3/14/09
... and welcome to our journey...
I (greyson) am a 23 y/o brand new graduate of mississippi college (as of dec. '08). Tupelo, MS native. Ever since graduation, I have been back home working at an outdoor store -called Trails & Treads- with some awesome people. I've been loving the job, trying to save up a little more money to do this thing that I've wanted to do for so long. And it is finally here... the appalachian trail begins in a few short hours.
I have been so fortunately blessed to have a friend in Micah Jehosephat Naylor (not his real middle name-but not exactly sure what it is either), Stone Mt., GA native. He & I go back to 2004, where we first worked together at a camp called Lake Forest Ranch. Our friendship has grown over the years due to our shared asphyxiation to our creator, music, and the outdoors.
I'll let him tell you about himself, and I'll post a little more a little later on. must get rest for tomorrow we hike. thanks for caring. prayers are much felt and appreciated.
much love,
g
Saturday
Wednesday
super!!!...8
3/18/09
hey everyone. grey again. I am EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED right now... I just spent about 2-3 hours typing about the last few days and somehow it got deleted. i had successfully solved world hunger and figured out cures for all sorts of diseases... but it's all lost now. what do you do?!
basically in a 'much' shortened version (this will be the first & last epic novel of this length, the rest will be much shorter, there was just much to say about these first few):
three days ago, Sunday @ 11:00 a.m to be exact, we (amanda, Brock, buster, michelle, Micah, mama, & daddy) set out from the parking lot full of excitement, through the rain, towards springer mt. There was a .9 mile climb to the beginning and then a .9 mile descent right back down past where we left off from.
at the top, we took some pics, breathed in deep, signed the register, and set out. we got back down to the parking lot where mama (in some newly ruined shoes) and daddy gave encouraging words, took some last pictures together, shared the last hugs, kisses, tears, and goodbyes for a while. We had our initial 'snicker time' and we were gone.
the first day it was rainy and misty, but a good temperature. we made it a good ways, but wound up not getting the miles we wanted... partly because of weather conditions, but mainly because after about 3.5 miles we came to an awesome little creek where we met a guy named chris. Chris told us we were 2 miles further along than we were (nice guy, good intentions, bad with maps). we believed him, he was nice, our hopes were high, and we were conquerors up until this point. so why couldn't we have hiked 4 miles in an hour and a half (common sense should have said take a gander at the map yourself, but we were too giddy). anyway, thinking we were further down the trail, we stopped to celebrate our 'accomplishments', and take in the beauty filled environment.
later we found out we were not where we thought and soon gave a wag of the finger (and no, not what you devilish peeps are thinking, just the kind of finger that a mom wags at her child if he/she is about to do something they shouldn't) towards chris, wherever he was at that point. so, we actually wound up a couple of miles short of the goal at a cozy little campsite beside a creek. that night was fun, it was all new and we were with good friends.
around 3 that next morning, it started raining pretty steady and didn't really stop until 10:30 the following night. it was kind of hard to squelch our excitement after that first day of rain, and even part of the second day... but two days of rain straight isn't the most encouraging way to start such an endeavor... nonetheless... it was a great... that is until...
bad news: that 2nd morning is when Manda woke up feeling nauseous and it went downhill from there for her (actually uphill altitudinally speaking). a mile and a half into the walk that day we came across a logging road, which up until that point she had already lost all of her intestines, but here, thought she could lose a lot more. we decided to let her and Brock stay there while we hiked ahead however far to get cell service to call someone to come and pick them up. this is when we had part ways with amanda and Brock to make sure they were taken care of.
a little ways down the trail, half of a mile or so, we were able to get in touch with the people to come and get them (but later we found out that it wasn't until after 4 hours of waiting that they they were actually picked up).
we trekked on. we decided we would try and get as far as we could before we fell down. and we did just that. 7.5 miles later, after the most treacherous climb to date, 1 mile/800 foot elevation rise (sassafrass mt.). the hardest part aside from the sloppy terrain and constant rain, was the fact that there seemed to be no pay off for all of the toil we were going through. where beautiful vistas were supposed to be, there was only the spot to look out, and then an immediate wall of cloud. it was almost torture. all four of us marched on, michelle (poo bear) leading the way, we collapsed at the following campsite... after the sassafrass climb: cooper gap.
that night around 10:30 the fog lifted and the rain stopped. the air cooled and the stars came out. we ate pretty good and went to bed fairly early.
the following morning, we were able to get cell service again, so we called to check on amanda. brock told us she was getting better but she was still in bad shape. We decided that for amanda's sake, even though they were planning on hiking with us until thurs. afternoon, that we would spend that day trying to get to the next forest road and get brock to pick buster and michelle up as well, so that they could get on the road back towards home. since it was going to be later on in the afternoon, they had six+ hours of driving left, and that amanda was starting to feel slightly better, they decided to stay back at the super 8 in dahlonega (that's *del-logena... inside joke - just ask anyone that was apart of all this) that night (tues. night) and wait and leave the next day (wed.).
