6-1-92--Staying a day in town longer than planned=====Rested my legs and feet. Actually, one of the fellows was supposed to have a pair of hiking boots arrive here and they didn't and the other fellow didn't get his food drop. I decided to take a rest day and leave town tomorrow with one of the fellows. The other one will be stuck here till about Fri. waiting for his boots. The loaner pair they sent him are also losing their sole so he doesn't have much choice. He doesn't like having to stay off the trail at all! I think the rest day has helped my leg tho'. It's not nearly as sore as it was yesterday. I'll definately wear my supports going out tomorrow and I have a brand new tube of sports cream to use so I guess I will do just fine. Hiking with these two fellows has really been fun. It's like I'm hiking with you kids! Actually Sheryl, one is your age and has 2 kids. We have been doing really well at dinner times as you have probably gathered by my menu discription. I even get an "ok, mom the water is hot for coffee" every once in a while. I really do feel very comfortable with these fellows. More so than if I were with ones my own age, I think. I guess it must seem pretty strange to you to have your mom roaming the country-side with people you don't know a thing about, and actually I don't know a lot about most of them, and here I am putting my sleeping bag side by side with 6 or 7 fellows in the shelter or sleeping in a hostel room with 6 to 8 bunks. "Me" and most likely the rest of the bunks are male occupied. Now here I am in a motel with two fellows that make me think of you kids!!!!!!!!!! In "the real world" it's not the same as out here on the trail so, all this doesn't seem strange at all. It is a way of survival, it is the way of the trail. Like going behind the trees, not acceptable in "the real world". Out here?? Very necessary! Love you much. Mom ox"I PRAY THAT THE LIFE OF THIS SPRING AND SUMMER MAY EVER LIE FAIR IN MY MEMORY. MAY I DARE AS I HAVE NEVER DONE!"Thoreau
Cloverdale in 7 days, I think.
Saw a little bright orange salamander or newt or whatever. And orange azaleas too. The bushes and trees were all such nice fresh shades of green. Yep, should have been fresh after a day and most of a night of rain. The little runs were raging over their edges and frothing over the rocks and I'm really glad the larger ones had bridges over them!! We have a fair size one to cross first thing in the morning but hopefully there will be no more rain tonight and it will have calmed somewhat by then. I expect since we took a short day today it will throw us off schedule for getting into Cloverdale. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Still seem to be VERY slow on the hills. My knees are starting to complain on the downs so, I am not making up time there any more. I guess that was pretty hard on my knees anyway. Not such a good thing to do. With a couple of long "upsquot; today it took 4 hours to do this 6 miles. Sure would be nice to get my 2 mile per. hour on ups!!!!!!!!!!!! Patience. I'm still working on it. At least I don't get as frustrated as I did at the beginning on being slow. Maybe I'm learning a little patience?? I keep telling you I'm wet and I know you must be wondering how I'm getting so wet wearing my rain coat. I don't know if I did tell you before or not, anyway, when I put my raincoat on it does keep the rain off me but it is like a sauna suit. It keeps the heat in and makes me sweat terribly. If it then gets colder outside or cold and windy, the raincoat then sticks to my wet arms/shirt and chills me. If it is fairly warm temperature and not a windy rain, I can put the hood of my pack cover over my head and the front and sides cover my shoulders and the back of it over my pack (poncho style). That way I'm out of the rain except for my arms and the heat escapes some, so I don't get soaking wet with sweat. Really don't mind the wet so much but when I get cold too it's AWFUL!!! I get tired more quickly, discouraged easier and in poor spirits as I'm hiking along wet AND cold. I am real glad it is pretty safe to say we're past the snow, sleet stage anyhow. Now just cold rain to contend with. But I guess that's part of spring and up till now I feel I've really been pretty lucky. Well kids, it's getting that time again. Love and miss you all. ox Mom.
