Craig and Suzy's 2006 Appalachian Trail Journal

As you can imagine, long-distance hiking takes a lot of time and money. This particular hike is estimated to cost about $17,000. Hikers cannot be reached on the trail without your support. If you like reading the journals or if you would like to see more chaplains on the trail, please prayerfully donate your funds to A.T. Servants by clicking here.

Search Results

Day	Date	Start	Finish	Miles	Journal	Photo
99	6/24	Winchester, VA	Front Royal, VA		Day: 99 Date: 6/24/06 Start: Winchester, VA Weather: Sunny and hot Finish: Front Royal, VA Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Branch: This morning, we woke up early, turned in the rental car, and got a ride from the Hertz rental car people to Front Royal, VA. We’ve decided to skip 97.3 miles to the end of the Shenandoah’s in order to better keep up with the group that we have been walking with. We will make up the mileage after we summit Mount Katahdin in Maine. A friend of Clay’s knows that owner of the outfitter in town. So, we stopped there first. We had a great time seeing childhood pictures of the mutual friend and hearing stories of their Boy Scout days. After visiting the outfitter, we went to check in the hotel and rest for tomorrow’s days hike. It turns out that Social and Dandelion are in this same hotel tonight, so we will have dinner with them and try to encourage each other. We made each other laugh pretty hard tonight as we exchanged stories. It is amazing to see the overlap of people we have been talking to.
100	6/25	Front Royal, VA	Front Royal, VA		Day: 100 Date: 6/25/06 Start: Front Royal, VA Weather: grey skies, rain Finish: Front Royal, VA Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Branch: Last night, as we watched the weather channel, we realized that there is a pretty big series of thunderstorms coming this way. It appears that today should be the worst of these storms. In fact, it has rained about 8 inches in nearby Montgomery county in Maryland and 4 inches in Winchester, Virginia. There is a 100 percent chance of severe thunderstorms for the majority of the day today. So, we have decided to play it safe and leave tomorrow, when the chance of thunderstorms is less great. So, instead of being sad about missing another day of hiking, we took advantage of our free time and our close proximity to a movie theater. We had date night and caught a matinee. It was a great time feeling like a normal couple. After a few days off, Clay’s feet were feeling better and my throat seemed to do better as well. Tomorrow will be a good test to determine how our physical ailments have healed.
101	6/26	Front Royal, VA	Manasses Gap Shelter, VA	10.7	Day:101 Date: 6/26/06 Start: Front Royal, VA Weather: 100% humidity, afternoon rain Finish: Manasses Gap Shelter, VA Miles:10.7 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 966.2 (-97.3 that we skipped) Branch: Today was our first day back on the trail. We were expecting it to be tough, and our expectations were met. We have definitely lost our trail legs for now. However, I do have some things that I am very thankful for: 1) it was cloudy thus keeping the heat down; 2) the terrain was easy--we never climbed more than 500 feet in a mile; 3) as always, the company was wonderful (I always love hiking with Clay); 4) there were several shelter options for tonight so that we could pick and choose our mileage; 5) we are in a shelter tonight so we will remain dry as it rains. That having been said, today all of the old aches and pains that we had hoped we had lost in Kentucky were screaming in full force. My throat was tight and Clay's feet bothered him all day. I know that God will use this somehow, although right now, I'm just trusting that He knows the details. On the upside, we met some super nice people today. Mike (a section hiker), Balu and section hiker Teresa, and Pokey the Pink Squid have been super fun to hang out with. Clay & Branch
102	6/27	Manasses Gap Shelter, VA	Rod Hollow Shelter, VA	12.8	Day:102 Date: 6/27/06 Start: Manasses Gap Shelter, VA Weather: rain, rain, then buckets of rain. Finish: Rod Hollow Shelter, VA Miles: 12.8 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 979.0 (-97.3 that we skipped) Branch: Today’s terrain was even easier than yesterday’s. We hiked in the rain from the time that we left the shelter. Many times, people complain about the rain, but today we had a good time and were thankful that it was keeping the heat away. Within two hours of leaving the shelter this morning, we came upon a real treat. Someone named Aloha had left two coolers of goodies on the A.T. for thru-hikers to enjoy. Inside