day 3: we had 4.9 miles to get to gooch gap, where u.s. forest road 42 cut across the a.t. and where brock was going to be waiting on us. we woke up to a beautiful day, around 45 degrees that morning with the wind blowing just a little bit, and not a cloud in the sky (you have to understand that when you carry 40+ lbs of food, clothing, and shelter on your back up and down mtns. it doesn't take long to warm up). the high that day rose to around 60. it was a perfect day for hiking and we had a short, somewhat relaxing stroll ahead of us.
we set out and covered some serious land on tues. birds were chirping, scenes were incredible, and this was the first day with no moisture! what a glorious day. even though i had to be waited on every tenth of a mile we were still able to knock out our mileage quick enough to really enjoy long pauses for 'snicker time.' we were able to get to gooch (buster's trail name - sorry brotha :)) gap, 30 minutes early. but for me, by the time that I had gotten here, my ankle was shot. we had decided not long after hiking that day, and the 2nd time we had gotten in touch with brock, that micah and i were going to go in to town with the couples that night, rest. restock, eat large, and get revived.
brock came. we went back to the super 8 in del-logena (where mandy and brock surprised us with our own room). we showered, ate a fat juicy burger, corn on the cob & fries, then blizzards from dairy queen, and then followed most importantly by conversations with family and friends about the road blocks... and truly by the voice of our Maker, communicated by his people that love and encourage well - that He has blessed me to be able call friends, and much more, family - spoke truth and wisdom and revived my passion for this dream...despite adversity. micah reminded me that he is in this with me, and he wanted to do whatever i needed to. we spent the night in the best way that could have been, and it was great.
we waited until this morning and see how the ankle was... and it wasn't... believe me. i looked like... you know when you have sat on you leg or foot long enough for it to go completely asleep and then you try to walk on it, you know how that looks... well that was how i looked this morning. i was grabbing hold of everything i could find trying to make my way around to ease the pain. so we decided to stay one more day in town with our friends and, and then stay in the hiker hostel this afternoon, and tonight. which is why i've been able to tell you guys all of this. today, before we came here, we went and had a huge awesome breakfast on the square, went to the local outfitter and got some insoles and fuel, and then to wal-mart where we restocked some food. from there, they took us back to the hostel where we began, for them to take us back to where we left off in the morning. we said our final goodbyes, and hung out here all afternoon, met some cool people, and took it easy.
the Lord has been gracious and I am now comfortably walking around, and before amanda, brock, buster, & michelle left us here, i was able to send about 12 lbs of my pack back home... so we are hoping...praying for difference.
moral: I have been encouraged to find out what my threshold is and go no more than that each time... do only what i can and not worry about the outcome or tomorrow. i am praying that as i see what my struggle is here, physically, that i am reminded constantly that it's about today, this moment, this journey in the next few steps, and not about the end result...(if that's in Maine, or GA) only what can be done right now to glorify him, not tomorrow.... i pray that this carries over into "real" life for me, and that micah can continue to be enriched far beyond my physical limitations.
thank you all for you thought, concerns, and prayers. you are all thought highly of and very much appreciated.
much love,
g
hey everyone. grey again. I am EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED right now... I just spent about 2-3 hours typing about the last few days and somehow it got deleted. i had successfully solved world hunger and figured out cures for all sorts of diseases... but it's all lost now. what do you do?!
basically in a 'much' shortened version (this will be the first & last epic novel of this length, the rest will be much shorter, there was just much to say about these first few):
three days ago, Sunday @ 11:00 a.m to be exact, we (amanda, Brock, buster, michelle, Micah, mama, & daddy) set out from the parking lot full of excitement, through the rain, towards springer mt. There was a .9 mile climb to the beginning and then a .9 mile descent right back down past where we left off from.
at the top, we took some pics, breathed in deep, signed the register, and set out. we got back down to the parking lot where mama (in some newly ruined shoes) and daddy gave encouraging words, took some last pictures together, shared the last hugs, kisses, tears, and goodbyes for a while. We had our initial 'snicker time' and we were gone.
the first day it was rainy and misty, but a good temperature. we made it a good ways, but wound up not getting the miles we wanted... partly because of weather conditions, but mainly because after about 3.5 miles we came to an awesome little creek where we met a guy named chris. Chris told us we were 2 miles further along than we were (nice guy, good intentions, bad with maps). we believed him, he was nice, our hopes were high, and we were conquerors up until this point. so why couldn't we have hiked 4 miles in an hour and a half (common sense should have said take a gander at the map yourself, but we were too giddy). anyway, thinking we were further down the trail, we stopped to celebrate our 'accomplishments', and take in the beauty filled environment.
