Green Springs to Antioch

The moment I stepped off the canal I felt a weight lift off my chest. I’d been dancing with the border to West Virginia most of the canal but now, I would cross the Potomac River and not return. I wandered on the country roads and walked through small towns. My senses were stimulated by the cars that passed me, by the variance in terrain under foot, and by the sight of the mountains and rolling hills in the distance. A man named Charlie lived along the trail and had offered his yard to me to set up my tent. This meant I had a destination for the day and the only thing between me and my destination was an elevation gain of about 600 feet with a series of uphill and downhill battles. West Virginia fully welcomed me with a slap in the face. Meaning, after 166 miles of a straight, flat towpath I had an entire state of rolling hills and no adjustment period. My breath labored as I traveled into the higher elevation and sweat poured down my face. My muscles burned but I felt alive. I found it interesting that although the human mind tends to be geared towards efficiency, it craves challenge. I realized that the mountains provide these challenges but also offer delayed gratification. I had to put in work to reach the top of the mountain and then I relished in the ease of a downhill stride. I went up and down over and over again until I hit the town of Fort Ashby. I knew I was getting close to my destination but the directions given to me confused me. I didn’t understand the fraction system used for the roads. I walked along main street until I found a giant rock to sit on and I tried to make sense of the directions I was given. I knew Charlie’s house was along the trail and I couldn’t miss it when I got there but I had to get there. A woman, Sue, pulled off to the side of the road and asked if I needed a ride somewhere. She saw me carrying my pack and was sparked by a sense of euphoria. When she was younger she road tripped across the United States with a friend and felt that it was one of the best decisions in her entire life. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to catch a ride. After all, I knew I was close and then I’d have the opportunity to learn about the life of another amazing person. We drove down the road with our eyes alert for the sign, “American Discovery Trail Welcome.” We followed my turn by turn directions for the trail and noted the streets that would act as back stoppers (they’d tell us we went too far). We winded down the road searching and it felt like a mini scavenger hunt. We finally found the sign and were pleased with the success of the mini-adventure. Charlie’s house was further down the trail than I expected but I didn’t mind the few lost miles in the car. I knew that somewhere along the trail the miles would be made up and that the mini-adventure I got to experience with Sue was worth it. I was met by Charlie’s son-in-law, Andy. He saw me getting out of Sue’s car and I realized the humor in the situation. I was walking across the country yet I showed up in a car. I assured him it wasn’t what it looked like while I attempted to gather all my things out of the car. I was excited but felt discombobulated. Andy carried my pack over to the spot in the yard with the softest grass and told me that I could set up my tent there or anywhere else in the yard. I listened intently as he gave me the run down of his family, the location of dinner, stew with venison, the wifi password, and an overwhelming sense of a warm welcome. I then prayed with him as we stood in the middle of the yard. I listened to his words as he gave thanks for my safe arrival but when he thanked God for the things he and his family could learn from me, I was surprised. When I think about my walk I see it as a selfish act but in that moment I was given an alternative view point. My presence alone enriched the lives of this family and that is a thought that often goes unheard. As the prayer ended, Andy’s children, Landon and Lilly, burst out of the house and ran across the yard to us. They’d been waiting the entire day for my arrival and almost immediately they reminded me of my brother and me. Their age differences were the exact same and I wondered if my interactions with my brother at that age would have been similar. They ran around the yard and when I began setting up my tent they became my little helpers. Charlie arrived home and I was once again consumed by the feeling of warmth and love. It was time for dinner so Lilly and Landon walked me up the driveway across the street to meet more of the family and to enjoy the stew. I was surrounded by a loving village and knew that it would be impossible for me to leave the next morning. By the end of the night, my head was swarming with thoughts and feelings. I had been given information about the next areas I’d have to be traveling through and it would be four or five days until I could next resupply. I would be walking over the Dolly Sods and reach the highest point of the trail on the East Coast. This also meant more extreme temperature, unpredictable weather, and designated wilderness. With all of these thoughts though, I knew I wasn’t alone and people wanted to help me. The sun had long set by the time I went to retire in my tent but that gave me the opportunity to see the night sky. Due to cold temperatures, I have been in my sleeping bag before sunset and stayed there until sunrise. I had missed the beauty of the night sky and on a cloudless night such as this one the stars sparkled across the sky.

