Thursday, December 28, 2017
Monday, December 25, 2017
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Judy Garland - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
This is the only good version of this song: the original lyrics, which capture the exquisite melancholy of being separated from someone you love at Christmas. Note the date: 1944. Bing Crosby's and Karen Carpenter's voices were fantastic, but they ruined it by trying to make it more "positive" and "upbeat". I don't know the story behind the changing of the lyrics, but I can just picture Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra saying "Say, how 'bout we make this a little more upbeat? This song is depressing!" Bah, same mentality that added that dumb final verse to "Gloomy Sunday" about waking up and finding it was all a dream when they translated it to English. But by taking away the melancholy of the song, they took away its deeper meaning; because it's also a song of courage, and of hope. Foolish hope, perhaps. Many, many people who were separated from their loved ones in 1944 were never going to spend another Christmas with them. But when you're living on hope, it's all you have, and you have to do just what the song says: make the best of here and now, and keep hoping that that thing, whatever it is, is going to get better. Otherwise, the only alternative is melancholy's hideous cousin, despair.
Monday, December 18, 2017
"Minuet no. 60" - Danish String Quartet
This is lovely. My daughter heard this quartet on NPR and told me about them.
I danced a minuet in my first acting job (outside school plays). It was Cinderella, and I was a courtier and the captain of the guard. Also, in my brief time taking piano, I complained about having to learn children's songs like "Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star", and my teacher in frustration said, "Well, how about some Bach, then?" To which I replied, "Yes, please!" So the only thing I ever really learned on piano was Bach's Minuet in G. I was kind of a pain in the ass when I was young. Ha ha, yes, I know what you're thinking, so let me say it for you: "You're still a pain in the ass, Mike!"
Your pardon, if the nudes offend anyone. I didn't make the video. Although I personally have no objection to the aesthetic admiration of the feminine form, as long as one can do so without inordinate lust (which I can). God made the universe beautiful, and the very last thing he created was the most beautiful thing of all: the woman. "Rejoice in the wife of your youth...let her breasts satisfy thee always." (Proverbs 5:18-19)
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Plutarch on Marital Relations
"Some men, either unable or unwilling to mount themselves into their saddles through infirmity or laziness, teach their horses to fall upon their knees, and in that posture to receive their riders. In like manner there are some persons who, having married young ladies not less considerable for the nobility of their birth than their wealthy dowries, take little care themselves to improve the advantages of such a splendid conjunction, but with a severe moroseness labor to depress and degrade their wives, proud of the mastery and vaunting in domestic tyranny. Whereas in this case it becomes a man to use the reins of government with as equal regard to the quality and dignity of the woman as to the stature of the horse." -- Plutarch, Conjugal Precepts
I came across this today, and it struck me as a fine example of the inaccuracy of the standard modern feminist narrative of the past. That is, that before feminism came and enlightened us and set women free from the shackles and dungeons of patriarchalism, all women were everywhere oppressed by cruel men who valued them not at all except for the pleasure and fruit their bodies afforded. Here is an example from the first century A.D. of a man--a Greco-Roman and a pagan, no less, teaching other men that they should be respectful and gentle to their wives.
I, on the other hand, maintain that, though it is true, has been true, and unfortunately, always will be true (until the restoration of Justice and all things upon the Earth), that there are bad men who treat women badly, that the patriarchal past is not nearly so monolithically oppressive and evil as they pretend. There were men who treated their wives badly. And there were men who treated their wives well. Just as there are now. Different ages and cultures contained varying mixes of the two: one could very easily say, for example that women were treated much better on the whole in Victorian England than they were in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. I would argue that women are treated much worse on average in relationships by men in our society today than they were a hundred, or even fifty years ago. But there have always been good men, who genuinely love women and desire and strive to treat them kindly and with respect and dignity.
But the feminist narrative is not about accuracy or truth. It is propaganda, pure and simple. In order to sell a radical ideology, one must create a dichotomy of oppressor class vs. victim class, and then re-write history and define the world according to that view. Communists use proletariat and bourgeoisie; Nazis used Jews and Arians; the French reign of terror used common and noble; and feminists use women and men.
As an example, feminists reading this passage will no doubt seize immediately upon the use of the horse as a metaphor, and claim that Plutarch is equating women to livestock. But in reality, it is just a metaphor: just as, when Jesus uses agricultural parables to demonstrate spiritual truths, he is not equating his disciples to plants in value or worth--it's just a metaphor. Focus instead, on his actual theme--that husbands should show "equal regard to the quality and dignity of the woman". And it's not equal regard to the quality and dignity of the horse--it's to the physical stature of the horse, in regard to mounting it. Again, metaphor. Meaning that the man must himself rise up to the challenge of being the husband of a woman of quality and dignity, as he must make the effort to mount a tall horse, rather than lowering the horse to his own level.
I came across this today, and it struck me as a fine example of the inaccuracy of the standard modern feminist narrative of the past. That is, that before feminism came and enlightened us and set women free from the shackles and dungeons of patriarchalism, all women were everywhere oppressed by cruel men who valued them not at all except for the pleasure and fruit their bodies afforded. Here is an example from the first century A.D. of a man--a Greco-Roman and a pagan, no less, teaching other men that they should be respectful and gentle to their wives.
I, on the other hand, maintain that, though it is true, has been true, and unfortunately, always will be true (until the restoration of Justice and all things upon the Earth), that there are bad men who treat women badly, that the patriarchal past is not nearly so monolithically oppressive and evil as they pretend. There were men who treated their wives badly. And there were men who treated their wives well. Just as there are now. Different ages and cultures contained varying mixes of the two: one could very easily say, for example that women were treated much better on the whole in Victorian England than they were in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. I would argue that women are treated much worse on average in relationships by men in our society today than they were a hundred, or even fifty years ago. But there have always been good men, who genuinely love women and desire and strive to treat them kindly and with respect and dignity.
