Some memories of the Appalachian Trail from 1980 are very clear. Others are somewhat clear. I don't remember the exact date or location, but the events of that evening were permanently burned into my memory banks.
At the end of a long day I crossed a road and walked a couple of miles to a shelter. No one else was there, so I began to settle in for the night. I cooked a huge pot of supper and had just finished eating when I heard a sound. In the woods, you get used to many different sounds. Some sounds are from the wind, some from the insects and animals, but some are made by humans. The distinct "clomp, clomp, clomp" noise was unmistakably the sound of a hiker coming down the trail. Since the light was beginning to fade, I was sure that the hiker was headed toward the shelter.
Sure enough, a hiker arrived. It was a woman and she looked vaguely familiar. She wore clothing that was soiled from many miles on the trail. When she arrived at the shelter I also noticed the smell. Now, I'm not complaining about the smell. We all sweat while hiking on the trail. And we all had a smell that was ok for the outdoors but would get us kicked out of some places in civilization! Yes, she had the look and the smell of a thru hiker.
Then I noticed two other things. First it was the hair on her stubby legs. It was obvious that this woman had not had a razor on her legs for a long, long time. The hair on her legs was only surpassed by the hair sprouting out from under her arms, revealed by her dirty tank top shirt. The second thing I noticed was a small can attached the the strap of her pack. Somehow that small can looked familiar too. Most hikers didn't carry things clipped to the shoulder straps of their packs. Why were these things familiar? Who was this woman?
And then it hit me. I knew exactly who this was! I remembered Hot Springs, North Carolina. I remembered the woman who arrived at the hostel with the can of mace hanging from the shoulder strap of her backpack. I wrote about it in the blog entitled "Who carries a can of mace on the Appalachian Trail?!!" on May 5, 2011. That was over two and a half months ago. She was ahead of me on the trail (or so I thought). How did she end up at this place and at this time?
We fell into conversation as hikers usually do at shelters. Yes, she did remember me from Hot Springs, N.C. Yes, she had been ahead of me and had been making very good time. But something happened. Her boyfriend in Arizona broke up with her and quit mailing her packages with all of her supplies. She had to get off of the trail and go home for two weeks in order to get things set up for a family member to mail her the rest of her supply packages.
"Two weeks," I thought to myself. "don't they have razors in Arizona? Why didn't she shave off all that nasty hair while she was home? It's one thing for a woman to get all hairy while hiking on the trail, but good grief!" That's not what I said, but it's what I thought. Then I realized that I was probably being too harsh. Perhaps she had to get off the trail and go home a couple of months ago. Perhaps she had been behind me and was only just now catching up to me on the trail. Her odor and dirty clothes were certainly evidence that she had been on the trail for a while. Perhaps I was being too hard on her after all....
Then I made the mistake of asking the question. I wish now that I had not asked. I wish that I didn't know the truth. I wish that I had gone on giving her the benefit of the doubt. Instead, I asked the question, "how long have you been back on the trail?"
"Oh," she replied, "I just got back on the trail today. As a matter of fact I just got a ride to the road a couple of miles south of here."
Again, my thoughts began to race, "What?!!! How can you smell so bad if you just got back on the trail? Why are your clothes filthy dirty? Why didn't you at least shave? And why on earth are you carrying a can of mace? Believe me, I have seen bears that are more attractive." Well, that's what I thought. It's not what I said. Fortunately it got dark quickly. In the morning the woman was up and off early. She hiked faster than me and that's the last time I saw her. But the smell lingered for a while......
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Finished? Not Yet!
Today is September 4, 2011. Thirty-one years ago today I climbed the last mountain of the Appalachian Trail. The official mileage that year was 2,106 miles from Springer Mountain in North Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. It took me 146 days to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. This year I set out on a journey to accomplish two objectives. First, I wanted to reduce my weight to 165 pounds. Second, I wanted to tell stories about the Appalachian Trail along the way.
