Exceptional Moments and the Biopsy Result

Wolf Laurel Top (I think)

"In order to see things others do not see we must be willing to go where others do not go, do those things others refuse to do, and do them at times that are often inconvenient. It is when we optimize our opportunities, and overcome our obstacles that we experience those all-too-rare, ever-elusive exceptional moments in life."   Hiker Dude's Adventure Weblog
Today's entry is wonderful.  I downloaded Father Fiction to my Kindle.

I captured this exceptional moment above on Feb. 14, 2013.  We had been walking about 2 hours I think when I noticed a little side path off the Appalachian Trail. I would have missed this incredible view had I not taken the little path to the right (reminds me of the book, The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck - great book).  I'm grateful for the gift of curiosity that brought me to this place and for the camera that allowed me to capture a small part of the beauty so that I could share it. 

Presently, I'm at home. It was a difficult decision to leave the AT on Feb. 16, 2013 but a smart decision since the temperature dropped that night to around 17 degrees and I'm sure felt colder with the wind chill factor for those who remained on the trail (I remember them in my prayers every day -- it's been COLD in the North Georgia mountains). It's been cold two hours South of the North Georgia mountains - it is winter. 

I don't regret starting on February 14th and only being out 2.5 days. I would have missed meeting Ears, Chris, RV, Bruce, Doug, Patrick (three mouseketeers - hammock guys). Maybe I would not have had the privilege of hiking with Winkle or the opportunity to get to know Roy from the fitpacking.com hike. I learned that my tent can withstand sleet and I can take down a frozen tent. At almost every turn I encountered affirmation and encouragement. Even as I walked down to Unicoi Gap and knew I was getting off the trail, hikers from the  Georgia Adventurers Group  were coming up and cheered me on. WildChild is preparing to thru-hike in 2014. What a beautiful smile on her face when she learned I was a thru-hiker.  Someone with her asked my hiker number. Never expected anyone would ask. A couple asked if I was keeping a journal online and said they would follow me.  The man's name was MoBill aka Papa Smurf. So, when I begin again and when cold and snow is in the forecast, I will have had a little experience.

The dermatologist office called about 5:20 PM last night and I do have an early stage basal cell cancer on my arm.  It will be removed on March 12 (first available appointment) by a laser procedure. If a cancellation comes up before the 12th, they will call. I told her I could be there in 15 minutes. I'm practicing patience; is it possible God wants me to wait ?

I have gone back to daily Mass and have received some interesting looks, questions, and comments.  Two people said "Wow, that's the fastest thru-hike ever !" 

I'm enjoying my husband's company, cooking (makes G-4 happy), the warmth and comfort of my home, talking with family and friends. I'm testing a new pair of Keens (for hiking), walking with Buddy around town, looking at the AWOL Guidebook and planning,  and once again, waiting and reading, of course.  Rain and more cold is in the forecast for our area and the mountains.

When I return to the trail, I will not have the leisure time to put up lengthy posts but I have enjoyed keeping busy blogging in this down time.

Thanks for following along and for your positive comments and suggestions and affirmations. I appreciate each and everyone.

So until I have completed the trail in Georgia,

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

 

Lead Me Lord by John Becker -- this was the gathering song at Mass for the 1st Sunday of Lent; I like the voice of the singer on this childrens' version from Youtube. Jesus said:
"...unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 18:3    So, take a few minutes and become like a child while you listen and watch this video.

Refrain:
Lead me, Lord, lead me, Lord,
by the light of truth
to seek and to find the narrow way.
Be my way; be my truth;
be my life, my Lord,
and lead me, Lord, today.

Day 3 - February 16, 2013

On Day 3 I awoke to the sounds of people coming out of their tents and gathering around the fire which RV (Harvey) had made the day before. Somehow, it was burning again ... 

This is RV (Harvey). He wants to enjoy living in the woods for an entire year. He began this adventure December 1, 2012. He's a gentle, interesting man with a great sense of humor. When I asked if he thought I could sit on my Camelbak bladder lid to melt the ice frozen just around the gasket, he said "depends on how big the asset." I laughed and replied "there should be no problem then." The strategy worked.

