At 7a it was too cold to get out of bed, so we slept in until 8a. I was grateful for the extra time since we went to bed so late. We were leaving camp after 9a and had 11 miles to go. Today was probably the first day I relaxed a bit. We slowed to look at flowers, birds, etc. It was nice.
We came across a ridgerunner or a park ranger who warned us of a “stomach bug” going around. He emphasized the need to practice proper sanitation. Later we heard it was really norovirus – something you can get from tainted water sources. Nothing will kill it, boiling does, but filters can’t get out viruses. At least that’s what I’ve heard.
We saw snow for the first time on the AT! It was little remnants from the storm 2 days ago that hadn’t been claimed by the sun yet. The other ridges look like they have more on them. So far, we haven’t hit anything too major.
Speaking of snow… as we hike, much of the forest floor looks like it has snow on it, but it’s really just millions of these tiny white flowers that are blooming. It’s a beautiful sight and makes me appreciate getting to be here in the spring. I love walking through the forest and getting to see they way all of the elements work together. The forest wastes nothing. A tree dies and falls, soon moss and other plants cover it, allowing the log to breakdown back into soil. It’s an incredible transformation from life, to death, back to life again. It seemed like an appropriate thing to consider on Palm Sunday.
I was tired today as I am most days. I was beginning to feel sorry for myself and then I remembered a story that Cool Hand shared. There was this man who as a boy dreamed about hiking the AT. He got some sort of muscle wasting disease and obviously was unable to. Well, a group of guys (Cool Hand included) decided to help make his dream a partial reality. They made a custom cart for him to ride in powered by 1 guy on the back and 2 on the front. I can’t remember how far they took him. I think it was a day or so. People took shifts to move him. Cool Hand said it was one for the hardest things he’s done physically. As I remembered his story, I realized being able to hike the Appalachian Trail is a privilege. It is also an opportunity – one that many simply do not have. I thanked God for the strength in my legs and the wellness of my body that allows me to hike these hills that I greatly want to curse. I celebrated my health with one step and then another and then another.