I had gone to sleep the night before knowing that I wasn’t ready to leave this family so I made it a rest day and coincidentally it was Superbowl Sunday. I’ve never spent much time watching sports but I found it humorous because when I started my walk I was questioned about being able to watch the Superbowl and here I was. I got to meet Whitney, mother of Lilly and Landon, in the morning and she introduced me to “Eggs in a Nest” or also known as “Toad in a Hole.” It is toast that has the middle cut out of it and replaced with an egg that is over-easy. You take the cut out piece of toast and dip it into the egg yolk in the middle! My mind was blown. I spent the first half of the day with Whitney and her kids. I loved seeing the dynamics of the family. Lilly and Landon were balls of energy and to the untrained eye they may have seemed like wild children but to those who know better it was obvious that they were vivacious and curious about the world around them. It was beautiful to witness their village of a family encourage and guide them in the outdoor environment while showing them the grace of patience and sharing with one another. The other half of the day I spent in Charlie’s household where the main objective was to feed me. They showed me a fantastic recipe for pizza rolls! You take croissant rolls, spread the dough flat, lay pepperoni on top, add a cheese stick, and roll it up, Simple and delicious! I talked with Charlie about logistics in the area and tried to figure out water. There were springs all along the mountain but I didn’t have exact locations. As a result, I had to have faith that when I needed it, it would be available. In the process of figuring out all the logistics, Charlie drove me to a Dollar General so that I could buy groceries. I didn’t realize it before I started walking but Dollar Generals are everywhere and provide a cheap, easy grocery shopping experience. The only downside is that their shopping carts are smaller so I have to play tetris with my pack to get it to fit. All of the ones I have been in thus far are laid out exactly the same and carry the same items yet every time I go in one of them I walk in circles around the aisles to see if something I hadn’t noticed before jumps out at me. Grocery shopping has also turned into a mind boggling activity. Which product has the most calories and nutrition yet weighs the least?? It makes my head hurt thinking about all of it. When Charlie and I returned from the store the Superbowl was scheduled to start soon and I of course was most excited about the commercials and half time show. I watched the first half of the game and then went to seclude myself so that I could rejuvenate. I love being social and interacting with people but I’ve also realized that I tend to be an introvert and need to take time for myself. Slowly but surely I’m figuring out self-care.

It was time for me to leave Charlie and his village of a family. I didn’t really know how to say goodbye and in a sense I also knew I wasn’t. I was just leaving for an extended period of time. I worried however for Lilly and Landon. I was unsure how they would be affected by the coming and going of a hiker such as myself. I have always found it difficult to have people enter and exit my life but now I’m the one entering and exiting. My hope is that they see what a unique environment they are growing up in and continue to appreciate the time spent, no matter how long or short, with the people that they care about. With that, I said the rest of my goodbyes and absorbed all the love. I headed out and began walking again. Not two hours after I left, a man, Lawrence, was digging a hole along a farm and asked me if I was on the trail. I got the impression he had been waiting for me and after talking with him for a few minutes he told me that his nephew that was working the fields notified him that there was a backpacker coming through. He told me about the other backpackers that him and his wife, Judith, had hosted and I once again began to feel like I was part of a bigger family. Just from hearing stories from my host families, I feel like I know the previous hikers and am slowly putting pieces of a puzzle together. I met Lawrence’s wife as she drove by and it was decided that I would slack pack for the day and then they’d come get me. Before I started walking again, I asked Lawrence about the smells in the air. It was a familiar smell but different and I couldn’t figure it out. I had decided that it was either manure or sulfur but when I asked him he told me that it was probably the high-grade chicken manure being spread on the fields. He of course didn’t notice the smell and although it was manure it was a scent of both familiarity and curiosity for me. When I took off walking without my pack it felt like I was flying down the road. Time was non-existent and I’d jog on the downhills. I kept my trekking poles with me so as I jogged downhill I felt like a warrior princess on the hunt! I carried the trekking poles near my side and they were my spears. My senses were heightened and the smells of my surrounding environment captivated me yet, I couldn’t identify the smells. They’d have familiarity but eluded me at the same time. I wanted to try to describe the smells so I could ask Lawrence later but how do you describe smells?? What I did know though, was that I was breathing in the cool, mountain air and witnessing the smoke escape the chimneys of the houses nearby. I also noticed that these metal crates were on the front lawns of most of the houses I passed and in them was usually a plastic tub. I couldn’t figure out what they were for! Later Lawrence told me that they were for holding the trash. Not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed with that one. I walked roughly twenty miles and then Lawrence came and got me. Dinner was amazing and followed by fantastic conversation. Lawrence gave me the assignment of imagining the senses and thoughts of the Native Americans that once lived in the Dolly Sods and how they were same and different now. So, I’ll have to let you know on that one. I enjoyed conversing with Lawrence and Judith and once again felt the urge to stay another day and get to know them better but this time I knew I couldn’t. However, I felt torn because I knew that Lawrence and Judith wanted me to stay another day. I had just taken a rest day though and needed to keep walking for the sake of progress.