Up until about three weeks ago I was making good progress on both objectives. I wrote stories about events from Georgia all the way to Vermont. But I have not finished....not yet! As far a weight goes, I have made significant progress. As of today I weigh 167.4 pounds. That means that I have lost a whopping 19.4 pounds! But I also have 2.4 more pounds to trim off of my body. No, I'm not finished with this objective....not yet!
What happened? Well, life happened. It's hard to do anything consistently for 146 days in a row. And, to be honest with you, I got a bit discouraged. I hit a period of time where I had a difficult time losing weight. In athletics it is called "hitting a plateau." No matter what I tried, I had difficulty getting below 170 pounds and staying there. For some reason 170 pounds has been my plateau point every time I have tried to lose weight.
June 25, 2005 I weighed 185. July 20, 2006 I weighed 170.
December 11, 2008 I weighed 180. February 25, 2009 I weighed 170.
February 15, 2010 I weighed 182. May 28, 2010 I weighed 178.
So, this time when I hit 170 pounds and stayed there I just kept trying to do the right things. I kept on running. I kept on watching what I ate (without starving myself). Finally, after a few weeks I finally started to trim my weight down again. 167.4 pounds is the least I have weighed in over eleven years! I know if I keep on trying, I will be able to get all the way down to 165 pounds. A friend of mine just had a heart attack (he is only a few years older than me). Fortunately it was relatively mild and they caught it in time to treat it. I want to do everything I can to keep from having the same problem! I turn 50 years old at the end of this month. I want to be as healthy as possible and getting rid of extra weight is one of the best ways to stay healthy!
The thirty-first anniversary of hiking the Appalachian Trail has been a tremendous motivation to finally lose weight and get healthy. Just because it is taking me a bit longer to finish my "journey" doesn't mean I am giving up. A lot of people who hiked the trail would take off a week or two in order to go home or have a side trip. They would return and finish the trail. I think I will treat the last three weeks like a side trip.
After all, some great things have already happened. My blood pressure is normal. I can wear clothes that have been sitting in the top of my closet for many years. I ran in a 5K road race on August 20, 2011 and had a time of 28:33 (which is 3:20 faster than my time on June 4th). This project is a marathon, not a sprint. I'm not finished, not yet! I will keep on trying to lose weight until I hit 165 pounds. And I still have at least three more weeks of stories to tell about the Appalachian Trail. So...if you will stay with me, we can still finish this journey together!
Up until about three weeks ago I was making good progress on both objectives. I wrote stories about events from Georgia all the way to Vermont. But I have not finished....not yet! As far a weight goes, I have made significant progress. As of today I weigh 167.4 pounds. That means that I have lost a whopping 19.4 pounds! But I also have 2.4 more pounds to trim off of my body. No, I'm not finished with this objective....not yet!
What happened? Well, life happened. It's hard to do anything consistently for 146 days in a row. And, to be honest with you, I got a bit discouraged. I hit a period of time where I had a difficult time losing weight. In athletics it is called "hitting a plateau." No matter what I tried, I had difficulty getting below 170 pounds and staying there. For some reason 170 pounds has been my plateau point every time I have tried to lose weight.
June 25, 2005 I weighed 185. July 20, 2006 I weighed 170.
December 11, 2008 I weighed 180. February 25, 2009 I weighed 170.
February 15, 2010 I weighed 182. May 28, 2010 I weighed 178.
So, this time when I hit 170 pounds and stayed there I just kept trying to do the right things. I kept on running. I kept on watching what I ate (without starving myself). Finally, after a few weeks I finally started to trim my weight down again. 167.4 pounds is the least I have weighed in over eleven years! I know if I keep on trying, I will be able to get all the way down to 165 pounds. A friend of mine just had a heart attack (he is only a few years older than me). Fortunately it was relatively mild and they caught it in time to treat it. I want to do everything I can to keep from having the same problem! I turn 50 years old at the end of this month. I want to be as healthy as possible and getting rid of extra weight is one of the best ways to stay healthy!
The thirty-first anniversary of hiking the Appalachian Trail has been a tremendous motivation to finally lose weight and get healthy. Just because it is taking me a bit longer to finish my "journey" doesn't mean I am giving up. A lot of people who hiked the trail would take off a week or two in order to go home or have a side trip. They would return and finish the trail. I think I will treat the last three weeks like a side trip.