later we found out we were not where we thought and soon gave a wag of the finger (and no, not what you devilish peeps are thinking, just the kind of finger that a mom wags at her child if he/she is about to do something they shouldn't) towards chris, wherever he was at that point. so, we actually wound up a couple of miles short of the goal at a cozy little campsite beside a creek. that night was fun, it was all new and we were with good friends.
around 3 that next morning, it started raining pretty steady and didn't really stop until 10:30 the following night. it was kind of hard to squelch our excitement after that first day of rain, and even part of the second day... but two days of rain straight isn't the most encouraging way to start such an endeavor... nonetheless... it was a great... that is until...
bad news: that 2nd morning is when Manda woke up feeling nauseous and it went downhill from there for her (actually uphill altitudinally speaking). a mile and a half into the walk that day we came across a logging road, which up until that point she had already lost all of her intestines, but here, thought she could lose a lot more. we decided to let her and Brock stay there while we hiked ahead however far to get cell service to call someone to come and pick them up. this is when we had part ways with amanda and Brock to make sure they were taken care of.
it was hard saying goodbye to mama and daddy of course, but this was also quite a grieving period for me as well, for a number of reasons: manda was deathly sick, the only hiking she and brock got to do or scenery they got to see was hindered by rain or fog, but mainly because they were the last bit of 'home' i had left to reach out and touch (and i'm really close to my sis). to leave them like this was really hard.
a little ways down the trail, half of a mile or so, we were able to get in touch with the people to come and get them (but later we found out that it wasn't until after 4 hours of waiting that they they were actually picked up).
we trekked on. we decided we would try and get as far as we could before we fell down. and we did just that. 7.5 miles later, after the most treacherous climb to date, 1 mile/800 foot elevation rise (sassafrass mt.). the hardest part aside from the sloppy terrain and constant rain, was the fact that there seemed to be no pay off for all of the toil we were going through. where beautiful vistas were supposed to be, there was only the spot to look out, and then an immediate wall of cloud. it was almost torture. all four of us marched on, michelle (poo bear) leading the way, we collapsed at the following campsite... after the sassafrass climb: cooper gap.
that night around 10:30 the fog lifted and the rain stopped. the air cooled and the stars came out. we ate pretty good and went to bed fairly early.
the following morning, we were able to get cell service again, so we called to check on amanda. brock told us she was getting better but she was still in bad shape. We decided that for amanda's sake, even though they were planning on hiking with us until thurs. afternoon, that we would spend that day trying to get to the next forest road and get brock to pick buster and michelle up as well, so that they could get on the road back towards home. since it was going to be later on in the afternoon, they had six+ hours of driving left, and that amanda was starting to feel slightly better, they decided to stay back at the super 8 in dahlonega (that's *del-logena... inside joke - just ask anyone that was apart of all this) that night (tues. night) and wait and leave the next day (wed.).
worst fear: the very thing that I had been praying against since the day that I began planning for the a.t., fell at my feet...literally. i was born with a abnormal foot issue that needed corrective surgery right away, and because of it, i've had issues with it all my life. through all of my sports playing in middle-high school it gave me a lot of problems... but was ok by lunch the next day. the downside: my right foot is limited in flexibility... where the left foot can pivot just like everyone elses', my right foot has toe down - toe up movement only, and even that is limited. basically what happens when i try to make my foot move in ways it can't it hurts, and then when i continue that pattern beyond that, the muscles around my ankle begin to tighten to prevent any movement at all. so... on day two around mile 3 it began aching, usually it will perform after it starts hurting for quite a while, but after the limit is pushed, it begins to lock up. at mile 7.5 it was shut down. i was used to this happening, but what I was praying for was that when it happened each time, that recovery would be swift. i was hoping that this would be different... you know... because i felt like i was supposed to be out here. i thought that maybe because of extremely supportive boots as opposed to baseball cleats, and mostly by His grace, things would be different than then.
day 3: we had 4.9 miles to get to gooch gap, where u.s. forest road 42 cut across the a.t. and where brock was going to be waiting on us. we woke up to a beautiful day, around 45 degrees that morning with the wind blowing just a little bit, and not a cloud in the sky (you have to understand that when you carry 40+ lbs of food, clothing, and shelter on your back up and down mtns. it doesn't take long to warm up). the high that day rose to around 60. it was a perfect day for hiking and we had a short, somewhat relaxing stroll ahead of us.
for me, this was my worst day yet on the trail. i woke up that morning with my foot aching and not wanting to flex at all. after some stretching, blood began to flow and it felt a little better... for a half-mile or so. after that it was really punishing. uphills- on my muscles that i haven't worked on a whole lot in the last 5 yrs. and the downhills- my joints (ankle) from constant pounding.