But the feminist narrative is not about accuracy or truth. It is propaganda, pure and simple. In order to sell a radical ideology, one must create a dichotomy of oppressor class vs. victim class, and then re-write history and define the world according to that view. Communists use proletariat and bourgeoisie; Nazis used Jews and Arians; the French reign of terror used common and noble; and feminists use women and men.
As an example, feminists reading this passage will no doubt seize immediately upon the use of the horse as a metaphor, and claim that Plutarch is equating women to livestock. But in reality, it is just a metaphor: just as, when Jesus uses agricultural parables to demonstrate spiritual truths, he is not equating his disciples to plants in value or worth--it's just a metaphor. Focus instead, on his actual theme--that husbands should show "equal regard to the quality and dignity of the woman". And it's not equal regard to the quality and dignity of the horse--it's to the physical stature of the horse, in regard to mounting it. Again, metaphor. Meaning that the man must himself rise up to the challenge of being the husband of a woman of quality and dignity, as he must make the effort to mount a tall horse, rather than lowering the horse to his own level.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Monday, December 11, 2017
Friday, November 24, 2017
Saturday, November 11, 2017
"What does that feel like?" she asked.
We were talking about being in love. True love.
She was a pretty girl, with a big dog, who was curled up at my feet.
She'd gotten out of her Volvo,
barefoot, long hair loose
her femininity showing through her thin cotton t-shirt
While I was sitting at a roadside crossing
reclining against my backpack
boots off
eating trail mix and jerky
and thinking about the coming rain
Over the next few days, we crossed paths several times
She said she was trying to make it to the North Carolina border and back over the weekend
But I met her coming back the other direction, and she kept showing up
like she couldn't make up her mind
And we talked
I should probably have been hitting on her
It felt like that's what she wanted
But instead, we ended up talking about You.
"When she walks by," I answered,
"I see sparkly fairy-trails behind her.
When she's in the same room,
I hear a faint hum, just below the silence,
like angels' music.
When she's in the same building,
I feel a warm glow in my chest,
like opium.
Just knowing that she is in the world,
even if I never see her again,
makes me see it as a brighter, more beautiful place,
And loving her
makes me love everyone else more."
We were talking about being in love. True love.
She was a pretty girl, with a big dog, who was curled up at my feet.
She'd gotten out of her Volvo,
barefoot, long hair loose
her femininity showing through her thin cotton t-shirt
While I was sitting at a roadside crossing
reclining against my backpack
boots off
eating trail mix and jerky
and thinking about the coming rain
Over the next few days, we crossed paths several times
She said she was trying to make it to the North Carolina border and back over the weekend
But I met her coming back the other direction, and she kept showing up
like she couldn't make up her mind
And we talked
I should probably have been hitting on her
It felt like that's what she wanted
But instead, we ended up talking about You.
"When she walks by," I answered,
"I see sparkly fairy-trails behind her.
When she's in the same room,
I hear a faint hum, just below the silence,
like angels' music.
When she's in the same building,
I feel a warm glow in my chest,
like opium.
Just knowing that she is in the world,
even if I never see her again,
makes me see it as a brighter, more beautiful place,
And loving her
makes me love everyone else more."
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
"In this vision he also showed me a little thing, the size of a hazelnut in the palm of my hand, and it was round as a ball. I looked at it with my mind's eye and thought, 'What can this be?' And the answer came to me, 'It is all that is made.' I wondered how it could last, for it was so small I thought it might suddenly have disappeared. And the answer in my mind was, It lasts and will last for ever, because God loves it; and everything exists in the same way by the love of God." -- Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love
Sunday, October 8, 2017
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Signs
Do you remember the day I gave you the bouquet?
Of yellow roses blushing pink at the tips of their petals
And deep pink-crimson ones
Arranged to match the pattern on the antique china vase in which they were set
Yellow roses turning pink
mean friendship turning to love
I didn't know that at the time
But it was right
Nor did I know
that they were your favorite rose
But that, too, was right
I didn't know, still, which one you meant
So I gave you another one of each
another time
And asked which was your favorite
You pointed to the yellow and pink one
with your little finger
and a little tremble in your hand
We sat together that day at the ice cream parlour
you fidgeted and fussed, and put on the scarf I'd complimented before
then took it off
then put it back on again
and arranged it to look pretty
You glanced at me, and then away
and then at me, and then away
Did you ever realize
that just after you met me
was when you caught the bouquet at your cousin's wedding?
The picture is gone now, but I still remember the proud, shy smile
Half-playful
But half pleased and wanting to believe that it truly did mean something
And the caption: "High time!"
Do you remember the last day we were friends?
The day I gave you the basket full of rasperries
that I'd picked myself
washed, and sorted
dried, then carefully arranged in layers
with wax paper and tissue paper in brilliant aquamarine blue
to match your eyes
and a ribbon of the same color wrapped around the handle
and tied in a bow
Do you remember, as you left the party that day
after coming to say goodbye to me on the front porch
where I sat, smoking my pipe
the way you looked at me
over your shoulder
as you walked away?
Of yellow roses blushing pink at the tips of their petals
And deep pink-crimson ones
Arranged to match the pattern on the antique china vase in which they were set
Yellow roses turning pink
mean friendship turning to love
I didn't know that at the time
But it was right
Nor did I know
that they were your favorite rose
But that, too, was right
I didn't know, still, which one you meant
So I gave you another one of each
another time
And asked which was your favorite
You pointed to the yellow and pink one
with your little finger
and a little tremble in your hand
We sat together that day at the ice cream parlour
you fidgeted and fussed, and put on the scarf I'd complimented before
then took it off
then put it back on again
and arranged it to look pretty
You glanced at me, and then away
and then at me, and then away
Did you ever realize
that just after you met me
was when you caught the bouquet at your cousin's wedding?
The picture is gone now, but I still remember the proud, shy smile
Half-playful
But half pleased and wanting to believe that it truly did mean something
And the caption: "High time!"
Do you remember the last day we were friends?
