July 8, 2013

Today I rose early and once again strapped my pack to my back and headed out into the morning.  Instead of heading north to Maine, however, I spent my morning traveling to Louisville, KY, to prepare for the opening of the North American Christian Convention.  My goal, to take the message of Blazing New Trails For Disability Ministry to another level.

This convention (NACC), is a yearly event attended by thousands of people and Christian ministries from all across the US and around the world. In recent years the event has become more open and aware of the great needs presented by the disabled community.  It is hoped that my presence here will aid in raising an awareness of the responsibility of the church to reach out to this unreached group and the family members that surround them. 

The plan is that tomorrow, the opening day of the convention, I will hike through downtown Louisville to the Convention Center.  Along the way I will be joined by others and when we finally reach the doors of the convention center we will add many of the residents from the Riverwood homes and others from the disabled community who are here for the week. Together, we will hike down through the convention hallways, through the display areas, and onto the main arena of the convention gathering.  For the rest of the week, I will be sharing about my hike and purpose at our booth, in workshops, and in personal meetings with church leaders. Our booth in the display area is designed after a campsite, complete with a campfire, tent, and a large pot of trail mix cooking over the flame.

I'll try and share about the specific goals of Blazing New Trails in my next few entries.  Right now, it's way past hikers midnight, and tomorrow might be the most important miles I will hike all summer.  It time to click off the light, slide down in my bag, and get ready to blaze a new trail of experience in this ever challenging summer of walking on the edge.

July 4

This week has unquestionably been the hardest of the entire hike.  I have spent my week working at home on the yard and house.  My mother has needed a great deal of love and care, and it has been good to be here for her.  She has just completed radiation treatments for cancer, and is living each day in a great deal of pain. Add to that the loss of her life mate of over 70 years.  I am grateful for the time near her once again.

The conflict arises from inside and is difficult to describe.  I feel very disconnected and without direction here at home.  I dream of hiking almost every night.  I struggle with all the "things" that surround me in my home.  I feel uncomfortable walking around the stores in town.  For several months my whole world has been strapped upon my back.  My goals each day have been measured in elevation changes and miles traveled.  My major concerns have been rationing food, locating water, and finding shelter.  The rewards and successes of each day can be measured, logged, and reported.

At home, everything just happens.  Days go by and you do what you can, with the hope that you will add more later. Nothing seems to have a beginning or an end. I feel caught between two worlds, not settled back into the one around me, and not able to get back to the one I'm longing for. 

Someone reminded me this week that I am only experiencing what we all should be aware of. The things around us that tend to control and overwhelm us are not the really important things in the true run of our lives. If we are not careful, however, they can and will take control of us and dominate our lives.  How sad to think that we can so easily settle for less than the best, while all the time thinking we are pursuing the good things of life.  Paul, in the Bible talks about seeing all the snares of life as garbage that needs to be left behind in order to press on to the higher and better journey.  I hope I find the eyes and wisdom to learn to tell the difference between the garbage to dispose of and the real treasures to pursue.

June 22

I have spent these last two days in a motel near Atkins, VA. My left ankle is not supporting my weight and is painful to walk on. The right ankle is hurting from all the extra work of support I have put on it from favoring the other.  It is clear that I can't continue hiking one day and resting two more to recover. It has come time to make a very difficult decision.  I have called Gary at CCDM and will head home early for the convention. My hope is that the extra week off will give both of my ankles time to regain strength.   At the end of the convention in Louisville, I plan to head back to Virginia and continue northbound.  If my ankles have recovered, I still have the option of flip flopping north before the cold weather and coming south on the trail.

There is a Greyhound bus station south of here in Marion.  I will hitch a ride down there and take the bus back to Knoxville and home. I am trying to do the right thing, but it is very difficult for me to let go and head home.  From my legs up, I feel stronger and healthier than I have for over 30 years. It is hard to accept another delay based on the bottom six inches of my body!

At the same time, I have to live out the main lesson that I have been dealing with all spring. It is not really my hike. Each day starts and ends with, "not my will but thine be done."  I must admit that some of the most powerful events of the experience have come through the detours and unplanned parts of the hike.  I've got to be willing to see this as the same.