we set out and covered some serious land on tues. birds were chirping, scenes were incredible, and this was the first day with no moisture! what a glorious day. even though i had to be waited on every tenth of a mile we were still able to knock out our mileage quick enough to really enjoy long pauses for 'snicker time.' we were able to get to gooch (buster's trail name - sorry brotha :)) gap, 30 minutes early. but for me, by the time that I had gotten here, my ankle was shot. we had decided not long after hiking that day, and the 2nd time we had gotten in touch with brock, that micah and i were going to go in to town with the couples that night, rest. restock, eat large, and get revived.
to be honest with you all, by the end of this hiking day, although supposed to be an easy stroll, i was ready to be amputated and taken home. i was frustrated more than i have been in a long time. something that i have been dreaming about doing for so long, something that i felt like i was supposed to do, seemed like it was the impossible... all of my preparation: for naught. i mean if i couldn't hike more than three days straight at that avg. mileage a day, then... anyway, you get the idea. what really bothered me just as much was that i felt like i was wasting people's time, holding everyone up... especially micah (not for any reason that he made me feel that way, i just thought that). he's big and strong enough to cover all the distance he wants. i felt like, if we weren't going to make it to maine, it was going to be my fault. i didn't want to be the reason he wasn't able to fulfill his dreams.
brock came. we went back to the super 8 in del-logena (where mandy and brock surprised us with our own room). we showered, ate a fat juicy burger, corn on the cob & fries, then blizzards from dairy queen, and then followed most importantly by conversations with family and friends about the road blocks... and truly by the voice of our Maker, communicated by his people that love and encourage well - that He has blessed me to be able call friends, and much more, family - spoke truth and wisdom and revived my passion for this dream...despite adversity. micah reminded me that he is in this with me, and he wanted to do whatever i needed to. we spent the night in the best way that could have been, and it was great.
we waited until this morning and see how the ankle was... and it wasn't... believe me. i looked like... you know when you have sat on you leg or foot long enough for it to go completely asleep and then you try to walk on it, you know how that looks... well that was how i looked this morning. i was grabbing hold of everything i could find trying to make my way around to ease the pain. so we decided to stay one more day in town with our friends and, and then stay in the hiker hostel this afternoon, and tonight. which is why i've been able to tell you guys all of this. today, before we came here, we went and had a huge awesome breakfast on the square, went to the local outfitter and got some insoles and fuel, and then to wal-mart where we restocked some food. from there, they took us back to the hostel where we began, for them to take us back to where we left off in the morning. we said our final goodbyes, and hung out here all afternoon, met some cool people, and took it easy.
the Lord has been gracious and I am now comfortably walking around, and before amanda, brock, buster, & michelle left us here, i was able to send about 12 lbs of my pack back home... so we are hoping...praying for difference.
moral: I have been encouraged to find out what my threshold is and go no more than that each time... do only what i can and not worry about the outcome or tomorrow. i am praying that as i see what my struggle is here, physically, that i am reminded constantly that it's about today, this moment, this journey in the next few steps, and not about the end result...(if that's in Maine, or GA) only what can be done right now to glorify him, not tomorrow.... i pray that this carries over into "real" life for me, and that micah can continue to be enriched far beyond my physical limitations.
thank you all for you thought, concerns, and prayers. you are all thought highly of and very much appreciated.
much love,
g
Micah here
3/18/09
hello everyone, I'm speaking through Greys account because this thing
won't let me do it through mine.
my fingers feel a little big trying to use this iPhone so I'll be makin
a dis short.
things are: good, tough, changing, eventful, aching... just a taste,
discouraging, encouraging, humorous, and just what is needed.
I hope you all are well. and keep us in your prayers. much love!
peace.
hello everyone, I'm speaking through Greys account because this thing
won't let me do it through mine.
my fingers feel a little big trying to use this iPhone so I'll be makin
a dis short.
things are: good, tough, changing, eventful, aching... just a taste,
discouraging, encouraging, humorous, and just what is needed.
I hope you all are well. and keep us in your prayers. much love!
peace.
Tuesday
I Like Sweet Tea
3/24/09
Hello,
Now that I have a keyboard under my fingers I'll be able to write more.
Me and G just finished off a big burger, Large fries, and a big thing of sweet tea. And Grey went off to the grocery store to pick up some stuff while I'm currently at the library, Releasing some thoughts. First off, for those of you who don't know me, I'll share a little bit about myself.
I don't really know where to start when it comes to talking about myself, so this will probably
be kinda scattered. I was born and raised in Stone Mountain, GA. I have five sisters and four brothers. I know, some crazy times, but I wouldn't have wanted to grow up any other way.
I was home schooled all the way through, have always loved music, have always been fascinated
by simple things, and enjoy long walks in the woods, and nice warm fires and the more I write the more it sounds like I'm applying to some dating website..
Anyways... It would take a while to talk about everything, so I'll just talk about the past little while and how it got me on the trail.