Hello again. Had a "beautiful weather day" today. The sun was in and out today and the breeze was with us most of the day. Had very long uphill. Took all morning and a bit more to get that accomplished. Pilgrim and I kinda fizzled out together at the top, so we just stopped and took a lunch break! Got a bit further and discovered we had even longer to go than we had figured so did a few feet back-up and had our stoves out for a hot cup of tea and "B" came back. He'd been sitting a hundred feet or so ahead and heard us talking and Monkey was already parked there so we proceeded to have a snack AND tea. Had another good rest but still had about 6 miles to travel. We crossed some rock slabs that sure weren't for faint hearted people!! Made you stop and check it out before trying to cross that. It was a great view down into the valley tho' being up on the crest of the mountain and out on the edge. The mountains on the other side were really hazy so no really good photos across the way. 
There were brown lizards scampering along on a couple of logs and some kind of small trees blooming. What does Sourwood look like? Nope, blooms later I think. Smelled pretty good along where there were a lot of them. Had a very long day but it was sure a pretty one and very different with the rock climbing. Going to be two days later than I had thought I would be getting into Cloverdale. Sure hope Pop doesn't get too worried not hearing from me when I said I thought I'd call. Monkey called to find out if the strange fellow could possible be the suspect they were looking for and we are reassured that NO he is NOT. Makes us feel much better. Going to rub my feet and legs down and stretch out and watch it get dark. ha ha. It's 8p.m. Love you, Mom. p.s. 12.5miles today.
We did a 15.2 mile day to get into town and if "B" hadn't gotten here early and gone to the town where the post office was, I wouldn't have my $ or food supply tonight and I wouldn't be sitting here in a laundromat getting my clothes clean again. Didn't get here to the motel until 5:15p.m. I called Pop and took a shower and we went and ate and then to the laundromat-----now back at the motel trying to get my journal caught up. I read a couple very good entries in a shelter register and I will share part of them with you---------------------The first one was entered by "young Gun". In part he says," The trail offers no tangible rewards, in fact most would see it as a nutty undertaking. For myself, the answer is simple-to undertake a significant challenge and see it through!!" The other from "Mean Joe". He comments on Young Gun's statements and adds---"There are some of us old guns of all ages out here too, we have had many successes as well as a lot of failures. His reason for being here is one of our reasons for being here. It's just not THE MOST important one, or if it was at one point it no longer is. The idea that we must finish this hike to Katahdin is simply incomprehensible. We can only take one day at a time. What we feel today may not apply tomorrow. We don't wish to make this hike into an obsession, into a forced march. We want to keep it in perspective and to be flexible"-------------he goes on to say--"We're here for many reasons and gives a few--to fulfill a dream, to experience the rigors of a long hike, to spend more time immersed in the myriad of wonders of nature, to learn to live more simply, to enjoy the many splendid views, to become attuned more to Chief Seattle than Donald Trump, to observe and identify the plants and animals, to experience the extremes of aloneness and togetherness, to get in shape, to lose weight, to make new friends, to meet the locals along the way, to enjoy the contrast of trail and town life and to celebrate with wine, food, song and new friends, to learn from and share with others and last but not least to get away from the lives we were living, to put them in a new perspective in order to appreciate them that much more or, to make necessary changes. We will finish our hike and it could be most anywhere, Katadhin, Damascus, or even Neels Gap. When our soul's needs are met, we will go home, whether now, next year or at life's end. Then and only then our journey, this hike, will be ended."-------------I thought those were worth sharing with you. Each day out here is different from the last. Each day a different struggle, either mentally or physically or both. You make a decision and act on it and see the results-good, bad or otherwise. I work hard each day to be able to reach the goal of however many miles it may be I settle on. My body hurts in various places every day. I am enjoying this hike and I love being able to be in the woods, hills etc. every day. I miss you all VERY much. Love, Mom.
The shelter has rhododendron in bloom all around and the trail up to and out of also had beautiful blooms. Quite a few of those good smelling azalea too. Saw a YELLOW lady slipper today. Monkey and I hiked 9.4 together today. It has been great. I think the last three days have been the best on the trail. I have enjoyed it immensely!!!!!!!
