Getting A Bit Weary

   Back on the trail in 1980 I fell into the same routine of hiking, camping, eating dinner, sleeping, eating breakfast, hiking, eating lunch, hiking...... Virginia is a very big state. It has the most miles of the Appalachian Trail of any state (about 500 or so). To be honest, I was starting to get weary of hiking at this point. Yes, I wanted to make it to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. Yes, I wanted to hike the entire trail. But it's easy to start getting bored hiking through Virginia. I'm not knocking the beauty of the woods or the beautiful views. But after weeks and weeks and weeks, it starts to get hard.
   The experiences that I had so far were amazing and memorable. But I was itching to put another notch on my hiking staff. At this point I had about two more weeks left in Virginia. Some people who are thru-hikers get discouraged and quit. I didn't quit, but I was discouraged and I was weary. Looking back on it, I realize that I was among the first 1,000 people to ever hike the entire trail (my "number" was somewhere in the 900's). In 2011 I received my Appalachian Trail Newsletter and saw that over 11,000 people have now completed the entire trail. They had to persevere through the tough times too.
   2011: This morning I weighed in at 180.8 pounds. Early this morning I ran in the 5K road race. I did good for the first two miles, then the same stiffness started in my lower leg (someone told me this is part of the Achilles tendon). I had one mile to go and made it to the end. My time was 31:53 which comes out to about 10 minutes per mile. Not bad for an old man trying to start getting into shape! Now my leg is very sore, so I will have to recover. Next Friday I have another 5K race and hope to be well enough to run in it! Yes, I am getting a bit weary of this weight loss program, but I'm not going to quit. I am determined to reach my goal of 165 pounds before September 4th!

I Will Never Be The Same Again!

   The Episcopal priest in Buchanan and his wife were very gracious to have me in their home for a steak dinner back in 1980. After the meal I was able to wash my clothes in a real clothes washer. I also went into the kitchen and was able to scrub all of my cooking and eating utensils. After I finished washing my stuff I noticed that the sink area was a bit dirty. So I pulled out some Comet from under the sink and started scrubbing and cleaning. By the time I finished, the sink area was sparking clean. As I was putting my cooking stuff away, the priest's wife came through the kitchen and noticed the sink area. She was delighted and very thankful. I had to remind her that she had just fed me, and it was the least I could do in order to say "thanks".
   That night I slept like a baby in a bed with sheets in a nice soft bed. In the morning I got up and went to the worship service at the church. The priest introduced me to the congregation and everyone was welcoming. Afterwards, I had lunch and the priest drove me back to the trail. As I got out, he offered to give me some money. I turned him down, he had already done so much for me. We parted as friends.
   Looking back on the experience at Buchanan (this post and the last two blog posts), I realize that my life was changed in just over 24 hours. I started out worried and anxious and mad that I couldn't get a ride into town. I prayed and God sent an "angel" to take me into town. Then God provided lunch, supper, breakfast, and lunch along with lodging for the night and a wonderful worship experience. God provided one of His servants to minister to me and show me unconditional love. It was a powerful transformation in my life. I knew that I would never be the same again. I was walking to Maine by myself, but I knew that God was walking right beside me all the way. That was a tremendous comfort!
   Here in 2011 I know that God is still with me. He comforts me and guides me every day. The things I learned on the trail and the experiences I had shaped me into who I am today. This morning I weighed in at 180.2 pounds. Eating has still been a problem and I have not exercised. Tomorrow morning is the 5K race for Henry County Cancer Services. Hopefully I will be able to run all the way. My leg feels much better, but I haven't tried to run for fear of re-injuring it again. If the run goes well tomorrow I hope to begin running regularly again. I just ate a bowl of strawberries, yum!

Immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine

   In the last post I described how in 1980 God answered prayer in a powerful way, giving me a ride into Buchanan just in time to get my box from the post office before noon on Saturday. I took the box across the parking lot underneath a big shade tree. I carefully unpacked the box and re-packed all the items in my backpack. I read the mail I had received and stowed it in my backpack.
   Next door to the post office was an old red brick church. After my powerful experience with prayer, I was drawn to the church building. I left my backpack on the front porch and tried the door--it was open. I entered the old, traditional sanctuary. My eyes adjusted to the dim light as I looked at all of the stained glass windows. It felt good to be in a church building after a week on the trail.
   I also heard a vacuum cleaner going. Some guy was cleaning the carpet, getting ready for Sunday morning. I tried not to startle him and waited for him to see me. He soon spotted me and turned off the vacuum. We struck up a pleasant conversation. At that time I was Episcopalian and this happened to be an Episcopal church. The guy with the vacuum was also the Priest! I asked if he knew of a park or other place in town where I could camp for the night. I said that I would be ok even if there was a flat place in the back of the church to camp for the night. He said that would be fine for me to camp out back.
  Then the priest asked, "are you hungry?" EVERY backpacker is ALWAYS hungry. It was just after noon, and I was ready to EAT. Trying to hold back my enthusiasm for food, I said, "yes." The priest told me to go to the diner a couple of blocks away and order anything I wanted. He would call ahead and he would also pick up the tab for the meal. He also warned me to get as much as I wanted and not to worry about the cost. I was extremely grateful and marched off to have an enormous feast (at a fairly reasonable price too).
   After the meal I went back to the church to thank the priest for his generosity. He said he was glad to do it. Then he asked me if I liked steak. Well, who doesn't like steak?! Then he said I would not be allowed to camp behind the church because he and his wife wanted me to be their guest for the night! Not long after that we were in the car, headed towards his house (after a quick stop by the grocery store to pick up another baked potato for me).
   If you ready my last blog post, then you will know that all I asked God for was a ride into town. Now I had a free meal and was headed to a steak dinner followed by a real bed in a real bedroom with real sheets and access to indoor plumbing. Believe me, after living in the woods, you learn to appreciate the comforts of home! I don't think any of this was by accident. I think God was speaking to me, reminding me that He is able to do... "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). Tomorrow I will wrap up the story of what else happened in Buchanan, Virginia!
   Here in 2011 let me give you a status update. Yesterday I weighed 179.8 pounds and this morning I weighed 179.6 pounds. Sorry I did not post yesterday (it was quite a hectic day). My right calf muscle is almost healed and I hope to be able to run in the 5K road race on Saturday for the "Henry County Cancer Services" organization. I have eaten out a lot in the last couple of days but have tried to be careful not to overdo it!

An Unexpected Answer to Prayer!

   In 1980 I had a specific list of resupply points. I had packed up boxes with food and other supplies for each week and my Dad shipped them to me "general delivery - hold for thru-hiker" at post offices along the way. What I found was that my week typically ended on a Saturday. I also found out that post offices closed at noon on Saturday. I remember finding that out when I pulled into one town at about 1:00pm and then had to wait the rest of Saturday, and all day Sunday, until I could retrieve my supplies Monday morning when the post office reopened.
   In Virginia I was now trying to make it to the Buchanan post office by noon on Saturday. By Friday night of that week I was only a few miles from the road that led to Buchanan. On Saturday morning I got up early and was able to make it to the road crossing at about 10am. The only problem was that Buchanan was 8 miles away from the trail crossing. I would never suggest that someone do this now, but back in 1980 it was common for backpackers to hitch hike (especially into "trail towns"). I was certain that I would be able to hitch a ride into Buchanan and get there before noon on Saturday.
   I began walking down the road, waiting for a car to come along. For some reason there didn't seem to be much traffic on this road at all. In the first 45 minutes only two vehicles came down the road. They saw me but didn't even slow down. I just kept walking, getting more and more frustrated. I knew if I had to walk the entire 8 miles that I would never make it to the post office by noon (then I would be stuck in another town for a long weekend putting me behind schedule).
   The longer I walked, the madder I got. The road had some very sharp hairpin curves. When I got to one of those curves I walked as fast as I could. I knew that a car would not be able to stop in time on one of those curves even if they wanted to. On the stretches that were straight I slowed down a bit, hoping that a car would see me and make the decision to stop and give me a ride. I wish that you could see the steam coming out of my head! I was so mad and upset and frustrated. Why didn't I get up earlier? Why weren't there more cars on the road? Why had no one stopped to pick me up? What will I do for almost two days waiting in town?
   As I was walking along one of the sharpest of the hairpin curves on the road a thought entered my mind. Hey, wait a minute, maybe I ought to pray about this. After all, I called myself a Christian, shouldn't I have some kind of faith and trust in every situation? Quite honestly, I didn't expect anything to happen, but I knew it was the right thing to do. So I started talking to God and said, "God, you know how mad I am about not getting a ride. I guess I should have talked with you about this earlier and I'm sorry. Any way, if you want me to have a ride to town and make it to the post office on time then I know that you will send somebody to pick me up. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen."
   I'm not kidding, as soon as I finished praying (I'm talking about a split-second after) I heard the sound of an engine. I immediately turned and faced toward the car with my thumb in the air. The car was on the hairpin turn and he STOPPED! The door opened and the driver invited me to get in. I remember that the door didn't open "out", it opened "down" because the car was on the banked portion of the curve!
   Did I pray? Yes I did. Did I really expect to get an answer? Not really. The car that stopped was an unexpected answer to prayer! They took me straight to the post office in Buchanan with plenty of time to spare. God has made Himself real to me many different times, but this was the first time that I saw God answer a prayer in such a powerful way. From that moment on I knew that God was real and that He was actively involved in my life. What happened next was just icing on the cake, but that story will have to wait until tomorrow.
   Here in 2011 I weighed in at 179.8 pounds this morning. That is an increase of one pound in one day (*SIGH*)! Last night I watched a tv show where a woman started at 369 pounds and lost 161 pounds in one year. It was inspiring to watch (as I snacked on pretzels and ate a big hamburger). It was also a reminder that I can get to my target weight if I just keep trying. Say a prayer for me today, and ask God to be active in your life. You may be surprised at how He answers!