About five or so years ago I started working at camp called Lake Forest Ranch, and knowing that you either know me or Greyson or both you've probably heard of it from us. Its a christian summer camp for kids, my dad used to speak there quite a bit so I grew up going there. And my first summer working there I met Greyson and that's where our friendship began. And we worked there together one other summer but the other years we stayed in touch, he's one of those friends that even if I don' talk to for awhile things just pick up where they left off. And then just about a year or so ago a little bird told me that Grey was planning on doing the AT, so I called him up and said I'd go with Him. And the decision was kind of on a whim but the year I spent thinking about it the more it felt like it was suppose to happen. A lot of things with this trip have just fell in to place and I've had a lot people support the trip which I've been thankful for every day. And other reason's why I feel like this is where I'm suppose to be in this season in my life and I feel like there are more reasons yet to be seen.
I've always loved the lord, and still do to this day, but I feel like I've been in a season of winter for awhile to point where I'm tired of wrestling with questions. And so caught in everyday life that I haven't taken much notice of what Gods trying to say to me. So it just feels good to be away from distractions in this time. Still don't know what God doing but just taking it a day at a time..
Thankful that I have the oppurtunity to do this with Greyson. Thankful that my family and friends have been so supportive. It means a lot to me..
And with all that said(and sorry it was so random) allow me to update you a little bit on the trip.
Greyson should have a blog up here shortly also.
This past week, as you have read Gs blog from a couple days ago, has been eventful.
We've been averaging about seven mile days right now, which has been good, cause I'm
a little out of shape. We've been blessed with a sunny week which has been amazing. and will
when get back on the trail tomorrow, at least just for short while.
I've eaten more snickers this week then did last year. And more Ramen noodles this week than I've had my whole life and when didn't eat too many ramen noodles, I've never been a fan of 'em. But when your on a budget. Mac N Cheese has been a big menu item.
And we've met a lot of interesting people. Alot of them quit their jobs to be out here or are in between jobs. There's an older lady we've talked to a little bit the past few days that goes by the
name "Trekking Girl" It's been really good to get to know her. For those who don't know everyone on the trail ends up with a "trail name" at some point. for example:
Spaceman (because who clothes look like there from space)
Signage (she likes signs)
Ironman (his children gave him that name)
Swamp Dog ( He went to UGA and use to live near a swamp)
Infinity (she carries Buzz Lightyear around in her pack)
Skip
One Step
Laughing Owl
Me and G don't have one yet and we were thinking about letting you guys give us some names.
so let this be an invitation to post the best fit names for us. (and I can't promise that we'll use them but if you can come up with something cool, just maybe...)
I had a pretty peaceful night last night, we sleep in hammocks and we have rainflys that go over
them but last night I didn't put up the fly and was able to look at the stars, it's been awhile since I've done that. There still there and still shining..
You guys keep your eyes peeled for some videos being posted withing the next week or two
we're hoping to have some up soon. Until next time..
Love..
Hello,
Now that I have a keyboard under my fingers I'll be able to write more.
Me and G just finished off a big burger, Large fries, and a big thing of sweet tea. And Grey went off to the grocery store to pick up some stuff while I'm currently at the library, Releasing some thoughts. First off, for those of you who don't know me, I'll share a little bit about myself.
I don't really know where to start when it comes to talking about myself, so this will probably
be kinda scattered. I was born and raised in Stone Mountain, GA. I have five sisters and four brothers. I know, some crazy times, but I wouldn't have wanted to grow up any other way.
I was home schooled all the way through, have always loved music, have always been fascinated
by simple things, and enjoy long walks in the woods, and nice warm fires and the more I write the more it sounds like I'm applying to some dating website..
Anyways... It would take a while to talk about everything, so I'll just talk about the past little while and how it got me on the trail.
About five or so years ago I started working at camp called Lake Forest Ranch, and knowing that you either know me or Greyson or both you've probably heard of it from us. Its a christian summer camp for kids, my dad used to speak there quite a bit so I grew up going there. And my first summer working there I met Greyson and that's where our friendship began. And we worked there together one other summer but the other years we stayed in touch, he's one of those friends that even if I don' talk to for awhile things just pick up where they left off. And then just about a year or so ago a little bird told me that Grey was planning on doing the AT, so I called him up and said I'd go with Him. And the decision was kind of on a whim but the year I spent thinking about it the more it felt like it was suppose to happen. A lot of things with this trip have just fell in to place and I've had a lot people support the trip which I've been thankful for every day. And other reason's why I feel like this is where I'm suppose to be in this season in my life and I feel like there are more reasons yet to be seen.
I've always loved the lord, and still do to this day, but I feel like I've been in a season of winter for awhile to point where I'm tired of wrestling with questions. And so caught in everyday life that I haven't taken much notice of what Gods trying to say to me. So it just feels good to be away from distractions in this time. Still don't know what God doing but just taking it a day at a time..
