hey everybody.
This is Nathan. I have hacked into the blog long enough to let you know that we now have full photo albums up of this little adventure here. you can get to the pictures here, or by clicking on the link on the sidebar.
We'll keep it updated as best we can.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Ear Worms
Do you all know what an ear worm is? When you are hiking long hours, just going mile after mile, up and down, around and over, it can get pretty boring. An ear worm is what you find yourself thinking about in your subconscious. Usually it is a song that just replays over and over.
One day back in Georgia this esperienced hiker, he had hiked the trail a couple of years ago, told us that he had seen a big clump of poison ivy on the trail that day. He spent quite a bit of time telling us what poison ivy looks like since we don't know.
The result of all of his teaching was my main ear worm. It is a song from the 60's called Poison Ivy. It is a stupid song but it goes on in my head over and over till I think I am going crazy. "Poison Iiiiiiivvvvvyyyyyy. Poison Iiiiiivvvyyyyy. Every night while you're sleeping poison ivy comes a creeping around." You don't have to know all the words for it to be an earworm, just the words you know over and over. "Poison Ivy Lord will make you itch, You're gonna need an ocean, of calamine lotion., etc."
All it takes is someone mentioning poison ivy, or sometimes for no reason at all I realize I have been singing this stupid song for miles. You fight them by singing other songs, and that can work, at least until you go back into the subconscious and there is the old ear worm again. I spend a lot of time thinking about a lot of things. Like, if I ever agree to Pastor another church I have made a list of things I am going to require them to agree to first. That is another post. One day I made a list of things a church should expect from their pastor and the pastor should be able to expect from the church. Yep Another post.
One day I spent trying to figure a way to finish the trail if my knee just won't go on. My knee doesn't bother me when I am not carrying the pack so I figured out a way to hike without the pack. Fortunately my knee is doing better so I don't have to resort to that tactic yet. Maybe that is another post. This one is about ear worms. What I want to say is even thinking about things doesn't stop the ear worm. You realize that under your conscious thoughts, there is the ear worm. Usually for me, Poison Ivy.
On Good Friday though I realized that the ear worm was "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord." I was singing over and over all 5 verses. (If you look it up and there are not five verses I must have made one up.) Then on Easter Sunday the ear worm was "Up From the Grave He Arose". Guess what it was the Saturday in between. Poison Ivy.
One way to get rid of it temporarily is by getting out the Ipod and listening to something else. I really find that more distracting than helpful. But today I realized that after a full month of Poison Ivy the ear worm was now Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger. "You can't hang a man for killing a woman who tried to steal his horse." I got so sick of it I wished for Poison Ivy back.
By the way, I don't know if I have really seen Poison Ivy or not. It is kind of like the Poison Oak signs at Old Mill golf course. They discourage you from looking for golf balls out in the rough by putting up Poison Oak signs. I have found a lot of good balls by ignoring the signs.
Today we hiked 16.5 miles to make it to Erwin, Tennessee for a burger, a shower, clean clothes and resupply of food. Tomorrow we are heading out towards Damascus, VA. So I guess you could say we are on the Damascus Trail. Erwin is 338.7 miles from Springer Mountain, GA where we began.
Amy is going to post my journal at www.trailjournals.com and Nathan will post our pictures there. I don't think they are posted yet, but look for them in the near future.
Knee update. You know that I am slow to proclaim a miracle but let me just tell you what happened. On Monday morning when we left Hot Springs as soon as we got off of the pavement and onto the trail my knee began to hurt as bad as it did going into Hot Springs. The rest and the brace didn't help at all. We were hiking along side the river on a very slight uphill and every step was so painful I was sure that our hike was over. We stopped and I told Jen and she was as disappointed as I, but there didn't seem to be any hope. But we stopped and had our morning prayer and she prayed for my knee once again. I told her that I would try to make this climb but I didn't think I could do it.
I turned and took one step, which was a step up onto a rock and when I did my knee popped and the pain went away. The knee remains very sore, I have to be very careful not to overdo it especially on long downhills, but since Hot Springs I have hiked 14, 12, 11, and 16 miles. Praise the Lord.
Thanks for all your responses. May God bless you all.