The day I gave you the basket full of rasperries
that I'd picked myself
washed, and sorted
dried, then carefully arranged in layers
with wax paper and tissue paper in brilliant aquamarine blue
to match your eyes
and a ribbon of the same color wrapped around the handle
and tied in a bow
Do you remember, as you left the party that day
after coming to say goodbye to me on the front porch
where I sat, smoking my pipe
the way you looked at me
over your shoulder
as you walked away?
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Still
I was thinking this morning
that it's time to move on.
I still love you.
I always will.
I'll never love anyone
Like I've loved you.
But I could find someone
to love with a different kind of love.
But then I'm out
I'm surrounded by beautiful young women
And all I can do is imagine you
Walking up to me
Saying Hello
Like you did on that cold Midwinter evening in Staunton.
"Hi, Mike."
I close my eyes.
I hear your voice.
I see your smile.
"Hi, Mike."
I've never particularly cared for my own name.
But I like it when you say it.
I close my eyes.
I hear your voice.
I see your smile
Your blush.
I feel the warmth of your presence
The glow of your femininity.
I sigh.
I stand and leave.
that it's time to move on.
I still love you.
I always will.
I'll never love anyone
Like I've loved you.
But I could find someone
to love with a different kind of love.
But then I'm out
I'm surrounded by beautiful young women
And all I can do is imagine you
Walking up to me
Saying Hello
Like you did on that cold Midwinter evening in Staunton.
"Hi, Mike."
I close my eyes.
I hear your voice.
I see your smile.
"Hi, Mike."
I've never particularly cared for my own name.
But I like it when you say it.
I close my eyes.
I hear your voice.
I see your smile
Your blush.
I feel the warmth of your presence
The glow of your femininity.
I sigh.
I stand and leave.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Friday, June 2, 2017
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
The Lord's Prayer sung in Aramaic
Aside from the power and beauty of the music, there's something particularly touching about this, because it's the language in which Jesus originally spoke the prayer to his disciples.
Friday, May 19, 2017
The Fruit of my Labors
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Friday, May 5, 2017
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Spring!
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the dove
is heard in our land.
-- Song of Solomon 2:10-12
Friday, April 14, 2017
Après un Rêve
Dans un sommeil que charmait ton image
Je rêvais le bonheur, ardent mirage,
Tes yeux étaient plus doux, ta voix pure et sonore,
Tu rayonnais comme un ciel éclairé par l'aurore;
Tu m'appelais et je quittais la terre
Pour m'enfuir avec toi vers la lumière,
Les cieux pour nous entr'ouvraient leurs nues,
Splendeurs inconnues, lueurs divines entrevues,
Hélas! Hélas! triste réveil des songes
Je t'appelle, ô nuit, rends-moi tes mensonges,
Reviens, reviens radieuse,
Reviens ô nuit mystérieuse!
Monday, April 10, 2017
The Parting Glass
I was thinking about how it would be to take a trip to Ireland and, among other things, visit the place where they craft my pipes (Peterson of Dublin) and the place where they distill my whiskey (Tullamore, County Offaly), and I came across this. I know it's basically just an extended commercial, but still, it's nice. I'd also love to do some "rambling," that is, the gentler British Isles version of hiking, while I'm there.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Thigpen's Wedding
"He wrote your name on my heart in flame, it's a wound I can't erase."
Yes. Precisely.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Also, please pray for the health of mother and child.
"A true Christian life is a life not focused on what others do wrong; a true Christian life is a life that, despite the heresy, hypocrisy, and spiritual blindness surrounding us, focuses quietly on living in chastity, modesty, and humility; it’s a life of constant prayer and gratitude, a life purged of lust and hate, a life without competition, and a life detached from the world and all its sins. And sadly it’s a life that few Christians today have any interest in seeking."
-- Raymond Lloyd Richmond
-- Raymond Lloyd Richmond
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Monday, February 27, 2017
Considerations
I did my first 12-mile day yesterday. My knee has been doing quite well so far, but yesterday it protested a bit, which means that probably 10 miles a day is going to be my maximum average sustained speed. That's consistent with last time, when it was also after I started to push beyond 12 that the knee really began to give me problems.
Which raises some considerations. Plan A was always to do this as a single through-hike, and that's what I'd still like to do. But there's a math problem: I have 2,053 miles left to go. Taking a single day off each week, which is a necessity for me, I will average 60 miles per week. Assuming that nothing else went wrong (unlikely) and skipping my planned extended break at home, that would still put me at Mt. Katahdin on October 24th--too late.
Also, there's another issue that I was hoping to avoid by starting so early, but not so successfully. There are already a LOT of people on the trail. I've had a couple of nights with 8-12 people at a shelter, and the season hasn't even really started yet. Once the dreaded "bubble" comes along, I'm told that there will be 30 or 40 clustered around a shelter built for 6, trash everywhere, privies destroyed, human waste and dirty t.p. on the side of the trail, and a general spring break atmosphere among the college kids who are out here. Not what I came out to experience.
So I may have to turn this into a section hike, and finish it next year or maybe even the year after. I'm going to wait until I get to Damascus, Va and see how my pace, my knee, and the crowds are doing before I decide. That's still 332 miles away, so by then I should know for sure. At that point I'll decide either to finish the whole thing this year, continue to my house and finish next year, or stop there and divide it into multiple sections, say doing just Virginia next year.
Which raises some considerations. Plan A was always to do this as a single through-hike, and that's what I'd still like to do. But there's a math problem: I have 2,053 miles left to go. Taking a single day off each week, which is a necessity for me, I will average 60 miles per week. Assuming that nothing else went wrong (unlikely) and skipping my planned extended break at home, that would still put me at Mt. Katahdin on October 24th--too late.
Also, there's another issue that I was hoping to avoid by starting so early, but not so successfully. There are already a LOT of people on the trail. I've had a couple of nights with 8-12 people at a shelter, and the season hasn't even really started yet. Once the dreaded "bubble" comes along, I'm told that there will be 30 or 40 clustered around a shelter built for 6, trash everywhere, privies destroyed, human waste and dirty t.p. on the side of the trail, and a general spring break atmosphere among the college kids who are out here. Not what I came out to experience.