Thankful that I have the oppurtunity to do this with Greyson. Thankful that my family and friends have been so supportive. It means a lot to me..
And with all that said(and sorry it was so random) allow me to update you a little bit on the trip.
Greyson should have a blog up here shortly also.
This past week, as you have read Gs blog from a couple days ago, has been eventful.
We've been averaging about seven mile days right now, which has been good, cause I'm
a little out of shape. We've been blessed with a sunny week which has been amazing. and will
when get back on the trail tomorrow, at least just for short while.
I've eaten more snickers this week then did last year. And more Ramen noodles this week than I've had my whole life and when didn't eat too many ramen noodles, I've never been a fan of 'em. But when your on a budget. Mac N Cheese has been a big menu item.
And we've met a lot of interesting people. Alot of them quit their jobs to be out here or are in between jobs. There's an older lady we've talked to a little bit the past few days that goes by the
name "Trekking Girl" It's been really good to get to know her. For those who don't know everyone on the trail ends up with a "trail name" at some point. for example:
Spaceman (because who clothes look like there from space)
Signage (she likes signs)
Ironman (his children gave him that name)
Swamp Dog ( He went to UGA and use to live near a swamp)
Infinity (she carries Buzz Lightyear around in her pack)
Skip
One Step
Laughing Owl
Me and G don't have one yet and we were thinking about letting you guys give us some names.
so let this be an invitation to post the best fit names for us. (and I can't promise that we'll use them but if you can come up with something cool, just maybe...)
I had a pretty peaceful night last night, we sleep in hammocks and we have rainflys that go over
them but last night I didn't put up the fly and was able to look at the stars, it's been awhile since I've done that. There still there and still shining..
You guys keep your eyes peeled for some videos being posted withing the next week or two
we're hoping to have some up soon. Until next time..
Love..
Wednesday
days inn!!
3/25/09
even as a child I was never as excited as I was yesterday to get to stay at a hotel...
6 days of sweat & dirt really almost becomes a suit. I literally could not wait for a couple of showers, a warm bed where I don't wake up with my feet cold in the night, and a washer & dryer for the one pair of shorts and two shirts I've been wearing everyday.
you know how after a long day of work, either in the yard or at a job, how a hot shower or bath feels?... now imagine a theif came in and stole your shower, bath, all the sinks, and most depressingly, the hot water... in the place of it he's put a 50 degree little trickle of water in your backyard that's a half of a mile from your bed (you inherited a lot of land...work with me, it's part of the scenario). it's 40 degrees outside, and ur so far away from a warm bed or house that if you wash off there, your wet and cold and in danger of hypothermia... now imagine that everyday for a week... and then try and think about a beautiful yellow & blue sign with the words "days inn" written out below a warm ray of sunshine (the days inn logo), and how behind each of those beautiful little, overused yellowish smoke tar covered doors is warm blast of water for as long as you want it.
anyway... it was good, wendy's was good (stomach shrinking, appetite small, not able to eat a as much as we thought), supper was good, sleep was good. it took all afternoon to plan & prepare for the next two weeks... which stunk, we didn't get to make phone calls to everyone we wanted to... but it was also good to get everything somewhat planned out. we just had a good complimentary microwaveable breakfast and coffee; now we're back trying to get prepared mentally & physically by coming up with slow jazz improv lyrics about rain to the elevator music from the weather channel as we see all of the dark clouds and thunder bolts hiking with us in the days ahead.
fastfoward now to the afternoon still at the days inn, where we've decided to stay 1 more night. call us crazy, but lightning coupled with high ridges and tall trees, metal hiking poles, and threats of tornadoes added with the bonus of more muscle & joint recuperation, plus more time to reconnect with fam = we decided to leave early in the morning. I know it seems early to be taking these 2 day breaks, but we felt that as muscles are getting used to it.. we need to listen to our bodies and try not push to the point that it's punishment and misery. we're trying to walk the walk we feel like we're supposed to walk (last weeks' blog). we've got a big week and a half ahead, lots of miles, and a cheap hostel stay there. we've weighed pros and cons, prayed, and here we are.
I can't tell you how much you guys' comments, thoughts, prayers, and encouragements add fuel to the fire that the Lord has placed within us to be on this journey. just like I was talking about with the days inn and appreciating it so much more than I normally would, your words to us affect much deeper places within us than would normally and we are eternally grateful. we love you people very much and can, even now, see the seeds that He is bringing to fruition concerning the awakening of our souls to this life around us. his poeople, his creation, his gifts. as we become little more blessed during this season to breathe in deep the beauty of it all, it really is overwhelming. I'm sure it weird to read about, but emotions are somewhat hightened as each step is taken. which is awesome, because our fear and prayers during this time is that it wouldn't turn into a clock in, clock out sort of job, where we become to numb to everything around us... which is one of the main reasons we came out here to begin with... to get away from that.
