In 1980 I entered the Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. Ah, what a beautiful place! The climb up was fairly steep, but the park is mostly on a long ridge. That means not much hiking up and down! I was able to make some really good progress as far as miles hiked. It was fairly easy.
One night I camped by the trail in a grassy area. In the wee hours of the morning I woke to see a deer just a few feet away. It was an incredible sight to see that beautiful animal in the middle of his natural habitat. He was unaware of me for a while and I watched quietly. Eventually he noticed me and went "on the alert". He bounded off into the woods to safety and solitude.
Solitude. I had lots of that on the Appalachian Trail. Sure, I saw a lot of other hikers and enjoyed seeing lots of people in trail towns. But I had long stretches of time to walk and to think and to pray. There is something healing about spending time in solitude. We don't really get much of it in our hectic lives. It gives you perspective on life. It also gives you time to wrestle with thoughts and plans and ideas. Life doesn't have to be complicated. That deer had a very simple life. We can live simply too, and enjoy the journey!
Here in 2011 I continue trying to lose weight. This morning I weighed in at 179.0 pounds. That's a little more than yesterday, but there is a reason. Last night I ran in the "Midnight Run for Missions" 5K race. My time was 32:12 which was 19 seconds longer than my time last Saturday in the other 5K. They had a massage therapist onsite and I had my calf muscles massaged. They are somewhat sore today, but not too bad. I'm probably retaining fluid because of my sore muscles, in the long run I ought to be back down in weight. Tomorrow is my last day as Pastor of Southern Crescent Baptist Church. We will have a covered dish meal and I'm sure that I will eat too much. But next week I am going to redouble me efforts to get rid of some of this weight! I'm already wearing pants that I haven't been able to fit in for a couple of years! I'm still enjoying the journey and hope to have a little bit of solitude today!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
I Get "Adopted" By A Grandmother!
When I woke up on that Sunday morning in Waynesboro, Va back in 1980 I packed up my stuff and went to find a church to attend. Since I was Episcopal at the time, I was able to find an Episcopal church. I entered and sat toward the back. The church building was old and traditional. Most people were wearing their "Sunday best" clothes. I was wearing my wool nickers, long wool socks, and my long sleeve wool shirt along with my hiking boots. It was the best I had to wear.
The worship service was traditional and familiar. There was a special guest for the day, the Bishop! At the end of the service they announced that a reception would be held for the Bishop and that everyone was invited. Hmm.... reception = free food = show me the way!!! There I was at the reception eating a plate of goodies while most of the members of the church tried to ignore my presence. I was oblivious to the fact that I was probably not considered "good company" in that crowd! An elderly lady came to my rescue. She walked over and spoke with me for a long time. When she asked when I was going back to the trail I said "this afternoon."
"That's a shame," she said. "I have a friend who is throwing a huge party this afternoon and I'm sure that you would enjoy it." It turns out that this "party" was a huge annual event held outside with square dancing, and lots of food. I hinted that I could delay my return to the trail and attend. The lady was genuinely happy and immediately "adopted" me for the day as her own. We went to the party and had a terrific time. We talked and laughed, and ate, and sang, and danced. I took off my heavy boots and tried to square dance barefooted for a long time. The ground was a bit rocky and I bruised my right foot, so I had to quit.
By the time the party was over it was getting late and my new "grandmother" insisted that I come to her house for a steak dinner. That was followed by her insisting that I spend the night. She washed my clothes, and fed me as much as I wanted, and generally pampered me. It was wonderful. The next morning she fed me again (including some small steak pieces left over from the previous night). She drove me back to the trail and wished me well. As she drove off, I realized that I was no longer weary of hiking. If I continued to meet wonderful people like that lady then I knew I could continue on toward Maine. And so I entered the Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail, limping slightly from the bruise on my foot. I know that God works in many different ways. That lady (I don't even remember her name) was a tremendous blessing to me. She showed me the love of Jesus Christ in a real and tangible way. It's been 31 years, but I still remember. I have tried to pass that love on to others because I know how much it means!