That's Chris by the fire enjoying breakfast; his pack is the green one propped on the tree. He's carrying 20 lbs. of camera equipment. Chris is 30 years old and from Asheville, NC. He was the second thru-hiker I met. He slept in the shelter at Low Gap and Blue Mountain and was heading for Deep Gap Shelter about a 15 mile walk. If the trail doesn't name him (and he thinks that may be a possibility because there are few people on the trail), he may choose the name "Frost." I think I heard him say he is memorizing all of Robert Frosts' poems.  So, Chris, here's a favorite quote:

 

Nature is always hinting at us.
It hints over and over again.
And suddenly we take the hint. ~Robert Frost (1874-1963)

The view from my tent when I unzipped it and looked out. You can just see one of the hammock hangers past the green evergreen. No one seemed to be up down there --too comfy in their hammocks.

I was practicing packing up while inside my tent (will come in handy on rainy days) before taking down my tent, when I heard crunching ground and someone walk up next to my tent. A voice said "Good Morning, PrayerWalker." I replied, "Is that you, Chris.?" He said "yes" and I said "Good Morning." It was probably rude of me not to unzip my tent, poke my head out and greet him but I'm sure the site of me might have frightened him !  This was the first time I had been directly addressed as PrayerWalker. It felt right and was a very special moment for me on the trail. I expect I might not ever forget his voice calling me PrayerWalker.  Thank you, Chris. 

Chris is making a documentary of his thru-hike and interviewing people along the way. This past October he made this beautiful clip; it's a blessing to watch (scroll down page to see). This is a link to his website  The Long Start to the Journey

When I walked into the shelter on Tuesday night and saw him taking down a professional size tripod, I said - "Wow, are you a professional photographer ?" And he said, "yes." I asked what he was shooting; it's a Nikon and I forgot the number. I have a little Canon Rebel T1i which I really wanted to bring but I knew I couldn't handle the extra weight.

What talent !  It takes a lot of gumption and extra work to hike and to take pictures and video which will be made into a documentary. It makes the journey even more taxing but I'm sure he will be successful.

I didn't take a picture of my snow-encrusted tent because I didn't want to take off my mittens. I was too busy removing the ice with my shamwow which did a decent job except as I brushed off the snow/ice, it fell onto my shoes ... talk about cold feet !  It makes a pack heavier when you have to carry a wet tent so I did my best to remove most of it.

This is a pic of my Tyvek ground cover sheet which was underneath my tent. I picked it up, shook it off as best I could, folded it, and put into my pack. Some don't use ground covers but I was glad I had one to keep the mud off my tent floor.

I was busy doing all of this when Chris left for the 15 miler to Deep Gap Shelter-- a challenging day in the blowing snow and cold. I didn't stop packing to take the time to wish him well and I felt bad about that.  Even though we had only spoken briefly, a short greeting on the trail, as well as a little talk time at the shelter, he was a member of my trail family. He had been gone about 10 minutes, I think, and he came back and said he wanted to say to 'Goodbye' to me.  I was overwhelmed. This young man who had a big day ahead of him came back to wish me well. I asked if I could take a picture of him and wished him success. I will pray for him everyday; he's a very special young man. I know he will summit Katahdin and his documentary will be incredible !!!  I am looking forwarding to watching it one day.

Chris with all his gear

 Below is a pic of Roy packing up. Tray Mountain Shelter was our destination for Day 3 - a revision from the original plan because of my late arrival the day before.

 Roy had spoken with his wife and the weather forecast was bleak. It had dropped down to the low 20's last night and the low predicted on the mountain for this night was even colder - possibly 17 with a lower wind chill factor. Roy had a new 0 degree sleeping bag and he wasn't pleased with it. He said he managed to barely stay warm while wearing most of his clothes. My husband was also concerned because the forecast predicted rain first, then sleet and snow. We were both concerned that it might rain as the day warmed up and then snow again that night. My sleeping system had kept me warm but I knew it was not sufficient for lower temps.  If down gets wet, it is useless. So, we made the very hard but in our opinion wise decision to hike down to Unicoi Gap (2.4 miles) and come off the trail ...

