Second largest Oak tree on the ATFriday, May 8, 2009
This is Mike Hussey (Uncle Huss) making an entry into Caleb’s & Luke’s blog. After walking with them for a day, they invited me to post some comments about the experience.
First of all I would like to thank Luke & Caleb for slowing down on that day so that this out-of-shape 52-year-old could share in their Appalachian Trail (AT) walk. It is an experience I will remember for a long time.
I really enjoyed the company, walking, scenery, wildlife, and time away from work. In the one day of walking I was able to see the second largest Oak tree on the AT (see the picture), wildlife (up close and personal), and beautiful views of the Virginia mountains. I really envy the two of you taking on this walk. It has always been a dream of mine to walk the entire AT. Maybe I’ll walk it when I retire.
I have to share more of the wildlife story that Luke was only able to touch on. Walking along the ridge that is known as Sinking Creek Mountain near Bruiser’s Knob, the terrain gets very rocky. The trail traverses large boulders on the top of the ridge. We were walking single file with Caleb in the lead, Michael second, Mike third, and Luke fourth and last. We were going through a passage between two large boulders and having to step up onto another. Caleb comes out of the passage and steps up on the next boulder uneventfully. Michael is about 5 feet behind him and as soon as he tops the boulder we all hear the rattle. Michael steps to the right and both he and I yell “rattlesnake!” We both look right where the noise is coming from but do not see it. It blended in very well with the boulder, leaves, and sticks. After about 5 seconds we both see this 2 and a half foot fat snake laying out straight with his rattle up in the air. We are now all out of the snakes “warning zone” and he stops rattling. Caleb comes back to see what he just stepped over and Luke is trying to look through the passage and around me to see the snake. The snake does not coil or move. From the girth of his body, we determine he must have eaten recently.
Since the snake is not coiling or moving, I decide to get up where Michael is on the boulder. I feel I am well out of striking distance and will be able to stay out of his “warning zone.” As I step up on the boulder I do indeed enter the snakes “warning zone” again and he begins to rattle. Quickly I am up where Michael is and the snake stops rattling. Luke is still in the passage and decides to bang his walking sticks together to get the snake off the trail so he can join us and we can continue on the trail. Instead of going away from the noise he heads toward it. (Snakes do not have external ears but recent research indicates they can hear.) The snake is moving slow but eventually leaves the trail prior to reaching Luke. Before he leaves we get pictures. Michael will post a picture or two when he gets a chance.
After seeing the snake, we were all looking more carefully at the trail in front of our feet. Unfortunately, that set us up for our next scare. About five minutes after leaving the snake, we were walking next to a boulder that tops out at about the height of our heads. Our internal “scarometers” were now set on hypersensitive because of the snake. Suddenly we heard this loud sound, “whump, whump, whump, whump” to our immediate left. We all ducked, put our arms up to cover our heads, dodged over to the right, and screamed like school girls. Oh, it was a sight to see. However, while we were screaming, we did manage to see through our arms that a buzzard that had been perched on a branch on the other side of the boulder just out of site, decided to take off when we were right next to him. Since we are looking down at the trail making sure we didn’t have any more close encounters with snakes, we didn’t notice the buzzard. He scared us half to death. Once we realized it was just a buzzard trying to get away from us and how silly we must have looked, we all started to laugh heartily at ourselves and each other.
I have one more interesting encounter with wildlife to share. About 15 minutes from our campsite for the night, we stopped at a shelter that had a privy (outhouse). Michael had to use the facilities so he grabbed the toilet paper and headed over to the privy. The rest of us were all talking and sharing our rattlesnake and buzzard stories with Carolina (another through hiker). Three minutes later I looked up toward the privy and Michael was walking around it instead of being in it. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was looking for a long stick so he could get a 4 foot black snake out of the privy. We all laughed, Luke grabbed his camera, and ran over to the privy to get pictures. There indeed was a snake in the privy but all the commotion and paparazzi scared him down a hole under the privy. At that point everyone felt they could wait for the next privy or a least a choice spot in the woods.
Once again Luke & Caleb, thanks for letting me walk with you for a day on your AT adventure. It was an unbelievable experience and will be cherished for a long time. On to Katadin!!!