Here in 2011 I paid for eating at Cracker Barrel. This morning I weighed in at 178.6 pounds (that means I am going backwards!) It didn't help that I also ate a hot dog last night (*guilty*). I am going to run in the "Midnight Run for Missions" in Locust Grove tonight. It's a 5K race. If you have a grandmother, give her a hug today!
The worship service was traditional and familiar. There was a special guest for the day, the Bishop! At the end of the service they announced that a reception would be held for the Bishop and that everyone was invited. Hmm.... reception = free food = show me the way!!! There I was at the reception eating a plate of goodies while most of the members of the church tried to ignore my presence. I was oblivious to the fact that I was probably not considered "good company" in that crowd! An elderly lady came to my rescue. She walked over and spoke with me for a long time. When she asked when I was going back to the trail I said "this afternoon."
"That's a shame," she said. "I have a friend who is throwing a huge party this afternoon and I'm sure that you would enjoy it." It turns out that this "party" was a huge annual event held outside with square dancing, and lots of food. I hinted that I could delay my return to the trail and attend. The lady was genuinely happy and immediately "adopted" me for the day as her own. We went to the party and had a terrific time. We talked and laughed, and ate, and sang, and danced. I took off my heavy boots and tried to square dance barefooted for a long time. The ground was a bit rocky and I bruised my right foot, so I had to quit.
By the time the party was over it was getting late and my new "grandmother" insisted that I come to her house for a steak dinner. That was followed by her insisting that I spend the night. She washed my clothes, and fed me as much as I wanted, and generally pampered me. It was wonderful. The next morning she fed me again (including some small steak pieces left over from the previous night). She drove me back to the trail and wished me well. As she drove off, I realized that I was no longer weary of hiking. If I continued to meet wonderful people like that lady then I knew I could continue on toward Maine. And so I entered the Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail, limping slightly from the bruise on my foot. I know that God works in many different ways. That lady (I don't even remember her name) was a tremendous blessing to me. She showed me the love of Jesus Christ in a real and tangible way. It's been 31 years, but I still remember. I have tried to pass that love on to others because I know how much it means!
Here in 2011 I paid for eating at Cracker Barrel. This morning I weighed in at 178.6 pounds (that means I am going backwards!) It didn't help that I also ate a hot dog last night (*guilty*). I am going to run in the "Midnight Run for Missions" in Locust Grove tonight. It's a 5K race. If you have a grandmother, give her a hug today!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Taking a Break at Monticello
Spending the night camping outside of a fire station in Waynesboro, Virginia wasn't such a good idea back in 1980. The Friday night I arrived just happened to be the night of the high school graduation. For hours, the high school graduates drove up and down the road, honking their horns in celebration. All night long the fire trucks were called out, their sirens blaring! It was hard to get much sleep under those circumstances.
The other issue was that I was getting weary of hiking. I was questioning whether I really wanted to keep going or to go home. Jane, one of the other hikers, was at the fire station too. She was planning on going on a side trip to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, and wanted me to come too. So we stowed our packs securely inside the fire station and started hitch-hiking. We got enough rides to finally arrive at the famous house.
Jefferson was an incredible man. His house was full of lots of interesting features. The basement had a brick floor and was wonderfully cool, even though it was hot outside. Jefferson had his bed placed in the wall between two rooms. That way he could get up in the middle of the night and be in his study (on one side) or be in his bedroom (on the other side). One of the large clocks had a weight on a chain that powered the clock. Periodically the weight had to be pulled up manually to keep the clock running. Jefferson didn't like to do this so often, so he cut a hole in the floor which allowed the weight to extend all the way into the basement. That way he didn't have to pull up the weight nearly as often! The house was wonderful and the gardens too.
Jane and I spent a little bit of time in the nearby town, looking at the old historic buildings. We had some supper and started hitch-hiking back to Waynesboro. Late that evening we arrived back at the fire station. It was a nice break from hiking the trail. It helped with my weariness, but I still wasn't ready to start hiking again. As I fell asleep that Saturday night (camping at the fire station), I decided to find a church the next morning and then figure out my next steps. I didn't know it that night, but God had plans for the next day that I wasn't even aware of!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 177.4 pounds. WOW! I am making progress. That's 9.4 pounds I have lost so far. My wife bought me some short recently and I made her take them back and get a smaller size. I wore those new shorts today. It felt good to be in a smaller size! I ate at Cracker Barrel today, hopefully that won't throw me off on my weight loss. I also jogged about a mile this morning (walking part of the way). My leg did pretty well. I think I will be able to run in the 5K race tomorrow!