That's Roy ... snow is blowing around pretty good as we head to Unicoi Gap.

Yes, that's Roy

 The snow gets heavier and I get to test my umbrella.  I'm sure there may be people saying "Really, she took an umbrella ?" It's hands-free and it works for me. 

See the blowing snow ....

 Zoomed in you can see the blowing snow. I only removed my mitt to take a picture of Roy and asked him to snap one of me.

We were careful and took our time coming down. Greeted several groups of day hikers (I think) who were coming up.

Who is that person next to Roy ?

Looks like I gained 50 lbs. in 2.5 days of hiking; Roy, not so much !  Oh, what layers enhance ... but I was comfortable. Wanna know what I have stuffed in my big skirt pockets?  Everything I couldn't fit in my pack - just kidding. I carried 32 oz. of water all the way down and never took one drink.  Live and learn. It had a nice ice cube in it when I did take a drink at the bottom though.  Some of the coldest water I've ever enjoyed and it came from a spring close to Blue Mountain Shelter.

Roy, Patrick and Doug at Unicoi Gap.  

Snow followed us down the mountain and began to stick down here. Roy's sweet wife, Kathy, came from Cumming, drove us to Dicks Creek Gap. Roy retrieved his car and drove me to Cumming where G-4 met me at the Starbucks. I thought I might go in for a Caramel Macchiato but I didn't.

As we were approaching Starbucks, Roy said look at that -- it was an AT Thru-Hiker 2,185 mile sticker on the back window of a car just in front of us.  I didn't know they existed since I'd never seen one.  Roy said to me - another sign that you should continue.

THANK YOU, Roy; the plan didn't work out but it was good to walk with you; 

THANK YOU, Kathy, for your support and all the driving. Hope your trip to the Outlet Mall on the way home was a good one !

THANK YOU, G-4, for driving to Cumming on short notice to come get me.

As an aside - I walked out of a psychological statistics class in college during a test because I had a panic attack - my one and only panic attack (thank goodness) and only time to drop a class. Math was my most difficult subject all through school. After the test had ended, I went to the professor's office and told him I was dropping the class but I would be back next semester to get the credit. He told me I wouldn't make it through; I was too old and should not be in college and he hoped I would not go on for a graduate degree. I wanted to take the class from another professor the second time around but he was the only one teaching it. I returned and with a lot of studying and the help of another classmate who tutored me, I pulled a "B" in that very difficult class.

"Walking the entire Appalachian Trail is not recreation. It is an education and a job".

                                                                                                         

I believe this is an accurate statement from Warren Doyle.  

I desire the education and I hope to have the fortitude to do the job. I will return to the Appalachian Trail.

When will I return to the trail ? I am awaiting a biopsy result (to be received hopefully on 2/20) and treatment if needed.

The biopsy - it did not hurt

So what am I doing? Well, I have lightened 'Buddy', packed it in a different configuration for better carrying; adjusted the load lifters to move the pack closer to by body; moved my CamelBak to a side pocket so I can see the amount of water I am carrying and fill up before it runs out.

When I return to the trail, I promise my posts will NOT be this lengthy but I had to do something to keep me busy as I wait  ...

THANK YOU for your prayers.

“Patience is power.
Patience is not an absence of action;
rather it is "timing"
it waits on the right time to act,
for the right principles
and in the right way.” ~ Fulton J. Sheen

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Third Station of the Cross - Jesus Falls The First Time

 

Lord, it is difficult for me to accept this fall, to acknowledge your weakness. I wish you to be merely playing a part in a drama, succumbing to the cruelty of the mob simply for effect. But this is not an act. It is real. And as you fall beneath the weight of your burden, so fall humankind's delusions that would deny life's harsh realities and bitter betrayals.

I remember the days when my strength and energy seemed boundless. Weakness and vulnerability were merely words that spoke of others' experience but not my own. Lately, however, I often stumble over pretended self-assurance. Missteps sometimes come in bunches. Forgotten intentions confuse and disturb my sense of order.