First of all I would like to thank Luke & Caleb for slowing down on that day so that this out-of-shape 52-year-old could share in their Appalachian Trail (AT) walk. It is an experience I will remember for a long time.
I really enjoyed the company, walking, scenery, wildlife, and time away from work. In the one day of walking I was able to see the second largest Oak tree on the AT (see the picture), wildlife (up close and personal), and beautiful views of the Virginia mountains. I really envy the two of you taking on this walk. It has always been a dream of mine to walk the entire AT. Maybe I’ll walk it when I retire.
I have to share more of the wildlife story that Luke was only able to touch on. Walking along the ridge that is known as Sinking Creek Mountain near Bruiser’s Knob, the terrain gets very rocky. The trail traverses large boulders on the top of the ridge. We were walking single file with Caleb in the lead, Michael second, Mike third, and Luke fourth and last. We were going through a passage between two large boulders and having to step up onto another. Caleb comes out of the passage and steps up on the next boulder uneventfully. Michael is about 5 feet behind him and as soon as he tops the boulder we all hear the rattle. Michael steps to the right and both he and I yell “rattlesnake!” We both look right where the noise is coming from but do not see it. It blended in very well with the boulder, leaves, and sticks. After about 5 seconds we both see this 2 and a half foot fat snake laying out straight with his rattle up in the air. We are now all out of the snakes “warning zone” and he stops rattling. Caleb comes back to see what he just stepped over and Luke is trying to look through the passage and around me to see the snake. The snake does not coil or move. From the girth of his body, we determine he must have eaten recently.
Since the snake is not coiling or moving, I decide to get up where Michael is on the boulder. I feel I am well out of striking distance and will be able to stay out of his “warning zone.” As I step up on the boulder I do indeed enter the snakes “warning zone” again and he begins to rattle. Quickly I am up where Michael is and the snake stops rattling. Luke is still in the passage and decides to bang his walking sticks together to get the snake off the trail so he can join us and we can continue on the trail. Instead of going away from the noise he heads toward it. (Snakes do not have external ears but recent research indicates they can hear.) The snake is moving slow but eventually leaves the trail prior to reaching Luke. Before he leaves we get pictures. Michael will post a picture or two when he gets a chance.
After seeing the snake, we were all looking more carefully at the trail in front of our feet. Unfortunately, that set us up for our next scare. About five minutes after leaving the snake, we were walking next to a boulder that tops out at about the height of our heads. Our internal “scarometers” were now set on hypersensitive because of the snake. Suddenly we heard this loud sound, “whump, whump, whump, whump” to our immediate left. We all ducked, put our arms up to cover our heads, dodged over to the right, and screamed like school girls. Oh, it was a sight to see. However, while we were screaming, we did manage to see through our arms that a buzzard that had been perched on a branch on the other side of the boulder just out of site, decided to take off when we were right next to him. Since we are looking down at the trail making sure we didn’t have any more close encounters with snakes, we didn’t notice the buzzard. He scared us half to death. Once we realized it was just a buzzard trying to get away from us and how silly we must have looked, we all started to laugh heartily at ourselves and each other.
I have one more interesting encounter with wildlife to share. About 15 minutes from our campsite for the night, we stopped at a shelter that had a privy (outhouse). Michael had to use the facilities so he grabbed the toilet paper and headed over to the privy. The rest of us were all talking and sharing our rattlesnake and buzzard stories with Carolina (another through hiker). Three minutes later I looked up toward the privy and Michael was walking around it instead of being in it. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was looking for a long stick so he could get a 4 foot black snake out of the privy. We all laughed, Luke grabbed his camera, and ran over to the privy to get pictures. There indeed was a snake in the privy but all the commotion and paparazzi scared him down a hole under the privy. At that point everyone felt they could wait for the next privy or a least a choice spot in the woods.
Once again Luke & Caleb, thanks for letting me walk with you for a day on your AT adventure. It was an unbelievable experience and will be cherished for a long time. On to Katadin!!!
Long, Nonsensical Post
This is Luke blogging from Waynesboro, VA (852.5 miles from Springer Mountain, GA and 1325.8 miles from Mount Katahdin, ME).
Mom did a great job with the post, didn’t she? I thought Caleb’s was great, too! Thanks for all the comments, too! I’m a fan of my own blog…
Like always, it feels like so much has gone on since I last got on here to update this. I’ll do my best to fill you in on the events of the last couple hundred of miles.
