Well here we go again—the beginning of the longest, most challenging summer of my life. The odds were against me from day one. Well, don’t let me get ahead of my story.
I planned a summer of hiking along the Appalachian Trail with my grandson, Tyler with the hopes of finishing my remaining miles of the Trail.
Ed and I left Murphy, North Carolina the beginning of June, 2009 for Trail days in Damascus, Virginia. I wanted to be a part of the hiker camaraderie and I also wanted to see if I could sell my book Living a Dream. My book sales were very good and Ed and I enjoyed our final days together until October. He was heading for Maine and I was going back on the Trail with my grandson, Tyler Towns.
From Damascus I drove to my daughter’s house in Jacksonville, North Carolina to rest up before I started hiking and to finish getting Tyler’s gear together. When the day finally came to leave there were lots of hugs, kisses, and tears as we packed up to go. We drove to Maryland on our way to Kent, Connecticut where I would park my car for the first week of our hike.
We arrived in Kent at 3:00 p.m. and had two hours to wait for our shuttle to Bear Mountain Bridge, New York. Greg Ridge Runner Peters is an avid hiker and goes out each year to hike another section of the Appalachian Trail. He is retired from the Connecticut Dept of Corrections and was a Master Sergeant in the US Army. He will shuttle hikers in most of NY, CT, and MA. His email is [email protected] and his phone number is 860-307-7121.
It took us over an hour to reach the hotel. As I was emptying the car I realized I had left my hiking boots in my car back in Kent. All I had with me was the Crocs I was wearing. Driving back to Kent was out of the questions. Greg sensed my concern and offered me a pair of boots he had in the trunk. They were Merrill, size 9 and fit me well. I did not have much cash on me so Greg suggested I just send him a check when I got home at the end of summer.
As if forgetting my boots wasn’t enough, I faced another dilemma after dinner when I found out that my debit card would not go through. When I am hiking I don’t carry much cash and I knew I had plenty of funds in the account. I tried calling the bank but it was after hours. I had enough to pay for dinner but that only left me with $40.00 in cash. I usually carry a credit card but chose not to this trip. I later found out that my bank had blocked my account because of the large purchase at REI on the way to Maryland.
We got a shuttle from the hotel to Bear Mountain Bridge the next morning where we would take our first steps on the Appalachian Trail. It was a joy to be outside and on the Trail again. I had struggled with winter counting the days until I could take my first steps along the Appalachian Trail again.
As we approached the bridge I sensed the lack of enthusiasm I normally have at being on the Trail. I had a feeling of worry hanging over me. I usually am so carefree on my hikes and tend to leave my worries at home. I though maybe it was the added responsibility of having a fifteen year old with me. It was so much fun crossing the bridge.
We stopped at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center for the night. I always wanted to see the Monastery so we only completed 6.4 miles today.
Graymoor is the home of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement and birth place of the Christian Unity Movement in America. Thru-hikers have been welcomed here for decades. In past years, hikers stayed in the rectory building and were treated to sumptuous meals with the staff, but those options are no longer available. Hikers now use the campsite shelter at the ball field, with water, cold shower, and covered picnic pavilion free of charge.
Watch for the continuing adventures of Tyler and Trapperlee