After all, some great things have already happened. My blood pressure is normal. I can wear clothes that have been sitting in the top of my closet for many years. I ran in a 5K road race on August 20, 2011 and had a time of 28:33 (which is 3:20 faster than my time on June 4th). This project is a marathon, not a sprint. I'm not finished, not yet! I will keep on trying to lose weight until I hit 165 pounds. And I still have at least three more weeks of stories to tell about the Appalachian Trail. So...if you will stay with me, we can still finish this journey together!
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Long, Long Trail!
As I walked through the Green Mountains of Vermont I spent a lot of time in reflection. I had not finished the entire trail, but the end was less than a month away. I was back on schedule and making good time. My foot rarely hurt any more. I had picked up my red rain parka at my last mail drop (several weeks without carrying that extra two pounds made a difference).
One morning I woke up in a shelter and looked out to see thick fog. It rained very often in the Green Mountains (that's why they are green!) After a good breakfast, I packed up my stuff and started down the trail. the fog lay like a thick blanket over everything. Sounds were muffled and absorbed by the fog. The silence was only broken by the sound of my boots on the trail, the clatter of my hiking staff on the rocks, and some tiny rattles from items inside my pack.
I approached a place where the trail bent sharply to the right. As I walked forward, I saw something in the distance. What was that thing? The closer I got, the more I realized that it was a deer. His head was framed by some tree branches and his body was hidden by the fog. I walked slowly forward, watching the deer. He didn't see me, and the fog kept him from hearing me. Eventually I got so close that he turned and sniffed...he smelled me. He gave a snort and bounded off into the woods and the fog.
Before long the sun began to melt away the fog. Within a couple of hours I was walking in wonderful sunshine. The birds had been silent in the fog, but now they burst forth with their songs. It was amazing! I sang many songs while hiking the trail. I even wrote one (very cheesy) song when I was in North Carolina, but it wasn't anything to write home about. But on this day in Vermont I was overcome with my memories of the trail, the deer I had seen, the singing of the birds, and the absolute beauty of the mountains.
Suddenly words began to come to me. I found myself singing a few phrases. Before long I had to stop and write them down. As I walked, more words came, and more, and more. Within a couple of hours I was singing a new song. I originally called it "And Of The Sky", but later changed the name to "The Long, Long Trail". The name fit, since the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail were actually together at this point (the Long Trail extends the length of Vermont from South to North). I later changed some of the words to past tense when I finished hiking. Here is what I wrote:
I was leaving it all behind me
To go out and see the world
To see the peaceful mountains
And learn their mysteries of old
Now I left the city behind me
I left my friends and my home
I left my school and my family
To head for points unknown.
(Chorus)
And I was walking that long, long trail from Georgia
Headed on that path that leads ever northward
And inbetween the lines I saw the goodness and the beauty
Of the earth, and of the sky!
Now the people of the mountains
They know how to live
They know what calmness and patience means
They live their lives to give
They know what it means to stand alone
On a peaceful mountain top
To see the wind chase the clouds away
Or feel the sun at dawn!
(Chorus)
Now when my walk met it's lonesome end
And I stood on Katahdin's top
I could see all the miles and the people I'd met
And I knew that I'd learned a lot.
I learned how to smile when the sun breaks through
On a cloudy, misty day
Where the deer run wild and the birds sing free
It's a happy day!
(Chorus Twice)
It's a song that I have been singing ever since. The hike in 1980 changed me. It gave me memories that will last a lifetime. It gave me confidence in God and in myself. I'll never forget that long, long trail!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 169.0 pounds. Over the last several days I have weighed in sometimes more and sometimes less than 169. My goal is 165 pounds by September 4th. That means I need to lose four more pounds in a little more than three weeks. I have continued to jog (almost every day). Today I had a big salad for lunch. Right now I am eating a bowl of beans and cornbread for supper. A week from tomorrow I am running in another 5K road race. This time I am in much better shape and hope to do well!