Jane and the Barred Owl Call

   I met a lot of different people while hiking the Appalachian Trail in 1980. One that I remember from Virginia was a woman named Jane. I was 18, she was 28. No, there was not any romance going on. For a long stretch of the trail I was going at about the same rate as Jane. I was always a late riser, but at the end of the day I often pulled into one of the shelters to find Jane there. I remember seeing her sitting cross-legged playing tunes on a small song flute. I also remember that she knew a lot about edible plants. She showed me some wild greens that I could pick and add to my supper pot. They were good to eat (and good for me too). I also remember that Jane knew a lot of different bird calls. She taught me the call for the Barred Owl. It sounds like "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all". I like a bird that says "you all" instead of "you guys" (it brings out the southerner in me).
   Hiking on the trail would have been very lonely if it had not been for all the other hikers. It was rare that I hiked so close to others that we could see each other. But it was a comfort to know that others were ahead of me and others behind me. It was also a lot of fun to gather at shelters at night and swap stories. It made the miles go quicker. Virginia has the most miles of any State along the Appalachian Trail. The notch on my hiking staff has very deep grooves where I carved "VA". It took several weeks to hike the length of Virginia. The views were beautiful and hiking along the ridges was the easiest hiking on the entire trail. Every time I hear a Barred Owl calling from the woods I remember Jane and the trail and the wonderful experiences I had while walking in the woods.
   Here in 2011 I weighed in at 178.8 pounds. That means I have lost 8 pounds in exactly 7 weeks! Just like hiking the trail, I have tried to stay persistent in order to reach my goal. Blogging every day helps. I know I have missed a few days along the way, but I try to write something every day. Thanks for reading this blog. If you have a question or a comment please feel free to post it for me and I will respond!

Rest for my weary bones!

   In 1980 when I made to Pearisburg, Virginia I was wiped out physically. This was one of two places on the trail where I did not receive a package with supplies. Instead, I went shopping in town and bought food & supplies. Usually I would reach a town in the late morning or early afternoon, resupply and leave the next afternoon. In Pearisburg I was so tired that I stayed two nights in the hiker hostel. One of those days I just laid around and did nothing but rest. I was one day ahead of schedule after doing 50 miles in two days.
   It's interesting to be in one place for a day with nothing to do. I washed my dishes in the sink, cleaned my other gear, ate a lot, and took a nap. I remember part of the hostel had an old brick floor. I sat at a table there and read a book. A house cat walked through and kept me company. It was quiet and peaceful. Sometimes in life you just need to rest and take a break. Your body needs it, your mind needs it, and your spirit needs it too. I was still committed to going all the way to Mt. Katahdin in Maine, but for that day I rested. If it's good enough for God when He created the Earth, it's good enough for me!
   Here in 2011, I weighed in at 179.2 pounds this morning. I have observed that I tend to put weight on when I eat out for special occasions (probably because the food is fattening & I tend to eat too much). I also have been able to lose that extra weight if I eat right the next day or two and drink lots of water. This is Memorial Day weekend. I hope to get some rest for my weary bones!