Turn Your Troubles into Blessings
August 22, 2016
That’s what the hiker we met this morning said. Her story is that she walked from Springer to Katahdin, reaching the summit in Maine on August 4th.
18 days later, she’s already reached 725 miles in a southbound return to Springer!
“How are you doing,” I asked. Her reply, “I’m physically doing great. I’m emotionally broken. I don’t have time to talk with anyone and I hike all day and night.”
August 15, 2016
I am not sharing my story. I am waiting. Letting someone else call the shots. Being a loyal partner while settling for unfulfillment, taking what comes, avoiding creating. Making assumptions that deep connection is not possible.
Avoiding taking a close look and going deeper myself.
Interesting that on this section, I now have ample time to write, to post, to connect, and I decided going into it that I wouldn’t. I would focus on making miles, letting the blogging fall away. Ironically, I have now been in this hostel for 24 hours. And I don’t want to share!
July 6, 2016
Delaware Water Gap! It’s 9:30 a.m. and here we are at the Pennsylvania-New Jersey state line!
It’s halfway across the bridge across the Delaware River – on I-80! The trucks rumble by, inches away from us beside the concrete barrier, the bridge shaking. Only on the AT! Oh my!
Our three-hour walk this morning included the last of the Pennsylvania Rocks, a lily-pad pond, and a tunnel of rhododendron flowers! What a fitting flourish for the end of this section of our walk!
July 5, 2016
This is our last night on the trail for this section walk. Tomorrow, we’ll walk an easy 6 miles to Delaware Water Gap, rent a car, and drive back to Virginia.
The rocks are waning, Pennsylvania is falling behind us.
Today’s walk gave us a chance to exercise one of our “trail mastery” skills: moving on from an undesirable social situation. Let me explain.
We arrived early at our day’s goal, just nine miles from our starting point, at a shelter with easy access to water. A couple of hikers were already there. They pointed us to the water. We noticed a picnic table on the trail to the water source, in a shady clearing behind the shelter. Nice! We could set out our stuff there! I suggested that we share the fire the other hikers were tending at the shelter and took our pot over there. No problem.
July 6, 2016
There are only two people in the world who celebrate Calzone Day! That’s me and my hiking partner, John. The first Calzone Day was July 6, 2007, when John bought a calzone in Monson, Maine, couldn’t eat the whole thing, and shared it with me!
We didn’t know at the time that we would become hiking partners, but now celebrate the day we met!
Today marks nine years since the first Calzone Day!
July 2, 2016
“Pennsylvania has rocks!!” says my baby grandson. His mom sends me photos that keep me laughing! 16 days ’til our next visit!
July 2, 2016
Have I told you that I LOOOOVE my tarp shelter?! It kept us dry in the thunderstorm last night. Chalk up another success for the Rayway tarp system!
This 1.5 lb drape of fabric has sheltered us in all kinds of weather in all four seasons.
Check here for more tarp successes. https://forgivenesswalks.com/reginas-tarps
Whohoo for the tarp! And Love Your Gear!
In joy,
Regina
July 1, 2016
We easily walked from last night’s camp to Eckville Shelter, arriving at about 2 p.m. The trail today was scenic with views from Pulpit Rock and The Pinnacle, winding from Blue Mountain to Eckville Rd on a smooth, old dirt road. Not so many rocks at all!
Eckville Shelter is a remodeled garage behind a big farmhouse next to the road to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, where hawks gather in great numbers during spring and fall migration.
The shelter features a caretaker who lives in the house, a solar shower (cold today!), a charging strip for electronics, and six bunks.
June 30, 2016
A popular hiker hangout in Port Clinton, PA is Frank’s Barber Shop. The barbers are a father-son team who’ve been running the shop for decades – $8 a cut. They had a steady stream of customers for the 2 hours we stayed while sorting our maildrop and charging phone batteries.
“Would you like to cut my hair?” I asked the younger Frank. He looked at me, “No, not really.” I think he just cuts men’s hair. And they just really enjoy having the hikers visit. They offer everyone coffee and cookies – vanilla amd chocolate sandwich cremes – and find out our trailnames and where we’re from.
June 27, 2016
Today is my nine-year anniversay of my first summit of Mt Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, in Maine!
What a day that was! I was astounded at the arduous terrain of the mountain, surprised at the boulder climbing and the 10-hour trek to get up – and down!
Now I know that Mt Katahdin is in the top five most difficult parts of the trail, too! But, I’m so glad I did my thruhike that way because I got the hard stuff out of the way first!
I’ve gone back to climb it again – eight other times! If you haven’t watched my video of Mt Katahdin, watch it here!