The other issue was that I was getting weary of hiking. I was questioning whether I really wanted to keep going or to go home. Jane, one of the other hikers, was at the fire station too. She was planning on going on a side trip to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, and wanted me to come too. So we stowed our packs securely inside the fire station and started hitch-hiking. We got enough rides to finally arrive at the famous house.
Jefferson was an incredible man. His house was full of lots of interesting features. The basement had a brick floor and was wonderfully cool, even though it was hot outside. Jefferson had his bed placed in the wall between two rooms. That way he could get up in the middle of the night and be in his study (on one side) or be in his bedroom (on the other side). One of the large clocks had a weight on a chain that powered the clock. Periodically the weight had to be pulled up manually to keep the clock running. Jefferson didn't like to do this so often, so he cut a hole in the floor which allowed the weight to extend all the way into the basement. That way he didn't have to pull up the weight nearly as often! The house was wonderful and the gardens too.
Jane and I spent a little bit of time in the nearby town, looking at the old historic buildings. We had some supper and started hitch-hiking back to Waynesboro. Late that evening we arrived back at the fire station. It was a nice break from hiking the trail. It helped with my weariness, but I still wasn't ready to start hiking again. As I fell asleep that Saturday night (camping at the fire station), I decided to find a church the next morning and then figure out my next steps. I didn't know it that night, but God had plans for the next day that I wasn't even aware of!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 177.4 pounds. WOW! I am making progress. That's 9.4 pounds I have lost so far. My wife bought me some short recently and I made her take them back and get a smaller size. I wore those new shorts today. It felt good to be in a smaller size! I ate at Cracker Barrel today, hopefully that won't throw me off on my weight loss. I also jogged about a mile this morning (walking part of the way). My leg did pretty well. I think I will be able to run in the 5K race tomorrow!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I Meet The King of "Slackpackers"
I remember arriving at Waynesboro, Virginia back in 1980. It is a town near the trail just before the start of the Shenandoah National Park. From the trail registers I learned that the local fire department allowed hikers to camp in the yard at the fire station (and also use the showers). I don't know if they do that now, but back then they did. When I arrived at the fire station there were lots of hikers staying over. Jane was there (I had seen a lot of her for several weeks). "Baha" from Athens Georgia was there. But the most notable figure was "O.D. Coyote".
"O.D. Coyote" was a legend on the Appalachian Trail in 1980. A few years earlier he had hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail (California, Oregon, Washington State). I think it runs from the Mexican border to the Canadian border -- over 2,600 miles. In 1980 "O.D." decided to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, but he wasn't in a hurry. He was the first thru-hiker to start in Georgia (in early February). He wrote in every trail register, encouraging everyone to slow down and enjoy the trip. "O.D." was the king of "slackpacking". If he hiked over 10 miles in one day then he would have to take off a day or two just to recover. He often did 5 or 6 miles in a day. To put things into perspective, I hiked the entire trail in just under 5 months. "O.D" had hiked less than half of the trail in about 4 months! That's why they called him a "slackpacker".
The "King of Slackpackers" was quite a sight! He had a beard (most thru-hikers did), and his clothes were worn. His backpack had a special strap on it that fit on his head. Some of the native american indians used this type of pack to carry loads, but I had never seen it on the Appalachian Trail. I sat with other curious hikers and listened to the stories that "O.D." told. He was a unique guy. I later found out that he finished his thru-hike in November after about 9 months on the trail. Now THAT is "slackpacking"!
Here in 2011 I made up for a week of being slack on my diet. This morning I weighed in at 178.0 pounds! That is a total of 8.8 pounds lost in just over 8 weeks. Now I have to work to keep the weight off and continue to lose those pounds! "O.D." would tell me to slow down, but I'm not going to get slack on this project!