Flint and Jubilee
One day back in Georgia this esperienced hiker, he had hiked the trail a couple of years ago, told us that he had seen a big clump of poison ivy on the trail that day. He spent quite a bit of time telling us what poison ivy looks like since we don't know.
The result of all of his teaching was my main ear worm. It is a song from the 60's called Poison Ivy. It is a stupid song but it goes on in my head over and over till I think I am going crazy. "Poison Iiiiiiivvvvvyyyyyy. Poison Iiiiiivvvyyyyy. Every night while you're sleeping poison ivy comes a creeping around." You don't have to know all the words for it to be an earworm, just the words you know over and over. "Poison Ivy Lord will make you itch, You're gonna need an ocean, of calamine lotion., etc."
All it takes is someone mentioning poison ivy, or sometimes for no reason at all I realize I have been singing this stupid song for miles. You fight them by singing other songs, and that can work, at least until you go back into the subconscious and there is the old ear worm again. I spend a lot of time thinking about a lot of things. Like, if I ever agree to Pastor another church I have made a list of things I am going to require them to agree to first. That is another post. One day I made a list of things a church should expect from their pastor and the pastor should be able to expect from the church. Yep Another post.
One day I spent trying to figure a way to finish the trail if my knee just won't go on. My knee doesn't bother me when I am not carrying the pack so I figured out a way to hike without the pack. Fortunately my knee is doing better so I don't have to resort to that tactic yet. Maybe that is another post. This one is about ear worms. What I want to say is even thinking about things doesn't stop the ear worm. You realize that under your conscious thoughts, there is the ear worm. Usually for me, Poison Ivy.
On Good Friday though I realized that the ear worm was "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord." I was singing over and over all 5 verses. (If you look it up and there are not five verses I must have made one up.) Then on Easter Sunday the ear worm was "Up From the Grave He Arose". Guess what it was the Saturday in between. Poison Ivy.
One way to get rid of it temporarily is by getting out the Ipod and listening to something else. I really find that more distracting than helpful. But today I realized that after a full month of Poison Ivy the ear worm was now Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger. "You can't hang a man for killing a woman who tried to steal his horse." I got so sick of it I wished for Poison Ivy back.
By the way, I don't know if I have really seen Poison Ivy or not. It is kind of like the Poison Oak signs at Old Mill golf course. They discourage you from looking for golf balls out in the rough by putting up Poison Oak signs. I have found a lot of good balls by ignoring the signs.
Today we hiked 16.5 miles to make it to Erwin, Tennessee for a burger, a shower, clean clothes and resupply of food. Tomorrow we are heading out towards Damascus, VA. So I guess you could say we are on the Damascus Trail. Erwin is 338.7 miles from Springer Mountain, GA where we began.
Amy is going to post my journal at www.trailjournals.com and Nathan will post our pictures there. I don't think they are posted yet, but look for them in the near future.
Knee update. You know that I am slow to proclaim a miracle but let me just tell you what happened. On Monday morning when we left Hot Springs as soon as we got off of the pavement and onto the trail my knee began to hurt as bad as it did going into Hot Springs. The rest and the brace didn't help at all. We were hiking along side the river on a very slight uphill and every step was so painful I was sure that our hike was over. We stopped and I told Jen and she was as disappointed as I, but there didn't seem to be any hope. But we stopped and had our morning prayer and she prayed for my knee once again. I told her that I would try to make this climb but I didn't think I could do it.
I turned and took one step, which was a step up onto a rock and when I did my knee popped and the pain went away. The knee remains very sore, I have to be very careful not to overdo it especially on long downhills, but since Hot Springs I have hiked 14, 12, 11, and 16 miles. Praise the Lord.
Thanks for all your responses. May God bless you all.
Flint and Jubilee
Friday, April 13, 2007
Hot Dog!! Hot Springs
We hiked into Hot Springs, NC yesterday about 2pm. Hot Springs is right on the trail, there are actually AT markers in the sidewalk down the main street. Our trip into Hot Springs was not without incident.
One morning, just before we arrived at the shelter where we were planning to eat lunch I saw a large foot print in the mud. We talked about it a while, unsure what kind of print it was. There was a hiking club of older gentlemen on the trail and they were pretty sure it was a bear print, of a small bear.
