"Dreamer" has Prostate Cancer and we are Thankful.....

Yep, we're on a new adventure... fighting cancer. We are thanking God for the cancer and the circumstances we now find ourselves in…

“In all things, give thanks to the Lord.”

Of all the kinds of cancer Tom could have, prostate cancer is a pretty benign option. We could have been told he had a grapefruit sized tumor in his brain and to go home and put his affairs in order. But, no.  We got a good diagnosis.

He has had this for a while, but it’s been quiet and quite manageable. More recently, his PSA spiked and he had another biopsy, which showed advancement of the cancer and a change in his Gleason score. For those of you unfamiliar with prostate cancer, a Gleason Score is determined from the analysis of tissue samples taken from the prostate during the biopsy and a physical exam. It was evident that the time to do something had arrived.

Having researched many options for treatment, we decided to see the physicians at RCOG, in Atlanta, Georgia. The doctors here in Michigan were all about surgical intervention, with pretty high odds of encountering side effects, which wasn’t an option for us. RCOG, (www.rcog.com) who has successfully treated over 16,000 men over the past 20 years, was the option we chose. As a man with a strong family history of prostate cancer, this probably was inevitable. So, a word to the wise fellas…. Get checked. It’s a sneaky cancer, that’s mostly silent, especially in younger men who don’t typically warrant PSA checks.  It’s a lot like ovarian cancer in women… silent, until it’s already there and raging.

So, tomorrow, Tom will start the first of 35 daily radiation treatments to kill the cancer. Two weeks ago, he underwent surgery to implant 35+ radioactive ‘seeds’ in the prostate, which began initial treatment. Now the 7 weeks of daily radiation will complete his treatment. Hopefully, Christmas we will be rejoicing that we’re on the other side of cancer. We won’t have accurate ‘cure’ level for approximately 2 years, when the PSA remains at 0.2 or less.

 We have an extremely strong faith and this has only given us more opportunities to be on our knees before The Lord. We thank Him every day that this is all we have to deal with, knowing that He is in control and will work out all things for His Glory. We covet your prayers for successful treatment, no complications or setbacks and a quick return to normal life afterwards.

"DREAMER"

All this to say…. Women, get your men to get checked. Any man over 50 should have a baseline PSA. Men with a family history should have a PSA at 40. Men, don’t ignore urinary issues…. 

Should you want to encourage him with notes, cards or even a care package of goodies, I'll soon post an address where you can send things to him. We are so thankful to all of our hiking followers for your love, encouragement and prayers. Bless you!

Team TNT is BACK! Livin' like there's no tomorrow!

'

The Appalachian Trail should come with a warning label, much like a pack of cigarettes. It will change your life THAT much.

I know that this blog post has been a long overdue entry and I hope that all of our faithful followers are still there to read what's coming from our hearts. To say this has been a difficult transition, would be a monumental understatement. Coming home from the trail at the end July was a difficult decision, a difficult adjustment and has continued to evolve into a new lifestyle for us, personally and as a couple.

Our last days on trail were absolutely miserable, to say the least. We were caught in the worst heat wave to hit the trail in recent history. 98 degrees, with humidity and blazing sun, the rocks of Pennsylvania and the mosquitos had just hatched... plus, if you remember, I, Socks, had blisters which turned my already tender feet, literally into hamburger. Almost losing my little toe to some rotten infection, we reluctantly left the trail at Duncannon, PA. We'd packed the packs to return to the trail that day, hoping that the weather would break and cooler temperatures set in. We sat at the UPS office ready to ship our 'bump box' to the next destination and Dreamer said, "There isn't anything in me that wants to go back out there again." He was done. He likened to Forrest Gump running and running and running. Then one day, out of the blue, he said he was done running. Dreamer was the same. He'd hiked almost 1200 miles, most of it alone without the rest of Team TNT, endured horrible weather and terrain and was just DONE. He was really having trouble watching me struggle physically, limping with each step due to the blisters. We together decided to turn our car towards Michigan and head home. The decision made; we excitedly talked about home and all the things we'd missed for so many months, our life back here in Michigan and all the things we wanted to do.