I got off the trail at mile marker 71 on the Blue Ridge Park Way (Petites Gap). As I walked along with my thumb out watching the cars pass me by I didn't think so though. I must have walked five mile at least and then I spotted a park ranger coming out of a utility road just up ahead of me. I made good use of my ability to whistle and waved him down. He drove up to me and I asked him if he could transport me down to a little town that I had as my next mail drop. He of course asked if I was sick or hurt and my answer was no, but I am getting off of the trail and going home. Well he loaded me and my pack up and as we were going down the parkway he was asking me questions and finally asked why I wanted to go to this particular place. My answer was that I knew of no other place to go to phone home and await the arrival of my husband. I really didn't know if I could find a place to park it for the night or if I'd have to sit up all night. Well, bless his soul, he said that he could take me to a campground on the parkway and he thought I would be much safer there. Also if I didn't have enough money with me to cover the cost of the tentsite, it could be paid by whomever came to pick me up! I realized if I had gotten a ride while hitchiking I would have ended up in a very uncomfortable situation. After I got to the camp ground I tried to phone Pop a couple of times and he wasn't home! So, I tried Sheryl---------she wasn't home! Thank goodness for Becky though, she took my message that I was off the trail and trying to call "grandpa" to come and pick me up. I discovered I not only had enough money to cover the cost of the tentsite I also had enough to go into the little snack-bar and get some "real food". I pitched my tent and got my little home away from home all situated and went to eat. I again tried to get Pop on the phone but still no luck. Again I called Sheryl and this time she was there and said "oh, did you get my message?" No, I said , not yet. I told her I just had to come home and I couldn't reach her dad and did she know where he was? Well, to make a long story short, she said when Rick got home she would ask him if they could drive down to get me. She would phone me back in a little while. I had enough time to go back to my tent and get a jacket and hit the snackbar for an icecream cone. When I went back to my tent, the ranger was there trying to figure out how to leave a message for me. He laughed when he told me this was his second time up there. The first time he thought he must have the wrong site number. He had a message for somebodys mother and all that was on that site was a back-packers tent!! Tee Hee... Well, I got my cone and sat on the curb in front of the pay-phone booth, waiting. Finally got my call and no, she couldn't reach Dad either but, she and Rick would be down to get me. I'm going to go to the park program that the rangers have and then get a good nights sleep. Tomorrow morning I'll be on my way home WITH FAMILY. I'll finish this up after I get home. Pop won't know I'm on my way untill he sees me at home!!! SURPRISE!!!!! On me that is. When we finally got home late in the afternoon would you believe that your father was not home again? Now mind you I had no keys with me and he always locks EVERYTHING. Pretty bad, have to break into a window to get into your own house ha ha. I called our friends in Ashtabula and Carol said no, Bill isn't here now but he was last night, we all went out for supper----------WHERE ARE YOU???? When I told her I was at home Fred said he wanted to see your dads face when he got home and found me there. They got here before your dad did and when he first saw me on the porch he thought I was Carol.
When I opened the door, he realized it was THE OLD GRAY GOOSE home to roost. The first thing he said is "what the h--- are you doing here?". Now isn't that a fine greeting I said. Well, we got a big laugh out of that and he was really glad to see me and to know I was really alright, just discovered what being homesick was all about. Never did find my dog although I've looked and called and hunted the area. Part of what brought me home was thinking if I had been here, she wouldn't have gone missing.. That must also figure into the homesickness.
************SUMMER VACATION:-July 1992 
in the state park that is supposed to be difficult to do with a pack on so I want to slack-pack that area now in case I am by myself when I get to that area next year.---------------yep, you got it. I'm going to "regroup" and get back on the AT next spring. Have to refigure how to get visitations in with Pop and not lose time hiking!!!!!!!!! I guess I won't be a real "thru-hiker" but, I'll be a "2,000 miler" and I want to get back on the trail at what would be about the time I should be there if I had started in Ga.