I wasn't too sure, having never seen a real bear footprint before. So we went to the shelter for lunch. Each shelter has a log for hikers to sign so we can keep track of one another. Reading the log told the story. One hiker, an older man hiking alone, spent the night in the shelter. He said about 1am he awoke to a bear pulling on his sleeping bag trying to pull him off of the sleeping platform. He yelled at it and it let go and ran away.
After we left the shelter we saw a large pile of bear poop on the trail. We were pretty glad that we were not staying the night in the area. We hiked on another 10 miles or so before stopping for the night.
The night before getting to Hot Springs I messed up my knee somehow. Hiking is a limp along right now. Pray for me please. I purchased a knee support and will rest it for the weekend in Hot Springs. Krista is coming to meet us today with Andrew our Grandson. Hopefully three days rest and a support will allow us to continue at our needed pace.
thanks for the emails and responses. It is good to hear from each of you. We feel pretty much out of touch with the world. Not always a bad thing. You mean, Tiger didn't win the Masters?
Pictures
1. Hiking in the snow in the Smoky Mountains
2. Bear Track, I will spare you the poop
3. Snow depth, chest deep to a naked chicken
One morning, just before we arrived at the shelter where we were planning to eat lunch I saw a large foot print in the mud. We talked about it a while, unsure what kind of print it was. There was a hiking club of older gentlemen on the trail and they were pretty sure it was a bear print, of a small bear.
I wasn't too sure, having never seen a real bear footprint before. So we went to the shelter for lunch. Each shelter has a log for hikers to sign so we can keep track of one another. Reading the log told the story. One hiker, an older man hiking alone, spent the night in the shelter. He said about 1am he awoke to a bear pulling on his sleeping bag trying to pull him off of the sleeping platform. He yelled at it and it let go and ran away.
After we left the shelter we saw a large pile of bear poop on the trail. We were pretty glad that we were not staying the night in the area. We hiked on another 10 miles or so before stopping for the night.
The night before getting to Hot Springs I messed up my knee somehow. Hiking is a limp along right now. Pray for me please. I purchased a knee support and will rest it for the weekend in Hot Springs. Krista is coming to meet us today with Andrew our Grandson. Hopefully three days rest and a support will allow us to continue at our needed pace.
thanks for the emails and responses. It is good to hear from each of you. We feel pretty much out of touch with the world. Not always a bad thing. You mean, Tiger didn't win the Masters?
Pictures
1. Hiking in the snow in the Smoky Mountains
2. Bear Track, I will spare you the poop
3. Snow depth, chest deep to a naked chicken
Monday, April 09, 2007
Goodbye Great Smoky Mountains
Today we hiked out of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and good riddance. Whew!!! what an experience. We wanted to finish the 70 miles in 7 days and we were able to, but not without some difficulty. You want to know about it?
We hiked out of Fontana Dam (not Damn) although that might be a good name for the Smokies on Tuesday the 3rd. 11 miles, uphill and spent our first night in a shelter. At 1am the thunderstorm struck and rained and blew all night long. We moved on on the 4th for 11.7 miles and spent our second shelter night among the snorus chours. The noise would drive any bears away.
The third day we planned a 14 mile day, over Clingman Dome which is the highest place on the whole Appalachian Trail. (6643 ft.) After 10.1 miles we made the Dome we realized that it was going to be very late when we made the shelter so we hitched a ride from the Dome parking lot to Gatlinburg, TN. Jen is learning to hitch a pant leg up, stick out her thumb and get us a ride. A nice couple on vacation from Maryland gave us a ride. At Gatlinburg we had Pizza, spent the night at the Quality Inn, sharing a room with Kiwi, had pancakes for breakfast and were back at Clingmans Dome at 8:45.
The fourth day we hiked 10.9 miles, then holed up in Icewater Spring Shelter as it began to snow. We woke up on the fifth day to 17 degrees in the shelter, about 5 degrees outside the shelter, and 6 inches of snow and it was still snowing. After a few miles that morning we caught up with Grambo. She is a 65 year old retired nurse from South Carolina who is hiking the trail solo. She was struggling in the snow without treking poles and we were hiking the most trecherous terrain yet. Some steep cliffs and slopes so we spent the whole day helping her to the next shelter. We only made 7.4 miles.