I hung up with mom in Pearisburg because Caleb chatted up a nice senior citizen on her way out of the library and she ended up offering us a ride back to the road 2.5 miles past the town. The 80-year-young lady went out of her way to swing us by the Laundromat where our clothes were in the dryer (our request) and the Radioshack to show us where her son worked (not our request) before dropping us off back at the trailhead, the whole time telling us stories about her family and different times she met her favorite actors. Sweet, sweet lady...
The big news coming out of Pearisburg was that we were meeting my cousin, Michael, and his friend, Matt, in close to 50 miles to hike with for a couple of days. Michael, who attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales, promised me that we would eat well while we hiked with him and he was not joking. Caleb and I woke up and hiked half a mile to where we planned to meet, and were greeted with eggs, sausage, pancakes, orange juice, smiles, and hugs. We ate until we could eat no more. Unfortunately there was a 2,200’ climb that directly followed this morning feast and it took us a few hours to make it to the next shelter down the trail. A few hours…what does that mean??? LUNCHTIME!!!
One reason the climb took so long was the extreme heat. The guys brought beautiful sunshine with temperatures in the 80s. Another reason the climb may have taken some time was because Michael was carrying 20 hotdogs, approximately 8 pounds of baked beans, and at least a couple pounds of condiments. An hour into lunch, all these things are gone. NAPTIME!!!
After naps, we have decided to cut our initial goal of 16 miles a day during their hike with us in half. Now, with only five miles downhill left on the day, the hike seems manageable and we pack up camp and continue the hike. After walking through some cow/donkey pastures with several obstacles over fences, we set up camp. No supper is needed…we are still stuffed from lunch. Matt hangs his super comfy hammock, while Michael, Caleb, and I sleep under the stars as it is a beautiful night with no thoughts of rain. Another thru-hiker, Sam the Jam, stumbles upon our campfire and sets up camp with us. We sleep great.
In the morning Uncle Huss (Michael’s Dad) finds our campsite before I am out of my sleeping bag. Matt takes the car, with our packs in them, ten miles down the trail to meet us later in the day. Michael, Huss, Caleb, and I had a beautiful hike along a ridge where we encountered our first rattlesnake! It was right on the trail and we did not notice it until it rattled at Michael, who was hiking second in line. Apparently Caleb stepped right over it and did not notice…kind of scary. Later in the day, we found Matt who had found a sweet camp spot next to a creek. We took a shower in the creek, (Michael) grilled hamburgers, and drank a few beers before falling asleep under the stars again. All in all, a great time with a few great guys! Thank you guys for coming out to hike with us…(p.s. – you should post your pictures, more on that later…)
After the guys left, it was hard to get back into the groove of a thru-hike. We wanted to take more breaks and eat lots of food. We didn’t mind too much, though. Any schedule we have for ourselves is artificial. We are just trying to enjoy our walk.
And enjoy the walk we have! The section between where the guys left us and here has been our favorite section of the trail. Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee’s Knob, and the Tinker Cliffs were the most picturesque/awesome/fun twenty mile stretch of the trail, in my opinion. These unusual rock formations offer remarkable views of the valley below. With the hot weather, we took off our shirts, took naps on the rocks, took in the views, and got sunburns.
Time and time again, we are reminded of the kindness of people towards us and what we are doing. One evening, Caleb and I stopped at a road a few miles before the shelter we were planning on staying at. We were tired, unmotivated, thirsty, and hungry. A car full of young guys drives by and yells at us. We don’t think much of it, but a few minutes later the same car comes back and pulls off the side of the road with one of the guys hanging out the car window. We thought the guys were going to throw something at us. They screeched to a halt and the guy holds out two ice cold beers and tells us to take them. We were so happy and they offered us more beers and a ride. We declined both but were cheered up enough to head on to the next shelter. People do little things like that all the time for us.
