Day Two and Three



Wrong Way Mountain

The second day was wet. After I stopped the first day, it rained incessantly for a few hours. There was a chill that night, so I was happy to be up and walking at daybreak. After two hours, I had covered four miles. This was not bad time, all things considered. The path in this area was strewn with rock. Thankfully it was also level. I reached a meadow. Sadly, there was still a remnant of fog and again, I missed my blaze. The meadow opened into rolling green hills to the left, steep, dramatic descents to the right, and a dead end ahead. I walked back to the beginning point and took out the map. It said pipeline and then a descent, a BIG descent. So, I followed the pipeline.  When I reached a stream at the bottom, I realized that I had gone the wrong way...again. Thankfully this was my last turn around!  

Rocky Path

 On the way back up the mountain two rattlesnakes appeared. Thankfully, they did not persue because I think they could have beaten me to the top. The picture again only shows half the mountain. This was taken at the very bottom from the stream. Once I reached the top the other half of the mountain was left to traverse. By the time I was at the top, the fog had burned off and a white blaze appeared, diagonally across the meadow. I picked it up and continued on my way. The toughest thing about the trip was the time lapse. I would walk and walk, thinking I made much more progress than what I really had. The trail had its own mileage system. This especially became disheartening when the end of the day approached and I thought I was close to a shelter, except there was no shelter to be seen. At the end of day two I was seriously questioning why I thought I could attempt such an adventure.
        Thru-hikers are excellent people. There was only time to talk to a few, but they were a great group. One that stayed at the second shelter the same night as me, came lumbering in with 65 lbs on his back! I could only stare in disbelief. He explained there was a job waiting for him in Maine this winter, so he packed extra things he wouldn't normally. His pack made my pack look like a featherweight. All I could think about were rocks. He assured me the rocks did end, and after the descent I should have a nice clear path for the next day. I was thankful! I never could understand how he made it down that rock mountain with 65 lbs.
       The third day was clear and I left early, again. This time the descent went fairly quickly but I couldn't help but dwell on what I could be accomplishing back home. I looked at my eight to ten-inch path and decided that was it. If I made it off the mountain, I would come home and regroup. I could also get in shape for the NEXT time I want to walk a section of the AT. Again the AT played its trick and the more I kept walking, the farther the trail seemed to extend. After about ten miles, I made it to a place I could call for a shuttle and made my way back to the bus station.

       It was quite the experience and I learned I do enjoy camping and hiking quite a bit. However to be immersed in nature means I have to give up a watch and schedule, which I dearly love. Next time I know how to adjust gear to make it a little lighter and give myself more time without interruption or deadlines. I also need to know the terrain. Had I stayed on the trail, I would have been stuck somewhere for a week to allow my feet to heal. They were in bad shape after all of those rocks!Thanks for your interest and prayers family and friends and I will see most all of you very soon!
                                                                                                                            God Bless,
                                                                                                                              S
     