One morning I woke up in a shelter and looked out to see thick fog. It rained very often in the Green Mountains (that's why they are green!) After a good breakfast, I packed up my stuff and started down the trail. the fog lay like a thick blanket over everything. Sounds were muffled and absorbed by the fog. The silence was only broken by the sound of my boots on the trail, the clatter of my hiking staff on the rocks, and some tiny rattles from items inside my pack.
I approached a place where the trail bent sharply to the right. As I walked forward, I saw something in the distance. What was that thing? The closer I got, the more I realized that it was a deer. His head was framed by some tree branches and his body was hidden by the fog. I walked slowly forward, watching the deer. He didn't see me, and the fog kept him from hearing me. Eventually I got so close that he turned and sniffed...he smelled me. He gave a snort and bounded off into the woods and the fog.
Before long the sun began to melt away the fog. Within a couple of hours I was walking in wonderful sunshine. The birds had been silent in the fog, but now they burst forth with their songs. It was amazing! I sang many songs while hiking the trail. I even wrote one (very cheesy) song when I was in North Carolina, but it wasn't anything to write home about. But on this day in Vermont I was overcome with my memories of the trail, the deer I had seen, the singing of the birds, and the absolute beauty of the mountains.
Suddenly words began to come to me. I found myself singing a few phrases. Before long I had to stop and write them down. As I walked, more words came, and more, and more. Within a couple of hours I was singing a new song. I originally called it "And Of The Sky", but later changed the name to "The Long, Long Trail". The name fit, since the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail were actually together at this point (the Long Trail extends the length of Vermont from South to North). I later changed some of the words to past tense when I finished hiking. Here is what I wrote:
I was leaving it all behind me
To go out and see the world
To see the peaceful mountains
And learn their mysteries of old
Now I left the city behind me
I left my friends and my home
I left my school and my family
To head for points unknown.
(Chorus)
And I was walking that long, long trail from Georgia
Headed on that path that leads ever northward
And inbetween the lines I saw the goodness and the beauty
Of the earth, and of the sky!
Now the people of the mountains
They know how to live
They know what calmness and patience means
They live their lives to give
They know what it means to stand alone
On a peaceful mountain top
To see the wind chase the clouds away
Or feel the sun at dawn!
(Chorus)
Now when my walk met it's lonesome end
And I stood on Katahdin's top
I could see all the miles and the people I'd met
And I knew that I'd learned a lot.
I learned how to smile when the sun breaks through
On a cloudy, misty day
Where the deer run wild and the birds sing free
It's a happy day!
(Chorus Twice)
It's a song that I have been singing ever since. The hike in 1980 changed me. It gave me memories that will last a lifetime. It gave me confidence in God and in myself. I'll never forget that long, long trail!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 169.0 pounds. Over the last several days I have weighed in sometimes more and sometimes less than 169. My goal is 165 pounds by September 4th. That means I need to lose four more pounds in a little more than three weeks. I have continued to jog (almost every day). Today I had a big salad for lunch. Right now I am eating a bowl of beans and cornbread for supper. A week from tomorrow I am running in another 5K road race. This time I am in much better shape and hope to do well!
Friday, August 5, 2011
I Find Out Who Is Really In Charge!
I woke early the next morning, much earlier than normal. Usually I would be ready to hike at about 8:30am, but this day I was on the trail at 7:15am. It was only six miles to the road crossing. From there I was counting on getting a ride into town and getting my supply box by noon. It was Saturday, and I had been walking hard all week to make it to that post office by noon on Saturday.
The trail was relatively easy, I was making good time. But I was uptight. I was worried. I was distracted. What if I didn't make it by noon? What if I got to the road and couldn't get a ride? What if I got there at 12:05 and just missed getting my supplies by five minutes? As the miles went by I got more and more anxious. For some reason I had forgotten what happened in Buchannan, Virginia. That story is earlier in my blog and tells about how God answered my prayer and gave me a ride to town and provided for me in a powerful way. But this day in Vermont, I wasn't thinking about Buchannan, Virginia. I was consumed with worry.