I will try and keep contact while at home.  My greatest fear is getting sucked back into the routines and responsibilities of home and losing sight of my dream. Even as I move back south, however, everything in me still wants to "press on to the mark."

June 20, 2013

Nine o'clock found me boarding the Marion shuttle bus. I paid my 50 cents, and in less than 15 minutes I was strapping on my pack and headed north. My first goal was a shelter about 7.5 miles ahead. The trail did some climbing in the early miles, then descended down to follow a stream for miles through the woods. Without any real sense of purpose, I crossed back and forth over the swollen flow. Most major streams on the AT have some form of "bridge" in place to help in crossing. These range from secure eagle scout project bridges to a log put across the span.  The trail today, however, chose to let you rock hop across each time.  I have come to enjoy this. My walking sticks keep me balanced. As a worse case, I can always change into my Crocks and wade across. I've only had to do that once.

I arrived at the shelter in the early afternoon. It was located next to the stream, a lovely but damp and dreary setting today. I kicked off my shoes and socks (and ankle braces), settled back for lunch, and pulled out my trail map.  It was too early to stop for the day, but there were only limited options ahead for camping. I aimed for a tent sight another seven miles ahead on the other side of Atkins, VA.

The next five miles were completely different then my morning travels. The trail climbed out of the water shed area and opened up into rolling hills and pasture land. I was headed for interstate 81 at Atkins, where the trail crosses under the highway and to the west for a time.

The day was perfect. The only negative has been my ankles. Every step brings pain.  By the time I walked into Atkins, I was hobbling once again. There was no way I could continue on to my camp site. So, one more time, I am checked into a motel resting my feet.

I am trying to figure out what to do. It's only about ten days until I come off the trail for the convention. That will give my ankles a week of rest. I don't want to lose any of the days before that, but can't make much progress when I break down after just one day of hiking. Susan has encouraged me to seek wisdom and completely stay off my feet for tomorrow. I can't hide the fact that im frustrated. Somewhere there is a lesson in this for Phoenix.

June 19, 2013

It is very frustrating for me to sit watching a pretty day go past without hiking. My mind knows that my ankles are needing the break, but my spirit wants to move on.

My day has been a combination of relaxing, planning, and communicating. My feet are doing very well in the blister and skin department. My knees have enjoyed the rest as have my ankles.  The left foot is the point of concern.  I never know when I step forward whether it will hold or collapse on me.  That makes me favor it, which ends up causing the right foot to grow tired and ache by the close of the the day.

It is exciting to find that the message of Blazing New Trails continues to grow.  I just found out that the blog site has people from 23 states and 7 different countries following the hike and hopefully growing with me in the passion of the hike's purpose. That's encouraging news to me.

In the morning I will take a shuttle bus back to the trail and continue my journey. For those of you who do not know, my hike will take another twist in early July.  I will be picked up off the AT and transported to Louisville, KY. There I will hike through the downdown streets to the convention center where the North American Christian Convention will be taking place. Joining with me will be people with disabilities and other special needs friends. We will be hiking through the convention area and into the main hall for the start of the convention. We want people to see and understand the importance of this community. During the week I will be at a "campsite" in the convention center, sharing about my hike and the important reasons behind it. When the week is over, I will be back on the AT.

It all keeps happening step by step. Each step forward brings me closer to my destination and goal. That's how I've traveled from GA up to southern VA. That's how we will see the world changed. I hope that my little steps will somehow challenge others to begin taking a few steps of their own.

June 17, 2013

It's Monday. Yes, it is raining!

Last night it rained through the night, but had spent itself out by the morning. I started down the trail at 7 am, with the trees dripping rain and the trail dark and slippery. The morning saw a few short spells of showers, but also featured another slip and hard twist of my left ankle.  This is the third time that this ankle has completely given way on me.  Both feet get tired from the trail and the tendons are very tender after a day like yesterday. The left one is a step beyond that, however, and has never fully recovered from the first twist.

My goal was a shelter 15 miles from last nights resting place. With the pain and slower pace, I pulled up at Dickys Gap and hitchhiked a ride into Troutdale, a tiny town where a small church operates a hostel for hikers. The pastor, Ken Riggins is great, as is his wife, Mary. The hostel is simple and clean, with the added touch of genuine love.