In what seemed like endless hours hiking, spending time inside your own head, we both had 'spiritual' experiences so to speak... meeting our God and hearing His voice. We are some of those crazy, whacko Christians and spend much of our afternoons listening to spiritual music on our iPods, feeling the presence of God,  and listening for what He was trying to teach us each day. Each and every day we hiked we prayed and asked for safety and that God would show Himself to us in the beauty and people around us. Should you chose to hike this, or any long-distance trail, you WILL meet your maker. I don't care what religion your profess or none at all. There is no way you will spend that much time along with your own thoughts and see what's around you and NOT come to believe in some 'higher' power. Unless you're mentally incapable of hearing that 'still, small' voice in your head, you will meet God. You will call out to 'someone' for physical strength when the terrain gets tough, your feet hurt and you think you can't take one more step. You will seek our 'someone' when you are so lonesome you think your heart will break. You will call out to 'someone' when you find yourself scared and alone in a dark, wet shelter in the middle of the night. You will be changed spiritually.

I couldn't be more proud of Dreamer and all he accomplished. Almost 1200 grueling miles, enduring most of it alone, spending endless hours hiking forward, waiting for the day when I could return and join him. He persevered through loneliness, horrible weather, boring hiking food, extreme weight loss, and most times, no phone signal.... with our communication being very limited, sometimes going for days without speaking to each other. For any of those who know us or have followed this journey, we've been married for 33 years and haven't spent much time apart. We're hopelessly in love with each other and being separated was the absolute worst part of this entire journey. Should you decide to hike: YOU WILL BE LONELY. Even if you're hiking with a group of people who become your friends, you will miss home and family and sometimes it will be very painful and will cause you to think about leaving the trail. Make sure your relationships are solid at home before you leave on a journey like this and make time to stay in contact with those you love. Your journey will be much more pleasant.

I found both extremes of my physical limits on the trail... I was amazed at what I was able to do physically... at 58 and not in terrific shape to start with, I could hike. Not as fast as the young people, but we could do some respectable mileage and stay on schedule.... UNTIL the injury. In one instant, in one day, my hike went from a 'thru-hike' to surgery. Although I fought hard and tried to deny there was a problem, I had to make my way back to Michigan for surgery on my left knee to repair two torn meniscus. I'd managed to tear both the medial and lateral meniscus, injuring one so badly, they removed much of it. I highly recommend that you take care physically and when you encounter an injury, deal with it. I pushed myself to hike another 60 miles on a debilitated knee, ruining it forever. I will ultimately be looking at a second knee replacement sometime in the future. But all this to say, the trail will test your body. It will batter your feet, it will hurt your legs, back and shoulders. You will be brought to your knees physically, especially those folks who are older and not in such great shape. You will have to plan ahead, pace yourself and care for your body. Treat it right, and it will carry you far.

So, where is Team TNT now? What is life like for us? What has changed?
We are still "LIVIN' THE DREAM". We came home profoundly different people and a renewed couple. As I stated in the Warning Label, you will be changed. Our priorities in life changed dramatically and we are working together to achieve these new goals for the final third of our lives. Tom celebrated his 60th birthday on September 14th, the day we'd anticipated and planned to summit Mt. Kahtadin... He didn't say anything, but I'm sure, certainly a day of reflection.

We surmised all of our goals to:
1. SIMPLIFY (and all that entails)
2. Spend time with those we love and care about
3. Make the most of the time we have left.