Finally I reached a point where my mind cleared. I realized that I couldn't call myself a Christian if I didn't actually trust in God. If God is supposed to be in charge of everything, then I should trust Him, right? So I did the same thing that Jonah eventually did, I prayed. I asked God to help me make it to the post office on time to pick up my supply box. And, I finally had a peace about it.
At 10:30am I broke out of the woods and came out to the road crossing. To my left a few miles away was the town with the post office. I smiled very big. I knew that there was no way I would miss the noon deadline at this post office. Even if I had to walk the whole way, I could probably get there just before noon. I had done it. I had made it. I had pushed hard all week and was now back on schedule.
I began to walk down the road. I heard a car approaching and I stuck out my thumb. A small VW "bug" stopped immediately and gave me a ride. I squeezed myself and my backpack into the back seat of the "bug" and we were on our way. This was great! The first car I saw stopped! I wasn't just going to beat the noon deadline, I was going to kill it! The driver was very nice. He didn't know where the post office was but we drove around until we found it. Truth is, he drove through town twice until we spotted it (the town was that small).
When the VW "bug" pulled into a parking spot I was working to extract myself and my backpack from the back seat of the tiny car. Then I heard the driver say, "I hope you made it in time...." At first I thought he was joking. Every post office I had ever seen in my life closed at noon on Saturday. Then the driver said, "because it closes at 10:45."
Immediately I looked at my watch. It said 10:44am. I raced to the front door, yelling my thanks to the kind driver, and entered the post office just before an employee was able to lock the door. Yes, they had my box. Yes, I was able to get the box with all my supplies.
At 10:50am I was sitting outside of the post office with my supply box and my backpack. I was stunned. For all that time I was focused on noon. I thought I had done it all. I thought I had made things happen. But I realized that the only reason I made it in time was with God's help. There were too many "coincidences" that helped me make it just in time. It was a wake up call for me! I really wasn't in charge. God was (and is) in charge. I will never forget it.
I never saw the VW "bug" drive away (I was too focused on getting my supply box). I like to imagine that it drove up the road and around the corner and then disappeared as the two angels from the car flew into the air and sat on top of a tall tree, laughing about their assignment. They had taken care of me yet again!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 170.4 pounds. Last night there was a teachers' meeting (I will be teaching one morning per week this year). I didn't realize that they would have lots of FOOD and DESSERTS and SNACKS. My willpower crumbled and I gave in! More running this morning and hopes to keep trimming the weight off!
The trail was relatively easy, I was making good time. But I was uptight. I was worried. I was distracted. What if I didn't make it by noon? What if I got to the road and couldn't get a ride? What if I got there at 12:05 and just missed getting my supplies by five minutes? As the miles went by I got more and more anxious. For some reason I had forgotten what happened in Buchannan, Virginia. That story is earlier in my blog and tells about how God answered my prayer and gave me a ride to town and provided for me in a powerful way. But this day in Vermont, I wasn't thinking about Buchannan, Virginia. I was consumed with worry.
Finally I reached a point where my mind cleared. I realized that I couldn't call myself a Christian if I didn't actually trust in God. If God is supposed to be in charge of everything, then I should trust Him, right? So I did the same thing that Jonah eventually did, I prayed. I asked God to help me make it to the post office on time to pick up my supply box. And, I finally had a peace about it.
At 10:30am I broke out of the woods and came out to the road crossing. To my left a few miles away was the town with the post office. I smiled very big. I knew that there was no way I would miss the noon deadline at this post office. Even if I had to walk the whole way, I could probably get there just before noon. I had done it. I had made it. I had pushed hard all week and was now back on schedule.
I began to walk down the road. I heard a car approaching and I stuck out my thumb. A small VW "bug" stopped immediately and gave me a ride. I squeezed myself and my backpack into the back seat of the "bug" and we were on our way. This was great! The first car I saw stopped! I wasn't just going to beat the noon deadline, I was going to kill it! The driver was very nice. He didn't know where the post office was but we drove around until we found it. Truth is, he drove through town twice until we spotted it (the town was that small).