We stopped in Glasgow, VA several days back to resupply to get us to where we are now. It was an adventure. We hitchhiked into town with a driver that was really nice but also really drunk. If done again, we definitely would not have ridden with him, but it was not apparent at first how drunk the guy was or how curvy the 6 miles of road to Glasgow would be. We were so relieved to safely arrive at the Dollar General Store in Glasgow. We ate, resupplied, made phone calls, and were ready to head back to the trail. As we were walking back to the road to hitch back to the trail, it started pouring down rain. We’re in the pouring rain and no one is giving us a ride. Eventually a man in a truck pulls over. I jump straight into the back of the truck while Caleb talks to the guy. The 71-year-old guy asks, “You ain’t got no gun or knives or nothin’ on ya, do ya?” Caleb assures him we don’t, and the guy says he’ll give us a ride, but that I have to stay in the back. I’m soaking wet in the back for the ride, but happy to have a hitch. I didn’t expect to be dropped off two miles short of the trailhead, though. Caleb says the guy was freakin’ out during the ride and nervous that we might have guns or knives and said he was going to drop us off a little early. So, he dumps us off in the rain short of the trail on the side of a highway, close to dark, and then Caleb realizes that he has left his camera in the cab of the guy’s truck.
Low point of the trail.
We regroup for a second, get another hitch, and we have good news!
Let’s backtrack for a second…For a few days prior to Glasgow, there had been postings at all the trailheads about a blind hiker from Michigan that was hiking the A.T. and got lost in the woods. He had been missing for a week when we were in Glasgow and all the thru-hikers were thinking that there was little hope for the guy.
Well, the car that picked us up had a Michigan license plate and it turns out that it was friends of the blind hiker who was now found! They were on their way to the hospital to visit the hiker! It definitely put our bad day into perspective and made us enjoy the rest of the day.
The camera is an ongoing story, though, with some exciting twists and turns that we will update you with later. But, I’ve bought a new camera and will become the cameraman for the rest of the trip. Pictures will be up soon.
I’m tired of sitting down and feel like I’m not making any sense, anymore. Blakeley and Laura have visited us in Waynesboro, VA and have shown us an amazing time here for our zero day. They are some cool ladies. I will write more about our time here in Waynesboro, VA on that in the next post, too.
Thanks for everything, you guys.
NoseHose
Mom did a great job with the post, didn’t she? I thought Caleb’s was great, too! Thanks for all the comments, too! I’m a fan of my own blog…
Like always, it feels like so much has gone on since I last got on here to update this. I’ll do my best to fill you in on the events of the last couple hundred of miles.
I hung up with mom in Pearisburg because Caleb chatted up a nice senior citizen on her way out of the library and she ended up offering us a ride back to the road 2.5 miles past the town. The 80-year-young lady went out of her way to swing us by the Laundromat where our clothes were in the dryer (our request) and the Radioshack to show us where her son worked (not our request) before dropping us off back at the trailhead, the whole time telling us stories about her family and different times she met her favorite actors. Sweet, sweet lady...
The big news coming out of Pearisburg was that we were meeting my cousin, Michael, and his friend, Matt, in close to 50 miles to hike with for a couple of days. Michael, who attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales, promised me that we would eat well while we hiked with him and he was not joking. Caleb and I woke up and hiked half a mile to where we planned to meet, and were greeted with eggs, sausage, pancakes, orange juice, smiles, and hugs. We ate until we could eat no more. Unfortunately there was a 2,200’ climb that directly followed this morning feast and it took us a few hours to make it to the next shelter down the trail. A few hours…what does that mean??? LUNCHTIME!!!
One reason the climb took so long was the extreme heat. The guys brought beautiful sunshine with temperatures in the 80s. Another reason the climb may have taken some time was because Michael was carrying 20 hotdogs, approximately 8 pounds of baked beans, and at least a couple pounds of condiments. An hour into lunch, all these things are gone. NAPTIME!!!
After naps, we have decided to cut our initial goal of 16 miles a day during their hike with us in half. Now, with only five miles downhill left on the day, the hike seems manageable and we pack up camp and continue the hike. After walking through some cow/donkey pastures with several obstacles over fences, we set up camp. No supper is needed…we are still stuffed from lunch. Matt hangs his super comfy hammock, while Michael, Caleb, and I sleep under the stars as it is a beautiful night with no thoughts of rain. Another thru-hiker, Sam the Jam, stumbles upon our campfire and sets up camp with us. We sleep great.