The rain is now pounding down. I am grateful for this hostel shelter tonight. I never could have reached the shelter on the AT tonight with my foot. Tomorrow is another day, and it will take care of itself. For tonight, I rest safe and dry.

Coming into Troutdale allowed me to meet several very special people. The man who gave me the lift into town shared about the loss of both his parents. Mike is "hiking" the trail and spending a few days here working. He has been hiking the AT for two years, working for weeks at a time to finance his trip. You might call him homeless, but I think he is much more focused than that. Pastor Ken and his wife Mary are true trail angels, pouring themselves out to the travelers who pass through. Last of all, I met Tina, a woman visiting her sister here in the community. The nearest store is four miles from here. (Troutdale is a very small place) The pastor dropped me off at the store and left me to hitch a ride home.  Instead I encountered Tina, who was helping her sister run the store.  Tina sat me down off my foot. She helped me shop and put together a hot sandwich to go. When all was ready, she loaded me into her truck and got me back to the hostel. I marvel how a stranger can receive so much kindness.

I'm ready to drift off to sleep. The thunder is booming and rain pounding against this little shed out behind the church. 

I didn't take a single picture today. I kept my camera in the pack wrapped in plastic because of the rain.  I will include several pictures of the blooms I saw the day before crossing the Highlands. It is wonderful walking north into spring! It's hard to believe summer is almost here.

June 16, 2013

At 11 am today I walked into the Wise Shelter, rolled my pack onto the ground, and began to do, "The Dance!" Lucky for me, I was alone. It was definitely a time for celebration. According to the AWOL Guide to the AT, 2013 edition, Wise shelter sits at exactly 500.0 miles from the trail's beginning on Springer Mountain in GA!

If someone had been giving good odds in April I might have been tempted to bet against myself reaching this point! Now, here I am.  A little battered and worn, but still on the trail.

Today is Fathers Day. It has been tough, mentally, all day long.  I miss my dad, but even more so I'm missing my family.  It's so frustrating not being able to at least hear their voices on the phone. I've been dreaming all day how much fun it would be to have all of the family together after the summer. For now, I hope that I have some voicemail messages waiting for me when I get to town.

I started my day early from the Thomas Knob shelter, on Mt Rogers. I was excited about seeing the horses that everyone had stories and pictures about.  Don't worry, I was told, "You will see plenty of horses. Especially if you are out early."  Mile after mile I walked. I saw plenty of evidence that the horses were there, but never any sign of one, near or distant.  It was a major disappointment.  Other hikers continue to show me pictures on their cameras of their playful encounters.

What was exciting today was my hike through the Highlands.  In spite of my missing the horses, the views were expansive and the wide open sky refreshing. I passed a rock formation called "Fatman Squeeze," but apparently walked right through it without knowing!  Maybe that means I am now below fat man status!

Leaving Wise shelter, I push on to the next one 6 miles away. It should be an easy distance, but the trail is so tough that it takes me all afternoon. It is six miles of bolders piled across the trail. Every step has to be thought through and many of the rocks are moss covered or wet from underground streams.

It is close to five o'clock when I arrive at my destination. I've only covered 11 miles today,  but my feet and ankles are worn out. I pulled off my shoes, both pairs of shocks, and ankle braces and begin to doctor my feet. I was still blue inside, missing my family and pondering another night alone in camp, when I heard the tapping of walking sticks on the rocky path. It was Eric, a through hiker from Knoxville. In a short time he was joined by seven other young, strong hikers tired from their 23 mile day and ready to set up camp.

My day has closed surrounded by the life and conversation of this group of young hikers.  Instead of being alone in the shelter, it is packed with bodies and one dog. Instead of being the last man on the trail, for one night at least, I am joined by others all with the same purpose and direction as I. Together we all agreed, it has been an awesome 500 miles.

June 15, 2013

I'm settled into the Mt Rogers Shelter for the night. The 12.5 mile day took me over two major mountains, the largest of which is Mt Roger.  It happens to be the highest point in the state. It should be cold enough tonight to have the sleeping bag zipped tight with me down inside it.

The day was perfect in so many ways.  The only down side was the rocky trail, which slows me down and puts the pain to my ankles.  I was excited, however, to be headed towards the Grayson Highlands where I will see the wild horses and some beautiful overlooks.

