Fire Towers & Girl Scout Cookies

   A steep climb up one mountain led to a special treat: a fire tower. Back in 1980 they still had some fire towers that were manned by the Forest Service. After leaving my pack at the foot of the tower, I climbed up the metal stairs and made it to the top. After sharing greetings with the ranger on duty, I took in an incredible view. Music played softly on a radio. I noticed a small refrigerator in the corner. On the ranger's desk were various papers, folders and a box of thin mint Girl Scout cookies.
   Did I ever mention that backpackers are always hungry?! Just the sight of that cookie box made my mouth begin to water. Of course it would be rude to ask for a cookie, I would never do that. But before I left, I chatted with the ranger. He seemed glad to have a little conversation. I said, "you have everything up here, a great view, a fridge, a desk, you even have Girl Scout cookies."
   His response surprised me, "oh, Girl Scout cookies, I really don't like them. Do you want them?" I tried not to fall all over myself accepting his generous offer. After climbing back down from the tower, I shouldered my backpack and hiked about a mile to the next shelter. It was toward the end of the day and I stopped. Several other thru-hikers were already at the shelter. They were stunned when I pulled the box out of my pack and started passing out cookies to everyone. Everyone had climbed to the top of the tower. Everyone had seen the cookies. No one believed that I was able to bring them with me! So, to the generous ranger in the fire tower, thanks for your hospitality and generosity. It is a story that has stayed with me all these years!
   I did eat a cookie last night. Just one freshly baked, delicious, yummy, chocolate chip cookie. Just one. But the exercise and healthy eating is gradually paying off. This morning I weighed 184.0 pounds. Just because I'm losing weight doesn't mean I have to starve or completely give up everything. One cookie every now and then won't kill me as long as I am making progress. I'm trying to change my lifestyle, not lose weight only to put it right back on. I hear the doorbell ringing, could that be the Girl Scouts.....?

The first 20 mile day!

   The first week hiking the Appalachian Trail I did about 10 miles per day. It was an opportunity to get ready for  2,000 more miles ahead of me. In the second week, I was able to start putting in some more miles. I remember one day was particularly good. I started early. The trail was not too hard. And after pushing just a little bit, I was able to do 20 miles. Let me say, walking 20 miles on a flat, paved road is a long distance. But hiking 20 miles up and down mountains with a full pack is significant. It wouldn't be the last time that I put in 20 miles in a day, but it was the first time. Watching the sun set in the middle of the peaceful mountains was the reward for a long day. The views along the trail are amazing!
   This morning I didn't hike 20 miles, but I did go jogging again. And, for the first time, I didn't stop and walk at all. The soreness in my legs is almost gone and I'm sure that I will get faster and stronger as I continue to exercise. I weighed in at 184.4 pounds this morning. The jogging is burning calories, and I'm trying to limit the calories I eat. Between the two, I hope to keep making progress.

Love, Grace and Ramps!

   Hiking in North Carolina, I was trying to make it to one of the shelters along the trail. I knew I was maybe a mile or two away when I crossed a dirt road. Looking to my left I noticed a campground. Well, I was thirsty and my canteen was almost empty. I walked down to the campground in order to fill up my canteen. When I arrived,  there was a group of several senior adult women who immediately wanted to know who I was, what I was doing, and if my mother knew where I was! :) After some conversation, I found out that they were on their annual "ramp outing". All of their husbands were up in the hills digging up a "mess" of ramps, which are kind of like a wild onion that grows in the mountains. The ladies didn't invite me to stay and eat, they INSISTED that I stay and eat. Now that's something that a hungry backpacker will never turn down!
   After a while, the men came whooping and hollering back to the campground with the ramps (I think there was plenty of beer drinking going on in the woods too by the look of them). The ladies cooked up diced potatoes with ramps and scrambled eggs with ramps, in quantities guaranteed to feed a small army. I ate, and ate, and ate, and ate, and ate, (you get the idea). Every bite was an affirmation to that group of ladies. There were mounds of leftovers, and they insisted that I take some with me. My largest cooking pot was filled to the brim. I departed to cheers from the men and a few tears in the eyes of the ladies who were worried about me spending all that time out in the woods (bless his heart!).
   I can't say that I walked to the shelter. It was more like waddling. That night I was still so full that I could not eat a bite. And the next morning I couldn't eat breakfast! There were many other hikers at the shelter and they demolished the pot of leftovers in short order. I don't know if I have had ramps since then, but they sure were good!
   Yesterday I was probably remembering the ramp episode, because I ate WAY too much. This morning I stepped on the scale and it said "one at a time please"! Well..... not exactly. But it did say 185.0 which means I lost some progress. I will do better today and will remember those ladies who shared love, grace, and ramps with me 31 years ago!

Horses sweat, men perspire, and ladies....