So I may have to turn this into a section hike, and finish it next year or maybe even the year after. I'm going to wait until I get to Damascus, Va and see how my pace, my knee, and the crowds are doing before I decide. That's still 332 miles away, so by then I should know for sure. At that point I'll decide either to finish the whole thing this year, continue to my house and finish next year, or stop there and divide it into multiple sections, say doing just Virginia next year.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
I met a couple on the trail yesterday, very serendipitously, in light of the post I'd made the day before, and we got to talking about the rose and my reasons for walking, and they shared some of their story with me.
He was my age and she was 34 and breathtakingly beautiful. They've been married for ten years and are still completely in love. You know how sometimes you see a woman with her husband and it's just all over her face that she is happy, and loved, and in love? I hope I don't get him in trouble by sharing this, but he told me that the night before, they were in their tent, and she said that there was no one on earth that she'd rather be camped out on top of a mountain with.
Such a lovely story. It's so good to see true love once in a while, to renew your faith.
He was my age and she was 34 and breathtakingly beautiful. They've been married for ten years and are still completely in love. You know how sometimes you see a woman with her husband and it's just all over her face that she is happy, and loved, and in love? I hope I don't get him in trouble by sharing this, but he told me that the night before, they were in their tent, and she said that there was no one on earth that she'd rather be camped out on top of a mountain with.
Such a lovely story. It's so good to see true love once in a while, to renew your faith.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Milestones
Thought I'd share this with you, since I had to climb a beast of a mountain, plus this rickety old fire tower to get it.
I passed the hundred mile mark yesterday. Today is town day: a shower, a meal, and a bed. The Hobbits had it right.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Goodbye to Georgia
When I got back from my last hike, someone said to me that he knew I wouldn't have made it through the mountains in north Georgia anyway.
As I was walking along the highway a few days ago, on my way from the trail to my last stop in Georgia, I suddenly recalled the other side of the people of my home state: genuine, generous, kind, decent, patriotic, and God-fearing. And I also remembered that I have good memories from my childhood as well as bad ones. And all my bitterness towards this place and my past here evaporated.
And, as if on cue, the last town I stopped in, Hiawassee, turned out to be exactly all the good things I remember about the north Georgia mountains, and which I thought was long gone. Even got some genuine Georgia barbecue; best I've had in ages.
So Georgia and I part as friends.
As I was walking along the highway a few days ago, on my way from the trail to my last stop in Georgia, I suddenly recalled the other side of the people of my home state: genuine, generous, kind, decent, patriotic, and God-fearing. And I also remembered that I have good memories from my childhood as well as bad ones. And all my bitterness towards this place and my past here evaporated.
And, as if on cue, the last town I stopped in, Hiawassee, turned out to be exactly all the good things I remember about the north Georgia mountains, and which I thought was long gone. Even got some genuine Georgia barbecue; best I've had in ages.
So Georgia and I part as friends.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Thursday, February 9, 2017
A Tough Day
Cold, rainy night last night with high winds kept me awake most of the night. Then this morning I woke up to snow and frost. I started the day's hike with too many clothes in the face of a brutally cold wind, then quickly worked up a sweat. So I took off a layer, but the wind chilled me to the bone because I was damp from perspiration. I kept going, thinking that I'd warm back up with exertion, but the wind chill was too much. Ended up with a little case of hypothermia.
I walked to the next shelter which was, thank God, in a little vale mostly sheltered from the wind, changed into something dry, and wrapped myself up in my down quilts. But it still took several hours to get warm, and I lost half the day.
I'm in my hammock now, and feeling okay. A bit dispirited, though, and for some reason very lonely. Don't know why I should be; I'm not any more alone out here than I am at home. Maybe it's the absence of distractions and comforts.
I walked to the next shelter which was, thank God, in a little vale mostly sheltered from the wind, changed into something dry, and wrapped myself up in my down quilts. But it still took several hours to get warm, and I lost half the day.
I'm in my hammock now, and feeling okay. A bit dispirited, though, and for some reason very lonely. Don't know why I should be; I'm not any more alone out here than I am at home. Maybe it's the absence of distractions and comforts.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Week One
First week completed as planned. I've spent the last couple of nights in a cabin, and am setting out again tomorrow morning. I stayed one day longer than I had anticipated, because I want to be smart this time and give my body the time it needs to recuperate. My knee was a bit wonky after coming down from the aptly-named Blood Mountain last thing of the first week.
It's very challenging: quite a bit steeper and more rugged than I'd guessed; quite a bit of it would be better described as climbing than hiking. I mean, I knew there would be some of that, but I thought it would be more like bits of steep, rugged, and rocky interspersed with lots of rolling and hilly. But it's good.
Did some pack reorganizing while I was resting here. I've got a better idea now what I do and don't need. I brought too many warm clothes; was okay on a windy 19-degree night without even getting into some of my layers. So they're going back home to save weight, along with a few other items.
Sleep is a challenge, because of my apnea. I'm getting enough to keep functioning, but only just. I think it's getting a little better, but as the days without good sleep stacked up, my body started to rebel: I was falling asleep on the trail side when I paused to catch my breath. Had one really bad day, when it felt like I was coming down with something--flu-like weakness and fatigue. But I pressed on through it and whatever it was passed.
Overall, it's going quite well, and I'm feeling good.
Some pictures:
I was fortunate to get the ones from the top of Blood Mountain. It started out as a very cold, windy, and foggy day with some snow and ice. The other guys I'd been hiking with decided to take the bypass trail around the mountain because of the ice. But I took the straight route over the top. It was a hard, freezing, miserable climb most of the way. But then just before I reached the summit, the wind died, the fog cleared away, and the sun came out, and it was all worth it. Then, after making the extremely long, arduous, and difficult descent, I got to my first night indoors: a hot shower, a pizza, and an evening with Shrek and Princess Fiona, then a real bed and some decent sleep.
I've had the very distinct impression continually that Someone is looking out for me.
