Dreamer and Charlie reunite.... Visitors from Home- Appalachian Trail

Last week was a major highlight for Dreamer since returning to the trail, some six weeks ago. Our son Jesse (Tex) and our nephew, Adam (Opie) went to meet up with Tom and hike a 36 mile section from Bland to Wood's Hole Hostel. Of course, Charlie went to see Dad and get some time back on the trail.

The boys got to experience weather changes, varied terrain and experience, first hand, the importance of limiting the weight in your pack. 

Both guys have done considerable types of backpacking from Mt. Robson in British Columbia to canoeing with packs through the Boundary Waters of Canada, so these are not newbies to hiking and backpacking.

We have been talking to the kids and our videos have been very clear about the strenuousness of the terrain, the difficulties with pack weight and wear and tear on knees and the never-ending weather obstacles, so none of this should have been a surprise.... But, they were clearly caught off guard. Tex was carrying twice the weight he should have, bringing enough food to feed the entire over-stuffed shelter on night #1. Opie, unfortunantely suffered a debilitating knee injury on day two, which he suffered with till the very end. They were cooked and dehydrated on day #1. Day #2, drenched with a mountain cloudburst that lasted all day and day #3 provided the nicest day of all and landed them in the cabable and loving hands of the owners of Wood's Hole Hostel, Michael and Neville, who showed them mountain hospitality. 

Opie recaps their trip for us here:

My thoughts after 36 miles on the trail with Dreamer.

"Tex and I met up with Dreamer Friday morning for what I thought wasgoing to be a fun 3 day hike on the Appalachian trail. The trail had other thoughts in mind and I was humbled very quickly. To say I was grossly unprepared for the way the trail tests you mentally,physically and emotionally would be a fair statement.  We met up in Bland with dreamer to begin our hike which started with a short mile walk down a road and across a highway overpass. But as soon as our feet met the soft Virginian mud and we started our first ascent we met the trail for the first time. The sheer beauty of the surroundings were breathtaking as the rhododendron groves enveloped us. But the steep grade and narrow trail soon required all of our attention. It was almost as if it was saying "I will determine what you see as beautiful".

That first 10 miles were grueling. We had packed entirely too much food and not nearly enough water. Nothing could be prettier than coming to the first stream after carrying dry water bottles for the past 3 miles in the hot spring day. I was elated and felt that now I was prepared to tackle the trail...and then the downpour started.We finished the last 2 miles of day one in the rain and arrived soaking wet at the shelter for the night. We were met by other hikers who had battled the trail that day. Everyone was bruised and broken yet optimistic and resilient. They all seemed to acknowledge that there had been a battle and they may have been defeated but they didn't mind, this is a war and they are determined to prevail. We spent the evening huddled in the shelter out of the rain with quiet laughs and short stories in a similar fashion to how I imagine soldiers interact after a long battle. For the first time I realized how significant the resolve of a thru-hiker really is.

On day two after a quick breakfast we hit the trail in the cool morning air on a trail that was soggy from the nights rain. Our 14mile route for the day took us on a long downhill followed by a steep uphill and then "flat" ground for the last 6 miles. We had lightened our loads the night before at the shelter and despite some sore muscles we were in high spirits.Shortly after beginning the big downhill section the trail struck me with a lightning bolt of humility as I slipped on a rock and "tweaked" my knee. It's been years since I've sustained an injury and I figured this was no different and I could just walk it off. The trail had other plans though and as the steep downhill miles wore on they became increasingly more painful and at points unbearable. I found two sticks from beside the trail to help bear some of my weight but the pain kept growing. I felt broken and disheartened as Dreamer increasingly had to wait for me. It was a stark realization of the pain and heartbreak that Socks had experienced just a month before. My goal of 36 miles was a drop in the bucket compared to her goal of thru-hiking but was my trip over too? Could I struggle through this? Am I jeopardizing the goals of Dreamer and Tex? Am I selfish for needing their help? The questions raced through my mind. We stopped at the bottom of the hill for lunch and with tape and an ace bandage from Tex I wrapped my knee up and we started from the road uphill. This was my test. If I could make it to the top I could go on. If I couldn't make it I would have to back track to the road for a shuttle. Thankfully the bandage helped and even though there was still pain I was able to push past it and continue with Dreamer and Tex

Charlie was thrilled to be back with Dad on the trail!

