I haven’t written in a couple of weeks. My schedule was thrown into chaos by various circumstances; family illness, settling into a new house, and hiking new trails. I committed to hiking a new, less traveled, trail each month this year. I am striving to fulfill that commitment. In January, my brother and I backpacked nearly 60 miles on the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama. It was a wonderful adventure.
In February, my Kansas family needed our support with some serious illness. We made the decision that the best way to help was to move to Kansas. So, we sold our house in North Carolina and relocated 1,000 miles westward. Our new home in Independence, Kansas is comfortable and we are excited about settling in here. Our family obligations must be balanced with our need to unpack the numerous boxes of stuff and make this house our home. It is a challenge. Still, my call to the trails has become a means of self-care for me and I must continue to escape to walk through the beauties of creation. Here I discover the still waters that restore my soul.
So, I joined ten friends (including my brother – Rick) to travel to Cumberland Island, Georgia. We hiked across the various trails there for four days. We camped at different tent sites for three nights. My favorite campsite was Brickhill Bluffs on the second night. Camped on the shore of the inner waters, we watched and listened to dolphins playing in the waters as the sun went down on the western horizon. It was the fullness of peace.
My backpacking trip in March was a thru-hike of the Foothills Trail. This path begins and ends in South Carolina. It’s 77-1/2 miles of passage follows the Chattooga River, Laurel Fork Creek, and the Whitewater River. Those waterways are beautiful and include a number of whitewater rapids cascading over shoals, amazing waterfalls, and the wondrous Lake Jocassee. It is all spectacular! The Oconee Bells are rare flowers that only grow in this region and bloom a few weeks in March. I was blessed to see blankets of Oconee Bells covering the sides of the pathway that we walked along. I was also blessed with the company of an A.T. Thru-hiker that I had watched videos of his hike in 2020. My new hiking companion’s name is Kenneth Good, but his trail name is PTL for “Praise the Lord.” If you watch his videos for any length of time, you will understand how he earned his trail name.
PTL and I enjoyed this adventure. I was happy for the opportunity to get to know him better. We had watched one another’s videos, but met in person for this backpacking adventure. We hiked together for about seven and a half days. Beginning at Oconee State Park, we hiked to Table Rock State Park. We often walked along wide and soft paths, but there were challenging ups and downs. Heartbreak Ridge was true to its name. There were hundreds of wooden steps ascending and descending this tall peak. I’m not sure if it was more difficult to go up or down the ridge. The steps were rain soaked and slick. The ascent taxed my lungs and the descent wore on my knees. When completed, Heartbreak Ridge was recorded in my book of bragging rights. I had done it!
As you follow me through this year of “Trails less Traveled” I hope that I can share sights and sounds that cause you to hunger for the smells, feelings, and tastes of these created wonders. It is the Trail that keeps calling me. It is why I continue to invite you –
Let’s go walking!
Watch this video by clicking here – Foothills Trail Thru-hike