It's very challenging: quite a bit steeper and more rugged than I'd guessed; quite a bit of it would be better described as climbing than hiking. I mean, I knew there would be some of that, but I thought it would be more like bits of steep, rugged, and rocky interspersed with lots of rolling and hilly. But it's good.
Did some pack reorganizing while I was resting here. I've got a better idea now what I do and don't need. I brought too many warm clothes; was okay on a windy 19-degree night without even getting into some of my layers. So they're going back home to save weight, along with a few other items.
Sleep is a challenge, because of my apnea. I'm getting enough to keep functioning, but only just. I think it's getting a little better, but as the days without good sleep stacked up, my body started to rebel: I was falling asleep on the trail side when I paused to catch my breath. Had one really bad day, when it felt like I was coming down with something--flu-like weakness and fatigue. But I pressed on through it and whatever it was passed.
Overall, it's going quite well, and I'm feeling good.
Some pictures:
I was fortunate to get the ones from the top of Blood Mountain. It started out as a very cold, windy, and foggy day with some snow and ice. The other guys I'd been hiking with decided to take the bypass trail around the mountain because of the ice. But I took the straight route over the top. It was a hard, freezing, miserable climb most of the way. But then just before I reached the summit, the wind died, the fog cleared away, and the sun came out, and it was all worth it. Then, after making the extremely long, arduous, and difficult descent, I got to my first night indoors: a hot shower, a pizza, and an evening with Shrek and Princess Fiona, then a real bed and some decent sleep.
I've had the very distinct impression continually that Someone is looking out for me.
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Itinerary
I leave tomorrow night. Everything is prepared, just have to do a bit of housecleaning today, and then tomorrow put the final touches on. I was planning, when I was scheduled to leave on Friday, on taking the county transit to the Charlottesville train station. But as they don't run on Sunday, I'm going to have to get a cab. Thinking I'll try that uber thing--I guess I should contact them today.
Anyway, I'm posting my itinerary here, just in case anyone needs to find me or get in touch with me. I'll have my cell phone (434) 981-8303, and you can email (michaelsdupre@gmail.com), text, or call, although most likely I'll have to call you back, since it will be off most of the time to spare battery power, and I'll only be checking in a couple of times a day. But, you never know: I could lose it, or we could get hit by an EMP, or whatever. Also posting it here, so that if I lose my phone where the file is saved, or it dies, I can get on anybody's computer or phone and find out where I'm supposed to be and how to get in touch with them. So here's where and when I'll (tentatively) be.
1/29
Depart Amtrak Charlottesville 8:52 PM
1/30
Arrive Amtrak Gainesville 6:58 AM
1/30
Hiker Hostel 770-312-7342
7693 US Hwy 19, Dahlonega, Ga 30533
1/31
Amicalola Falls Trailhead, AT Approach Trail
2/7
Mountain Crossings Hostel 706-745-6095
12471 Gainesville Hwy, Blairsville, Ga 30512
2/14
Top of Georgia Hostel 706-982-3252
7675 US Hwy 76 E, Hiawassee, Ga 30546
2/21
Gooder Grove Hostel 828-332-0228
130 Hayes Cir, Franklin, NC 28734
2/28
Hike Inn 828-479-3677
3204 Fontana Rd, Fontana Dam, NC 28733
3/7
Grand Prix Motel 865-436-4561
235 Ski Mtn Rd, Gatlinburg, Tn 37738
3/14
Lauging Heart Lodge 828-622-0165
289 NW US Hwy 25/70, Hot Springs, NC 28743
3/21
Uncle Johnny’s Hostel 423-735-0548
151 River Rd, Erwin, Tn 37650
3/28
Mountain Harbour B&B 423-772-9494
9151 Hwy 19 E, Roan Mtn, Tn 37687
4/4
Hiker’s Inn 276-475-3788
216 E Laurel Ave, PO Box 396, Damascus, Va 24236
mail to:
Mt Rogers Outfitters 276-475-5416
110 W Laurel Ave, PO Box 546, Damascus, Va 24236
4/10
Relax Inn 276-783-5811
7253 Lee Hwy, Rural Retreat, Va 24368
mail to:
The Barn Restaurant 276-686-6222
7412 Lee Hwy, Rural Retreat, Va 24368
4/18
Woods Hole Hostel 540-921-3444
3696 Sugar Run Rd, Pearisburg, Va 24134
4/25
Four Pines Hostel 540-309-8615
6164 Newport Rd, Catawba, Va 24070
5/2
Staying with my daughter in Lynchburg
5/9
Stanimal’s Hostel 540-290-4002
328 Lee Dr, Waynesboro, Va 22980
5/16
Home
Anyway, I'm posting my itinerary here, just in case anyone needs to find me or get in touch with me. I'll have my cell phone (434) 981-8303, and you can email (michaelsdupre@gmail.com), text, or call, although most likely I'll have to call you back, since it will be off most of the time to spare battery power, and I'll only be checking in a couple of times a day. But, you never know: I could lose it, or we could get hit by an EMP, or whatever. Also posting it here, so that if I lose my phone where the file is saved, or it dies, I can get on anybody's computer or phone and find out where I'm supposed to be and how to get in touch with them. So here's where and when I'll (tentatively) be.
