Trailwalker - 37,700 miles

I've had the past few days off from work, a much needed break.

The mountains were calling, so I had to go.

~*~

On Wednesday, I was able to bike 26.8 miles on the New River Trail in Virginia. It's a 57-mile long rail trail and state park. I only have a 5.5-mile leg to go (which equals 11 miles because I have to ride both directions), and I'll have biked the whole trail (plus an extra leg), both ways.

As I drove the 1.5 hours to get to the parking area of the section I was going to bike, I thought, I wonder if I'll meet anyone interesting today?

I arrived at my destination located in the middle of nowhere, between two little unincorporated areas -- Allisonia, Virginia, and Hiwasee, Virginia, both in Pulaski County. I parked Edward the Explorer in the gravel lot; no other vehicles or people were anywhere to be seen. I got out, retrieved a small manila registration envelope from a yellow metal box, filled in my information on the designated lines on the outside of the envelope, put in a $5 bill to cover the $4 Virginia state park visitor's fee, tore off my tab along the perforation to hang on Edward's rear view mirror, sealed the envelope, and dropped it through a slot into the metal payment box. I unloaded my bike, Olivia,  from the back of Edward. I then retrieved my little cooler and another tote bag with food and sat at a lone, covered picnic table. As I was finishing my lunch, a blue pickup truck arrived and parked in the gravel lot. Out stepped a lean, elderly man. I figured he was at least 80 years old.

He was the "interesting anyone" I'd wondered about.

~*~

"Hello," I greeted the elderly gentleman with a smile. He responded in kind.

"Are you from around here?" I asked.

"Sure am. And you?" he responded.

"I'm from Winston-Salem. I have a goal to bike the whole trail this summer, in sections. Planning to go to Pulaski and back today. Then I'll have almost the whole thing done.  Do you walk here often?"

"Sure do," he replied. "In fact, I'm just 300 miles short of walking 38,000."

"Oh my gosh! You're kidding!" I responded with excitement. "Wow! How many years?"

"Fifteen," he answered with a smile. "I would be closer to 40,000 but I had to get a pacemaker and that set me back." He tapped his chest where his pacemaker was. "The good Lord was telling me to slow down."

"Wow. Well you sure are doing great!" I was smiling ear to ear, thrilled to have this chance meeting with this man of 37,700 miles.

"Thank you. People come from all over the world to bike or walk this trail. I've met people from 28 other countries and 42 states. All right here, in Pulaski County."

More "wows" from me. We chit chatted, and exchanged names and more chit chat, sprinkled in between with this amazing story of almost 38,000 miles.

"I meet lots of people and collect names and dates and places where folks are from. I collect them in note pads. Would you like to sign my note pad?"

"Sure!" I answered.

He pulled one of those small, top-spiral bound, ruled-paper, notepads from his shirt pocket, along with a pen. He flipped through the pad finding the spot for the next name. As the pages flipped by, I glimpsed the handwritten names, all of them in different script. I signed my name and the town where I reside. He said, "And the date. Put the date too." So I did.

I noticed his walking stick. It was wooden. The lower end was wrapped with black vinyl tape covering about ten inches. A few inches down from the top a rainbow array of hair bands decorated the stick for about six inches.

"This stick has been with me for 28,000 of those miles. It broke last week, so I had to tape it. I find stuff along the trail, like these hair bands. I sometimes find cell phones. I turn stuff like that into the park office. "

"Are you gonna put a book together? This is just amazing. Someone needs to put this in print."

He shook his head no to the book. But he said that two articles had been written about him.

"When I was little, I road the train that used to be on this trail. There was a building right over there. It was the local depot. I'd take the train 4 miles north to Draper."

"So you used to ride the train that was on the trail that you now walk. Wow."

"I'm on my 35th pair of shoes."

Toward the end of our conversation he gave me two business-size cards with scripture phrases and his name on them. I wrote the distances and numbers he'd shared with me on one of the cards. He proceeded to witness his version of Jesus and the Bible to me. His main mission in life is to tell people about salvation through Jesus which he does as he walks the trail. His witnessing to me didn't bother me too much, but I much preferred the conversation we were having previously...about walking and nature and a bit of local history.

After about 15 or so minutes, I was donned with helmet and ready to go. Thankful to have met this inspiring man.

"They call me Trailwalker." He smiled.

I responded, "Trailwalker. I like that. My son named me Molasses and Turtle, as trail names."

We chuckled.

We shook hands, and said good-byes.

He began to walk in the same direction I was headed on my bike. As I slowly passed him, he said, "Hey...look at my license plate as you ride by my truck."

I read it as I rode by. The letters were an abbreviation for Trail-to-Trail.

I smiled and gave him a big thumbs-up.

With a nod, he smiled, as I rode by.

I wonder how many miles he walked that day?

~*~

So that was Wednesday.

On Thursday and Friday I visited Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina. East of the Mississippi River, Mt. Mitchell is the highest point in North America. It's part of the Black Mountain range, so named for the deep green spruce trees that cause a black hue from a distance.

I spent the night in the back of my Explorer at Crabtree Falls Campground, on the Parkway about 15 miles north of Mt. Mitchell. There I met Dax, who is biking 1400 miles which includes the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive both directions. Not to mention his ride from Winston-Salem to Fancy Gap, which really made my mouth drop!

It's his fourth time riding the Parkway both directions in one long-distance trip. He's also ridden it just one direction one time from north to south. That makes nine times! I can't recall now which year he started.

Friday, in addition to Mt. Mitchell, I visited Linville Falls.

Saturday was spent with hubby on the Parkway in Virginia. The sunset from The Saddle was worth the trip. Plus I got to ride 11.6 miles of the Parkway on my bike, from Groundhog Mountain to Meadows of Dan.

From the summit, Mt. Mitchell. 7/15/16. Approximately 8:30 AM.

From the summit, Mt. Mitchell. Big and Little Bald in the distance. 7/15/16. Approximately 8:30 AM.

Sunset. The Saddle. 7/16/16.

Sunset. The Saddle. 7/16/16.