As I climbed the stairs to go to bed tonight I thought, "If I never get to thru hike, I'll just have to live vicariously through my son and his backpacking friends. Maybe I can at least somehow be a trail angel."
I was around 16 years old the first time I saw the Roan. But I never hiked in far enough to view the magical Big Hump and Little Hump...until I was 51.
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| Yerba descending toward the Humps, August, 2010. |
I wrote a few snippets about that day:
Part 1: Home Among the Balds
Part 2: The Woods Have Eyes
Part 3: Cocoon Shelter
My son is a seasoned backpacker and leads some trips for his college friends, some who have never backpacked. Son has backpacked around 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail and some 100 miles through Glacier National Park. Naturally he has friends who also backpack.
One of his friends, Elijah, backpacked along the AT over Little and Big Humps the past couple days hiking in the New Year. It was mighty cold with lots of wind; there was no snow, just some ice. Elijah posted some pictues on Facebook tonight, so I asked if I could steal a couple. Elijah is taking a semester off college and hits the AT in March for a thru hike. In my opinion, a thru hike should be worth at least one credit in school.
Below are some pictures of Big Hump and Little Hump along the Appalachian Trail of the Roan Highlands.
Thanks to Elijah and Josh for the pics...and to Jay Erskine Leutze and the locals for helping to save this piece of wilderness and the view from the Humps.
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| View of the Humps, June, 2013. Photo by Josh |
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| View of the Humps, 12/31/13. Photo by Elijah. |
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| Zack hiking across Little Hump, 12/31/13. Photo by Elijah. |
5 comments:
Beautiful pics! I hope someday you are able to do it...
You have such a good attitude for how difficult i know it can be for you.
I love you,
April
Thanks April!
<3
Oh my word. Beautiful. I'm so inspired by this view. I'd do that trail with you in a heartbeat . . . in a heartbeat . . . if I could.
I did a tiny bit of the Bruce Trail at home this autumn. I didn't even realize it at the time and when I discovered I was actually on it I was overwhelmed with joy. Here I was against all odds of even being able to manage a walk/hike (not back-packing) but there I was doing it! Even though I'd like to do the entire thing I know that is not realistic. But I can tell you that just the bit I did makes me feel like I did the whole thing. :-) I look for the silver-lining whenever I can.
I want to pick a favourite from these photos but I can't. I like them all. Thanks guys.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I just bought the book Wild yesterday. I finally bought it. Paperback and on sale too. :-)
@Zoe....
Me too...inspired by the view. It draws me in...and brings a tear to my eye & a swell to my heart.
We can dream of a hike together...with shared food and conversation and silence. I do lots of dreaming (meaning day dreaming) these days. (Past days too. Ha.)
Awesome about the trail walk on Bruce Trail! I walked yesterday too...not on a mountain trail, but on a trail at a local large park with woods. It felt good. I thought, "I'm walking in the woods!!" lol
Yes, I look for silver linings too. Otherwise, I'd just be depressed and bitter, I think.
I hope you like *Wild*. I couldn't put the book down.
Many Wednesday nights throughout the year I write in a phone group with Authentic Writing Workshops. Fred Poole founded the Workshops and *directs* on Wednesdays. I've been to Fred's and his wife, Marta Szabo's, home in Woodstock, NY, on two different occasions for workshops. Plus we have had a couple private dinners. I love those two folks. <3
Anyway, this summer at The Memoir Festival at The Omega Institute in NY where Fred & Marta also present, Cheryl Strayed will be there too. I've been thinking for 6-plus months, how I want (need?), another trip to see Fred & Marta & write together. Even before I knew that Strayed was going to be at one of the workshops this summer, I was thinking about going. I don't know yet...most depends on my health and finances. But it is enticing. ;-)
Much love to you Zoe!
<3
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