When the VW "bug" pulled into a parking spot I was working to extract myself and my backpack from the back seat of the tiny car. Then I heard the driver say, "I hope you made it in time...." At first I thought he was joking. Every post office I had ever seen in my life closed at noon on Saturday. Then the driver said, "because it closes at 10:45."
Immediately I looked at my watch. It said 10:44am. I raced to the front door, yelling my thanks to the kind driver, and entered the post office just before an employee was able to lock the door. Yes, they had my box. Yes, I was able to get the box with all my supplies.
At 10:50am I was sitting outside of the post office with my supply box and my backpack. I was stunned. For all that time I was focused on noon. I thought I had done it all. I thought I had made things happen. But I realized that the only reason I made it in time was with God's help. There were too many "coincidences" that helped me make it just in time. It was a wake up call for me! I really wasn't in charge. God was (and is) in charge. I will never forget it.
I never saw the VW "bug" drive away (I was too focused on getting my supply box). I like to imagine that it drove up the road and around the corner and then disappeared as the two angels from the car flew into the air and sat on top of a tall tree, laughing about their assignment. They had taken care of me yet again!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 170.4 pounds. Last night there was a teachers' meeting (I will be teaching one morning per week this year). I didn't realize that they would have lots of FOOD and DESSERTS and SNACKS. My willpower crumbled and I gave in! More running this morning and hopes to keep trimming the weight off!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
All I Could Think About Was "Noon on Saturday"
When I crossed the state line into Vermont I knew that I was making progress. I was now in the "Green Mountains". The mountains are beautiful, and they are green. I found out why they are green. It rains a lot! All the vegetation loves the frequent showers in the Green Mountains. It was summer time and I didn't mind the frequent showers (they cooled things off)!
At this time I was focused on getting back on schedule. Way back in Virginia I had bruised my foot. By the time I got to Pennsylvania it developed into a stress fracture and I had to go to a hospital. After several days of rest, I was back on the trail with a thick pad inside my boot but I was behind schedule. Now, several hundred miles later I was close to getting back on schedule. I reached my last supply pickup point in the afternoon on a Saturday. The post office was closed and I had to wait until Monday morning before it reopened. I was determined to make it to my next supply pickup point before noon on Saturday.
Every day I tried to hike just a little bit farther. Every day I looked at my data book and planned how many miles I had to make in order to make it to the North Clarendon, Vermont post office by noon on Saturday. The trail helped me along. There was a lot of ridge walking which is much easier than straight up and down mountains.
After a week of pushing hard I found myself at a shelter on Friday night just six miles from the road crossing leading into North Clarendon. I knew that I could make it to the road in the morning and catch a ride into the town to pickup my box from the post office by noon on Saturday. All I could think about was noon on Saturday.
That night I met some "weekend warriors". That's what we called people who came out to hike for a night or two on the trail during the weekend. They were friendly people and quite impressed that I had hiked to Vermont all the way from Georgia. I had learned a long time ago that most weekend warriors carried much more than they ever needed. I always needed Coleman Fuel for my cook stove. So I had the habit of asking weekend warriors if they had any spare Coleman Fuel that I could buy from them. Usually they had a full bottle and gladly gave me whatever I needed to fill my bottle. A full bottle would last me about two weeks, so I almost never ran out. I always offered to pay them, but no one ever took my money.
As night fell that Friday evening, I snuggled into my sleeping bag with a smile on my face. I had a full fuel bottle. I was only six miles from the road crossing. My alarm was set for early in the morning. There was no way that I was going to miss the Post Office by noon on Saturday. I had done it. I had gotten back on schedule. I was proud of myself. But there was something that I didn't know. Something that would be a complete surprise to me. But it would have to wait until the morning.