the coolers there were carrots, oranges, apples, soft drinks, and a variety of Little Debbie snack cakes. Clay, Ballou, Old Reb, Teresa, and I all stopped to enjoy such a wonderful treat. It was like a small party erupted in the midst of the wet woods. Soon after that we stopped in a shelter with the same group that we enjoyed the trail magic with. We crammed into the small dome-shaped dwelling and enjoyed lunch as the rain kept pouring down. Unfortunately, as I attempted to enjoy my lunch, my throat rebelled and the food got stuck. The rest of my day was tougher as I struggled to get my throat to calm down enough to breath well. When we finally got to the shelter for the evening, it was like we were getting home. We were greeted by super friendly faces, and we were finally able to put our dry clothes on. Rod Hollow Shelter is a very nice shelter. It is double tiered and has a nice overhang so that we could get situated without getting the entire place soaked. Tonight we are sharing this palace with Pokey the Pink Squid, Ballou and Teresa, Old Reb, and two southbound section hikers. This is definitely a fun crew.
103	6/28	Rod Hollow Shelter, VA	Bear’s Den Hostel	9.9	Day:103 Date: 6/28/06 Start: Rod Hollow Shelter, VA Weather: rain, rain, then buckets of rain. Finish: Bear’s Den Hostel Miles: 9.9 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 988.9 (-97.3 that we skipped) Branch: Last night, Marco Solo came into the shelter pretty late. This morning we hung around the shelter for a while talking to this wonderful Christian brother. It was so refreshing to be around like-minded, wise company. For the first hour he and Clay hiked together sharing life stories and philosophies. I loved listening to the two of them talk. Today we started the infamous roller coaster. The roller coaster is a 13-mile section in which there are 10 climbs and descents. This is supposed to be pretty tough. To make the hiking more interesting, much of the trail had become a constantly running stream from all of the rain that we have gotten over the last few days. As Clay, Marco Solo, and I began hiking today, it became obvious that it was going to be a tough day for my rebellious throat and me. With each climb, I felt my throat getting increasingly tight. The physical struggle quickly digressed to emotional desperateness. Why would God lead us to this trail and not enable me to hike without being in constant pain? Marco Solo hiked on while Clay and I slowed our pace to help keep my throat relaxed. By the time that we were done with even this slow and short mileage, I was exhausted both physically and emotionally. On happier side of life, today we were able to visit super good friends of ours. Circuit Rider, Sherlock, and Queen Diva are all super great Christians who have been our friends for a few years as we have all worked to share the love of Jesus with our friends on the Appalachian Trail. We had a great time talking with them and others at the hostel. We were able to get to know Pokey the Pink Squid and Marco Solo better, and were so encouraged by hanging out with our friends. Since my throat has been not been working lately, we believe that we will need to get off the trail in Harper’s Ferry (about 20 miles from here). While my throat was better when we were in Kentucky, once back on the trail, it has been a nightmare. It is our hypothesis that the constant daily exercise of 8-11 hours at a time aggravates an already ornery set of throat muscles. The last few days have been miserable and even possibly dangerous as we have walked. As I write this, I am incredibly depressed as I think about the possibility of leaving the people that we have come to know and love so well. However, even in the midst of this the most unsure part of our lives, I feel God’s hand at work. I know that He loves us and that He loves the hikers that we toil for, so I know that He will work this out for the best. It is that that I remind myself with as I toss and turn and try to sleep tonight. Clay: This morning was wonderful. Ol’ Reb asked me to pray for everyone in the shelter before they began the days journey. So, I did. Another young woman talked with Branch about the validity of Scripture. I talked with Marco Solo about his travels around the world, his truly fascinating spiritual pilgrimage, and his journey to faith. What an amazing guy.