#1- Learning on the hike, just how little we actually needed to survive, we came home to SIMPLIFY our lives, both in terms of physical 'things' and commitments. We've been selling 'things', cleaning our clutter, both in our home and lives. eBay has become my new best friend, as we get rid of the things that just weigh us down. Much like we spent hours getting our pack weight down to a minimum, with the least amount of things, we're doing the same in our lives and our home. We have accumulated so much STUFF in our 33 years and it's become 'weighty'.... takes up space and doesn't give us joy. So, it's the Salvation Army, eBay and Craig's List for many things. We've gone through and cleaned out the house, the barn and garage. There is such freedom in having less things. It's less to take care of, less to manage and less to worry about.
We've also pared down our commitments to our family and our God. Tom decided to retire upon coming home. It's something he did once over 10 years ago, but then started another company and became busier than he ever was before. NOW is the time to truly retire and say goodbye to 'work'. Once before we were forced to cut our income in half and we survived, we'll do it again and we'll be fine. We certainly won't live the lifestyle we have in the past, but our priorities have changed and those things aren't important anymore. We can live a simple life, doing the things we enjoy, with the people we love....and that's LIVIN' the DREAM for us.
I came home and planted a late garden. I wasn't planning on having one this year, as we were hiking...and it would have been the first time in 35 years that I hadn't had a vegetable garden. But, my beets, green beans, kale, collards and tomatoes are thriving in the cooler Michigan temps! I love my garden. (I've always said, when I die, cremate me and till me into my garden.)

#2- We've been available to spend time with our kids, our new granddaughter and friends who are very special to us. That's important to us. Invest time in those we love most. All the rest is just busyness. We've had Lydia for an overnight visit and although exhausted, we LOVED every minute of it. She is the light of our lives and we are thrilled that we've had the opportunity to have a grandchild. Grandchildren will change you too. Watching your children be parents will rock your world....and make you see your mortality a little bit closer. We want to watch our children grow as adults and guide them through life as we are able.... spending time with our kids is the most important time we'll ever make.
We have a lot of friends, but a handful of very dear friends, who we've spent years with, lived through tragedy with and love with all our hearts. They are important to us and we want to continue to invest time in them and their families. This is a goal we will actively pursue and have already spent some wonderful times making memories with some of them.

#3- This is where it gets personal.... we're both about 60. IF, we're lucky, we're in the final third of our lives. God willing and continued good health, we might see 80? We both have faced our mortality and are both thankful to be here now. We are both profoundly aware of time and the fragility of life....Tom with prostate cancer and me with Lupus, we've been thanking God for each day for a long time. But, we as a couple, want to spend our remaining time, whatever that is, being together, enjoying doing the things we love and continuing to build our relationship. We have lived a life LARGER than most will ever know, doing things and traveling places that most will never see. We ARE blessed beyond measure.

We do plan to hike again next summer and are planning our return to the Appalachian Trail, hopefully in May 2014. We so enjoyed doing trail magic this year and want to coordinate our trip east with some trail magic and visiting special places to us, like Wood's Hole Hostel.
We are profoundly grateful to all of you who have come alongside us, cheered us on, send notes of encouragement and watched our videos' so faithfully. NO, we didn't finish the trail, NO we didn't touch the sign.... but we didn't need to. We'd accomplished all we'd set out to do, personally, physically and as a couple. This was our journey, our story and we hope that it has in some way provoked you to think about challenging yourself in a similar way... maybe not with a physical hike, but challenged you personally to examine your life and your priorities, your dreams and aspirations and your belief in a God who can do all things.
Please keep watching for continued updates on next year's leg of the Appalachian Trail adventure. We'll go into this one a little more educated, mentally stronger and knowing what the trail will hold!

As our 'theme song' says... we are living like there's no tomorrow and loving like we're on borrowed time. We are all on borrowed time! Make the most of yours!

Hang on for a wild ride next time!

Team TNT re-joins the Appalachian Trail!

1019 MILES!! I major milestone and the almost 'half-way' point of the entire Appalachian Trail. Even though Socks has been 'absent' physically from the trail.... we've done it together!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2quFqRZKqQ8&feature=share&list=UUgOzPcZE-EQzBWn75CAm8wA

As we run around the house packing up last minute things, cleaning out the fridge and making notes, we are both thrilled beyond belief at the thought of leaving in the morning! After spending a marvelous week, packing in time with family and friends, we will return to Harper's Ferry, WV tomorrow and again starting hiking as a full TEAM on Saturday!