2011 Update: This morning I weighed in at 169.2 pounds! Diet and exercise DO work if you stick with it! I am so excited to finally be under 170 pounds. My goal is to reach 165 pounds by September 4th (the day I climbed the last mountain on the Appalachian Trail back in 1980). For a few days I was wondering if I could make it, but I redoubled me efforts and now I am back on track. I see a big salad in my future.... :)
At this time I was focused on getting back on schedule. Way back in Virginia I had bruised my foot. By the time I got to Pennsylvania it developed into a stress fracture and I had to go to a hospital. After several days of rest, I was back on the trail with a thick pad inside my boot but I was behind schedule. Now, several hundred miles later I was close to getting back on schedule. I reached my last supply pickup point in the afternoon on a Saturday. The post office was closed and I had to wait until Monday morning before it reopened. I was determined to make it to my next supply pickup point before noon on Saturday.
Every day I tried to hike just a little bit farther. Every day I looked at my data book and planned how many miles I had to make in order to make it to the North Clarendon, Vermont post office by noon on Saturday. The trail helped me along. There was a lot of ridge walking which is much easier than straight up and down mountains.
After a week of pushing hard I found myself at a shelter on Friday night just six miles from the road crossing leading into North Clarendon. I knew that I could make it to the road in the morning and catch a ride into the town to pickup my box from the post office by noon on Saturday. All I could think about was noon on Saturday.
That night I met some "weekend warriors". That's what we called people who came out to hike for a night or two on the trail during the weekend. They were friendly people and quite impressed that I had hiked to Vermont all the way from Georgia. I had learned a long time ago that most weekend warriors carried much more than they ever needed. I always needed Coleman Fuel for my cook stove. So I had the habit of asking weekend warriors if they had any spare Coleman Fuel that I could buy from them. Usually they had a full bottle and gladly gave me whatever I needed to fill my bottle. A full bottle would last me about two weeks, so I almost never ran out. I always offered to pay them, but no one ever took my money.
As night fell that Friday evening, I snuggled into my sleeping bag with a smile on my face. I had a full fuel bottle. I was only six miles from the road crossing. My alarm was set for early in the morning. There was no way that I was going to miss the Post Office by noon on Saturday. I had done it. I had gotten back on schedule. I was proud of myself. But there was something that I didn't know. Something that would be a complete surprise to me. But it would have to wait until the morning.
2011 Update: This morning I weighed in at 169.2 pounds! Diet and exercise DO work if you stick with it! I am so excited to finally be under 170 pounds. My goal is to reach 165 pounds by September 4th (the day I climbed the last mountain on the Appalachian Trail back in 1980). For a few days I was wondering if I could make it, but I redoubled me efforts and now I am back on track. I see a big salad in my future.... :)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Things Aren't Always What They Appear To Be
In 1980 I saw a notice at a trail register about a guy who owned a cabin next to the trail in Massachusetts. He offered to let hikers stay the night for free. I signed up on his list and many days later I arrived at the cabin. It was actually just off of the trail, a little cabin nestled in the woods. A couple of other hikers were there and the four of us had good conversation. The guy who owned the cabin was nice.....but there was something weird about him too. Nothing specific happened, but I later realized what was going on. This guy was trying to find other guys to "date". That's why he opened his place to hikers.
I'm glad I didn't figure this out until later, because it would have been awkward for me to pack up and leave after dark. I spent the night "camping" on a couch in the sun room. I remember accidentally bumping a table that had a temperature recording device. The owner was upset for a moment. He was trying to record the temperatures and I had messed it up. But, he decided that it was a "short term spike" and would not really affect his data.
In the morning we had blueberry pancakes and I headed on my way. One of the other hikers was staying on to go water skiing and to "hang out". I appreciated the hospitality, but I didn't appreciate the underhanded way this guy was trying to find homosexual boyfriends. Things aren't always what they appear to be. I am a very open, an honest person and I hope that other people are open and honest with me. I continued to hike down the trail, making progress toward the next state which was Vermont. Some big things were getting ready to happen!
2011 Update: This morning I weighed in at 170.6 pounds. How could I lose 3.2 pounds in one day? Well, I ate a LOT of salt over the weekend. So, yesterday I drank tons and tons of water. Your body retains water in order to bind with the salt and remove it from your body. By drinking all of that water, all of the salt and extra fluid left my body. Yes, I had many trips to the bathroom, but my weight is almost back on track. I went jogging again this morning (the entire neighborhood). I had a big salad for lunch and ate a grilled Chick-fil-a sandwich for supper. I'm trying to be strict on my diet and exercises so I can trim these last few pounds. I have 5.6 pounds left and 33 days!