to begin with, this journey for both of us, we believe was somewhat self-centered, where we were praying about change for us as individuals... Micah graciously reminded me the other day while hiking that the call in our lives is for worship, then sharing love and the gospel of Christ with the people around us... we began to talk about how He is the Autor, Perfector, Sustainer, & Sanctifier of this life. in pursuit of worship and the sharing of Christs' love within us, he's going to expose, change, and bring us to a deeper, more intimate, place with Him.... basically, it's not our job to fix, or to figure out how and what to change within, but to love.
so I guess this in a way a missionary journey... sent out in a pair... learning to care for deep thinkers and the neat people we meet on the out here. pray for us... that we are taught... changed... directed towards truth- the sharing of it, and more in love with He who made us.
so far we've met some cool people and had some really awesome conversations. more later.
....
so yeah... there's a lot of rain in the forecast in the next 10 days. we've been trying to make light of it, but really there's no escaping the reality of how hard it is going to be to push through when it's already cold and everything you have is wet. pray for us.
it's been awesome... the weather has been unbelieveable to this point. with the trees still barren, the views have been indescribeable... sunsets, sunrises, all of it. hopefully you guys can catch some glimpses of those when you watch the video next week.
much love to you all.
until next time,
g
even as a child I was never as excited as I was yesterday to get to stay at a hotel...
6 days of sweat & dirt really almost becomes a suit. I literally could not wait for a couple of showers, a warm bed where I don't wake up with my feet cold in the night, and a washer & dryer for the one pair of shorts and two shirts I've been wearing everyday.
you know how after a long day of work, either in the yard or at a job, how a hot shower or bath feels?... now imagine a theif came in and stole your shower, bath, all the sinks, and most depressingly, the hot water... in the place of it he's put a 50 degree little trickle of water in your backyard that's a half of a mile from your bed (you inherited a lot of land...work with me, it's part of the scenario). it's 40 degrees outside, and ur so far away from a warm bed or house that if you wash off there, your wet and cold and in danger of hypothermia... now imagine that everyday for a week... and then try and think about a beautiful yellow & blue sign with the words "days inn" written out below a warm ray of sunshine (the days inn logo), and how behind each of those beautiful little, overused yellowish smoke tar covered doors is warm blast of water for as long as you want it.
anyway... it was good, wendy's was good (stomach shrinking, appetite small, not able to eat a as much as we thought), supper was good, sleep was good. it took all afternoon to plan & prepare for the next two weeks... which stunk, we didn't get to make phone calls to everyone we wanted to... but it was also good to get everything somewhat planned out. we just had a good complimentary microwaveable breakfast and coffee; now we're back trying to get prepared mentally & physically by coming up with slow jazz improv lyrics about rain to the elevator music from the weather channel as we see all of the dark clouds and thunder bolts hiking with us in the days ahead.
fastfoward now to the afternoon still at the days inn, where we've decided to stay 1 more night. call us crazy, but lightning coupled with high ridges and tall trees, metal hiking poles, and threats of tornadoes added with the bonus of more muscle & joint recuperation, plus more time to reconnect with fam = we decided to leave early in the morning. I know it seems early to be taking these 2 day breaks, but we felt that as muscles are getting used to it.. we need to listen to our bodies and try not push to the point that it's punishment and misery. we're trying to walk the walk we feel like we're supposed to walk (last weeks' blog). we've got a big week and a half ahead, lots of miles, and a cheap hostel stay there. we've weighed pros and cons, prayed, and here we are.
I can't tell you how much you guys' comments, thoughts, prayers, and encouragements add fuel to the fire that the Lord has placed within us to be on this journey. just like I was talking about with the days inn and appreciating it so much more than I normally would, your words to us affect much deeper places within us than would normally and we are eternally grateful. we love you people very much and can, even now, see the seeds that He is bringing to fruition concerning the awakening of our souls to this life around us. his poeople, his creation, his gifts. as we become little more blessed during this season to breathe in deep the beauty of it all, it really is overwhelming. I'm sure it weird to read about, but emotions are somewhat hightened as each step is taken. which is awesome, because our fear and prayers during this time is that it wouldn't turn into a clock in, clock out sort of job, where we become to numb to everything around us... which is one of the main reasons we came out here to begin with... to get away from that.
to begin with, this journey for both of us, we believe was somewhat self-centered, where we were praying about change for us as individuals... Micah graciously reminded me the other day while hiking that the call in our lives is for worship, then sharing love and the gospel of Christ with the people around us... we began to talk about how He is the Autor, Perfector, Sustainer, & Sanctifier of this life. in pursuit of worship and the sharing of Christs' love within us, he's going to expose, change, and bring us to a deeper, more intimate, place with Him.... basically, it's not our job to fix, or to figure out how and what to change within, but to love.
so I guess this in a way a missionary journey... sent out in a pair... learning to care for deep thinkers and the neat people we meet on the out here. pray for us... that we are taught... changed... directed towards truth- the sharing of it, and more in love with He who made us.
so far we've met some cool people and had some really awesome conversations. more later.
