In the wilderness....

I have been trying for 5 days now to collect my thoughts and somehow organize them, so that I can convey how last weekend changed my life. Alas, my thoughts remain as wild as the wilderness I roamed.
It started at 5:00 Friday morning when Suzann, Jen and I packed up our vehicles and headed south to the Shenandoah.....Dear God! Just the word "Shenandoah" just speaks volumes of beauty as it rolls off the tongue, and it lives up to its name. Four hours later, one car was parked and we all drove 15+ miles further south. After saying the "Trail Prayer" we started hiking the Appalachian Trail back toward the first car. The "Trail Prayer" is simply something to the effect of : Dear God, Thank you for Your nature and Your beauty that surrounds us. Please bless each step we take and make Your presence known.
We passed streams and waterfalls....mile after mile of mountain laurel and rhododendron just ready to burst forth in bloom....treacherous climbs thousands of feet in elevation....unbelievable green, mountainous vistas, completely unspoiled by man. Such a sight to behold.....and something worth defending.
The day wore on and we wore out, but finally reached the other car. Off to Loft Mountain camp, where we set up our tents and, as Suzann has coined the phrase, "smeared off"...meaning, we used wet wipes to clean ourselves up. Jen built a nice fire and we enjoyed talking about the day and planning for the next morning. After bear-proofing the campsite,we soon hit the tents and were out like lights, although the sound of a fox and a couple of coyotes woke me a few times.
The next morning, after fixin' coffee on an open fire and praying the trail prayer, we hiked right from our campsite and headed south. Within the first mile we saw our first bear. He was so glossy, with a red tint to his black fur...yeah, we were that close. He seemed to pose for pictures before lumbering on. Saturday's hike was typical A.T. fare. Rocks, climbs, blooms and blossoms.  Not much water, though we were wishing to soak our feet in the cold mountain water. We all hiked alone. Jen way out in front, me in the middle, and Suzann the caboose. Solitary. Peaceful. Alone with God and our breath. After 15 or so miles, we went back to our camp and actually got showers at the Loft Mt Camp Store. One dollar for 5 minutes of hot water. Ahhhh. We got another fire going and roasted some hot dogs...of course, Jen, the vegan, had her mish mash of black beans and quinoa. A couple of beers and a bottle of wine sure hit the spot! Night night!!
Jen's knee was really hurting, and Suzann was whining that her whole body hurt, so we planned to cut the last days' hike a little short. Trail prayer. I have to say that He made Himself so evident each and every day....the weather was optimal, the vistas breath-taking, and the friendship priceless. This day, we came to a sign that said "Dangerous bear area. These bears will aggressively harass you. Make noise. Do not run!" Jen was way ahead, but I stopped to wait for Suzann to catch up...because I didn't want her to walk alone through this area, or because I was afraid to go on by myself???? Both. We didn't see a bear, however, Jen sure did. One came out of nowhere and stood directly on the trail and stared at her. Imagine that happening just after reading that sign!!! Well, the bear was afraid of her and took off, thank God. The hike was way too short, and we were done too soon......saw another bear as we drove up Skyline Drive...it was standing in the middle of the road and I had to stop the car for it. It, too, posed for pictures. We stopped at Loft Mountain Wayside and had the best hamburger EVER, then headed home. A long drive, but with that peacefully exhausted feeling, and the beauty of the trail dizzying our minds....and the sense of accomplishment for what we had just done! Suzann and I had completed 300 miles of the trail! And Jen, her first 38.
It gets into your soul, the Appalachian Trail.....makes you long for more. Gives your mind a place to go when life gets stressful. Makes you thankful to be alive.
Thank you to my wonderful friends for sharing the experience with me. Let's go back soon!

Three Great Weekends

The past two weekends have been great, and I am anticipating that this coming weekend will be equally as awesome. It started May 7th.....The Frederick Half-Marathon. It was so nice to spend time with Angie, whom I hadn't seen since high school 31 years ago! We trained on-line together and met once in Gettysburg for an 11 miler. She's such a wonderful person and we have SO much in common! Same values, political ideations, even down to the same clothes hamper, for Pete's sake. She got me involved in this "race of my life". Never had I been in a race with more than 800 runners. In Frederick, there were nearly 7,000 of us! Looking ahead was like watching an undulating sea of color filling the road....and so many townspeople lining the streets and cheering! My favorite was the darling beagle who seemed to be barking out a perfect "GOOOoooooo!!" The weather was perfect as perfect could be, and the legs felt great until mile 10. The rest was a bit of a struggle, but not unbearable, and I was pleased with my time of 2:15.  Five minutes slower than I wanted, but I blamed that on the crowd.  : )
 Angie and I just had the best time! We hung out the rest of the day and rehydrated... I did get pretty violently ill afterward, but that part is easily forgotten.  Hated to say goodbye to Ang and go home...we had become like sisters and I missed her immediately.
The second great weekend in a row consisted of a 5K run in Cresson with my peeps from work. It poured all the way up until the starting gun fired, then just barely drizzled throughout the race. A refreshing mist. All of us had great times...we all finished 2nd in our age groups, except Dr. Burk was 5th in his. Not bad considering he only ran 3 or 4 times in the past year! Some people are just athletically gifted. Grrr....I run almost every day and I only beat him by less than a minute. Did I mention that it began to pour again after we finished? It was like God parted the rain clouds in that little spot over Cresson just for us.  It sure was a fun time, and a personal best time for me.
Now.....this coming weekend!!!! A 45 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia.....15 miles per day, carrying packs and climbing mountains, and camping out at night with the bears and junk. Hopefully my two good friends, Suzann and Jen will be the tastier morsels for the bears.....just kidding ladies. I SO look forward to my A.T. hikes....nothing I have found brings me closer to God than being out in His nature. The trail is a blessing that I count every day, along with the multitudes of volunteers who maintain it from Georgia to Maine. This is the first time we have attempted a 3 day hike, so I am looking forward to the challenge. If I have any energy left, I'll let you know how it goes.........

I'm sure I gained ten pounds during my run this afternoon! There was a little break in the rain (geez!), so I seized the opportunity to take a good hilly route. The air was so thick and sweet with fragrant blossoms, that I felt like I needed a shot of insulin or I might lapse into a coma. Even breathing through my mouth, I could taste the sweetness. Felt like I should brush my teeth or deal with a mouthful of cavities. I'm not complaining!! It was wonderful. Wonderfully overpoweringly sweet. Sweet!  Now, how do I work off that run???