I'm glad I didn't figure this out until later, because it would have been awkward for me to pack up and leave after dark. I spent the night "camping" on a couch in the sun room. I remember accidentally bumping a table that had a temperature recording device. The owner was upset for a moment. He was trying to record the temperatures and I had messed it up. But, he decided that it was a "short term spike" and would not really affect his data.
In the morning we had blueberry pancakes and I headed on my way. One of the other hikers was staying on to go water skiing and to "hang out". I appreciated the hospitality, but I didn't appreciate the underhanded way this guy was trying to find homosexual boyfriends. Things aren't always what they appear to be. I am a very open, an honest person and I hope that other people are open and honest with me. I continued to hike down the trail, making progress toward the next state which was Vermont. Some big things were getting ready to happen!
2011 Update: This morning I weighed in at 170.6 pounds. How could I lose 3.2 pounds in one day? Well, I ate a LOT of salt over the weekend. So, yesterday I drank tons and tons of water. Your body retains water in order to bind with the salt and remove it from your body. By drinking all of that water, all of the salt and extra fluid left my body. Yes, I had many trips to the bathroom, but my weight is almost back on track. I went jogging again this morning (the entire neighborhood). I had a big salad for lunch and ate a grilled Chick-fil-a sandwich for supper. I'm trying to be strict on my diet and exercises so I can trim these last few pounds. I have 5.6 pounds left and 33 days!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Silence. Try it!
One of the unusual events while hiking the Appalachian Trail in 1980 was an overnight visit at a monastery. Yes, that's right, a monastery! I read a note in a trail register inviting hikers to come and spend a night. It was a free bunk for the night and a couple of free meals. I enjoyed a hot shower and clean sheets. There was no tv or any other electronics. It was very quiet. I was able to simply sit and think and pray.
Silence is not something that we have enough of now. We tend to fill our lives with all kinds of noises. The tv is blaring, the phone is ringing, people are talking, music is playing in the other room. All of these distractions makes it hard to really focus on anything for any length of time. Staying in the monastery reminded me of the need for silence and reflection. I had already hiked a large portion of the trail. I only had about one month left to reach the end of my journey. I had a lot to think about.
I thought about life. I thought about what I would do in the future. I thought about God and my life as a Christian. I thought about many different things. And, in the silence, God spoke to me too. Not in an audible voice, but He spoke peace into my heart. I had guidance and direction. I had purpose and a plan. I had hope for the future.
Silence. Try it!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 173.8 pounds (*sigh!*). I ate a lot over the weekend and put on weight. I hope that a lot of it is water weight and that it will come off fast. It's another setback, but I press on. This morning I jogged and added more distance. Now I am jogging every road and culdesac in my neighborhood. That ought to burn some calories! Time for another salad!
Silence is not something that we have enough of now. We tend to fill our lives with all kinds of noises. The tv is blaring, the phone is ringing, people are talking, music is playing in the other room. All of these distractions makes it hard to really focus on anything for any length of time. Staying in the monastery reminded me of the need for silence and reflection. I had already hiked a large portion of the trail. I only had about one month left to reach the end of my journey. I had a lot to think about.
I thought about life. I thought about what I would do in the future. I thought about God and my life as a Christian. I thought about many different things. And, in the silence, God spoke to me too. Not in an audible voice, but He spoke peace into my heart. I had guidance and direction. I had purpose and a plan. I had hope for the future.
Silence. Try it!
2011 update: This morning I weighed in at 173.8 pounds (*sigh!*). I ate a lot over the weekend and put on weight. I hope that a lot of it is water weight and that it will come off fast. It's another setback, but I press on. This morning I jogged and added more distance. Now I am jogging every road and culdesac in my neighborhood. That ought to burn some calories! Time for another salad!
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