For the last 4 miles on day two we were once again caught in a rainstorm and again got to the shelter soaking wet. Again we were met with friendly faces and embraced the feeling of shared suffering.On the third day we woke up to a glorious day. The clouds and rain had given way to a cool spring day with sunshine radiating through the trees. It seemed the trail had smiled upon us for the remaining 7 miles of our hike. We set out on the trail and my knee was feeling tolerable and the trail was great. We looked at the 4000 ft peak in front of us and smiled. We climbed with vigor as we charged the peak, carefully placing one foot in front of the other marching onward.There was no retreat available, surrender was not an option, we had to conquer this mountain. Do or do not, there was no try. The trail had changed us."

Communal campfire at Wood's Hole Hostel

Almost 40 pizzas were build for the hiker guests that night at Wood's Hole

These boys had hiked for a short three days and felt changed. This trail WILL change you. Good or Bad, this trail will leave you different than you arrived. Our son, Jesse (Tex), keeps saying, "It's life changing." Yes, my son, it is and I am even more determined to return!!
You can learn more about Tex and Opie and their company, "First Light Gear" at: www.firstlightgear.com Opie has a bit more to share on their blog!

Team TNT + C: T Solo hikes the Appalachian Trail for a bit....

As you know, I, 'Socks' have been home for the past two weeks, discovering the issue with the knee, dealing with being 'off trail',  (which amounts to BIG, FAT DEPRESSION), and trying to enjoy my little piece of joy in Lydia Ann.

Well, the MRI news wasn't good.... I tore both the medial and lateral meniscus in my left knee. Dr. stunned that I'd hiked 60 miles on it, but understood the amount of damage because of it. I will be having surgery day after tomorrow, Monday, April 22 to repair it with some rehab/PT following.  NOW, the real countdown can begin. I am prepping for being 'laid up' for a few days.... (for those of you that know me, I'm not a good 'sit still' kind of person), so, I'm gathering up my stuff for "sick bay."

I'll be staying with Hannah and Nate and our granddaughter, Lydia for a few days, till I can ditch the crutches and be mobile again. I'll be heading back home to resume some sort of exercise and rehab to get moving back towards the trail! Hoping to work with a trainer to regain some strength in this leg and learn what I can do to protect it from further injury once I get hiking again. The word I'm hanging onto is: BELIEVE! It's my new mantra. I believe I WILL be back out there hiking by mid-June. Charlie and I will be taking a field trip to visit Dreamer as soon as I'm able to drive.

Charlie is getting pretty out of shape and needs to get hiking again! He lives a pretty LAZY life here as evidenced in these pictures.

Charlie sleeping in his bed with his 'friend', Mr. Fluffy

Charlie sleeping on the couch in the family room. 

We've been able to catch up with Dream over the past couple days as he 'zero'ed in Erwin, Tennessee. He was able to upload and mail several videos that I'll be posting over the next couple days to catch everyone up. He's doing great, is putting in BIG miles and is missing us both. He did create the best video for me... It's just scenery, but the song and the trail speak to my heart, when he is unable to verbalize how much he misses us. Thank you sweetheart. We miss you too.

A MESSAGE FOR MY SWEETHEART

Local PRESS coverage for Team TNT- Appalachian Trail

Team TNT will have the local press here in Lansing, Michigan following our Appalachian Trail journey. Today, the first installment hit the newsstands in the "Greater Lansing Woman" magazine, published by the Lansing State Journal.

This introductory story highlights the top 5 reasons we're each embarking on this journey as well as a few statistics about the trail. Each month, we'll do an update article from the trail, keeping our supporters up to date on our progress, trials and tribulations along the way and perhaps even a story or two about some of the other hikers we meet.

I'm sure that Charlie will provide a bit of fodder for some interesting tales too!

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we'll start the trek southbound to Springer Mountain. Let the adventure begin!!

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!!

We're now sharing more information on The Appalachian Trail!

We are moving into the 21st century and the Pinterest craze! TNTontheTrail is now on Pinterest and we're sharing even more information than we can share here in our backpacking blog. Hiking tips, links to all of our videos on YouTube, equipment and gear links, as well as links to many of our food sources and even some backpacking friends. We are posting all the links and gear for our upcoming hike on The Appalachian Trail, so if you'd like to read and see more of what we're using, maybe to purchase for yourself, see our new Pinterest page.

So, click on the follow us on Pinterest link or click HERE.

We look forward to seeing some of you there and perhaps even sharing some of your stuff with us!

Happy Pinning!