Lord, by your life and death you have consecrated littleness, poverty, and weakness. Assist me, Lord, as I stumble and struggle with the diminishments of aging. Help me to surrender to your open arms, trusting that if I fall you will receive me and lift me, so I can continue my journey supported by your presence and love.

Day 2 - February 15, 2013 on the AT

I finally fell asleep last night and slept a few hours; when I awoke it was daylight. I looked at my watch and it was about 7:15 AM.  Time to start packing up and to get moving for the day. I wiped the sleep out of my eyes with a little water using a small piece of blue shammy-like cloth (marked for my face only). Boiled a cup of water for a cup of Yerba Mate while I was taking down my tent and packing up and had a serving of Kay's Naturals French Vanilla Protein Cereal (kind of like Cheerios but it contains 10 grams of proteins). Also had a couple of handfuls of trail mix (pistachios, raisins, sunflower seeds, cranberries, and other nuts).

Winkle and I headed out for Blue Mountain Shelter (7.3 miles down the trail). I'm wearing a Homes For Our Troops rubber bracelet on my arm to help me know which direction to head out in the morning.  If I turned left off the trail to head for the shelter, I'll put the bracelet on my left arm as a reminder to turn left when I start the trail the next morning.  It's easy to get turned around the wrong way in the woods ... at least for me. Winkle wears a rubber bracelet too but she told me she's never gone the wrong way.  If I can remember to use the bracelet, it should help me.  On the fitpacking.com trip, I went the wrong way one morning and our guide gently reminded me to turn left instead of going right -- thanks, Bear Ninja.

 Meet Winkle.  It was a beautiful morning to be walking. I saw some beautiful scenery but didn't take out my camera to capture it. A young man, named Chris, passed us on the trail. He stopped to talk a few minutes and headed on. I think Winkle asked him were he was headed and he said to Maine. She asked if he had a trail. He hopes the trail will name him and if not, he liked the name "Frost." I told him my name was PrayerWalker and I was a thru-hiker wanna be. I responded that way because I don't know if I can make it all the way. He said that anyone who has the intent to thru-hike should consider themselves a thru-hiker. So I should reply in the future that I am a thru-hiker. I appreciated his kind words.   

Winkle enjoying a little lunch at Chattahoochee Gap

Winkle and I stopped at Chattahooche Gap for lunch after walking about 5 miles. The sun was out and the sky was beautiful.  It felt good to drop the pack and sit down. Before we finished lunch, the clouds started to build and the temperature dropped a little. Rain was forecast for the night. Winkle had planned to walk with me to Blue Mountain Shelter but she decided it would be best for her to hike out via Jacks Knob Trail where her husband would come to pick her up. She was carrying a little more pack weight than normal and couldn't get her pack to feel comfortable.  I thanked her for walking with me on my first two days on the trail and we hugged. We said our good-byes and I headed down the trail for the first time by myself. I missed her presence immediately.

I had about 2.3 miles until Blue Mountain Shelter.  The trail was narrow and I was walking at a good clip until my right foot stepped too close to the edge (I guess), slipped on the leaves and fell backwards into the hill rather than down the ravine. I landed on my backpack on the side with my big sleeping pad. It fell out. It happened so quickly. I sat there a couple of minutes, thanked God and my guardian angel for protecting me. I unhooked my backpack (Buddy) and stood up and thought about how best to put Buddy back on in such a narrow space. When I lift up Buddy, I bend forward a little to get it in the right place and to hook the waist belt.  In that narrow space, I felt like I might tumble forward and I didn't want to go that way... so I moved down the trail a short way and stood in front of a tree so if I pitched forward as I put on my pack, the tree would catch me. It worked.

  



That's where Buddy landed and the orange thing is my air mattress that plopped out of the side pocket when I hit the ground. Picture me on my back facing forward. Yes, it frightened me ... and I slowed my pace.

The trail was rocky a good part of the way. I had long underwear on under my skirt when I started out in the morning and almost took them off when I warmed up but it was too much effort to remove my socks and shoes. When the temperature grew colder mid afternoon and the wind picked up I was glad to be wearing them. I drank all the water in my bladder inside my pack just after lunch. I had passed some good water areas but I didn't know I was low until I sucked on the tube and got only air... I began looking for water and finally settled on some that might not have been the best but I needed water so I used my cup to dip it up, sifted out the floaties with a piece of knee-high hosiery, purified it, drank it, stored some and continued on.