1/29
Depart Amtrak Charlottesville 8:52 PM
1/30
Arrive Amtrak Gainesville 6:58 AM
1/30
Hiker Hostel 770-312-7342
7693 US Hwy 19, Dahlonega, Ga 30533
1/31
Amicalola Falls Trailhead, AT Approach Trail
2/7
Mountain Crossings Hostel 706-745-6095
12471 Gainesville Hwy, Blairsville, Ga 30512
2/14
Top of Georgia Hostel 706-982-3252
7675 US Hwy 76 E, Hiawassee, Ga 30546
2/21
Gooder Grove Hostel 828-332-0228
130 Hayes Cir, Franklin, NC 28734
2/28
Hike Inn 828-479-3677
3204 Fontana Rd, Fontana Dam, NC 28733
3/7
Grand Prix Motel 865-436-4561
235 Ski Mtn Rd, Gatlinburg, Tn 37738
3/14
Lauging Heart Lodge 828-622-0165
289 NW US Hwy 25/70, Hot Springs, NC 28743
3/21
Uncle Johnny’s Hostel 423-735-0548
151 River Rd, Erwin, Tn 37650
3/28
Mountain Harbour B&B 423-772-9494
9151 Hwy 19 E, Roan Mtn, Tn 37687
4/4
Hiker’s Inn 276-475-3788
216 E Laurel Ave, PO Box 396, Damascus, Va 24236
mail to:
Mt Rogers Outfitters 276-475-5416
110 W Laurel Ave, PO Box 546, Damascus, Va 24236
4/10
Relax Inn 276-783-5811
7253 Lee Hwy, Rural Retreat, Va 24368
mail to:
The Barn Restaurant 276-686-6222
7412 Lee Hwy, Rural Retreat, Va 24368
4/18
Woods Hole Hostel 540-921-3444
3696 Sugar Run Rd, Pearisburg, Va 24134
4/25
Four Pines Hostel 540-309-8615
6164 Newport Rd, Catawba, Va 24070
5/2
Staying with my daughter in Lynchburg
5/9
Stanimal’s Hostel 540-290-4002
328 Lee Dr, Waynesboro, Va 22980
5/16
Home
I'm setting myself a very moderate pace of six miles a day for the first couple of weeks, until I get to the Georgia border. Then I'll increase it to 8-10 through North Carolina and Tennessee, and then around 12 when I get to Virginia. I've given myself enough time to be able to maintain that all the way through, and still finish by October 15th, but I may increase it at some point, depending on how I feel. I'll make those decisions when I stop at home and plan the second "half" (actually, a bit more than half--from Amicalola Falls, Ga to Swift Run Gap, four miles from my house, is 916 miles, leaving 1282 to Mt. Katahdin).
Anyway, when I get home, I'll take a week or so to get a good rest, wash everything, repair and/or replace gear, plan all the stops for the second half, order supplies, pack resupply drops, and check on my house and garden. Then set out again around the last week in May, and that will give me 4½-5 months to walk that 1282 miles.
Can't wait to get on that train tomorrow. I've been going nuts here, confined in this house with nothing to do but plan and prepare.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Final Preparations
Packing resupply mail drops.
In case you ever wondered what 12 pounds of beef jerky looks like.
The current state of my kitchen:
In case you ever wondered what 12 pounds of beef jerky looks like.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
A Beautiful Thing
I have made a new friend in India: brother Ravi. One of his ministries, and the one that caught my attention, is providing poor women with saris and dowries so that they can get married. In India, many women are mistreated, abused, and even killed over dowries (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowry_system_in_India), and many more simply cannot marry, and thus often end up in the worst place a woman can end up--I don't even like to say the name, but you know what I mean.
This ministry reminds me of what the real St. Nicholas did, which seems to us comfortable Westerners like a tale out of the bad old days, so remote that it's nothing but an allegorical moral lesson. But much of the world is still in the darkness of paganism--modern India is in many ways very much like ancient Rome. (And the rest of the world, which once had the light of the Gospel, is moving with great determination and rapidity back toward that darkness.)
It only costs $4 to provide this beautiful gift to these lovely and vulnerable women. If you want to help, contact Bill Bray at Overseas Students Mission, who processes the funds for Ravi.
This ministry reminds me of what the real St. Nicholas did, which seems to us comfortable Westerners like a tale out of the bad old days, so remote that it's nothing but an allegorical moral lesson. But much of the world is still in the darkness of paganism--modern India is in many ways very much like ancient Rome. (And the rest of the world, which once had the light of the Gospel, is moving with great determination and rapidity back toward that darkness.)
It only costs $4 to provide this beautiful gift to these lovely and vulnerable women. If you want to help, contact Bill Bray at Overseas Students Mission, who processes the funds for Ravi.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Date Set!
I found a hostel in North Georgia that specializes in AT hikers. They're going to pick me up from the train station in Gainesville, put me up for the night, and then drop me off at the trailhead next morning.
I'm leaving here on Amtrak January 27th, and will hit the trail the 29th, Lord willing and barring unforeseen circumstances such as severe weather, in which case I'll be at the hostel additional days. Three weeks!
I'm leaving here on Amtrak January 27th, and will hit the trail the 29th, Lord willing and barring unforeseen circumstances such as severe weather, in which case I'll be at the hostel additional days. Three weeks!
Monday, January 9, 2017
Why Georgia?
The question inevitably arises, if my goal is to avoid the crowds of the northbound "bubble" on the trail, why not hike some other way in better weather? I could go north to south, flip-flop, etc., still avoid the pack, and not be hiking in the dark of winter.
The thing is, you see, I'm from Georgia. Born in Atlanta. And the AT has called to me since I was a boy. North Georgia was where we spent as much of our time off as possible; it's where my family is from, and it's the place from which I've always imagined starting the trail. It's familiar, and the North is the unknown, which I'll be walking off to explore. My father, my grandfather, my great grandfather, and my great-great grandfather are all buried 18 miles northwest of the trailhead, in Blue Ridge.
And I'll be starting at Amicalola Falls, on the "approach trail" rather than the official start of the AT at Springer Mountain, because that's where I've looked at this sign
The thing is, you see, I'm from Georgia. Born in Atlanta. And the AT has called to me since I was a boy. North Georgia was where we spent as much of our time off as possible; it's where my family is from, and it's the place from which I've always imagined starting the trail. It's familiar, and the North is the unknown, which I'll be walking off to explore. My father, my grandfather, my great grandfather, and my great-great grandfather are all buried 18 miles northwest of the trailhead, in Blue Ridge.
And I'll be starting at Amicalola Falls, on the "approach trail" rather than the official start of the AT at Springer Mountain, because that's where I've looked at this sign
all my life, and wished. I'll start at the top of the falls, though, rather than walking up from the bottom: I've done that hike plenty of times, including way back before they built the fancy wooden stairs. In fact, here are some photos I took of the falls, and from the top, when I was 8 or 9.