In the morning Uncle Huss (Michael’s Dad) finds our campsite before I am out of my sleeping bag. Matt takes the car, with our packs in them, ten miles down the trail to meet us later in the day. Michael, Huss, Caleb, and I had a beautiful hike along a ridge where we encountered our first rattlesnake! It was right on the trail and we did not notice it until it rattled at Michael, who was hiking second in line. Apparently Caleb stepped right over it and did not notice…kind of scary. Later in the day, we found Matt who had found a sweet camp spot next to a creek. We took a shower in the creek, (Michael) grilled hamburgers, and drank a few beers before falling asleep under the stars again. All in all, a great time with a few great guys! Thank you guys for coming out to hike with us…(p.s. – you should post your pictures, more on that later…)
After the guys left, it was hard to get back into the groove of a thru-hike. We wanted to take more breaks and eat lots of food. We didn’t mind too much, though. Any schedule we have for ourselves is artificial. We are just trying to enjoy our walk.
And enjoy the walk we have! The section between where the guys left us and here has been our favorite section of the trail. Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee’s Knob, and the Tinker Cliffs were the most picturesque/awesome/fun twenty mile stretch of the trail, in my opinion. These unusual rock formations offer remarkable views of the valley below. With the hot weather, we took off our shirts, took naps on the rocks, took in the views, and got sunburns.
Time and time again, we are reminded of the kindness of people towards us and what we are doing. One evening, Caleb and I stopped at a road a few miles before the shelter we were planning on staying at. We were tired, unmotivated, thirsty, and hungry. A car full of young guys drives by and yells at us. We don’t think much of it, but a few minutes later the same car comes back and pulls off the side of the road with one of the guys hanging out the car window. We thought the guys were going to throw something at us. They screeched to a halt and the guy holds out two ice cold beers and tells us to take them. We were so happy and they offered us more beers and a ride. We declined both but were cheered up enough to head on to the next shelter. People do little things like that all the time for us.
We stopped in Glasgow, VA several days back to resupply to get us to where we are now. It was an adventure. We hitchhiked into town with a driver that was really nice but also really drunk. If done again, we definitely would not have ridden with him, but it was not apparent at first how drunk the guy was or how curvy the 6 miles of road to Glasgow would be. We were so relieved to safely arrive at the Dollar General Store in Glasgow. We ate, resupplied, made phone calls, and were ready to head back to the trail. As we were walking back to the road to hitch back to the trail, it started pouring down rain. We’re in the pouring rain and no one is giving us a ride. Eventually a man in a truck pulls over. I jump straight into the back of the truck while Caleb talks to the guy. The 71-year-old guy asks, “You ain’t got no gun or knives or nothin’ on ya, do ya?” Caleb assures him we don’t, and the guy says he’ll give us a ride, but that I have to stay in the back. I’m soaking wet in the back for the ride, but happy to have a hitch. I didn’t expect to be dropped off two miles short of the trailhead, though. Caleb says the guy was freakin’ out during the ride and nervous that we might have guns or knives and said he was going to drop us off a little early. So, he dumps us off in the rain short of the trail on the side of a highway, close to dark, and then Caleb realizes that he has left his camera in the cab of the guy’s truck.
Low point of the trail.
We regroup for a second, get another hitch, and we have good news!
Let’s backtrack for a second…For a few days prior to Glasgow, there had been postings at all the trailheads about a blind hiker from Michigan that was hiking the A.T. and got lost in the woods. He had been missing for a week when we were in Glasgow and all the thru-hikers were thinking that there was little hope for the guy.
Well, the car that picked us up had a Michigan license plate and it turns out that it was friends of the blind hiker who was now found! They were on their way to the hospital to visit the hiker! It definitely put our bad day into perspective and made us enjoy the rest of the day.
The camera is an ongoing story, though, with some exciting twists and turns that we will update you with later. But, I’ve bought a new camera and will become the cameraman for the rest of the trip. Pictures will be up soon.
I’m tired of sitting down and feel like I’m not making any sense, anymore. Blakeley and Laura have visited us in Waynesboro, VA and have shown us an amazing time here for our zero day. They are some cool ladies. I will write more about our time here in Waynesboro, VA on that in the next post, too.
Thanks for everything, you guys.
NoseHose
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Caleb's Hike...
First of all, thank you everyone for your ongoing support and encouragement.
