a quick nap before dinner. We are both exhausted and have no problem falling asleep for a quick catnap.

I smell beef jerky.

We wake up and see some boys nibbling on their salty snacks INSIDE the shelter!

*ok, note part two*
Everybody on the AT knows not to eat in the same place you will be sleeping. Reason? BEARS. They can smell your food. They are attracted to it. You eat in your tent or shelter...here come the bears.
*end note part two*

What?!! What are these kids doing? And why aren't the leaders doing anything to stop them? In fact, why is that leader chowing down on some chicken and rice right next to my sleeping bag?! Is this real life?

Remain calm.

You haven't seen any bears yet. They probably don't even really exist. It's been raining a lot... maybe that will drown out the smell. It'll be ok. Why is that kid just staring at me?

It's time to have some dinner. KitFox and I walk out of the shelter and into the crowded eating area (a front porch of sorts) and cook our Ramen. Where we are supposed to. Away from the sleeping area.

We eat, brush our teeth, hang our bear bags in the rain and climb back into our sleeping bags. It's still light out, but we're tired. It's relatively quiet besides the thunder. The boy scouts must be playing the quiet game or something. KitFox and I talk for a bit until it gets dark.

Then they file in.

One after another they fill in the empty bunk spaces. All of us packed like sardines. Headlamps flash to and fro as they search for their belongings.

A troupe leader asks the boys if they've all written in their journals for the day.

Mixed responses.

I'm blinded as a boy struggles to find his notepad and pen.

"There's nothing to write about!"

"I already wrote in mine!"

"What time is it?!"

"There's a giant spider above my head!"

The rest of us try to doze off.

The scouts continue to chatter. Laugh. Squeal. Yelp. What have they been doing the past three hours when it was daylight? Their massively bright headlamps continue to illuminate the entire shelter.

"The spider is getting closer!"

"Hit it with Timmy's shoe!"

"No way!"

I'm beginning to lose it.

"It's gonna crawl in your mouth!"

"My mouth isn't open, so ha!"

"Yes it is because you're talking!"

Again, is this real life? Why aren't the leaders telling them to keep it down? Aren't they boy scouts? Where is their code of conduct? Respect for others?

A scene from Willy Wonka flashes in my mind. How awesome would it be if all of a sudden I started reciting Willy Wonka's crazy speech from this scene:

http://youtu.be/2Zail7Gdqro?t=1m16s

But no, as much as that amused me, I refrained. Surely they would stop soon. They can't be completely ignorant of the other hikers trying to sleep.

"Ahh!! Eeee!! It's crawling towards Tyler!! Hahaheeheeha!!"

That's it.

"WILL YOU GUYS PLEASE STOP TALKING?" came an angry voice from a deep dark corner of the room.

"Yeah," was the prompt reply I received.

"THANK YOU."

Bing. Bang. Boom. The headlamp search beacons went out, and there was an immediate silence.

I smiled and fell asleep.

The power of PLEASE and THANK YOU.

**As a final note on this, the next morning after the scouts woke everyone up, one of the long distance hikers found a clump of rice in his boot.

Boy scouts, y u no be good?

The end.

The portal

Bluegrass

Gatlinburg

Resupply

Clingman

Welcome to Smoky

Fontana Dam

Trail Magic

We are only two weeks in with about 140 miles under our boots, but already I have been blown away by people's hearts.

"Trail magic."

The past four days have been unbelievable in my eyes.

It started when KitFox and I were hiking on towards a shelter near the end of a long day, when I noticed something hanging from the trees up ahead.
"Why on earth is there a giant Tupperware bin dangling from that branch?" I thought to myself.
We got closer and saw a note pinned to the tree. Gingersnap, a 2011 thru-hiker, left a note of encouragement and explanation for current thru-hikers. The note basically explained how Gingersnap would not have made it to Maine without the generosity of strangers on the trail and was now returning the favor. KitFox and I smiled at each other in awe and began to lower the bin via the pulley system Gingersnap had set up. Like opening a present on Christmas or Hanukkah, we peeked inside and found bags of homemade cookies! Are you kidding me?! There was also a journal for us to sign, and as we read over previous entries from other hikers, we realized the impact something like that can have on someone. Some hikers wrote that they were moved to tears before even opening the box. Others said it was just the boost they needed after a long and difficult day to keep them going. For us, it was definitely an uplifting of spirits to be suddenly eating delicious cookies while also seeing the good it had done to our fellow hikers. I was touched.