104	6/29	Bear’s Den Hostel	Bear’s Den Hostel		Day:104 Date: 6/29/06 Start: Bear’s Den Hostel Weather: grey skies, periodic rain Finish: Bear’s Den Hostel Miles: 0.0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 988.9 (-97.3 that we skipped) Branch: Well, we woke up this morning only planning to go about 8 miles to the next hostel where we have some other Christian friends. This did not go as planned at all. Every morning Queen Diva wakes up early and makes breakfast for every hiker that stayed at Bear’s Den the night before. As I began to eat breakfast, I knew things were not right. Even at this early part of the day I had trouble swallowing food and ended up wasting much of the food on my plate. Still planning to leave, we decided to take our time leaving since we were not planning to walk very far. We talked some more with Marco Solo, Circuit Rider, and Sherlock. By 12:30, we were ready to go. As I put on my pack, my throat was so tight that Clay could hear my breathing. It was truly the worst that it has been in a very long time. I was emotional at the prospect of 4 hours of walking in pain. For about 30-45 minutes I tried to convince myself to leave the comfort and safety of the hostel. Clay and I talked through the dangers of my throat being so tight. If it was this tight in the morning, imagine how tight it would be after an hour of hiking in the heat of the day. Eventually, after much tears, I took my pack off feeling much defeated. Our hike is done. We are not going to hike to Harper’s Ferry and get off at that point. We are ending it here, a mere 3 miles from the Virginia state line, a mere 11 miles from the 1000 mile point, and a mere 20 miles from Harper’s Ferry. Soon, four-time thru-hiker, Sherlock walked in to the hostel. He saw me in pain and he heard my “Darth Vader”-sounding breathing. He was encouraging to us and confirmed that our physical health was more important than the hike—without a doubt. We spent the rest of the day making an exit plan. In order to debrief, we will go visit Clay’s sister in California for 2 weeks. We’ll use that time to plan our life after the Appalachian Trail. We will certainly get my throat retested…again.
105	6/30	Bear’s Den Hostel	Blackburn Trail Center		Day:105 Date: 6/30/06 Start: Bear’s Den Hostel Weather: blue skies Finish: Blackburn Trail Center Miles: 0.0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 988.9 (-97.3 that we skipped) Branch: We spent our time working to keep busy today. We helped Circuit Rider and Sherlock clean the Hostel this morning, constantly keeping a prayer on our hearts. I have felt very depressed as the realization of our decision has begun to sink in. Although I know that it is a physical problem that is forcing us off the trail, I feel like we are letting down the people who have so graciously supported us emotionally, logistically, and financially on this journey. I feel nervous at the prospect of facing everyone back home. This evening we are at the Blackburn Trail Center. It has been so much fun sharing a meal with everyone, visiting with Redwing and Hopeful (our friends who are the caretakers here), and watching the excitement of those who are preparing to go to Harper’s Ferry tomorrow. Tonight, after dinner, we gathered on a screened porch, Garden Gnome found Red Wing’s guitar and played it with much skill as others sang along. Crickets chirped in the background and fireflies joined with the stars as our lighting. A slight breeze comfortably moved the air carrying with it the pleasantly fresh smell of summer in the mountains. I will always cherish this time. It’s what I envisioned before the trail and it is what I will remember afterwards. Clay: Tonight was so much fun. We were here with Garden Gnome, three sister section hikers, two men section hikers, Shine and Scooter, Brock, Milk Dud, and Sore Foot (AT some year). Milk Dud is taking my gaitors to Katahdin! Last year, Branch’s watch saw Katahdin. Talking with Sore Foot was a great close to our hike. Sore Foot is a former thru-hiker and he now works for the Secret Service in Washington. He has had the same life-long throat symptoms as Branch has had with her throat. We literally talked for hours as he recounted how terrible swallowing is for him. As bad as swallowing is for him, he was amazed that Suzy’s throat is restricting her breathing. Dinner was so much fun. Red Wing and Hopeful were so nice. They made us a huge brownie congratulating us for the huge accomplishment of having completed over 1,000 miles of A.T. thus far. We hope that we are afforded the same perception and reception at home. Everyone was so very nice and understanding. Hikers were very sympathetic about the physical problems and very encouraging about the 1,001.9 miles we hiked on the A.T. this year i.e.((988.9 cumulative - 97.3 Shenys)+ 110.3 Vermont)). We slept well because of the family-like atmosphere tonight.

Search

Search: State Choose GA NC TN VA WV MD PA NJ NY CT MA VT NH ME