Over the past week I've been having a lot of trouble making any big miles. I've been SO tired and finally realized that I must be coming down with something. Sure enough I'm now fighting off a bad cold. It's been very difficult to climb mountains with my lungs congested. I was forced to hike only 4.5 mi on Wed. to the top of Chestnut Knob. I barely made it up to the remote shelter on a sweltering morning. I laid around all day and rested. This spot over looks Burkes Garden, which was the original proposed site of the Vanderbilts Biltmore Estate. It's a huge crater surrounded by a ridge which the AT follows for 8mi. The sunset was amazing and I spent the evening qt the shelter with a good group of hikers. We all chipped in random items from our food bag and made a BIG group feast. Just what I needed after a dismal night and day of being sick.
I felt a little better the next Koenig and decided to try and hike into Bland, VA. I made it to a road crossing approx. 6.5mi short of Bland and caught a ride from Krinkle Root, a hiker from Chicago who was doing a section hike. She had a car at the trailhead and shuttled a few of us to the Big Walker Motel at the I-77 interchange in Bland. I'm resting up at the motel and trying to let my cold clear up. I'm extremely unmotivated right now and have been having a hard time finding the will to keep going lately. I'm hoping it will pass and I'll be able to continue on to Harpers Ferry. I miss home but I'm not ready to leave the home yet. I could sure use some encouraging comments and the blog to get my spirits back up again!
Keep Rockin it Luke! Amazing Journey to read about. Thinkin bout you man!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Strawhat! Yup, some days (and weeks) are tough. No doubt about it. But as you go on, the places you'll see along the trail are just pretty amazing. It's a part of America in a way that few people experience.
ReplyDeleteI found that my months on the trail really gave me hope for the future of our human race. The kindness from total strangers (especially non-hikers) and the ability to trust people-strangers, just gave me a whole new perspective on community and community-building.
I also found that when you take a few days off the trail, it's really hard to get back on. It seems that we lose the flow. But even on the hardest days (and I don't mean physically hard) the simple act of just getting up and walking gave me power. If you're not feeling healthy, it is hard to keep going, and you might just need a little more rest--and/or a visit from your family :)--always a pick-me-up.
Imagine--you have everything you need to survive on your back, in a pack that weighs (likely) no more than 35 pounds! You can go, stay, sit, stop, rest, walk, swim--at your whim. Yes, swim--the farther north you go, the more opportunities there are to go swimming. And there are towns with public swimming pools along the way too--and in our experience, they let the hikers come swim too.
And besides all that, I'm sending you some snacks.
Walk, think, sit, write.
All the best! -Crinkleroot
Hey, Luke....this is Tim from California. Well, no fooling at this point, I'm sure you do miss home and your dear Wife, and dogs and friends. But, you are doing something special that you will ALWAYS remember, and no one said it would be easy every day. I once finished a marathon and - while I don't really talk about my finishing time much - I'm very proud that I finished...keep that in mind, and don't stress. Everyone comes down with Spring/Summer Transition colds, but very few of us are on the hike of a lifetime. Hang in there, get some rest, get more rest, drink a lot of fluids, reflect, get more sleep, then...you'll wake up in a day or two more energized than ever, and you'll forge ahead. It is very, very cool and remember, it is not how you start, but how you finish. Good luck, and hope Miss Alex can talk a long weekend and meet you along the way. Tim
ReplyDeleteWhat is the problem..2 much foot traffic on the trail every day? Rush hour get you down? Your sister & I just walked the trail from HELL. Well not much of a trail, unless you consider finding the next tree with the little paint spot on it, heading towards that, cross over 3 80 foot pine trees blocking the "trail" and looking for the next painted spot. Crazy. At least your trail is well traveled, clearly defined and not covered by poison oak. Yes, we were pretty stupid to try a trail effected by the tornados but we claim heat stroke! After words we got a Makers & coke and a nice late lunch in air/conditioned comfort. So, if you are tired of noodle for dinner - get your butt moving and make it to that mtn in Maine. We got plenty of tough trail here to listen to you belly ache about the nice paths you get to walk on !! Lordy.... JK Have fun, keep on truckin !
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This Theresa not Craig. Did you take the remedies I sent with you? Cant remember all I sent but Arsenicum might help the congestion. Or maybe Nux Vomica if you have that. First sign of a cold take the acconite. We are rooting for you! Just remember, as far as you go is as far as you needed to go! We are proud of you not matter what you decide.
ReplyDeleteAnd btw no pressure but so far you have had over 3000 people watching this blog. Wow you are popular. (Theresa again. keep forgetting to log out and log in as me) Everyone is rooting for you little brother
ReplyDeleteI just have to say that I've always thought of you as a traveling man! You have already taken the road less traveled - I am proud of all you have accomplished! Listen to your body for rest if you need it - and keep on trucking when you can! And don't forget - find ways to enjoy your own company. (Words of wisdom from my friend Tisha when I was lonely living in Nashville right after college.) Love you!!
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