"O.D. Coyote" was a legend on the Appalachian Trail in 1980. A few years earlier he had hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail (California, Oregon, Washington State). I think it runs from the Mexican border to the Canadian border -- over 2,600 miles. In 1980 "O.D." decided to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, but he wasn't in a hurry. He was the first thru-hiker to start in Georgia (in early February). He wrote in every trail register, encouraging everyone to slow down and enjoy the trip. "O.D." was the king of "slackpacking". If he hiked over 10 miles in one day then he would have to take off a day or two just to recover. He often did 5 or 6 miles in a day. To put things into perspective, I hiked the entire trail in just under 5 months. "O.D" had hiked less than half of the trail in about 4 months! That's why they called him a "slackpacker".
The "King of Slackpackers" was quite a sight! He had a beard (most thru-hikers did), and his clothes were worn. His backpack had a special strap on it that fit on his head. Some of the native american indians used this type of pack to carry loads, but I had never seen it on the Appalachian Trail. I sat with other curious hikers and listened to the stories that "O.D." told. He was a unique guy. I later found out that he finished his thru-hike in November after about 9 months on the trail. Now THAT is "slackpacking"!
Here in 2011 I made up for a week of being slack on my diet. This morning I weighed in at 178.0 pounds! That is a total of 8.8 pounds lost in just over 8 weeks. Now I have to work to keep the weight off and continue to lose those pounds! "O.D." would tell me to slow down, but I'm not going to get slack on this project!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Grave & Unusual Circumstances!
Back in 1980 I hiked through a lot of different places. Many Civil War battles took place in Virginia. One day I came to a small, quiet clearing and noticed two small gravestones next to the trail. Curious, I went up and looked at them. They were the graves of two soldiers who died during the Civil War. I pulled out my camera and carefully took a picture of one of the tombstones. Then I took a picture of the other tombstone. I stood for a moment of silence out of respect for those who had fallen in battle.
I took a lot of pictures on the Appalachian Trail (I think about 500). Back then we didn't have digital technology. My photos were done with a 35mm SLR camera on film. I actually used "slide" film. When the photos were developed, I was able to use a projector and look at the pictures. A few I sent off and had prints made from the slides.
Out of about 500 photos, I only had one time that something strange happened. I gasped when I looked at the pictures of the two graves in Virginia. Instead of two photos, somehow the images were overlaid on top of each other. It gave a very eerie feeling! If there was a problem with my camera, why did this only happen once? And why did it happen with these two particular photographs? This was certainly "grave and unusual circumstances"! I'll never know exactly why, but I also won't forget it either. It was probably the most bizarre thing that happened to me on the entire hike!
Here in 2011 I continue my project of losing weight. This morning I weighed in at 179.0 pounds. That means I have almost completely recovered from my recent setback. Yesterday I ate a large salad for supper and today I have another one for lunch. I have found that the salads really help fill me up and have very few calories (but lots of good nutrition!) I use a very light salad dressing (only 70 calories). As far as exercise goes, I did some walking at lunchtime today. My leg is almost back to normal. I hope to be able to run in the "Midnight Run for Missions" on Friday night. It's another 5K race.
I took a lot of pictures on the Appalachian Trail (I think about 500). Back then we didn't have digital technology. My photos were done with a 35mm SLR camera on film. I actually used "slide" film. When the photos were developed, I was able to use a projector and look at the pictures. A few I sent off and had prints made from the slides.
Out of about 500 photos, I only had one time that something strange happened. I gasped when I looked at the pictures of the two graves in Virginia. Instead of two photos, somehow the images were overlaid on top of each other. It gave a very eerie feeling! If there was a problem with my camera, why did this only happen once? And why did it happen with these two particular photographs? This was certainly "grave and unusual circumstances"! I'll never know exactly why, but I also won't forget it either. It was probably the most bizarre thing that happened to me on the entire hike!
Here in 2011 I continue my project of losing weight. This morning I weighed in at 179.0 pounds. That means I have almost completely recovered from my recent setback. Yesterday I ate a large salad for supper and today I have another one for lunch. I have found that the salads really help fill me up and have very few calories (but lots of good nutrition!) I use a very light salad dressing (only 70 calories). As far as exercise goes, I did some walking at lunchtime today. My leg is almost back to normal. I hope to be able to run in the "Midnight Run for Missions" on Friday night. It's another 5K race.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
What Did You Wear While Hiking The Trail?