The other day I saw a man standing silent and still. Both his hands were grasped closed. Both his feet planted stable and strong. He stood straight breathing slowly. All seemed comfortable except his eyes. His eyes contradicted ease into complexity, and I realized that this comfort stance only masked confusion. In closer evaluation I realized that in one hand the man held a wallet. This wallet served as a home for all the “important” things in his life. At the very center, like most wallets, was his license. An emotionless picture characterized by a name, an address, and a description. Once in time these things were important. Now they seemed distant and foreign: a name given by two strangers before his existence, an address that describes time less spent at home, and a description of a photo not a person. Next to his license he held a card. A piece of plastic that told how much money he held. It characterized him both financially and socially. It told him not only what he could buy, but also who he needed to associate with. On top of both these things he carried pictures of family and friends. These pictures are the first things he sees when he opens this wallet and the last things he sees before he flips it closed. They serve as both anchor and harness to the fingers wrapped around the leather. In closer evaluation I realized that this man is silent and still because he is balanced. Steady tightrope walking a sill of equilibrium. In a comfortable stance shadowed with confused eyes he stands with wallet in one hand and nothing in the other.
The other day I saw a man standing silent and still. Both his hands were grasped closed. Both his feet planted stable and strong. He stood straight breathing slowly. All seemed comfortable except his eyes. His eyes contradicted ease into complexity, and I realized that this comfort stance only masked confusion. In closer evaluation I realized that in one hand the man held a wallet. This wallet served as a home for all the “important” things in his life. At the very center, like most wallets, was his license. An emotionless picture characterized by a name, an address, and a description. Once in time these things were important. Now they seemed distant and foreign: a name given by two strangers before his existence, an address that describes time less spent at home, and a description of a photo not a person. Next to his license he held a card. A piece of plastic that told how much money he held. It characterized him both financially and socially. It told him not only what he could buy, but also who he needed to associate with. On top of both these things he carried pictures of family and friends. These pictures are the first things he sees when he opens this wallet and the last things he sees before he flips it closed. They serve as both anchor and harness to the fingers wrapped around the leather. In closer evaluation I realized that this man is silent and still because he is balanced. Steady tightrope walking a sill of equilibrium. In a comfortable stance shadowed with confused eyes he stands with wallet in one hand and nothing in the other.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Stories from Luke's Phone Call w/Mom
Luke asked that I update the blog and give followers a summary of the latest highlights. Evidently, small-town libraries don’t have an abundance of computers and so time on them is limited. This was the first time Luke asked me to do the blog for him. I feel very honored, and I’ll try my best to relate the highlights as well as Luke told me on the phone. . .
The first highlight he wanted me to mention was the unlikely meeting of a group of southbound hikers on the trail north of Damascus that turned out to be a group from Morganton. One of the hikers was Alex Rector, a senior in high school that Luke knows well because he dates Megan Hussey, Luke’s cousin. The hikers were from TASK and they were doing a Spring Break backpacking trip. It was quite a coincidence for them to cross paths with one another. On a 2,175 mile hike, what were the odds that these guys would be on the same section at the same time? Anyway, both Caleb and Luke were blown away by this “coincidence.” Since Caleb’s sister Hana had been a member of TASK, Caleb knew the leaders and many of the hikers, and of course, Luke knew Alex. Running into familiar faces unexpectedly like that was a real boost and just another one of their many stories of “trail magic.”
The wild ponies were also a well-timed surprise. The boys knew they were hiking in the region where the ponies live but also knew they were nearing the end of that section without having seen any signs of wild ponies. Luke said they were walking a section of the ridge where they couldn’t see too far ahead of them when they suddenly heard and saw the ponies fast approaching. Luke called it a stampede and said they were in single file running on the trail straight towards them. Luke, ahead of Caleb, yelled “ponies,” and quick-thinking Caleb got out his camera. Caleb got the pictures while Luke cooperated with the ponies who only wanted to stop and lick the sweat off of him and Caleb. Luke laughed as he told me he could feel the ponies’ teeth as they lovingly licked him.
The boys are still dealing with wide ranges of weather. Luke described an amazing view of weather he and Caleb got to experience. They were overlooking miles of space below and could literally see about five different types of weather all at one time. He said he has never seen anything like it and was in awe of the view. . Luke said they’ve seen rain, sun, snow, hail, crazy wind, pushing clouds, and the weirdest combinations of weather.