One of the days high points (no pun intended) was my climb up Whitetop Mountain to Buzzard Rock.  The climb tops out at about 5,200 feet and involved several of those rocky scrambles that I "dearly love." Once again, it is the reward that makes the climb. The trail ends up at Buzzard Rock, overlooking the whole world below. Even though it was still fairly early in the morning, I kicked off my shoes and socks, dug my feet into the soft grass of the mountain bald, and rejoiced at the pleasure of being there. I was joined by a group of grown up brothers and their sons who were out for an annual Fathers Day weekend camping trip. It was fun watching the different personalities interact, but it also made me homesick for my own boys..

My surprise for the day came at the shelter this evening. There I met a couple from Beckley, WV, Sunshine and Nonnie, who where up for the weekend.  A friendly conversation turned into an evening of fellowship as we shared together from our lives and faith.  I have crawled into bed tonight encouraged, grateful, and with a future invitation to have lunch further down the trail.  My first food connected Trail Magic!

I find it is really true that the mental part of the hike is the hardest.  It is so easy to be up and pumped about being on the trail, and before you can catch yourself you can be down. I have found that it is important to stay focused on the goals and reasons I am out here.  Negative thoughts and feelings of failure can roll over like waves, but the reality is that I am out here and moving north.

Time to sleep. I've got a date with a herd of wild horses in the morning!

June 14, 2013

The Virginia Creeper Trail is a bike path that attracts close to 200 thousand people each year. It runs from Abingdon, VA to a spot almost 40 miles away in NC, with the town of Damascus as its half way point. The AT travels along the Creeper as it moves north out of town, and intersects it several times after that, adding the dimension of a river walk and tressel bridges to the days hike.

The Creeper began years ago as a roadbed for a small gauge railroad and now is a cinder foundation for family fun and exercise. It added just the right amount of variety to make perfect this near perfect day.

I was up and out by 7 am, headed into a perfect weather day.  I strolled out of town enjoying a phone call home and then soon set to the business of climbing back on the trail and moving north.

By the end of the day, I have reached a shelter 15.6 miles away. The air has been moving and fresh, the times on the bike trail different and enjoyable, and my feet have made the distance without major complaint. I am sharing the shelter with one hiker and millions of insects which are swarming around the screen of my phone as I write.

One of the lessons I am slowly learning is to take each day for what it is and make the most of it. I have been laboring under the pressure of being behind my schedule. By doing so I have been losing some of the joy each day brings, and perhaps missing some of the best things going on around me. That doesn't mean I stop trying to do my best. It does mean that I do all I can, see all I can, learn all I can, and be glad for all I've done.  A year ago I struggled to walk five miles in the park. Today I hiked over 15 miles in the woods, saw beautiful sites I have never seen before, and now am settled in a mountain shelter ready for a good nights sleep.  And I want more?

I pray before this summer is over that I learn a lot more about being truly content. That is the path of the Phoenix.

June 13, 2013

The feet are still not ready. As bad as I want to move forward, I have got to be able to wear my shoes and walk. I'm so glad I have along my Crocks. I can shuffle around in them while the blisters heal and the swelling goes down.

I called back to Wildcat in Maryville for some advice on foot care. Where did I go wrong? After talking to him I'm not sure I did anything wrong as much as I missed a few tricks that might have helped me avoid disaster. The point now is to get back to healthy. 

Basically, the plan is to get my feet up, give them a good rest and plenty of air. As of tonight, the swelling has gone down considerably. The raw blisters look and feel much better, and I am encouraged.

Tonight I am staying at The Place, a basic hostel offered by the Methodist church in town. Today it's the only place in town that had a bed. The thunderstorms have pulled people off the trail to dry out (like me), and the town is full of bike riders who have come to ride in this wonderful setting.

A day like this is good to have. I am learning that nothing is really wasted. I've met new hikers, learned some new things about myself and the trail, and got caught up with my personal business. I think that my feet are also ready to slide into my shoes in the morning. I am ready to move on.

Up ahead?  The Mount Rogers area including the Grayson Highlands. There wild ponies roam and play games with the hikers as they walk through. Who knows what else the next days will bring.  That's part of the excitement of being on the trail.