The next morning we were off again with more miles ahead of us. We ate our breakfast of Poptarts and coffee and were in pretty good spirits, still in astonishment by the unexpected cookies dangling from the trees. About an hour into our hike, a young lady approached us.
"Are you guys thru-hikers?" she asked.
"Yeah, we're trying." we said.
"Well, are you hungry?"
To which I paused then replied, "Always."
She then pulled out an entire bag of McDonalds breakfast items and explained how hikers always crave McDonalds. Her name was Socks, and she was also a 2011 thru-hiker, out on the trail to try and spread the magic she had experienced the previous year. We graciously accepted her offer and took some hashbrowns and egg & cheese biscuits and talked with her while we ate our second breakfast. We told her there were a few more guys behind us who would probably love the leftover sausage biscuits, and she set off to find them. Again, it was completely unexpected kindness and encouragement from a complete stranger, but I felt connected to her and to a larger community.

These are people who truly want us to succeed, but not only that, they want to return the favors given to them. KitFox and I agreed... not a bad system, really. Imagine if everyone performed random acts of kindness in the "real world."

Then the rain came.

And more miles.

After Socks and the McDonalds breakfast we experienced quite a difficult day. I was tired and frustrated with the unexpected uphills and KitFox wasn't feeling too well, but we both marched onwards. We finally reached camp and pitched our tents in the pouring rain. My hands were so cold it took me about twenty minutes to successfully strike a match. Night came and closed out a strenuous afternoon of some arduous hiking.

But a new day is always a new start.

We packed up our gear and set off for our longest day yet. Sixteen miles was our goal. We actually made pretty good time even though I asked KitFox for lots of breaks to catch my breath (she is so much faster than I am!). At about the 10 mile mark was Wesser Bald. Over 5,000 feet elevation and a steep way to the top, we arrived hungry and worn out. My hands were blistering and irritated from the sun, but at least it was a gorgeous afternoon and we had a beautiful scenic view for lunch. Not five minutes into our little meals until we hear voices coming up the mountain. We had recently been leap frogging a group of younger hikers (Tarzan, Renaissance Man and Fancy Pants), and I figured it was them coming to pass us again. A group of about ten young guys come barreling up the mountain and almost all of them give a friendly wave as they pass by. None of them have packs. One guy immediately came up and asked if we're thru-hikers. Conversation began and he plopped down next to us as we continued eating our lunch. Turned out they were a large youth group from Snowbird, a Christian camp, on a day hike up the mountain. As we continued talking, more of them began to show up and soon we had a little gathering around us as we ate and talked about our trail names and life on the trail, etc.
Then the first guy says, "Oh! You should meet Stride. She thru-hiked in '08 and would love to talk with you guys!"
Sure enough, Stride showed up with another group and joined in on the conversation. It was wonderful to talk with these young people as we ate. Good, genuine, friendly people (and who actually had some mutual friends from my high school back in Woodstock) who were all very encouraging. If that wasn't enough, as Stride told us about her thru-hike and gave us good advice, they dropped a food bag at our feet and told us to take whatever we wanted.
"Sweet! Lucky Charms!" I exclaimed while almost simultaneously devouring them.
We talked for a nice bit and then parted ways. It was uplifting and again, unexpected.

Trail magic three days in a row?! I couldn't believe it.

But folks, let me tell you about another kind of trail magic. The kind that that just tugs at your heart strings from the people who are constantly praying for you night and day. People that loved and supported you long before you thought about stepping foot on the Trail.

Trail magic from your family.

It may seem like an obvious thing to state, but I don't think I can ever truly express how thankful I am for my family and for Anna's family. They have all been so supportive of our journey, and with only two weeks in have done so much for us.

Today I experienced every luxury a hiker could think of, brought to you by Dr. Bruce and Glenda Tucker. It is seriously difficult for me to think of words to express my gratitude to them for taking care of us today and making us feel like a king and queen. Shuttles, snacks, laundry, hotel, resupply, lunch, more snacks, dinner, ice cream and so much more! Not to mention just the fellowship, fun and joy of being around people you love.

I think the Trail is teaching me to be more appreciative of people. I know my family is always there for me and Anna's family is always there, too, but how am I returning the favor? How can I spread the "trail magic" on and off the Trail?

Two weeks in and about 140 miles walked.

I want to thank every person who has been so supportive and encouraging to us. It has already gotten us so far, and I appreciate every prayer and thought that has been sent our way. Our Father has been with us every step, protecting us and guiding us and listening to your prayers. I am inspired by you and your loving hearts. Whether you realize it or not, your actions are a Light to the world, and it's a light that should be contagious among us. So thank you everyone. And thank you especially to Gingersnap, Socks, Stride and my amazing family: Mom, Dad, Ben, Sarah, Yiskah, Bruce, Glenda and Anna.

Your trail magic inspires me to be a better person.

PHOTO: KitFox and Gingersnap's cookie bin.