By this time in 1980 I was leaving Georgia and entering North Carolina. The climb up into North Carolina was steep. I remember catching up to Mark & Nancy Lee Read on the climb. Since it had stopped raining, the sun was out, but the humidity was high. Nancy Lee's face was bright red. I stopped for a moment and asked, "what's the matter?"
"I'm sweating so much!" she said.
"No you're not" I replied.
"What are you talking about?"
"Nancy Lee, you are a lady in the South. Even though you are from Vermont, you meet the qualifications to be an honorary Southern Belle. Nancy Lee, it's a well know fact in the South that horses sweat, men perspire, and ladies glow......and you're certainly glowing right now!"
And so, I take credit for giving out a "trail name" for Nancy Lee who became known as "Southern Belle". Her husband Mark would later become known as "The Nabisco Kid".
   This morning I thought about that day 31 years ago because I went jogging again. I was sweating.......I mean I was PERSPIRING profusely. My muscles were (and are) still a little sore, but are recovering. I only had to stop and walk twice (once to tie my shoe). Stepping on the scale I weighed in at 183.6 which is another "zero day" for me. Lunch today was with a pastor friend at La Parilla Mexican Restaurant. Tonight is Wednesday night supper at church. I hope I can abstain from dessert and not put on weight today. The journey continues!

What's in a name?

   When you have a bunch of people all trying to hike from Georgia to Maine it's not always easy to remember everyone's name. In the original group that started on April 12, I remember a guy named Bill, a married couple named Nancy Lee & Mark Read, a college student from California who was hiking with a man from Oklahoma who was in his 60's (and had never backpacked a day in his life), and some others. Since I had a distinct southern accent and we were all in Georgia, people started calling me "Georgia". That became my "trail name". Almost everyone who hiked long distances had a nickname for the trail. Most had some kind of story behind it. When I signed in at the trail registers it was Tommy "Georgia". I hiked some with the Canadian Crawler, and survived the White Mountains with Ted the Head & the Strohs Brothers (no, I didn't partake!). O.D. Coyote was on the trail the longest that year. There were many, many other trail names that added a flavor to the experience.
   On my current project, I may need the nick name "Sore Muscles"! I knew I would be sore from jogging yesterday, but not THAT sore! I know that eventually the sore muscles will work their way out and I will pick up on my speed while jogging. Eating a huge salad for one meal a day most days is paying off. This morning I weighed in at 183.6 pounds. Almost another half pound shaved off! Chick-fil-a lunch again today and plan on eating the big salad for supper. This is Tommy "Georgia" signing off for today!

Can you say that you "jogged" when you walked some?

   On day 7 hiking the Appalachian Trail, it was time to get off the trail for rest and resupply. Back in 1980 Bud Dyer, the admissions director at Young Harris College, came and met me where the trail intersects Georgia Hwy 75 north of Helen, GA. After a week of walking in the rain, it was great to get into Bud's car and be whisked back to the Young Harris College campus. I had already completed one year at the college and took off Spring and Summer quarters to hike the trail. That night I had a hot shower, ate at the all-you-can-eat dining hall on campus (they lost money on me!), and slept inside with sheets and a real blanket. It was my first "zero day", and a chance to pick up my box of backpacker food & supplies for the next week. I had made it through the first week, there were only 20 more weeks to go!
   This morning I started something new for my weight loss program. I got up early and jogged about 2.5 miles. I say "jogged", actually I had to stop and walk a few times. When you get out of shape, it's not good to push yourself. The combination of eating less and beginning to exercise gave great results. I lost 1.2 pounds since yesterday and am now at 184.0! If I only lose one pound per week on this journey I will hit my goal. So the first week I lost 2.8 pounds, that's encouraging!

My First "Zero Day"

   Hikers on the Appalachian Trail measure their progress by miles traveled. Ten miles is a good distance, especially for a short trip. Fifteen miles is a good pacer for a long term hiker. Twenty miles is a very long day. The trail stretches over 2,100 miles from Georgia to Maine. The human body is not built to go for extended periods without rest. That's why I always took one day a week off in order to rest and recover (sounds a little bit like a Sabbath rest doesn't it?) Whenever a thru-hiker takes a day off from hiking it is called a "Zero Day".
   Today I had my first "Zero Day" (it's no surprise that it happened on a Sunday!) I stepped in the scale and it said 185.2 pounds, exactly the same as yesterday. That means I didn't gain or lose any weight. Zero days are good for backpackers, they are also good for people trying to lose weight. If you push, push, push, push all the time without any rest then it's easier to give up. I'm not giving up, I'm just taking a break. I'm eating a big salad right now for lunch. Maybe tomorrow I will have lost some more weight. If not, it's ok to have another Zero day. Everyone deserves a break from time to time!