Just four trail miles from Tennessee and less than four weeks from Springer Mountain we have a lot to celebrate this Thanksgiving (in addition to the simple excitement brought about by an all-you-can-eat turkey dinner). We pushed our miles over the past eight days to make it to Damascus for the holiday and are warm and cozy in a local bed and breakfast, excited about the trail we have ahead of us.
This past week took us through some of the most beautiful terrain we have seen recently, the Grayson Highlands. At 5000', the open grassy terrain is reminiscent of our time out west and grazing ponies completed the scenic vistas (see our pictures posted below for a visual). Despite some rain and colder temperatures, we are surviving well in the outdoors and appreciate the advantage being Mainers has provided for us in this area.
After several weeks of solitude, we have also encountered more southbounders here in Damascus than anywhere else on our journey so far. Upon entering town yesterday, we went to the local burger joint (food always takes precedence over showers and laundry) with three other hikers. There, we met another hiker who has been ahead of us for months and the numbers kept growing for the following hour. After several rounds of milkshakes, burgers, and chili dogs Chomp was as close to full as he has been in weeks. It has been fun to have the company (we have apparently been dubbed some of the only "normal people" out here) and have others to share our reflections with as we collectively approach the southern terminus of the trail, Springer Mountain.
As we enter the final month of a journey we have both anticipated for years, we have many emotions. Excitement to return home to our dogs remains paramount in our minds, as well as a return to a lifestyle that is less taxing on our bodies. Simultaneously, we realize that the end of this journey will be bittersweet, as the simplicity and flexibility of this life will be difficult to replicate in our lives back in the "real world." Looking back, we have lots to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving. As sparsely as we may have lived this past four months, we truly have received so much through this experience. As we chow down on turkey today, we will be thankful for...
*The simplicity of the experience that allows us to notice how things come our way exactly when we need them out here (we believe it's this way in all of life, but the "noise" sometimes prevents us from noticing)
*How much a sunny day means to us when its been preceded by rain
*The feeling of a warm shower after eight days without one
*Sharing an intense experience as a couple
*The time and space to focus on how fortunate we are both out here and at home
*To still enjoy the hiking when so many around us have blinders on for the finish
*The support we've received from those we know--particularly our families--and complete strangers we have met along the way
*Time to notice how friendly strangers can be (last week, a couple pulled over as we road walked just to ask if there was anywhere we needed to go)
*Calories! (and the luxury of eating everything we can get our hands on)
*Seeing the sun rise and set each day
*Being in the mountains everyday and seeing this country at 2.5mph pace (which provides the opportunity to visit small-town America)
*The camaraderie of other hikers, even if we only see them every 500 miles
*Being at point in the hike where we feel our goal, for so long far away, is now within reach
Happy Thanksgiving! Feel free to peruse our experiences in Virginia at http://picasaweb.google.com/emily.dolci/Virginia.
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OMG!~ I camped @ Symm's Meadow with Dirty in 02!! Awesome to see that site used, it was fabulous! It was summer solstice with a full moon!
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