The approach trail isn't officially part of the AT, so I'm not cheating or avoiding anything by not repeating the falls climb, except a lot of exertion and exhaustion on my first day out.
There are other reasons, as well: more practical ones. For starters, I'm anxious and don't want to wait that long. I'm already antsy, sitting here waiting to begin, and sitting out the rest of the winter while waiting for the earliest I could start from Maine would be intolerable. Also, it's commonly reported that if you start from Mt. Katahdin as soon as it opens, you'll be passing through the north country at the height of the infamous and abominable blackfly season, and I hate bugs. Frankly, I'd rather deal with bitter cold any day than incessant swarms of tiny biting flies. There's still the "flip-flop" option, but that doesn't really feel like a through-hike to me, although I know the ATC recognizes it as such.
So, it's Winter in the southern Appalachians for me. I should be back through here sometime in the Spring, if anyone cares to have a visit.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Adjustments
After going over the shortcomings of my sleep system, I've decided to go with an option that corrects both the hammock and sleeping bag issues at once, and get this. It's specifically designed to fit my hammock, and this company is a small business owned and run by two retired Army vets here in Virginia.
As an added bonus, it covers another dilemma; that of whether or not to take a seriously warm, big down parka "just in case" (specifically, the one I'm wearing in the photo at right). But with this system, the top quilt can double as a down boreal jacket in an emergency (as in, temperatures dropping way below zero on a windy mountaintop miles from anywhere suitable for camp). Also, I didn't mention this in detail before, but the combination of sleeping bag and insulation system I have made it a very complicated and slow process to get out of the hammock, and I hate the feeling of being trapped in there and not being able to get out quickly if I need to. Old habits, I guess. Military sleeping bag zippers, for instance, have a quick-open feature which allows you to just yank the two sides of the bag apart and it comes right open.
Unfortunately, the best option is also the most expensive option, and I've more or less wasted the money I spent on my sleeping bag and wool liner. But, they might still be useful someday in some other situation, so it's not that bad. I think I will, however, return the insulating underlayer portion of my hammock system, as I'm within their ten-day return window. But I'll keep the over-cover, as it's extremely light and small when packed, and will still be useful for extreme cold.
I've also ordered a better set of lighter-weight, more flexible and packable gore-tex top and bottoms to replace my military-style ECWCS ones. The ones I've got are just too heavy and bulky to pack efficiently when they're not being worn, and too loud and stiff when they are. Also, the hood is designed to be worn over a helmet and is annoyingly in the way without one, always falling in my eyes and blocking peripheral vision.
It seems (and feels) like a lot of money to get ready for this trip. But I'll be using this stuff for years to come, only tweaking or replacing a piece here or there for other trips and activities, so it'll pay off in the end.
As an added bonus, it covers another dilemma; that of whether or not to take a seriously warm, big down parka "just in case" (specifically, the one I'm wearing in the photo at right). But with this system, the top quilt can double as a down boreal jacket in an emergency (as in, temperatures dropping way below zero on a windy mountaintop miles from anywhere suitable for camp). Also, I didn't mention this in detail before, but the combination of sleeping bag and insulation system I have made it a very complicated and slow process to get out of the hammock, and I hate the feeling of being trapped in there and not being able to get out quickly if I need to. Old habits, I guess. Military sleeping bag zippers, for instance, have a quick-open feature which allows you to just yank the two sides of the bag apart and it comes right open.
Unfortunately, the best option is also the most expensive option, and I've more or less wasted the money I spent on my sleeping bag and wool liner. But, they might still be useful someday in some other situation, so it's not that bad. I think I will, however, return the insulating underlayer portion of my hammock system, as I'm within their ten-day return window. But I'll keep the over-cover, as it's extremely light and small when packed, and will still be useful for extreme cold.
I've also ordered a better set of lighter-weight, more flexible and packable gore-tex top and bottoms to replace my military-style ECWCS ones. The ones I've got are just too heavy and bulky to pack efficiently when they're not being worn, and too loud and stiff when they are. Also, the hood is designed to be worn over a helmet and is annoyingly in the way without one, always falling in my eyes and blocking peripheral vision.
It seems (and feels) like a lot of money to get ready for this trip. But I'll be using this stuff for years to come, only tweaking or replacing a piece here or there for other trips and activities, so it'll pay off in the end.
After Action Report
Warmth test successfully passed. I have, however, identified some deficiencies to be corrected before initiation of combat operations:
Deficiency #1: The interior of the hammock gets claustrophobic after I've been in there a while. I think this is because of the cold-weather "overcover" which covers the mesh top part of the hammock to keep in warmth. There's a ventilation hole near my face on one side, but it doesn't seem to be enough, and I'm not getting enough fresh oxygen.
Proposed Solution: Only use it in extreme cold and, when in use, arrange it so that there is some gap left at the top near my head. Adjust amount and location of gap as needed.
Deficiency #2: Back side begins to feel the cold through the hammock bottom as the night progresses and ambient and body temperatures drop.
Proposed Solution: Increase/change bottom insulation.
Deficiency #3: Sleeping bag awkward and difficult to get into and out of inside hammock. Zipper finicky and difficult to operate, especially while wearing gloves.
Possible Solutions: a) Replace sleeping bag. b) Replace sleeping bag with lightweight quilts designed for hammock camping. c) Adapt to sleeping bag through practice and patience.
Deficiency #4: Angle of hammock hang at foot end causes reverse pressure on knees (hyperextension). This has been noted by other hammock users, but it especially problematic for me because of my injuries.
Implemented Solution: Stuff empty sleeping bag stuff-sack with unworn outer layer (gore-tex shell) to create an under-knee pillow and relieve pressure.
Deficiency #5: Hammock pitch imperfect due to inexperience.
Proposed Solution: Get better.