It seems weather-related issues are teaching the boys a lot. One night they arrived to a shelter but it was full. Luke said he was feeling lazy and so instead of setting up his tent, he and Caleb threw a tarp over a picnic table that was at the shelter and slept under it. Waking up wet and miserable, Luke learned that his “easy-way-out” idea hadn’t been so smart.
Many of the boys’ highlights are posted via the pictures Caleb has taken. Both the boys are soaking in the beauty around them, and while the pictures are beautiful, both Luke and Caleb agree the pictures don’t measure up to the beauty they experience. I was glad to see they posted a picture of Mule. He’s the hiker I serendipitously met who carried three bags of food three miles to two boys he didn’t even know at the time! That is another great story . . . and while I can’t take up space to tell my version of it here, I’ll be happy to tell it to anyone who wants to hear it. Mule is my hero, though, and I was glad to see that Luke and Caleb have run into him again. Luke says he thinks Mule is about two days ahead of them now because of their stop at Emory and Henry. I’m sure they haven’t seen the last of Mule . . . he is one of their trail angels for sure!
Luke says they are feeling great. They are finding the Virginia terrain a bit of a break from the previous steep climbs and rugged terrain they experienced in GA, NC, and TN. They’ve hiked two 27 mile days and a 26-mile day. They met one hiker who had done 35 miles in one day in this Virginia section. Related to this, Luke asked me to update the featured question on the blog. Their new question is posted. Be sure to cast your vote!)
I’ll close out with a funny story Luke wanted me to include. . . The guys were just a couple miles from Pearisburg; they could literally see the town from their campsite the night before. All they could think about was getting into town and getting to Hardee’s for breakfast. They woke up to watch the sunrise, packed up, and excitedly headed toward town and their Hardess breakfast. Unfortunately, when they got to the point where they had to get off the AT and get on roads that would take them into town, it wasn’t real clear to them which roads to take. They got to the city limits but all they were seeing were factories and then finally a landfill. They had gone the wrong way. Starving and anxious to get to Hardees before breakfast ended, they made the decision to hitchhike. This was a hiking first for them. Luke said they both put out their thumbs and were immediately picked up by an “awesome” guy and his dog. They rode in the back of his pick-up a couple of miles to the right part of town where Hardees awaited them. Luke said he ate a loaded omelet biscuit, a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, a cinnamon biscuit, hashbrowns, and 3 things of sweet tea. Life was good again. They waited a couple hours and then hit the all-u-can eat buffet at the local Pizza Hut for a long lunch. After doing some laundry, visiting the library, they were thinking they were ready to return to the trail. My conversation with Luke ended suddenly as I was hearing Caleb chatting happily with a lady. It turns out this lady was offering them a ride, so Luke said “got to go . . . this awesome lady is offering to give us a ride.” Look for Luke and Caleb to post another blog soon. They sincerely appreciate your support and encouragement. Leave Comments!
–Karla for NoseHose and Hillraiser
The first highlight he wanted me to mention was the unlikely meeting of a group of southbound hikers on the trail north of Damascus that turned out to be a group from Morganton. One of the hikers was Alex Rector, a senior in high school that Luke knows well because he dates Megan Hussey, Luke’s cousin. The hikers were from TASK and they were doing a Spring Break backpacking trip. It was quite a coincidence for them to cross paths with one another. On a 2,175 mile hike, what were the odds that these guys would be on the same section at the same time? Anyway, both Caleb and Luke were blown away by this “coincidence.” Since Caleb’s sister Hana had been a member of TASK, Caleb knew the leaders and many of the hikers, and of course, Luke knew Alex. Running into familiar faces unexpectedly like that was a real boost and just another one of their many stories of “trail magic.”
The wild ponies were also a well-timed surprise. The boys knew they were hiking in the region where the ponies live but also knew they were nearing the end of that section without having seen any signs of wild ponies. Luke said they were walking a section of the ridge where they couldn’t see too far ahead of them when they suddenly heard and saw the ponies fast approaching. Luke called it a stampede and said they were in single file running on the trail straight towards them. Luke, ahead of Caleb, yelled “ponies,” and quick-thinking Caleb got out his camera. Caleb got the pictures while Luke cooperated with the ponies who only wanted to stop and lick the sweat off of him and Caleb. Luke laughed as he told me he could feel the ponies’ teeth as they lovingly licked him.