I literally prayed every step of the way during the last mile. I was very tired and the rocks seemed to never end. I prayed that God would place each footstep because I didn't know where to step with all the rocks. Some were wet, some places were really muddy. I twisted my ankles so many times that there was no way to count. I saw a place to put up my tent but I knew Roy (friend I made from the fitpacking.trip was waiting for me at Blue Mountain Shelter) and I had to continue on. I came across a site for water where it comes straight out of a spring with a water pipe. I filled my water containers and then realized I'd read in the guide book that the water source for Blue Mountain Shelter was just before the shelter. When I looked up, I could see the shelter. That's it in the pic below at the top of the tree line in the center.  Was it a mirage like people see in the desert because they are so tired?  No, it was the shelter.   Doug and Patrick (the hammock hangers) approached just as I was turning onto the shelter trail and I asked them to tell me it really was the shelter and not a mirage. Doug thru-hiked the entire trail in the 90's and he gave me some much needed encouragement. Thanks, Doug.

Blue Mountain Shelter with blue tarp across part of front

Roy took a day off work on Friday and our plan was to hike thru Sunday morning to Dick Creek's Gap where his wife had helped him shuttle his car before bringing him to Unicoi Gap to hike up to Blue Mountain Shelter. It was good to see him and I hugged him. I was tired but there was work to be done. So I chose a site and set up my tent for night 2 on the AT. Roy had set up for the night because he knew our original plan to hike on to Rocky Mountain tent site was not possible with my late arrival. 

 

The ground was soft and muddy and some of my tent stakes didn't want to stay in the ground.

About 5 PM I took my food bag and cat can alcohol stove to the shelter. I had 1/2 of a Mountain House Spaghetti dinner. Because they serve 2 people, I split them. Keep part in in the original foil zip lock and 1/2 in a heavy duty zip lock so I get two dinners from one meal.  I boil water, dump it into the bag, let it sit 10 min. in my Cannon Cozy and eat out of the bag. No dishes to be done. I lick the spoon clean and dry the water from my little cooking cup and that's it.  The empty zip lock goes in my bigger heavy duty zip lock trash bag that I carry with me until I find a garbage can to put it in (which means I carry it with me for a long time).  Leave No Trace. I learned a lot from  Bruce Cannon- Wilderness Medicine certified Wilderness First Responder and a Leave No Trace Master Educator.
Scroll down the page to find his name and see his picture. He's a great educator, a very kind man, and it's a blessing to be able to call him my friend. I asked so many questions on the fitpacking trip and he answered each one. If anyone is reading my blog and interested in hiking, I recommend taking a hike led by Bruce. This trip in April should be beautiful. Great Smoky Mountains - Wildflowers

Before dinner, Doug shared with me part of his thru-hike in the early 90's. He was a SOBO (starting in Maine and walking to Georgia). Beginning in that direction really left no easy out for him. He had a couple of days in the White Mountains (I think, excuse me if I didn't get that correct) when he was so tired that he literally slept, ate, walked around his tent a little and repeated the sequence until he was strong enough to move on. He understands why so many don't make it out of Georgia because there are many easy places to leave the trail. He was glad not to have had that option.

 It started to rain about 6 PM and then came some sleet (first time to hear that sound in a tent) and then a little snow. I put on layers of clothes and crawled into my liner inside my quilt and put my child's synthetic 15 degree quilt over the top and hoped to stay warm. In the night I added another layer under my down jacket and slept.  

I prayed the Second Station of the Cross - Jesus Takes Up His Cross

Lord, there will be no turning back. Your fate is placed before you, crudely fashioned from the wood of a tree. It isn't glamorous. It is ugly and hateful and promises only pain. Yet you summon your remaining strength and with a supreme act of will, reach out for what had to be yours, for there is no one else to carry this cross.

There aren't any romantic notions of the cross left for the elderly. Those are for the young who haven't tasted the increasingly steady diet of loss and pain that aging often seems to entail. Now I am faced with the latest version of the cross in my life. It does not seem at all noble. I stand before its demands and experience only dread and a need for compassion.