I'll admit, I'm pretty nervous, as surgery was JUST 8 weeks ago. I'm stiff. It still hurts, but I don't think I can be any more ready mentally. It's the physical that will really challenge me! Thankfully, the terrain after coming out of Harper's is much tamer than previous stuff! As I sat here 

at this picnic table, near Cheoah Bald, not quite understanding the extent of my injury, I had no idea what lay in store for me over the next couple months. Living alone at home, surgery, recovery, physical therapy and a trip back to the trail to pick up Dreamer! All these tribulations have only prepared me for the reality of coming back to the trail.

We've learned so much about ourselves, our relationship and exactly what we can do if we put our mind to it.... lots of lessons learned up to this 'half-way' point. We'll be sharing our hearts as we move forward.... 

I want to thank my sweet friend Margaret Ross (www.margaretrossjewelry.com) for her support, encouragement and for this adorable 'inspiration' bracelet she custom made for me, just for the trail. It has an angel on it and two other 'charms' that say, Perserverance and Determination.

I think that pretty much sums it up.

Team TNT again reunited!! This time for GOOD!! NEW VIDEOS!!

With some great sadness, I wrapped up my recovery time at Wood's Hole Hostel yesterday (www.woodsholehostel,com)  and joined Dreamer and Charlie up the trail at Front Royal, WV as they exited Shenandoah National Park!! I had a fabulous time at Wood's Hole and can't highly recommended it enough. The sweet spirit of Miss Neville and Michael will cause your spirit to pause and say... "Aaahhhhh." The lively animals and the bustling atmosphere of hikers passing through will make your stay entertaining as well. And the food goes without saying, it's the best organic "home-cookin" on the entire AT!!

Wood's Hole Hostel, Pearisburg, VA

A small part of the animal menagerie at Wood's Hole!

Neville and I had such a fun time together. We are very much 'kindred' spirits....

But, I'm lonesome for the man of my Dreams and I'm willing to fight through some 'on the job' training on the trail, so we're packing up when we hit Harper's Ferry and heading back to Michigan to grab my gear, spend some quick time with friends and family and head back to the trail for the second half!!

After an almost three hour drive, I was again greeted by the 'male' part of Team TNT as they walked out of Shenandoah National Park, where they have been hiking through, while I was recouperating at Wood's Hole. Charlie was so glad to see me as well as Dreamer.

He's promised we WILL NOT be separated again.... we just don't do well apart, so, no matter what, we'll stick to this promise. If for any reason, I can't continue due to the knee or whatever, we will stop hiking together. BUT, for those of you who know me very well, know that I am one pretty determined lady. I don't take no for an answer and live by the motto my Dad taught me.... "I can do anything I put my mind to." I have endured incredible physical pain on this trip already and I have lived through the death of a child, so I figure I've much been dealt the worst blows possible in life, physically and emotionally. I will resume hiking at Harper's Ferry with Dreamer and Charlie and will give it my all. Of course, we'll have to start a bit slower than the 20+ miles a day that Chuck and Tom are currently doing, but it shouldn't take long to have my hiking legs back beneath me. I want nothing more than to be part of this trail community again! I want nothing more than to be with the love of my life, all day, every day.

I hope you'll continue to watch this journey unfold as we make our way into the second half of the trip! It's difficult to comprehend that it's almost half way over already! In just a couple days, we'll have our pictures taken at the half way point, at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harper's Ferry, MD. THEN, will be quickly driving back to Michigan to re-unite with family and friends for a week. For those of you who are local to Michigan, we'll be hosting an open house event on Sunday, June 23rd to touch base with friends before launching into the second 1200 miles of the trip, when we doubt that we'll be making any further trips home. So, if you're in the vicinity, stop out or see our Facebook page for details. (www.facebook.com/tntonthetrail)

Team TNT is together again and will remain together till the bitter end! We have several new videos up  so you can stay up to date with our journey. Please take some time to watch and be sure to share with friends who you think might be interested in this journey!

http://youtu.be/-n_Oz_rJhbs

We took several days over Memorial Weekend to 'work' some trail magic for many fellow hikers!
http://youtu.be/VBkdbxq38LA

And another stretch coming into Waynesboro, VA.... just before going into Shenandoah National Park.
http://youtu.be/i6t2pmblkss

Team TNT+C Making Progress- Appalachian Trail Hike 2013

The Appalachian Trail never fails to deliver. Weather (the worst in trail history), terrain/ PUDs (pointless ups and downs), and mental challenges (chronic depression due to the previous two items). In all seriousness, this has been a challenging time for Team TNT+C. Dreamer has continued to endure the continuous crappy weather, rain, freezing temps and even hail this past couple weeks. When will spring EVER come to the Appalachians?

