The Hiker Returns Home!

This is a 6-7 foot Black Racer
common in the
Southern states. It eats rodents
and leaves the hikers alone--
althouth this hiker was
being a pest! He claims it's
because he's
never seen a snake climb a tree
before so
he had to study it up close
and personal!








Good bye Virginia and hello
West Virginia. This was the
marker for the dividing line....
cross another state off of the list!
That makes a total of 5 states
in the 1009 mile hike, whew!












I can't believe he isn't
leaning against the pole
after 1,000 miles! Oh,
it was wet paint according
to Lyle (it really was wet
'cause this post replaced
a rock that used to be
the marker!).
What a great and uplifting
feeling it was to be
standing here!







Lyle returned to Appleton on Tuesday, June 20, after a 23 1/2 hour ride on the Amtrak train from Harpers Ferry to Milwaukee and then a coach bus from Milwaukee to Appleton. When he stepped off the bus, my first thoughts were he looked very thin and about ready to fall over from exhaustion. But he is home safe and sound thank God! And the stories he has to tell. The next few sentences are his as he wanted to say a few words to his audience :)

Hi everyone, Thanks for showing an interest in following me on my "walk in the woods". A great feeling for me as I walked into Harpers Ferry, WV knowing that I had accomplished what I had set out to do--hike 1,000 miles. The truth is my feet really did hurt (and still do)! But at that time I didn't even notice. If you didn't look at the photos real close, you may not have realized that from GA to WV I had lost something. A couple of inches around the waist and #20 of extra weight. I feel really good right now...like I did in high school...except for a few grey hairs. I'll try to put a few more photos on in the next couple of weeks, so you can check back one more time. For me, the photo opportunity along the trail was never ending. I'm glad I didn't have to keep loading rolls of film. Modern digital is good for something. "No Lines" (Lyle)

The Bears Den

Lyle called me this morning following a "surprise" thru-hiker breakfast at the Bears Den just outside of the Shenandoah National Park. The Bears Den is a hostel supported by the ATC. They started on the trail early this morning to beat the heat and when they saw the sign for this shelter Lyle remembered that an ex-KCer (retired) was volunteering here. So they decided to stop in and see if Dave Appel was working. Sure enough, there he was! He spends Memorial Day to Labor Day volunteering on the trail and has for the past 8 years. It was a nice way to start the day for Lyle. They were setting off on the trail again when Lyle called this morning and the South hikers said the stretch today will be difficult. They are very glad they are slack packing again today!

I'm adding a link to this entry because it helps you understand the lodging hikers have on the Trail. And it has a nice description of the Bears Den which is really nice! Follow the links to the Cabins, Huts and Hostels section by clicking on "Hike the Trail" and scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking on "Camping and Shelters." Scroll to the bottom again and click on the link in the "Can I stay in a hostel or inn?" paragraph. The Bears Den is called a Trail Center and it has quite a few activities.

http://appalachiantrail.org

The Home Stretch

I can hardly believe it! Lyle will be starting mile 975 tommorw and will finish up in Harpers Ferry on Sunday afternoon. He can't think of a better day to end his journey than Father's Day. It will be a day to remember for him and the rest of us!

Lyle and Plugger have been slack packing the past two days. Slack packing is carrying a day pack with just enough supplies for the day. Lyle has some very dear and considerate friends near the Trail that picked him and Plugger up Wednesday evening. They are staying with the Hetherman's evenings and then they take Lyle and Plugger to the trail each morning and pick them up at the end of the day too! This is how they are finishing up the 50+ miles of the Trail into Harpers Ferry--one day at a time.

What a joy it is to return to a house, a bed, a cocktail and a hot meal! It is making the last section a real treat. This section of the Trail has been challenging, with tomorrow being the most difficult day. And it's been hot and humid so the day packs have made the difference between a pleasant finish and a miserable time.

Lyle and Plugger will finish up in Harpers Ferry Sunday afternoon. The Hetherman's will drop them off in the morning and then when they are done hiking they will go back to the house in Plugger's truck. The truck was "hopped" to Harpers Ferry by some other hikers a few weeks ago. That way they can finish up the hike on Sunday, and then go back to the AT Conference office on Monday and get their picture taken and sign in without being in a rush. Then Plugger will head home in his truck and Lyle will hop the Amtrak in the afternoon. He will be home in Appleton on Tuesday evening.

Lyle can't believe how different Shanandoah Park is when you hike it rather than driving through it on Skyline Drive. It's beautiful and it's the first time on the Trail that he saw bears. He saw two bears, but as soon as they saw him they took off in the other direction. I'm hoping he was able to get a picture or two.

Lyle has lost 20+ pounds on the hike. This is an okay thing for him but it had a drastic impact on another hiker. The hiker walked into a store that Lyle was in and sat down. Then a few more from his party came in and they realized the fella was "out of it" when he wouldn't respond and his eyes were glazed over. They couldn't really wake him up so they called 911. It seems that his blood pressure medication was too strong because he had lost over 40 pounds but hadn't re-adjusted his medication. The EMT's said it was a good thing it happened in town and not out on the trail because he may not have made it. I'm not sure many people on meds would think about this when getting through each day consumes most of the brain power!

1,009 miles in 3 months....what an adventure!

Mile 875

These photos are from somewhere early in Virgina. That's Lyle standing next to the bridge over the fence. The red barn was a shelter where Lyle actually set up his tent to help keep warm. I have to admit that it is really beyond my comprehension how someone can hike all day and then crawl into a sleeping bag thrown down on a cot in a 3-sided rustic building. How can you really get a good night's sleep?

Tonight's campground somewhere north of Waynesboro marks 875 miles. Needless to say, Lyle and Plugger are very proud of their accomplishment! They are ahead of their timeline so Lyle is planning to be home in Appleton on the 22nd. He will hop the Amtrak in Harpers Ferry on the 21st and ride the train into Milwaukee via Chicago. Then he hops a bus from Milwaukee to Appleton.

It was a 22 mile day today. "Free" camping in prohibited in the Shenandoah Park so they have to stay at a shelter or in a park campsite. Unfortunately the spacing is such that if they want to stay at the shelters (the less expensive route) they have to put in long days to make it from shelter to shelter. Today didn't work out quite right, so they are spending the $14 per person for a tent site. But they have a small store where they found fresh fruit so there is a silver lining in every cloud!

They have been told to be on the lookout for bear again...this park is plagued more than the others they've been in. That is why they prohibit setting up tents outside of the controlled, designate areas. So far they haven't seen any sign so that makes me very happy! They were expecting a 3rd hiker to join them but plans fell through so it's just the two of them for the remainder of trip except for the other hikers they see along the way.

Lyle had another experience that proves how small the world really is. Plugger and Lyle stayed in hostel in Waynesboro VA sponsored by a local church. The doors closed at 10 p.m. and no alchohol was allowed so this fit them to a tee! They were really looking forward to a peaceful night's sleep. And, as extra precaution when hikers are staying at the hostel, the pastor comes and spends the night. They were talking and getting acquanited and come to find out the pastor grew up in Wild Rose Wisconsin! The two of them could hardly believe it. Kinda of spooky, you know?

Message for Journey

Thank you for sending the package. It arrived in good shape although I haven't had the time to sit and watch the film yet. I've tried to send you an email, but I must not be entering your email address correctly. I hope you are following the blog so you know that the mail arrived.