Well, today marks the day that I first cried on the side of a mountain.
Kelly Knob – you beat me going up and you beat me going down.
This was our second Tuesday on trail and our second miserable Tuesday morning. It rained all night Monday night. Everything was soaking wet and we had no choice but to get up in the rain and pack up soaking wet tents, food, gear. To make matters worse, our tent fly failed in the rain, causing it to fold inward and soak all of our gear. Our boots had standing water in them. Our packs were literally sitting in puddles of mud and water. Someone (probably me) put the tent stake in the ground backwards so it did not hold the fly when the rain got heavy on the tent. For hours and hours the rain soaked our packs and boots. The girls were smart and brought their packs in the tent because they knew there might be rain. Their boots stayed dry under their functional fly.
Matthew and I laid in the tent hoping for a gap in the weather. But we were all hungry and we had 10 miles to hike before catching our shuttle to Hiawassee. There was the promise of laundry, a shower, and a grocery store waiting for us.
And so we hiked. Wet. Cold. And a bit hungry. It seems like every morning starts with a steep uphill climb. We hiked the first 1.8 miles fast – just about an hour. That’s good for us, especially in the morning.
I was in need of some calories so we stopped for a sugar break but we couldn’t stay long because we were so cold and wet.
Then we started to climb. And climb. And climb. And I hate climbing. Consensus amongst hikers is that the downs are so much worse than the ups. I wholeheartedly disagree. Ups are so much harder for me. I actually count my steps to set goals. I count every time I put my hiking pole down. I aim for 30 (about 60 steps) so I can take a break for 15 counts. I usually do this quietly, whispering my numbers. I started that way, but I began shouting. And grunting. And groaning. It was so foggy that I could only see the steep steps in front of me. But every time I finished one section, I turned the switchback and it was another straight uphill ascent.
over and over and over.
Amelia and I climbed Tray Mountain the other day. Matthew and Charlotte were further behind us. It was tiring but we were trekking uphill. We took a break to catch our breath and check the GPS. We had been playing a game of cat and mouse with Silverback all the way up the mountain. As Silverback walked past us he looked at me and said, “this has to level out at some point, right?” I responded, “yes, we’re .2 miles from the summit.” He said, “no. I meant the trail in general. It can’t be 160 days of this.”
Well, Kelly Knob was just that. Uphill. Every switchback. No room for recovery. And I convinced myself that if I just kept counting, I wouldn’t cry. Well, that only worked for a while. I was alone. It was so wet and foggy. And I turned a switchback just to see another 45 degree ascent. Into the wet fog. And I just stood there and cried. I cried loudly. I heaved and sobbed.
Then I started climbing again. When I met up with my family, we weren’t far from the top. I wasn’t put together. I wasn’t okay. But we finished. Done.
Then we began to descend. Remember the torrential storms from the night before? Well, they turned the trail into a mudslide. Pure mud. Every step like a slip n’ slide. Matthew described it in 2 perfect ways: like cross country skiing without skis and like walking down a waterslide.
The girls were thriving. They used the mud like the people movers at the airport. They even talked and played games while hiking. The game yesterday was called Chad. It somehow involved Charlotte wearing her hat sideways.
Unfortunately, the way down was just as steep. Sometimes we don’t have to go all the way down the mountain. Yesterday we did. Slipping and sliding. It ruined my love of the descents.
Charlotte told me last night that I sounded like a dying monkey on the side of that mountain. My feet were screaming. My knees were knocking. And I was so covered in mud. So much mud.
Just so you don’t think it’s all trail magic and mountaintop vistas out here. It was a rough one.
Oh, wow!! This sounds absolutely brutal!! But, YOU made it and you conquered that rain & mud!! Congrats….so proud of ALL of you and your strength and determination. I keep thinking of the song….it’s not an easy road….but Jesus walks beside ‘you all’ and brightens the pathway, and lightens every heavy load”. Prayers abounding!
You did it!!!!! It isn’t going to be all magic, but you did it. You kept going. You put one foot in front of the other!
I guess if it were all magic all the time, people wouldn’t give up. I so appreciate you sharing the highs and lows. Praying for each step (and at least a few sunnier, flatter days in your future!!!!)
“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow-
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit” Edgar Guest
You guys inspire me! Thank you for sharing the ups and downs, literally and figuratively, of your trip. I’m curious if and how this compares to your Spain treks?
Thinking of you and your family, always!
Marie
Marie! Thanks for writing. The biggest difference is that we were always guaranteed indoor accomodations in Spain. We spend most nights on the A.T. in our tents, trying to stay warm. It’s been cold in the mountains!!