SEPTEMBER 18, 2015. The trail section between Lincoln and Glenclif, NH is rich with significant memories! On my 2007 walk, it was in this 30 miles that I leaned in to my heart’s yearning for a partner. I longed for someone to share the physical difficulties of the trail and to celebrate meeting the challenges of traversing the White Mountains.

I enjoyed walking with “Hiker John”, finding his company comforting and fun. As the days went on, and communicating with my husband back at home seemed more and more difficult, I wanted a hug. read more

   I’m 350 miles along my way south of Mt. Katahdin and am celebrating a successful choice of clothing! For the first time yesterday morning I wore everything in my clothes bag except my extra socks. That was INSIDE the Lakes of the Clouds hut while we waited for breakfast. Outside, on the trail, I was warm and dry. I thought you might enjoy a peek at my “wardrobe”. A lightweight backpacker’s challenge is to balance weight with need. On this trip  in the northern 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail during August and September, I considered possible cold mornings and evenings, some rain, and cool days. I gambled on my coldest, rainiest conditions being in The Presidential range where we would summit Mt. Washington, known as having the worst weather in the US. read more

SEPTEMBER 8.
I awoke out of my haze of confusion about just what was weighing me down, arguing in my mind, blinding me to the beauty surrounding me, stabbing my knees with pain.  It was one of those Old Stories bubbling up to be felt and acknowledged – and transformed!  I had embarked on this two month journey on the Appalachian Trail to use walking in Nature to clarify my relationship with my hiking partner. Wasn’t THIS a pivotal moment in that intention?!!

The past twenty miles had been hard! In fact, this section is often viewed as the hardest of the entire Appalachian Trail.  Between Gorham and Pinkham Notch NH, the trail crept up and down the four peaks of Carter Mountain and the five peaks of Wildcat Mountain. Even though the trail started gently out of Gorham, it was equally paved with steep slopes of smooth rock faces and rugged rocky stair steps that seemed a few inches higher than my legs easily reached. read more

It could be in Disneyworld! Imagine this. You walk through a lush garden of waist high flowers, golden leaves, moss blanketed rocks. A white arrow painted on a big rock slab points to an opening, beckoning you to enter. You crawl through the dark hole, and before you lay a pathway of alluring rocks, draped in green moss. Branches take on fantasy animal shapes, webbed roots form puzzling gateways.

Up, down, through holes and caves, ledges and cracks, you twist, stretch, climb, and turn your body. You step across chasms between lichen-covered boulders, just far enough apart for a thrilling step, hearing water running in the depths below. Another arrow points the way, faded and a little vague. Is THAT the way, down into the dark? You look closer. Yes. There are more arrows down there! You lower yourself down the smooth slide and crawl under the great slab and out the other side, pushing yourself up through the slit into the light. read more

SEPTEMBER 1. While sitting on the bed at Pine Ellis Hostel in Andover, Maine, deciding what to share about the last 34 miles on the Appalachian Trail, my awesome hiking partner just packed my gear! Sweet! Here are some highlights of the past 4 days……..
****Bemis Mtn with its four peaks, plus Old Blue, Moody, and Hall Mtns thrown in for gymnastic mastery.
**** South, Sabbath Day, Long, Moxie, and Surplus Ponds for morning mists, thin sand beach, and a missing moose.
**** Bemis Stream plus Black and Sawyer Brooks for dry sock rock hops and welcome water sources.
**** A food sensitivity challenge to provide a stage for transforming a belief that I’m not worthy to be John’s hiking partner to affirming that I can love and accept my body as part of OUR hiking team.
****Endless sensory nourishment with rocks and plants and diverse forests, sky and sun and vistas.
**** 100+ northbound hikers offered plenty of chances to rwgard and support others in theirbown quests.
****A 24-hr stay at Pine Ellis Hostel, Naomi’s home turned hiker lodge where a homelike setting helps us relax and prepare for the next four-day section, complete with full meals, gear revision, a MASSAGE from a neighbor, and…..a new sleeping bag!! read more