On day six we woke up to 19 degrees in the shelter, rock hard boots, frozen water in all our bladders and bottles. Nothing to do but get up and hike so we hiked 12.9 miles. On day seven, today, we woke up to a toasty 28 degrees in the shelter and all began to sing Beach Boy tunes. We were able to thaw out our water. Some nice guys from Dayton Ohio built a big fire in the shelter and we got everything thawed out. We hiked 10 miles to Standing Bear Farm and that is where we are tonight. 7 days in the Smokies and are we ever glad to be out. Tomorrow night back to our tent and the snorus chorus will be left behind.
At somepoint I need to tell you about Standing Bear Farm. It is beyond Rustic to more like primative. But, we are clean, our clothes are clean, we have food for the three days to Hot Springs where Krista and Andrew will meet us.
Jen celebrated her 58th birthday with a hostess cupcake. Oh and Mark Russell, you will appreciate this. I went with some guys to "town" to have BBQ. Town turned out to be A BP gas station off the interstate with a BBQ counter in the back. So we had Barbeque Pork at BP.
The internet connection is dial up and no where to post pictures. Hopefully we can post pictures at Hot Springs.
Thanks for you prayers and good thoughts. The Journey continues. Hopefully warmer. Actually, cold weather is great for hiking. The snow actually pads the trail and covers many of the rocks. Sleeping is better because our bags are made for lower temps and sleep better at 20 degrees than 60. But it is miserable between hiking and sleeping and between sleeping and hiking.
We hiked out of Fontana Dam (not Damn) although that might be a good name for the Smokies on Tuesday the 3rd. 11 miles, uphill and spent our first night in a shelter. At 1am the thunderstorm struck and rained and blew all night long. We moved on on the 4th for 11.7 miles and spent our second shelter night among the snorus chours. The noise would drive any bears away.
The third day we planned a 14 mile day, over Clingman Dome which is the highest place on the whole Appalachian Trail. (6643 ft.) After 10.1 miles we made the Dome we realized that it was going to be very late when we made the shelter so we hitched a ride from the Dome parking lot to Gatlinburg, TN. Jen is learning to hitch a pant leg up, stick out her thumb and get us a ride. A nice couple on vacation from Maryland gave us a ride. At Gatlinburg we had Pizza, spent the night at the Quality Inn, sharing a room with Kiwi, had pancakes for breakfast and were back at Clingmans Dome at 8:45.
The fourth day we hiked 10.9 miles, then holed up in Icewater Spring Shelter as it began to snow. We woke up on the fifth day to 17 degrees in the shelter, about 5 degrees outside the shelter, and 6 inches of snow and it was still snowing. After a few miles that morning we caught up with Grambo. She is a 65 year old retired nurse from South Carolina who is hiking the trail solo. She was struggling in the snow without treking poles and we were hiking the most trecherous terrain yet. Some steep cliffs and slopes so we spent the whole day helping her to the next shelter. We only made 7.4 miles.
On day six we woke up to 19 degrees in the shelter, rock hard boots, frozen water in all our bladders and bottles. Nothing to do but get up and hike so we hiked 12.9 miles. On day seven, today, we woke up to a toasty 28 degrees in the shelter and all began to sing Beach Boy tunes. We were able to thaw out our water. Some nice guys from Dayton Ohio built a big fire in the shelter and we got everything thawed out. We hiked 10 miles to Standing Bear Farm and that is where we are tonight. 7 days in the Smokies and are we ever glad to be out. Tomorrow night back to our tent and the snorus chorus will be left behind.
At somepoint I need to tell you about Standing Bear Farm. It is beyond Rustic to more like primative. But, we are clean, our clothes are clean, we have food for the three days to Hot Springs where Krista and Andrew will meet us.
Jen celebrated her 58th birthday with a hostess cupcake. Oh and Mark Russell, you will appreciate this. I went with some guys to "town" to have BBQ. Town turned out to be A BP gas station off the interstate with a BBQ counter in the back. So we had Barbeque Pork at BP.