Lord, how hard this is. Steady my gaze as I attempt to confront this cross with courage. Support my arms as I reach out to accept it in faith. Fortify my heart as I struggle to carry it without leaving love behind.

---------------------------------------

I don't consider walking the Appalachian Trail a cross. I consider it a gift God has invited me to experience. However, I will face times when it may feel like a cross.  When I asked Him to give me His strength to make it to Blue Mountain Shelter and to place each footstep in a safe place over the rocks, I believe He heard me and guided each foot placement. Thank you, Heavenly Father; Thank You, Jesus; Thank You, Holy Spirit.  Thank you, Guardian Angel and Thank You, St. Bernard.  Thank you, as well, to all who are praying for me.


 

Day 1 - February 14, 2013 - The Start from Neels Gap

 Signing the log at Neels Gap, 7:30 am on February 14, 2013.  PrayerWalker in support of  Homes For Our Troops ... Nunc Coepi (now I begin). It was COLD, upper 20's and wind howling !  I began at Neels Gap because the fitpacking.com trip I took the end of October 2012 ended here. Jeff, the lead guide (Jukebox 2008 journal) for that trip, (my first ever time to backpack) suggested I begin here because on that trip we completed the portion of the Appalachian Trail from the top of Amicalola Falls parking lot on the approach trail and finished at Neels Gap. At first I dismissed the idea but then decided it was a great suggestion. If I am successful and summit Katahdin, I will return to Neels Gap (sometime in October) and hike South to Springer (keeping with the plan to thru-hike in the same calender year. Maybe G-4 will do those miles with me.

The frost on the trees and bushes was beautiful. It was quite a climb up out of Neels Gap. My packed weighed 32 lbs. (way too much; slows me down). When it warms up, I'll have less clothes to carry. I also packed more food than I needed. Takes time to learn ...

PrayerWalker on the trail with the Homes For Our Troops bandana on her backpack.

                        G-4 waits (as usual) for me to catch up. I'll miss his company.

                                                                   Campsite with a view

Wolf Laurel Top - frosty !

 Looks like G-4 is standing at parade rest ...it's tough to take the military out of this man !

                                                    What a gift to be here at this moment !

                                                                               Up close

Beautiful -- G-4 stopped and waited here for me to catch up and then said "Look up !"  Otherwise I would have missed this view.  -- Click on pic for bigger view.

Standing on Cowrock Mountain

The sun came out and I removed my first layer. Those are G-4's fingers as he takes my photo on Cowrock Mountain (5 miles in) - it's a little difficult with the phone. I decided not to crop out his fingers because this picture would not have been possible without him.

                                      He enjoyed the view too at Cowrock Mountain !


G-4 accompanied me for 6 miles to Tesnatee Gap, GA Hwy. 348. He didn't watch me walk away on the trail. I watched him walk onto the highway and he didn't look back as he set out to walk amd to hitch hike back to Neels Gap. It was an odd moment. He didn't want to walk back alone the way we had come.  It was too dangerous on the trail alone. I prayed that someone would have pity on him and give him a lift. 

G-4 ended up walking about 20 miles total that day (6 miles on the AT and 14 on the road). He received two rides -- the first from a banker in the area and the second from a man who towards the end took him to Neels Gap.  He started hitch hiking at 1 PM trying for a ride back to Neels Gap.  He arrived at Neels Gap about 4 PM. It is a 2 hour drive from Neels Gap to our home. He arrived home about 6:16 PM -- what a Valentine's Day (both of us will never forget this one !)

Winkle  is a woman who has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and who befriended me through trailjournals.com. She walked with me on Day 1 and part of Day 2. I met her at Tesnatee Gap parking area. The three of us had a little lunch. What a wonderful blessing for me to share the trail with her and to learn from her. It didn't seem like we were strangers. The trail allowed us to become friends very quickly. There was no awkwardness as we got to know one another and I think that's a gift from Nature. I was comfortable in her presence even as we first met one another. 