He's produced a couple of new videos with more interviews with random hikers, but he's also tried to show more of 'real life' on trail.... the weather, the deplorable living conditions and some of the mental challenges of doing this hike long term, in these conditions and then add, being separated from the rest of the Team TNT. He's had some rough days...mentally and physically and it's hard on both of us. We are both learning much about ourselves, our relationship and communicating. I know how much we'll enjoy being back together again and being able to lean on each other mentally, physically and emotionally.

I (Socks) had surgery on April 22, to repair the two meniscus' in my left knee and removal of several chunks of roaming cartilage. Today, stitches were removed and I was given the 'go-ahead' to start physical therapy with the goal of being back on trail by June 17th!! I'll be working with a therapist who knows about our trip, knows the physical demands that await me and will customize my therapy and conditioning to accomplish that goal...building the strength back up in that leg and working to increase my endurance again. (I've gotten a bit like a couch potato since surgery, so I'm a little weak in the legs!)

 
                                   

Charlie is Charlie. He pretty much goes with the flow and puts up with most things, so relax or play, he's two paws up! I'm sure he'll be very anxious for the walks we'll start to take over at Rose Lake to start building stamina and then begin to carry a little weight in a pack. We'll go slow, but we are very anxious to be back on the BIG trail with Dreamer again!!

Catching up with Dreamer and Socks

Team TNT has been separated now for THREE weeks....we're surviving, but not without almost daily phone calls or texts when able and prayers being lifted to Heaven on behalf of each other. We truly are one and space, time and geography can't separate us from each other's spirits.

Charlie and I have been holding down the fort at home in Michigan, mostly waiting for surgery to repair the knee. Once it was diagnosed, the waiting for the actual surgery date was agonizing for the Team....I'm not a patient person anyway, (something God was helping me to work on while hiking), so each day, I tried to fill my time doing some projects around the house, that required TWO legs....cleaning the basement, etc. 

While Dreamer, on the other hand, has been plugging away at the miles on the Appalachian Trail. He continues to average about 15 miles per day, still enduring all sorts of nasty weather and terrain. The Smoky Mountains were a real challenge for him physically and probably even more mentally. Getting back on trail as a solo hiker was tough emotionally and mentally for him. I struggle from a distance being challenged in different ways....missing him, being jealous about the fact that he's still their living 'our' dream and keeping myself from being depressed at my situation here.

He's meeting a whole section of new hikers and even catching up with some that we started with in our first week! He's able to move so much faster without me and so now is cranking out serious miles! I'm so proud of him and his perseverance.... Honest revelation: I don't think, were the roles reversed, that I'd still be out there alone, trying to go on. I'm weak and would be way too lonely and insecure about my abilities to hike alone. 

His physical load is a bit more because he has to carry all the gear himself and his heart is a little heavier too....without the rest of the Team....

The countdown will begin again soon!

Team TNT's Final Blog Post & Video from Home!

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Dreamer here,

It has been almost exactly one year since our first Blog post announcing our intentions to attempt a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.  I believe this is Blog post number 72.  Terri & I have tried our best to describe: our intentions, our feelings, planning and logistics, clothing and gear, as well as all things Charlie our dog.  Hopefully, if you are considering a journey like this, our Blog posts will be of benefit to you.

We now have 168 “likes” on our Facebook page at: facebook.com/tntonthetrail, mostly friends and family trying to keep up with the adventures of Team TNT.  Terri has had lots of fun connecting with so many of you and she will be all things Facebook, as our trek continues.