Wesser Bald Fire Tower

Foggy Morning

100 Miles!

Climbing Albert Mountain

Standing Indian Mountain

Water

Water on Rocky Mountain

First Week

I guess it feels like a week. When I think about leaving Amicalola Falls and saying goodbye to our parents, it seems a bit longer. And when I think about meeting our fellow thru-hikers it seems a bit shorter. But today marks our first week on the AT, and that actually feels about right.

I was expecting it to be difficult.

It is.

The first day we hiked the approach trail - 8.5 miles just to get to the AT. We hiked the entire day, and at the end those miles didn't even count towards our ultimate goal. "Negative miles." Honestly, I felt a bit discouraged after our first day.

But one step at a time. Literally.

One step.

After another.

After another.

Each one working towards a small goal, which leads to a larger goal, which ultimately leads to the end goal. It's can definitely be a mental battle telling yourself not to be disheartened by the progress.

My knee began to seriously hurt to the point where I didn't know how I would be able to bend it. KitFox was getting some painful blisters on her feet. But we continue to walk it off. And we will continue to walk. One step at a time.

About four days in we arrived in Neels Gap at the outfitters and were greeted by an encouraging and cheerful staff (all of whom had thru-hiked before). We resupplied. Got a shower. Got a knee brace. And ate some luxurious hiker food like pizza and soda. It was a great boost and our first little milestone of the trip.

The next few days felt great. We were moving and hitting our small goals. It was still difficult but exhilarating and rewarding.

Now we are in town for our second resupply and our first "nero" day (nearly zero). We hiked a couple miles this morning to get to the road then shuttled into town with some other thru-hikers to spend the day relaxing and feasting. Tomorrow we are off again and will hit another, somewhat larger, goal of crossing our first state boundary.

It has only been one week, but within that week we have camped in the midst of thunder, lightning, and high winds. We have seen snow on top of Blood Mountain. Seen signs of bears. Walked among the clouds. Crawled up steep ascents and scrambled down treacherous descents. We have met and hiked with other thru-hikers such as Cicada, Chief, and Smiley. And we have passed others like Animal, Old Hiker, and FireFox. We have gone to sleep when the sun has set and awakened when the sun has risen. We have yet to pass completely through Georgia, but we have walked over seventy miles and will soon be in North Carolina.

It has only been one week, but we are not taking any of it for granted. There is much more walking to come.

Town Tomorrow

Fog

Lunch om nom

Video, y u no work?

Video?

AT Video Update #1

Been having some technology issues, but I will try to keep these coming.

The trail is absolutely breathtaking.

One Week Away

One week from now, Anna and I will be asleep in our tents having completed our first day on the AT.

It is a surreal feeling of anticipation and excitement and nervousness.  The feeling sometimes causes me to catch my breath.

Six months on a trail is a long time.  Think about what you have done in the last six months.  Probably lots of various things revolving around busy schedules and meetings with different people.  Maybe you've taken a trip or two.  Started a new job.  Met new friends.

Think back six months and remember what you were doing.  Now imagine that instead of doing that, you had just started to walk.  You walked and walked day after day after day up until this point right now.

What a different six months that would have been.

Hiking Baristas

My fellow Starbucks partners and I hiked Kennesaw Mountain today.
It was a blustery and cold morning with dark clouds on the horizon.
As we were leaving the car, snow flakes began to flutter across our path.
We quickly warmed up as our bodies pushed uphill and onto the mountain.
The higher we climbed, the stronger the wind blew.

After an arduous ascent, we reached the summit of the mountain and looked out over the surrounding land.
The sun peeked through the dark grey clouds and illuminated patches of grass and trees far below.
It really was a beautiful sight, and I was glad to be spending my Shabbat morning on a mountain top.

It may have been physically strenuous to reach the top, but I find such great rest in that.

photo by Mitch (Sprinting Moose) Pinion

I may not be with my Starbucks family too much longer, but I hope they continue to make time for these types of outings with each other.

And speaking of my Starbucks family, this is a little project I've been working on over the past several weeks.  Again, thanks to my lovely Anna for presenting me with the awesome camera that took these shots and allowed me to put this video together.  And thanks to my fellow partners for allowing me to get in their face and photograph them.

Hope you guys enjoy.

Good Morning, Macon

We pitch our tents in the backyard.
It's not wilderness, but it is outside.
Under the stars.

The air is cold and crisp,
despite a warm January Spring day.
We slip and snuggle into our sleeping bags.
Escaping the chilling breeze.

My eyes are too heavy to gaze at the stars for long.
Before I know it there is a faint glow beyond the trees.
Morning is coming.
The symphony of sunrise is near.