The boys are still dealing with wide ranges of weather. Luke described an amazing view of weather he and Caleb got to experience. They were overlooking miles of space below and could literally see about five different types of weather all at one time. He said he has never seen anything like it and was in awe of the view. . Luke said they’ve seen rain, sun, snow, hail, crazy wind, pushing clouds, and the weirdest combinations of weather.
It seems weather-related issues are teaching the boys a lot. One night they arrived to a shelter but it was full. Luke said he was feeling lazy and so instead of setting up his tent, he and Caleb threw a tarp over a picnic table that was at the shelter and slept under it. Waking up wet and miserable, Luke learned that his “easy-way-out” idea hadn’t been so smart.
Many of the boys’ highlights are posted via the pictures Caleb has taken. Both the boys are soaking in the beauty around them, and while the pictures are beautiful, both Luke and Caleb agree the pictures don’t measure up to the beauty they experience. I was glad to see they posted a picture of Mule. He’s the hiker I serendipitously met who carried three bags of food three miles to two boys he didn’t even know at the time! That is another great story . . . and while I can’t take up space to tell my version of it here, I’ll be happy to tell it to anyone who wants to hear it. Mule is my hero, though, and I was glad to see that Luke and Caleb have run into him again. Luke says he thinks Mule is about two days ahead of them now because of their stop at Emory and Henry. I’m sure they haven’t seen the last of Mule . . . he is one of their trail angels for sure!
Luke says they are feeling great. They are finding the Virginia terrain a bit of a break from the previous steep climbs and rugged terrain they experienced in GA, NC, and TN. They’ve hiked two 27 mile days and a 26-mile day. They met one hiker who had done 35 miles in one day in this Virginia section. Related to this, Luke asked me to update the featured question on the blog. Their new question is posted. Be sure to cast your vote!)
I’ll close out with a funny story Luke wanted me to include. . . The guys were just a couple miles from Pearisburg; they could literally see the town from their campsite the night before. All they could think about was getting into town and getting to Hardee’s for breakfast. They woke up to watch the sunrise, packed up, and excitedly headed toward town and their Hardess breakfast. Unfortunately, when they got to the point where they had to get off the AT and get on roads that would take them into town, it wasn’t real clear to them which roads to take. They got to the city limits but all they were seeing were factories and then finally a landfill. They had gone the wrong way. Starving and anxious to get to Hardees before breakfast ended, they made the decision to hitchhike. This was a hiking first for them. Luke said they both put out their thumbs and were immediately picked up by an “awesome” guy and his dog. They rode in the back of his pick-up a couple of miles to the right part of town where Hardees awaited them. Luke said he ate a loaded omelet biscuit, a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, a cinnamon biscuit, hashbrowns, and 3 things of sweet tea. Life was good again. They waited a couple hours and then hit the all-u-can eat buffet at the local Pizza Hut for a long lunch. After doing some laundry, visiting the library, they were thinking they were ready to return to the trail. My conversation with Luke ended suddenly as I was hearing Caleb chatting happily with a lady. It turns out this lady was offering them a ride, so Luke said “got to go . . . this awesome lady is offering to give us a ride.” Look for Luke and Caleb to post another blog soon. They sincerely appreciate your support and encouragement. Leave Comments!
–Karla for NoseHose and Hillraiser
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Quick Post
Hey, this is Luke from the Pearisburg Library in Pearisburg, VA (625.9 miles from Springer Mountain, GA and 1,552.4 miles from Mt. Katahdin, ME)
There's a line in the library now and I have to get off, but enjoy the pictures Caleb has put up. I will try to get mom or dad to transcribe some events that have taken place since Damascus.
Thanks for following! Weather is supposed to be awesome the next few days and my cousin, Michael, and his friend, Matt, are coming to do a section with us, along with Uncle Huss! Much to look forward too...
Back to the trail...
NoseHose
There's a line in the library now and I have to get off, but enjoy the pictures Caleb has put up. I will try to get mom or dad to transcribe some events that have taken place since Damascus.
Thanks for following! Weather is supposed to be awesome the next few days and my cousin, Michael, and his friend, Matt, are coming to do a section with us, along with Uncle Huss! Much to look forward too...
Back to the trail...
NoseHose
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