We are approaching 200 “followers” on Twitter!  Simply amazing!  Five months ago, I did not even know what a tweet was.  And now we have people from all over the world, most of which I have no idea who they are.  All I know is they are interested in two old farts planning for and soon to be attempting thru-hike of the A.T.  For Team TNT, I will be all things Twitter.  I will do my best to upload photos and video as we move North from Springer Mountain.

Until last summer, I really had never seriously taken an interest in shooting or working with video on a computer.  Now, I find it my delight using my video camera and working with Final Cut X in order to produce fun and hopefully informative videos.  As I write this we have had over 1,700 views on 17 videos at: youtube.com/tntonthetrail.  Again, amazing!  I cannot begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to capturing as much as possible as Terri, Charlie & I move up the trail towards Mt. Katahdin.  My plan is to send my computer to places along the trail where we will be taking a break and during those down times, work on creating some short videos for YouTube.  I will then mail the SD Cards with the finished projects to my son-in-law Nate to upload them for me from home.  Nate, I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to take this on for me!

Our last video can be found here: http://youtu.be/wFc_5dwzvWE       Terri & I are attempting to do our best at showing our appreciation for all of you that have played such an important role in our lives and this great adventure we are standing on the threshold of.  Our next post will be from the Appalachian Trail!!!

 

~Team TNT

PS Thanks to Jason Gray “Good to be Alive” and  “Remind me who I am in You”.  Your music helps the pictures and video come to life!

Can you help me with my trail name? -Appalachian Trail prep

“What's in a name? that which we call a rose
     

By any other name would smell as sweet..”

-       William Shakespeare

What really IS in a name? I was named Terese Ann Rytlewski at birth, some many decades ago and have forever since, gone by the name, Terri.  We sometimes wish we had a different name and sometimes like our names…. I always wanted to have another name, perhaps Laura or Elizabeth. Something more exotic and smoother flowing than, TERRI. Sometimes people want to spell it with a ‘y’ at the end, other times they want to make it TeresA. Go figure.

On the Appalachian Trail and other long distance trails, hikers often adopt other names. As Tom has previously dealt with some of this in another post, (http://tntonthetrail.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-do-you-use-trail-names-why-dreamer.html),  I won’t elaborate more on how he got his name or the other details about trail names.  

But, I would like to explain the origin of some trail names that we do know about. For instance, “Two Rings” got his name, because the tread his hiking boots laid down in the trail, created two very distinct rings in the dirt. Thus, Two Rings.

Our hiking friends “Tag-less and Tagalong” also known as the “Tag-Team”, got their names from their grandchildren. Dane (Tag-less) was working on assembling his hiking clothes one day, actually cutting the tags out to eliminate unnecessary weight and the possibility of irritation on his neck and his granddaughter piped up saying, “Grandpa, you’re Tag-less.” His wife, Connie who was kind of just going along with Dane on this journey, then became, “Tag-Along.”

One more hiking friend, adopted the name, “Big Sky” as he was from Montana and lived on the Yellowstone River.

You can clearly see that the names are either given (not the perfect situation as you might be handed a name that you DON’T want or deserve), or you choose a name leaving for the trail. This is where all of our readers come in…. I, Terri, don’t have a trail name yet and I’m pretty sure that I’d rather choose my own, rather than be handed an unpleasant or unflattering one down the trail.

Those of you that know me well might be able to help with this challenge and those of you that don’t, let me tell you a bit about myself and perhaps you can help me come up with a terrific handle for the hike.

I’m a Wife, a Mom and a new Grandmother. I’ve been married 33 years to the love of my life and I’m absolutely crazy in love with him! I’m mother to 3 awesome, adult kids that I’m ‘button busting’ proud of and most recently, grandmother to the most precious little creature, ever to grace the earth.

