C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” I listened.
On Monday morning we filled our plates full of the delicious breakfast at Mountain Harbour
B&B and Hostel prepared with the loving hands of Mary. We sat with a couple from Florida (High Tide
and Blockade Runner) who are thru-hiking and are probably a few years or so
younger. They had the room across from us in the B&B. Nick was surprised to see the “older” hikers
present at breakfast; there were several.
I guess he thought I was the only one out there.
I recognized a woman I had followed on Trail Journals before
I began my hike; her start date was after me and her trail name is Clinker. I told her I had
read her journal and I enjoyed a brief conversation with her.
About 8:45 am Terry drove me to USFS Rd. 293. Nick rode along in the truck to check out
what a forest service road looks like in anticipation of driving me down one of
them and dropping me off later in the week. I headed North on the trail a
little after 9 am. The morning was cool
and the sun had not yet broken through the clouds. The trail was not as wet as
I had expected but there were still many areas of black, boot-sucking mud but I
could see ways to avoid it and managed not to get sucked in ! The stream
crossings were not overflowing higher than the rocks to step on and I kept my
shoes dry.
I passed a campsite and a woman commented that she could see
I was carrying “a pack that would take me to Maine.” I laughed (I had a small
daypack) and said “Maine was my intent but I was slackpacking.”
As I walked, I wondered if Nick would have difficulty
finding Dennis Cove Road where he would park the car and then walk back South
to meet me on the trail. I wondered if he would know which direction was South at
the trail head and hoped he would not hike North. He hates to get his shoes
dirty and I hoped the part of the trail he would walk would not be too wet and
he could avoid the mud. We were going to spend a couple nights at a cottage at Black
Bear Resort not too far from the AT so that I could slackpack. About 7 miles in
for me, I met Nick. We hiked together for about 3 miles except that he walks
faster than me so most of the time he was ahead of me.
About the 8 mile mark I could not ignore the painful right
foot and left knee. They both began hurting shortly after the start of the day.
Sometimes when I just ignore little aches,
they go away after a short time. It can take older bodies longer to warm up
muscles and to get going. Not so - this time.
I started thinking about the fall on
May 7th; my left knee took a direct hit when I went down. I experienced a good deal of swelling afterwards
but no bruising. It remained a little stiff and there was still some
swelling on the lateral side but nothing major. But on Monday, there was pain
with each step. For the most part the trail was gentle – no major elevation
changes and not many rocks and roots. My right foot had been swelling some off
and on for a week or two. I could massage the foot and relieve some of the
swelling. I could feel the tightness in
my shoe and could see the difference when I compared it to my left foot but it
did not hamper my ability to walk. On Monday, it ached with each step.
My plan for the week involved the 10.8 mile day followed by
12.8, 16.6, 6.5 and 14.7 mile days with arrival in Damascus, Va. on Friday for Trail Days.
Pain can be exhausting and I was exhausted and discouraged. This 10.8 mile day
should have been a piece of cake for me but I was struggling. There was no way
I could continue to pursue my plan for the week when with each step my left
knee and right foot objected…
I put off telling Nick about my knee and foot. He was walking quickly and I could not. He was enjoying the trail and it was wonderful to see him experience the goodness, the joy and the beauty of the Appalachian Trail. The terrain included woods, streams, a few views of distant peaks, wildflowers,
new leaves budding forth as well as trees in flower, blue sky and clouds, an
old barn, a meadow abloom in yellow flowers.
I
cried a little as I thought about the Appalachian Trail , the people I had met,
the experiences. I took pictures (maybe
the last ones). Would this 10.8 mile section of the trail be the last I would walk? I wanted to soak it all in. The beauty, the ruggedness, the sameness, the trials, the joys and blessings embraced me.
Nick stopped to wait for me to catch up with about a mile to
go and I told him how difficult the day had been for me. He said there was no
way I could finish the week. I asked if he would take a picture of me at the
last white blaze before we reached the car at Dennis Cove Road and he did. I tried to smile. Mile 416.5 on the Appalachian Trail.
"I will be still know you are God ... in quietness and trust"
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:18
"O Lord, Jesus, Lover of my soul, You and only You understand the inner craving of my being. Thank You for loving me, never leaving me, and caring about every detail of my life. Help me to begin each day with a thankful spirit, until I can do so as a way of life. Let me never be found resisting what You are birthing or bringing forth in me. I love You and want to love You even more." -- Hinds' Feet On High Places Devotional by Darien B. Cooper
"One of life's strategic keys is learning to embrace what our Lord brings into our lives with thanksgiving. When we do so, we recognize His sovereign control and completely yield ourselves to Him. He will never waste our sorrows. On the contrary, He turns them into precious jewels! As for our suffering, He uses it to birth beautiful new things into our lives. So if we keep these things in mind, it makes the pain more bearable and it seems less senseless." Chapter 6 - Detour Through The Desert of Hinds' Feet On High Places Devotional by Darien B. Cooper.
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