She has kept journals about her adventures. I think you'll enjoy them.  Winkle's Journals

Low Gap Shelter

I was too tired when Winkle and I arrived at Low Gap Shelter to take pictures but it was a beautiful camp site. We set up our tents, replenished our water (didn't have batteries in correctly on my SteriPen and Winkle mixed some of her AquaMira to purify my water). Walked back up the hill from the shelter to my tent for new batteries while it was daylight and back down to the table and forgot my alcohol for my cat can stove.  Doug, an ultra distance runner (100 miles), gave me some of his alcohol so I could heat water for my first dinner on the AT (fettucine Alfredo with chicken) rehydrated with about 3/4 cup of boiling water dumped into its zip lock bag, sealed up and placed inside the Cannon Cozy for 10 min.  I enjoyed a Midnight Milky Way for desert (my favorite candy bar).  YUM !!!!

During dinner on the picnic table at Low Gap shelter I met "Ears" (his trail name because he has a 70% hearing loss), a young man, 19 yrs., good looking and very polite from Raleigh, NC, who started with a 70 lb. backpack, walked up 600+ stairs (not sure of exact number) at Amicalola Falls heading for the Approach Trail and then decided he could not make it with 70 lbs. He walked back down and left about 20 lbs. of gear on the ground with a note that it was all new gear and any one who wanted it could take it ! He then proceed to walk back up all those stairs and begin the 8 mi. approach trail to Springer Mountain-- that's 8 miles of hiking before he gets to the beginning of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain. Ears' motto is "small steps-big victories".  That's what he chants when the going gets rough.  Ears slept in the shelter that night. He handed me the shelter log so I wouldn't have to climb the steps up (wonder if he thought I might not have the energy to climb those steps-think I looked pretty tired) and I signed it. I'm sure he'll make it to Katahdin. He's young and moving fast. I know I won't see him again but I'll be praying for him. It was a pleasure to meet him. Ears' family should be proud of him.

There were 3 men "hanging" at Low Gap Shelter ... in their hammocks instead of using tents (Bruce, Doug and Patrick). They were out for a few days on the trail. Doug is an ultra distance runner (100 miles) and also an AT thru-hiker in the early 90's.  We enjoyed talking about different kinds of freeze-dried meals, comparing our various cooking methods.  Patrick had a Caldera cone stove which he really enjoys.  During my research I almost bought one but when my home-made little cat can alcohol stove worked, I decided to go with it.

A young man came to the shelter just as I was leaving to retire to my tent for the night. He was busy getting settled in the shelter and I didn't greet him. I met him on Day 2 as he passed Winkle and me on the trail. His name is Chris. Story to follow.

Winkle enjoyed sitting around the fire built by the men but I went to my tent.  I am usually very good about organization but when it comes to backpacking, I am a mess. Maybe in time I'll learn how to organize my gear. I took one Benadryl but it didn't help me sleep. It was very quiet (except for a couple of owls) and the stars were brilliant in the blackness of the sky.

I took a small prayer booklet, A Way Of The Cross For Seniors by Dennis H. Ferrence and prayed the Opening Prayer:  Lord, I never really planned on growing old. For most of my life I looked at the elderly with a mixture of curiosity and detachment, denying for myself the inevitable fate of anyone spared in their youth and middle years from deadly accident and 
fatal disease. But now I understand that aging is part of my reality. I am humbled by its blessings, I am challenged by its crosses. Lord, I have come to believe that every stage of life has it journey to Calvary. I begin this meditation on your way of the cross praying that you will strengthen and comfort me on mine.

The First Station of the Cross - Jesus Is Condemned To Death

Lord, how empty and lonely you must feel as you stand before the authorities and the hostile crowd. Betrayal, rejection, ridicule, loss, apparent failure, the threat of death--you suffer it all. And yet, in the midst of such severe realities you maintain a dignity that speaks of a deep grounding and a determined openness to your Father's will.

Facing the harder realities of aging can be a very lonely experience. I must, perhaps, acknowledge dreams unrealized, potential unfulfilled, mounting losses, failing health, financial uncertainty, and the disdain of a youth-oriented culture. In addition I must increasingly come to terms with the truth of approaching death. There is no escape. There is no reprieve.