Day One

After thirteen hours or so in and out of bus stations, I arrived at Duncannon. Duncannon is a great, small town in Pennsylvania. The map on the left was the first indication I was in the right spot. I hot-footed it to the hostel and dumped my pack in the hallway while they found a room. The hostel owner was incredulous that my pack only weighed around 40lbs. "It's too much stuff," she said, "have a thru-hiker look at it. They can tell you what to dump."
        After putting my forty pound puzzle together, it was hard for me to imagine I would need to send anything home. I decided to wait.
        I left when the sun came up the next morning and took what I thought was the path out of town. It was a road out of town, but not the Appalachian Trail. I turned around. I tried a different way that the map showed. Still no AT. So I took a road up through a housing community that was supposed to link me to the AT. There was a path through trees. I thought I would try it. I walked along for a bit realizing my pack was TOO heavy with the additional water weight I had added that morning and that I was not on the AT since no little white marks were anywhere near me. What to do? Turn around. There is nothing to do but turn around because there was almost no hope my path would ever hit the AT.
      Although it was still early morning, the post office would be open by the time I reached town. My bag was lightened there by 8 1/2 lbs. After disposing of all the "excess" in my pack, I wandered toward the hostel. My feet were saying I put in a full day's work and should not proceed. I pulled on the hostel door to find they were still closed. Sadly, it was then I realized it was only 10:30. My feet had put in a day's work in 4 1/2 hours. I sat on a platform, next to the hostel, and chatted with three thru-hikers. Generally the talk was about hiking and weather. The girl from the group had twisted both ankles, one ankle was wrapped, one had boot-like reinforcement. She wanted to continue hiking. They had rested four days out of the five it was supposed to take to heal and she was ready to go. Anyway, she pointed out, the next shelter was a mere four miles up the mountain. Four miles did not seem like much at the hostel.
        After resting awhile, the feet didn't hurt as much, and walking on the trail seemed preferable to sitting around looking at the mountain all day. So, I left. Without the fog that shrouded everything, I found the white blazes and followed it up a steep rocky paths. Boulders and trees were strewn on the mountainside and I climbed my way up with the assistance of the trekking poles and occasional tree. This was no walk.
       There was a girl coming down the path I was going up. There were not many places to get out of the way of another hiker, but on this path there were a few. It was her second day on the trail and she told me a rough day's walk was ahead. More omens.
       Finally, I made it to the top. The tricky thing about climbing a mountain is when I looked up, I could see a top where I could see no more. That did not mean it was the top of the mountain or path. It just meant the path would lead another way to go higher. After the first day, my motto became, "When in doubt, go up." The path evened out eventually and led me to the next ascent. My eyes bugged out of my head. It was all rock. Some packed. Some loose. All rock.....No book I had read mentioned this particular adventure. Thru-hikers were probably primed already for this type of challenge but a day-one rookie was sadly not prepared in any way, shape, or form. There were no trees to grasp hold of, no shrubs to stop a fall should something happen, this was just rock up a steep path that was maybe a foot wide. The actual width of the path was variable, it could always decrease in size! For some reason, going back seemed worse than going forward, so forward I went. Precariously I inched along thanking God for the trekking poles Jon sold me. They were awesome. My foot rarely ever hit a loose stone with their guidance. A few friends asked for pictures of this wretched mountain. All I can say is the camera was on my back and there was no way I wanted to balance taking the pack off to find a camera and take a picture. Sorry friends.
         Finally, I made it to the top. The ground evened out at this point so I happily finished those last two miles to the shelter, which of course was down a steep side path. :)

Hiker's Eve

Rain is hitting the window. This could be very unimportant, I am in Ohio and begin walking in Pennsylvania. However, according to the weather forecasts, this rain will show up in Pennsylvania in another day or two. Perfect timing. Right now I am VERY tired and will make this short and sweet. The following three pictures are the contents of my pack, currently weighing in at a mighty 43lbs. Hopefully after working with the contents for a few weeks I can figure out something to ditch!
God Bless and Good Night!
S

Countdown

Still on track. Pack is packed. Boxes are stacked. Nerves are on the rise. (: Besides a few bible studies, the words of Muir and Thoreau will be my companions this summer.

My greatest fear:
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.  ~Henry David Thoreau, 1854

and at last, fulfillment for my itchy feet:
Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.  ~John Muir

God Bless,
S

Pack - Approximately 40 lbs. at all times. Includes: sleeping system (pad, tent, bag, and liner), cooking system (pocket rocket, fuel, pot, spoon, seasonings), water system (filter, cambelback resevoir, potable aqua), first aid kit, personal items (hygiene- insect repellent - camera - 5 pages for writing, etc.), clothing (sandals, one extra shirt, one pair of capris, jacket), food - 5 day supply, rope, knife, etc.

Since I begin the trip twice from home, there are only eight re-supply boxes needed. Food for the next three months

A typical re-supply box. This is for five or six days of travel. I went a little overboard on the cocoa. ( :

Twenty-two days and counting...

        Ha. It seems impossible. In three weeks and one day I will drive to Ohio, drop off a mewling kitty and several boxes, then catch a bus early in the morning. Yikes! Obviously I won't be giving my exact location while on the trail, but the gist is a two and a half week walk southbound from PA, followed by a seven or eight week walk northbound.
        Why the changeover? Mostly because there is a conference I must attend as Yearbook Coordinator for next year, in the middle of June. After two weeks, my legs will probably be very thankful for a break. Also, by walking through some of the mid-Atlantic states first, I hope for a smoother start than the all-out 3 and 4 thousand foot dips in the GA mountains. For those of you who may be new to the AT, it covers fourteen states and approximately 2,174 miles. Realistically I have no clue how far I will make it. Ideally, it would be pretty amazing to cover between 600 and 1,000 miles this summer. That would allow time to finish next summer, if hiking still sounds appealing. (: The highest point on the trail - a point I will cross this summer- is Clingman's Dome at 6,643 ft  (I think). There are shelters and campgrounds along the trail and towns are spread intermittently along or nearby the AT.
          What am I looking forward to the most? A new experience. An experience that will allow me to talk to and collect stories from others along the way. Peace and quiet for most days where there is nothing in the front, back, or middle of my mind to muddle up thoughts except a walk. A chance to soak in nature the way God intended. Okay, I know this corridor of green has been altered by humans, but there will still be jaw-dropping momments of beauty!
          Any suggestions for music are welcome! I don't encourage taking technology to the trail, but a little can go a long way. Take care my friends and family!
                                                                                                                                       God Bless,
                                                                                                                                                S