Back in 1980 it was quite an adventure hiking the Appalachian Trail. I already posted once about getting new boots. By this time the boots were well broken-in! The boots were actually a little bit big for me. That was by design. I wore two layers of socks. The inner layer was a polyester blend and relatively thin. The outer layer was very thick wool socks. Wool socks in the summer? Yes! The reason for wool was not for warmth, wool actually breathes pretty well. It also holds up well under a lot of pressure. Those thick wool socks gave a lot of cushion. I also had padded insoles that I put inside my boots. When a pair of these started getting worn out, I would put a new pair in and also keep the old pair for extra cushion!
For other clothing, it was pretty simple. I had a pair of blue swimming trunks to wear. I cut out all the netting inside the swimming trunks and wore underwear underneath. The nylon of the swimming trunks was incredibly durable and also made them easy to rinse out and wash (which I did every couple of days). I had a short sleaved durable cotton shirt that buttoned up the front and had a pocket on the front. Quite honestly, once the temperature went up I usually hiked without wearing a shirt. I wasn't really worried about getting sunburned because the trail is mostly in the woods.
The only other clothing I had was a long sleaved wool shirt, a pair of wool nickers (pants that ended just below the knee), and a pair of extra-long wool socks to wear with the nickers. That was my cold weather clothing. It came in handy back in the Smoky Mountains when we had snow. Now that it was almost summer, they were only used if it got cool at night or in higher elevations.
I also had a strong nylon rain parka with a hood (that was the one I was wearing when I got caught in the storm on top of a mountain in the Mt. Rogers area). After several weeks of not wearing the rain parka I made a decision. I would need it later in the trip when I got farther North. That's why I mailed it to myself in Vermont and didn't have to carry it the entire trip. That's about 2.5 pounds less weight for about six weeks. I had a very thin "emergency blanket" also called a "space blanket" for emergencies. It only weighed a couple of ounces and looked like aluminum foil but it was extremely tough. I knew if it got really bad again, I could use it to keep warm and dry.
Here in 2011 I keep trying to work on my weight. This morning I weighed in at 180.2 pounds. What I thought was a problem with my achilles tendon actually turned out to be part of the calf muscle. I soaked it in epsom salts and it took most of the soreness away. The rest of the muscles in my legs are still sore from the 5K race, but it will work out. Eat right. Exercise. Drink water. Don't give up!
For other clothing, it was pretty simple. I had a pair of blue swimming trunks to wear. I cut out all the netting inside the swimming trunks and wore underwear underneath. The nylon of the swimming trunks was incredibly durable and also made them easy to rinse out and wash (which I did every couple of days). I had a short sleaved durable cotton shirt that buttoned up the front and had a pocket on the front. Quite honestly, once the temperature went up I usually hiked without wearing a shirt. I wasn't really worried about getting sunburned because the trail is mostly in the woods.
The only other clothing I had was a long sleaved wool shirt, a pair of wool nickers (pants that ended just below the knee), and a pair of extra-long wool socks to wear with the nickers. That was my cold weather clothing. It came in handy back in the Smoky Mountains when we had snow. Now that it was almost summer, they were only used if it got cool at night or in higher elevations.
I also had a strong nylon rain parka with a hood (that was the one I was wearing when I got caught in the storm on top of a mountain in the Mt. Rogers area). After several weeks of not wearing the rain parka I made a decision. I would need it later in the trip when I got farther North. That's why I mailed it to myself in Vermont and didn't have to carry it the entire trip. That's about 2.5 pounds less weight for about six weeks. I had a very thin "emergency blanket" also called a "space blanket" for emergencies. It only weighed a couple of ounces and looked like aluminum foil but it was extremely tough. I knew if it got really bad again, I could use it to keep warm and dry.
Here in 2011 I keep trying to work on my weight. This morning I weighed in at 180.2 pounds. What I thought was a problem with my achilles tendon actually turned out to be part of the calf muscle. I soaked it in epsom salts and it took most of the soreness away. The rest of the muscles in my legs are still sore from the 5K race, but it will work out. Eat right. Exercise. Drink water. Don't give up!
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