I’m a photographer, gardener, knitter and homemaker; and an amateur philanthropist.  I am typically a homebody, enjoying spending time in my garden or sewing room or whipping up a new DIY project. I’m not someone who enjoys being ‘out front’, but would rather hide in the background and quietly enjoy my life. I have been blessed with a rich relationship with my husband and children and some very special friends. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel across most of the US and even some other countries. Backpacking does not hold the same place in my heart as it does for Tom and this trip is my gift to him for his 60^th birthday. I am a destination hiker, meaning I want to get to the next place and relax and most days am oblivious to my surroundings, only intent on the next camping site.

Knowing me personally and knowing these generalizations about me, can you help me come up with an appropriate name? I’m hoping that some of your suggestions will ring true with my spirit and I’ll be able to adopt your name for me.

Come on friends and readers, let the suggestions start!! I can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with!!

BLOCKBUSTER HIT FINALLY RELEASED!

Dreamer here,

The long awaited, greatly anticipated, highly acclaimed nominee for this years best all around movie review has been released!!  Dreamer and Terri have spent hundreds of hours and months in the making of this video.  For a short period of time, (very short) we are offering FREE screenings of this mega-hit!

Watch it now, because you don’t want to be the last one on your block to say you have seen this.  This video will change lives and propel average people towards greatness.  It may even have supernatural capacities to leap tall buildings in a single bound!

Wake up Dreamer, wake up, you are dreaming again…  Oh, what I meant to say, was Terri & I have just released our newest video reviewing about 12 videos on the Appalachian Trail, as well as a couple others on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.  Enjoy!  For those of you not interested in videos about the backpacking, you can stop here and anticipate the next awesome Blog Post by tntonthetrail.

For those interested, follow this link:  http://youtu.be/6id2EmbJL6I

           

Grab a box of popcorn,

~Dreamer

RECIPE: Turkey Chicken Au Gratin for Freezer Bag Cooking

The long awaited recipe we've had so many requests for! It was an experiment from a recipe originally from Hungry Hammock Hanger, who made beef stroganoff. I tried using turkey and chicken and it turned out exceptionally well, delicious in fact! He does some creative things with Freezer Bag Cooking, which we almost strictly adhere to for our cooking. We've thus far prepped almost 80 meals similar to this style, with various ingredients... it's lightweight, easy to prepare and only requires boiling water. I like to get creative with meals as we hate eating the same thing over and over, ie: Ramen Noodles. We just listened to a podcast about a guy who ate ramen noodles for 6 months straight!!! I'd run screaming out of the woods!!!

Turkey Chicken Au Gratin

INGREDIENTS:

4# ground turkey

2 large cans chicken (13 oz)

8 cloves garlic (minced)

4 medium onions roughly chopped

2 medium red peppers chopped

5 ribs celery chopped

2 c. frozen peas

2 pkgs chicken gravy mix

1 pkg mushroom gravy mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup

4-6 c. chicken broth

20 oz. (approx) uncooked egg noodles

SEASONINGS:

Salt, Pepper and Hot Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Brown turkey and chicken together; drain and rinse well with very hot water.

Return to pan and add garlic and brown further, then add onions, celery, peas and peppers.

Saute all till tender and season to taste with above seasonings.

Add broth and chicken/or chicken bullion.

Simmer 10 minutes and re-season to taste.

Add gravy mixes and chicken soup to mixture and simmer 5 or so minutes.

Add dry noodles and simmer 10 more minutes.

When it appears as though noodles are still a BIT chewy, remove from heat. (when not quite done, as they will cook further during the rehydration process)

Dry in dehydrator at 165 degrees for 10-12 hours.

It's amazing what it looks like when it comes out of the dehydrator! Shriveled and dry, nothing like what it was when it went in... BUT, weighing less than a quarter what it did when it went in!

We bag most things in about 6 ounce portions of dried food, which will rehydrate into about 2 cups of food.

Rehydrate by just covering with boiling water in zip-lock bag. Place in cozy [we just put inside one of our down jackets] for 15 minutes or until done.

You can watch the video of us eating this particular meal HERE on You Tube: 

http://youtu.be/0GIqKQMBzaI

The Great Crash of 2012!

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The Great Crash of 2012!