I'm carrying THAT?

 (Please feel free to laugh at my melodramatic monologues...I am!)   


         I can do marathons - shopping marathons. Last night, with a friend's assistance, nearly all of my gear was purchased at one single store. A Godsend, disguised as a manager at Gander Mountain, perused the cart beforehand, double-checking that the non-wilderness girl had remembered all she might need to survive away from a shopping mall. :) Somehow I passed the test, I think, because the last pieces of advice were, "Have fun and take lots of pictures." No worries there.
        Today is food day. My mind does not comprehend visual or 3-D images without actually seeing the product. Blue prints will forever remain a mystery. Directions only work with very clear labels. Therefore, knowing what should be put in a re-supply box is one thing. Lists are cake. Figuring out the actual volume and dimensions of the box needed for a 5-10 day supply of food becomes more tricky. There is no concept in my mind as to how big that box should be. Many trips will be made. (How many freezer/sandwich bags will it take to compartmentalize a 40 lb. pack? No clue.) Mountains of food will be accumulated. (How long does a package of beef jerky last a hungry hiker? No clue.) Success will be...eventual.
        As time draws to a close on the school year and papers increase, my time outside has been frighteningly brief. However, the next few weeks should afford some beautiful weather and perfect opportunities for me to test gear and establish how to pack a pack. It still boggles my mind (again, lacking the capacity of dimensions) that everything on my living room floor has to fit into a pack. (I will take a picture.) One pack. Which I will haul like a pack mule up and down elevations, the greatest being over 6,000 feet. For some of you reading, you likely may be laughing at my naivety or complete ineptitude. For my ignorance, I apologize. I know the concepts, but it is true, this is the first time for such an expedition. Bursts of hope and moments of reality wage war within me. At the same time, I know God, Ethan, and pure stubborness will keep me going through all of the situations in my future.
        Ridiculousness set aside, there has been an exciting Ethan up-date: he transitioned recently from laying down to sitting up and he has been crawling all over the place for quite awhile! For kids with PBD's this is especially difficult because they usually have very weak muscle tone. Those core muscles are getting stronger! Go Ethan!!!!!


                                                                                                                          God Bless,
                                                                                                                           S

A Few Small Steps

Hello All!
Thank you for joining me during this summer expedition on the Appalachian Trail. As many of you know, my best friend, Pam, has a son, Ethan, who was diagnosed with PBD or Perioxisomal Biogenisis Disorder. This disorder affects very few children but the impact is severe, up to the point of death. For every newborn diagnosed with PBD only 1 out of 2 will survive their first year. Recently a family was discovered with sons in their 30's. This a huge revelation and source of hope to any family who has faced this diagnosis and told they are alone. This walk is dedicated to Ethan and every PBD family. The truth is no one is alone. It is a truth hard to accept, yet each one of us need it regardless of the disease, addiction, problem, or situation that makes us feel no one and nothing can help. We are only as isolated as we allow ourselves to be.

There are selfish reasons for this walk as well. Through this trip I hope to refresh myself. At the end of every school year, I walk away exhausted and extinguished, in need of time alone and a place to find freedom. Hopefully I will stumble upon some of that this summer. Also, this trip is meant to jump start a truly active lifestyle, a change that seemed too demanding to consistently keep over the last year amid stacks of papers, lines of students, and towers of school books. Overall there is a vast amount of life I want to live, this is the first small step toward it. Hiking seemed appropriate because after all, it means that I simply put one foot in front of the other.

I hope you continue with me on this journey. Over the next few weeks, I will be polishing this blog, continuing to buy and pack my gear, and walking all over Decatur.
God Bless,
Steph