Lord, help me to go deep inside where the light of your Spirit shines through the darkness. Give me the strength and courage to consent to the whole of life with the dignity of someone who knows that god does not abandon us. 

And my prayer -- Thank you, Lord for this first day on the Appalachian Trail.  It was a cold and windy start, and beautiful and difficult. The miles were long but filled with the beauty of Your creation. Thank you that Nick walked with me for almost half of the first day. He helped me to keep a pace that allowed me to complete the long day. Thank you to all who pray for me; I felt your prayers on the trail. Thank you for Winkle, a new friend, who met me half way and walked with me to Low Gap Shelter. She is a beautiful woman and an accomplished thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trail. I would have been the only woman the first night on the trail at Low Gap Shelter; she helped me feel comfortable in my new home.  Winkle's trail journals

The Blessing

I've attended daily Mass almost every day since the beginning of January. I hope to get to Mass every week while I'm on the Appalachian Trail so I have the names, addresses, and phone numbers of churches fairly close to the trail (10 miles or so ) written into my AWOL A.T. Guide but only time will tell whether I will find a way. In the pictures below I am wearing the hiking skirt that will be my apparel for Mass.  Oh, that it would look and smell this clean every Sunday ....

After Mass this morning, our Pastor, Fr. John Koziol, prayed a blessing over me. After Ash Wednesday Mass, we'll head to the North Georgia Mountains and I'll sign in as a 2013 thru-hiker at Amicalola Falls State Park; I think I will be given a number (wonder how many have started ahead of  me?).

Sprinkling of Holy Water

The Scriptures at Mass this week have come from Genesis and focus on God creating everything and it was all good. One of the songs we sang this week was How Great Thou Art -- I found myself unable to sing the words from the second verse :

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze;

 I felt God's hand on me, assuring me He goes with me and I was overwhelmed with joy and you know what comes with joy (for me anyway - tears). 

All the way up front on the right, I'm asking our Blessed Mother to pray for me and to wrap her mantle of protection around me. (The red on my backpack is the Homes For Our Troops bandana). Donate to Homes For Our Troops

More blessings came my way after mass ... Carol Ferguson gave me some Shaklee products to take with me.  They are high in fiber, protein, fruits and veggies (hard to take while hiking). They are super small and lightweight which is important when space is limited in a backpack.  I will order some to be mailed to me along the trail. Tried the Sea Salt Snack Crisps with my cottage cheese for lunch. Loved them plus they have 6 grams of protein in one serving. Saving the bars for this week on the trail.

My pack is fully loaded and weighs 32 lbs. -- about 7 more lbs. than I wanted to carry -- but the forecast for Saturday is a high of 32 degrees dropping to low of 17 degrees, rain/sleet/snow. So I have some extra clothes to sleep in.







After mass we took a little walk (4 miles) to check out how 32 lbs. felt. As we head down Jeff Davis, Nick turns into the gas station for a bathroom break and I continue walking on the sidewalk.  Sue Crawford Donnay, new bride, who recently moved to Florida, pulls into the gas station drive as I approach and says to me "pull over."  I was surprised to see her because I thought she was in Florida. She gets out of the car and hands me a beautiful heart engraved with my name. It has a little red light in the side which can be turned on. She said she had intended to give it to me on Saturday at mass but when she saw me she pulled into the gas station. I will be on a mountain in a shelter on Saturday night. For sure, this was not  a coincidence but a  'God incidence'. 

Beautiful hiker 'bling' which I put on my waist belt pouch.  

Yesterday, after Mass, I took communion to my dear friend, Nona, who lives in the nursing home now about 25 miles away from me. She gave me some chocolate candy, socks, stretchy gloves, and $20 to get a good hamburger when I'm off the trail in town one night. We used to go out for a good hamburger from time to time; she really likes them too. She'll pray every day for me. We hugged and kissed; it was a tear-filled goodbye.

The next post will come from the Appalachian Trail !!!!! Be sure to check the Trail Journals tab on the front page of this blog. I'm not sure yet which will be easier to keep current from the trail. The Trail Journals site will include my mileage for the day.