Horror of horrors, it happened.  Just imagine, you have been putting all most favorite treasures in your closet for a couple months, and one day you opened your closet to get your things out, and the closet was empty!  Empty, not a video or picture file could be found!  You guessed it; the closet is my computer.  The great crash of 2012!  One day, it was all there.  The next, it was all gone!

As most of you know, I have been learning to use my new video camera, as well as studying Final Cut Pro X.  I am really enjoying not only the challenge of capturing good video; but I have been especially captivated with the editing process.  Well, now I get to start over with a clean slate.  I’ll sum up the tragedy…

I have been a MAC user for over 20 years.  I have only had to call tech support once in all those years.  My MAC’s have always been rock solid and easy to use, until now.  A couple months ago, I purchased a new 13” Mac Book Pro with a 500gig Flash Drive.  I wanted something with no moving parts, because I plan on bouncing it in a bump box from Georgia to Maine.  (A bump box is one that is mailed ahead on the trail with various items ‘you don’t want to carry’ from one zero day [zero day is a day with no hiking miles] to the next.  After two months, I had still not fully moved into my new computer.  Final Cut was the only program I was using.

On the evening of December 26^th, I opened Final Cut to pull off a video clip for Terri.  (She was working on a Blog Post about food prep.)  When the program opened, in the place of the clips was RED caution symbols saying no clips could be found.  After doing everything I knew to do, I was overcome with waves of heat and feeling physically sick.  All of my work was gone.

For the second time in 20 years, I called Apple Support.  After five hours on the phone with six different agents, (they kept moving me up the food chain) I was no closer to my files than when I started, and even worse, no one could explain what happened.  This day ended with sending a disc image of my computer to the engineers at Apple to be evaluated.  I was assured they would be able to get to the bottom of this.  The next day they called from California with the bad news, they had no idea.

Tech support at Apple is first class in every way!  Some of the nicest and courteous people I have ever worked with.  I could not be more pleased (Well, I suppose I could be if they had recovered my data and explained the issue.) with them and how sincerely interested they all were in trying to help me out.  Every one of them E-Mailed me (while I was talking to them) their contact information in case we were cut off and I needed to call them back.  Really sweet!!

Bottom line, I lost all my video!  I had no back up!  I have some excuses, but none of them suffice to mention here.  The lesson has been learned.  I am grateful, it happened now, early on in my instruction.  It took me a day and a half to rebuild my computer from the ground up.  I now store all my new video on a one-terabyte external hard drive, and I archive the raw files from the video camera as well.  And, just as I always do with my computer for work, I have Time Machine running in the back ground to back-up the entire computer, at all times.  Let’s hope and pray it never happens again; but if it does, I am ready.

~Dreamer

First Hike of the Year in Michigan Snow

Dreamer here,

WOW!!!  What a great morning hiking with Charlie!!  When we left, it was about 29 degrees and had snowed about and 1 ½” during the night.  A light snow fell for the two hours we were out at Rose Lake.  The wind was blustery out of the North; however, mostly quiet in the woods.

Charlie wore his insulated jacket under his pack for the first time while hiking.  He seemed very comfortable and definitely drier than he would have been without it.  He is carrying about six pounds now in his pack.  For those of you wondering, Charlie’s feet (for some reason) do not get crusted with snow like other dogs we have had in the past.  This is a blessing, because otherwise, he would have to wear his boots full time when there was snow on the ground.

I started out with four layers: short sleeve & long sleeve merino wool base layers, insulated vest and my wind shirt.  It was obvious in the first 15 minutes that I had too much on!  I traded the insulated vest and wind shirt for my 3-layer Quasar jacket.  That combination was perfect.  Carrying about 30#’s in my pack, I never felt cold or sweaty…  A perfect combination!

As most of you know, I love to hike in any weather; however, rain and snow are my hands-down favorites!  Obviously, hiking in a cold windy rain is the most dangerous, (hypothermia issues) and my least favorite.  I just think there is a special magic in the woods when it is raining or snowing!

Check out my short video on our morning!

http://youtu.be/In0Rftl_7KQ        

Merry Christmas

~Dreamer