Old School Education
Day 44 of the Trail: 21.7 miles hiked approximately
I don't know who told spring to hold off, and then rewound everything back to winter, but I want them found and punished severely. It was cold this morning but luckily no rain last night or as we packed up. There was a creepy looking sky ,with clearing sky's to our north and an ominous dark cloud bank rolling over the mountains to the south. The dark clouds brought cold wind and light sprinkles. We had to climb up in altitude initially and as we did the sky darkened and the wind got colder.
This happened on and off all day long. It was a bipolar day when the weather can't decide if the sun should shine or the rain should fall. It never really committed to one weather pattern so we were never really went from rain or burned by the sun. I still felt the need to complain. Thomas reminded me, however, that as long as we were not in freezing rain or blistering sun then we had the best of both worlds. Cool temps but no rain.
On our walk today we discussed the age discrepancy of people on the trail. Most are college age. Some of these people baffle me. They hike with a odd sense of entitlement, like this experience is owed to them but they show little regard for it. Many have little discipline and are loud and rude at times. I have witnessed this group exclusively be the perpetrators of litter, as if they expected someone else to pick up after them. I don't know how many have saved their own hard earned money to buy the equipment they use and fund this adventure and how many are still being supported by their parents. If these young folks are supposed to represent the future then I hope the future comes with responsible adults to support them and clean up their messes.
The other group is the 50+ plus group. Men and women who have dreamed of this for years and now, being recently retired, have the time. What a great group of hikers they can be. Not normally the loud ones but they also have there moments. They don't linger anywhere too long because they can't or they won't make their miles. They show respect and can engage in meaningful conversation.
Then, there is my middle age group. Smallest by far but still present. I can't say much about this group even though I am one. We're like unicorns, if you see one you can't believe it and may even kick yourself for not getting a picture before they dart off.
We did almost 22 miles today and plan to do about 19 miles tomorrow to make it to a hotel for some shower and rest.
Day 45 of the Trail: 19 miles hiked
Is still freezing outside and I'm pretty sure it snowed in the Greyson Highlands. Thomas and I hiked feverishly for the first half of the day to (1) stay warm and (2) we knew a room, laundry, and restaurants waited for us. We planned to have two lunches today so we could maintain a good pace and have high energy while hiking.
Our first stop was at the Mount Rodgers National Recreation HQ. Just a note to those hiking near this area: the HQ has nice restrooms and a water fountain but the restrooms close at 4, if I remember when the HQ closes. That's okay, though, because there is a shelter about 100-200 yards away with a restroom and running water and a shower. Yup, a freaking shower. I hear it's a cold water shower and if it would have been a few days earlier that wouldn't have worked for me.
After first lunch we went about 6 more miles and scarfed down lunch two. This was the down hill leg now and we were cooking. At mile marker 541ish there is a 19th century school house that is worth stopping and exploring. There was a large amount of trail magic left inside and tons of cool things to look at. I don't wanna give too much away but there is a list of rules and punishments (lashes). One I found funny was that basically you got 10 lashes for messing with a girl and only 8 if you were caught drinking liquor.
After the short history lesson, we had a new speed and made the 2.5 or so miles to the hotel in quick speed. Now, it's still cold, rainy, slick, and generally crappy outside but it didn't matter because we were checking into the Relax Inn. Not the Hilton but it has coin laundry and easy restaurant access. Showers and beds are a plus.
Next couple days we zero for our WH event. About 75 miles in 4 days is a personal best that we are happy with.
Day 46-47 of the Trail: zero
Day 48 of the Trail: 15.8 miles hiked approximately: Mother's Day
We tell those most important women in our lives happy Mother's Day for those wondering.
Well, we got up about 6 am and packed our things. One last breakfast at the Barn and then we were hiking by 9am. We took our time but there was no rush. The rain was still deciding if it was gonna move out and the sun was fighting for space to shine. When we did get going we found ourselves slipping on the trail like it was a ice rink. It took a mile or two to climb into some more solid terrain before the hiking improved.
Today, was a pretty enjoyable hike. We went through some large meadows with awesome views of the mountains. Sometimes it's better to look up at the mountains than to look down from them.
We made it to camp before I knew it and Thomas did his normal routine of planning out stops for the next day and I wrote my blog as usual.
We spent a great deal of time discussing our experiences with command personal in the military today. It's easy to feel over looked and objectified as a tool when in the military, but hey, the mission comes first and that's hard to handle sometimes. Some commanders are better at presenting that fact and rallying support than others. But now, here in the real world I am far from content to reside myself to that notion. People matter and families matter. My family matters most to me. This hike is a journey I undertook to better myself for my family and at times I have experienced push back regarding my method of hiking. I will do my best to hike this trail in a manner that is conducive to my motives and goals and in balance with my family needs.
The mission is me and that's why I am here.