Also, this can't be identified as a deficiency of the hammock, but I had trouble sleeping because of my sleep apnea and the absence of a CPAP. I'm looking into homeopathic ways of improving the disorder (one of which, fascinatingly, is magnesium, about which I have an entire other post to make). Also, once on the trail, fatigue will be my friend in this respect, as will continued weight loss. I may just have to deal with being less than perfectly well-rested during the early part.
Overall, I am quite pleased, and feeling very confident in my equipment. I've finally made up my mind and ordered a pair of insulated boots for winter hiking. My feet may end up getting overheated a bit during warm spells, but the consequences of hot feet are discomfort and blisters, whereas the consequences of cold feet are frostbite and loss of toes. I ordered them in a wider width than my others, so I can wear two pair of wool socks. Also, although having bought actual boots in very high quality, I'm not concerned that I'll go through 3-5 pairs of shoes during the course of the trail like people who wear the modern sneaker-type hiking shoes, there is a possibility that I'll wear the soles down to a point that they will need to be re-soled, or else will cause problems with my feet and ankles due to uneven wear. But with one pair for winter and one for summer, I should prevent this issue. (I'm not carrying both pairs with me: I'm preparing a box of summer clothes for my brother to mail to me when the weather warms up, at which point I'll mail back my winter gear.) I've also ordered an additional set of merino wool underwear: my camp clothes weren't quite warm enough without that layer, but the ones I've been wearing all day hiking will be damp from sweat when I stop. So this way, I'll have a dry pair to change into.
Speaking of my brother, another example of God's provision is that he and his family just moved back to their house in the NoVa area after his having retired from the Army, and they eagerly volunteered to keep my cat, watch my house (which I also offered them as a weekend getaway whenever they want), and act as my logistics base, mailing me resupply packages and such as I go along. Solved all my biggest worries about the trip in one fell swoop. I love living in His kingdom.
Deficiency #1: The interior of the hammock gets claustrophobic after I've been in there a while. I think this is because of the cold-weather "overcover" which covers the mesh top part of the hammock to keep in warmth. There's a ventilation hole near my face on one side, but it doesn't seem to be enough, and I'm not getting enough fresh oxygen.
Proposed Solution: Only use it in extreme cold and, when in use, arrange it so that there is some gap left at the top near my head. Adjust amount and location of gap as needed.
Deficiency #2: Back side begins to feel the cold through the hammock bottom as the night progresses and ambient and body temperatures drop.
Proposed Solution: Increase/change bottom insulation.
Deficiency #3: Sleeping bag awkward and difficult to get into and out of inside hammock. Zipper finicky and difficult to operate, especially while wearing gloves.
Possible Solutions: a) Replace sleeping bag. b) Replace sleeping bag with lightweight quilts designed for hammock camping. c) Adapt to sleeping bag through practice and patience.
Deficiency #4: Angle of hammock hang at foot end causes reverse pressure on knees (hyperextension). This has been noted by other hammock users, but it especially problematic for me because of my injuries.
Implemented Solution: Stuff empty sleeping bag stuff-sack with unworn outer layer (gore-tex shell) to create an under-knee pillow and relieve pressure.
Deficiency #5: Hammock pitch imperfect due to inexperience.
Proposed Solution: Get better.
Also, this can't be identified as a deficiency of the hammock, but I had trouble sleeping because of my sleep apnea and the absence of a CPAP. I'm looking into homeopathic ways of improving the disorder (one of which, fascinatingly, is magnesium, about which I have an entire other post to make). Also, once on the trail, fatigue will be my friend in this respect, as will continued weight loss. I may just have to deal with being less than perfectly well-rested during the early part.
Overall, I am quite pleased, and feeling very confident in my equipment. I've finally made up my mind and ordered a pair of insulated boots for winter hiking. My feet may end up getting overheated a bit during warm spells, but the consequences of hot feet are discomfort and blisters, whereas the consequences of cold feet are frostbite and loss of toes. I ordered them in a wider width than my others, so I can wear two pair of wool socks. Also, although having bought actual boots in very high quality, I'm not concerned that I'll go through 3-5 pairs of shoes during the course of the trail like people who wear the modern sneaker-type hiking shoes, there is a possibility that I'll wear the soles down to a point that they will need to be re-soled, or else will cause problems with my feet and ankles due to uneven wear. But with one pair for winter and one for summer, I should prevent this issue. (I'm not carrying both pairs with me: I'm preparing a box of summer clothes for my brother to mail to me when the weather warms up, at which point I'll mail back my winter gear.) I've also ordered an additional set of merino wool underwear: my camp clothes weren't quite warm enough without that layer, but the ones I've been wearing all day hiking will be damp from sweat when I stop. So this way, I'll have a dry pair to change into.
Speaking of my brother, another example of God's provision is that he and his family just moved back to their house in the NoVa area after his having retired from the Army, and they eagerly volunteered to keep my cat, watch my house (which I also offered them as a weekend getaway whenever they want), and act as my logistics base, mailing me resupply packages and such as I go along. Solved all my biggest worries about the trip in one fell swoop. I love living in His kingdom.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Winterization Training
My old commander made up that term--it means "sitting outside in the cold freezing your @$$ off on purpose".
I've been waiting for it to get really cold so I can test out my gear. Sat outside last night and this morning to see if my clothes are warm enough. (They are--except that my mittens haven't arrived yet, so my hands were a bit cold in just the liner gloves.) My hammock finally arrived this week, just in time, and I set it up yesterday to learn how it works. Tonight, I'm sleeping in it; it's supposed to get down to around 15 degrees.
I'm thinking that Sunday I'll go for a hike, and see how my "walking outfit" does in real cold.
I'd like to see some single-digit or even negative temps before I leave, to test out the outer limits of my stuff before I'm stuck out there with it. Of course, if it comes down to a matter of survival, I'll build fires and even windbreaks and shelters--I know how to do all that. There are sections of the AT where you aren't supposed to, and it's discouraged along the whole length, because of the heavy use it gets. But you're also not supposed to die out there.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
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