Thursday, August 1, 2013

I'm still a Thru-Hiker!

I'm back from my Silent Retreat. Well, sort of silent. I spent time almost every evening hanging with whatever hikers were staying in the hostel and spent time on the phone talking to friends and family back home (when I had signal). However, I also read a couple of really good books - one particularly about Celtic Christianity. No wonder I've always struggled with the American Church overall. It's because I'm really much more of a Celtic Christian than I am a Augustinian Christian. Yeah, I know that makes no sense to most of you... and that's OK. It's really not important. And really not what this blog post is about today. But in case any of you are interested, I'd be delighted to talk about the differences when I get home. Today, I'm just going to update you on what the Trail is providing for me. I had gotten my brain wrapped around the fact that I was injured to a point that I was not going to be hiking with a pack. The nurses from the ER said that I shouldn't be wearing a backpack for 1-2 months. MONTHS! That veritably ended my hike as I knew it. I was content with that idea. Perhaps it was time to take a little more time with some day trips for closure, and then go home. Perhaps, I could figure out how to slack pack several more short distances and then be done. I slackpacked by myself on Monday. I just didn't feel like a thru-hiker anymore. I was just a day hiker. No more camping at the shelters. No more staying at hostels. Welcome to the world of laundry detergent. So, I figured I would slack pack across Massachusetts and call that good enough. 1600 miles, not too shabby. I called my sister's friend who said I could stay with her if I needed to figure out how much longer to heal and move on (either home or day hiking). I called a friend to see if I could stay with her. Both said yes. OK - I had a place to land until I could get myself home. But I still wanted to be a thru-hiker - even if it meant I couldn't get all the way to Katahdin. I still wanted to be a thru-hiker right now. Then Odie caught up to me. You might remember my post on Outside Dog (now renamed Odie) from early on in the Trail. I offered to let him slackpack with me for the couple of days I had left in Massachusetts. I was already closing my mind's door as I said goodbye to the Trail going over Mt Greylock. Then Odie suggested that he carry my stuff so that I could continue thru-hiking with just a day pack (which wouldn't, hopefully, re-infect my back and let me continue to heal). What?!?! No, I couldn't possibly accept such an offer! I mean... I'm a strong woman. I don't need people. I'll do it on my own, thank you very m... oh, there's that damned self-sufficiency again. Ahem. OK, OK, maybe the Trail /is/ giving me not just a sherpa for my stuff, but also a friend who I'd love to climb Mt. Katahdin with. So, today, I shipped my back pack home with lots of my gear. I'll be depending a LOT on Odie and his capacity to carry his stuff and my stuff. I'll be trusting that Odie will WANT to hike with me the rest of 600 miles and 3 states. I'll be praying that God protest my own back from the new pack that Mother Nature gave me to use from her stuff and that I won't be too far from a clinic/ER in case it decides to get all infected again. It's a different hike, that's for sure. It's a new level of trust and inter-dependence. Maybe I should have been more careful when I pontificated on my need to address my damned self-sufficiency on this Trail. Look what it handed me. Just what I needed, apparently. But, at least, I'm still a thru-hiker. For another day, and by the grace of God, another several weeks. I'll keep you posted.

3 comments:

  1. Hey Patchouli, I have been searching for your blog since a foot injury ended my thru-hike and today I found it. So happy to see that you are still headed North. I hiked with Woodman for awhile before Franklin, TN and met the Professor at a shelter in the Smokys (do you know his blog link?). Met Pink Lady in Erwin at the Holiday Inn and hiked with her a couple of days around Roan Mt. Met Subaru and Roadrunner (from Germany) was in the bunk across from me at Mountain Harbour Hostel. If I could have remained on the trail, I might have seen you again... Your blog is as beautiful as you. The video you graciously consented to is on my blog. You have been in my prayers since the day we met. In His Love, PrayerWalker http://prayerwalkerat.blogspot.com/

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  2. I'm thrilled to hear that you'll be able to continue your thru-hike! And that you'll be learning a new level of trust and inter-dependence! I'm glad the Lord provided you with a friend and hiking companion to finish the thru-hike. Love you and miss you, but I'm glad you won't be coming home earlier than you had planned.

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  3. Hey PrayerWalker! Glad you found my blog - sorry, I must not have given good directions to you before. It's good to hear from you. I hiked with both Woodman and Professor for a couple days in Pennsylvania. And Pink Lady, Subaru, and Roadrunner off and on. Sorry you had to end your hike. Thank you for your prayers!

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