The internet connection is dial up and no where to post pictures. Hopefully we can post pictures at Hot Springs.
Thanks for you prayers and good thoughts. The Journey continues. Hopefully warmer. Actually, cold weather is great for hiking. The snow actually pads the trail and covers many of the rocks. Sleeping is better because our bags are made for lower temps and sleep better at 20 degrees than 60. But it is miserable between hiking and sleeping and between sleeping and hiking.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Eeeeiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!
Trudging up the trail. One weary step after the other. Will we ever get to the top of this gigantic mountain? I was following Jen, someone asked me, "Is that your woman in front of you?" I laughed and said, "Yes, I guess so. I have been chasing her since we were 16 and now I am chasing her to Maine."
Anyway, we were trudgin up this trail, tired, sweaty, worn out, when all of a sudden, Jen Let out a shout, jumped at least a foot in the air, 25 pounds on her back and all and came running back down the trail with her eyes as big as saucers.
BEAR! I thought. Finally something besides squirrels. "Did you see a bear?" I asked as I hurried to the place she yelped. "No! It is a snake." How disappointing. "What kind of snake?" I asked her. "A boa constrictor python rattle snake" she said. Actually it was about 2 1/2 feet long, little brown and yellow snake. When I touched it with the end of my hiking pole, it took off like a red racer.
I didn't get a picture of that monster. My camera is broken, I sent it home. Amy is sending the old digital camera to our next mail drop on the other side of the Smokies. Until then, we only have Jen's camera to take pictures with. I am going to be upset if I see a Bear and don't get a picture. According to the book, there are 400- 600 bears in the Smokey Mountain National Park, where we will be for the next 7 days.
When we leave Fontana Dam tomorrow, we will hike across the Dam. It is on the Little Tennessee River and we will be in Tennessee. Our third state. And sometime during the hike, before we sleep at Mollies Ridge Shelter we will drop under 2000 miles to go.
I asked Jen today if she had any thoughts of giving up. If she was thinking about how nice it would be just to go home and resume our other life. Her answer was, "not at all, how about you." "Nope I said, I am still committed to walking this thing to Maine."
I have started a journal at trailJournals.com. I have done that for the sake of the hikers we have met who keep track of one another there. If you would like more detail of our days, you can read them there. Go to www.trailjournals.com click on Journals and you should find us there under Flint and Jubilee.
I don't know why but this compter won't allow me to post a picture. Sorry. Talk to you on the other side of the smokies.
Anyway, we were trudgin up this trail, tired, sweaty, worn out, when all of a sudden, Jen Let out a shout, jumped at least a foot in the air, 25 pounds on her back and all and came running back down the trail with her eyes as big as saucers.
BEAR! I thought. Finally something besides squirrels. "Did you see a bear?" I asked as I hurried to the place she yelped. "No! It is a snake." How disappointing. "What kind of snake?" I asked her. "A boa constrictor python rattle snake" she said. Actually it was about 2 1/2 feet long, little brown and yellow snake. When I touched it with the end of my hiking pole, it took off like a red racer.
I didn't get a picture of that monster. My camera is broken, I sent it home. Amy is sending the old digital camera to our next mail drop on the other side of the Smokies. Until then, we only have Jen's camera to take pictures with. I am going to be upset if I see a Bear and don't get a picture. According to the book, there are 400- 600 bears in the Smokey Mountain National Park, where we will be for the next 7 days.
When we leave Fontana Dam tomorrow, we will hike across the Dam. It is on the Little Tennessee River and we will be in Tennessee. Our third state. And sometime during the hike, before we sleep at Mollies Ridge Shelter we will drop under 2000 miles to go.
I asked Jen today if she had any thoughts of giving up. If she was thinking about how nice it would be just to go home and resume our other life. Her answer was, "not at all, how about you." "Nope I said, I am still committed to walking this thing to Maine."
I have started a journal at trailJournals.com. I have done that for the sake of the hikers we have met who keep track of one another there. If you would like more detail of our days, you can read them there. Go to www.trailjournals.com click on Journals and you should find us there under Flint and Jubilee.
I don't know why but this compter won't allow me to post a picture. Sorry. Talk to you on the other side of the smokies.
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