....
so yeah... there's a lot of rain in the forecast in the next 10 days. we've been trying to make light of it, but really there's no escaping the reality of how hard it is going to be to push through when it's already cold and everything you have is wet. pray for us.
it's been awesome... the weather has been unbelieveable to this point. with the trees still barren, the views have been indescribeable... sunsets, sunrises, all of it. hopefully you guys can catch some glimpses of those when you watch the video next week.
much love to you all.
until next time,
g
Tuesday
Just Call Me Treebeard
3/31/09
Hey Everybody,
We are in Franklin, NC after a grueling few days. We've been averaging eight miles a day until the past few days with yesterday being our longest yet at 14.4 miles and we both are feeling it. Thankfully, the weather could not have been better yesterday at seventy degrees with no cloud in sight. and not to mention a little "Trail Magic" (Trail Magic comes from Trail Angels who are people that devote some of their time during week and wait at crossroads to meet Hikers with drinks and snacks, mmmm....). We started our day a little late, which isn't unusual with us, at about 10:30 or 11:00 and hiked until about 9:30 with a good bit of breaks and snickers and trail magic. A little side note here:
There was a day this past week that I spent thinking of sweet tea, just about all day.
And the following day Greyson and I spent the day trekking through the rain. About mid after
noon we decided to take a break at a crossroad, ate a snack, filmed some video footage, rested our feet for a minute and then decided to throw our packs back on. And as we were about to hike back into the rain a car pulled up, a window rolled down, and voice called out saying if we wanted something to drink, And of course we did. So we walked down to the trunk of their car and they opened up a cooler and to my delight... SWEET TEA.
Back to the long day of hiking, we just finished a soda with some trail angel and decided to go on. At this point it was dark. All we knew was that we had to climb a big and down it to get to the next shelter. We didn't realize we actually were going to be CLIMBING. It was steep, and we were tired and in pain. but finally we made it to the top, and the view was worth every ache and pain from that day. The moon was shining enough to see the mountain scape's. the stars were shining, and you could see cities for miles.
The trip has been rough and tiring, and I can only speak for myself but the beauty out here is worth every cramp and blister. And the people are just as interesting. ( which I hope to write more about them the more I get to know them.)
Oh yea.. they call me Treebeard on the trail thanks to my sister..
And I dubbed Greyson, Sir "Dartanian" for his Muskateer like hat, poncho, and for his skill
with the trekking pole's.
I hope everyone is well,
your not far from my thoughts...
Hey Everybody,
We are in Franklin, NC after a grueling few days. We've been averaging eight miles a day until the past few days with yesterday being our longest yet at 14.4 miles and we both are feeling it. Thankfully, the weather could not have been better yesterday at seventy degrees with no cloud in sight. and not to mention a little "Trail Magic" (Trail Magic comes from Trail Angels who are people that devote some of their time during week and wait at crossroads to meet Hikers with drinks and snacks, mmmm....). We started our day a little late, which isn't unusual with us, at about 10:30 or 11:00 and hiked until about 9:30 with a good bit of breaks and snickers and trail magic. A little side note here:
There was a day this past week that I spent thinking of sweet tea, just about all day.
And the following day Greyson and I spent the day trekking through the rain. About mid after
noon we decided to take a break at a crossroad, ate a snack, filmed some video footage, rested our feet for a minute and then decided to throw our packs back on. And as we were about to hike back into the rain a car pulled up, a window rolled down, and voice called out saying if we wanted something to drink, And of course we did. So we walked down to the trunk of their car and they opened up a cooler and to my delight... SWEET TEA.
Back to the long day of hiking, we just finished a soda with some trail angel and decided to go on. At this point it was dark. All we knew was that we had to climb a big and down it to get to the next shelter. We didn't realize we actually were going to be CLIMBING. It was steep, and we were tired and in pain. but finally we made it to the top, and the view was worth every ache and pain from that day. The moon was shining enough to see the mountain scape's. the stars were shining, and you could see cities for miles.
The trip has been rough and tiring, and I can only speak for myself but the beauty out here is worth every cramp and blister. And the people are just as interesting. ( which I hope to write more about them the more I get to know them.)
Oh yea.. they call me Treebeard on the trail thanks to my sister..
And I dubbed Greyson, Sir "Dartanian" for his Muskateer like hat, poncho, and for his skill
with the trekking pole's.
I hope everyone is well,
your not far from my thoughts...
Sunday
mucho props (extreme gratefulness)
4/5/09
hey era-body.
this is a deeply sincere thanks to everyone who has been following us to this point, praying, reading, thinking... and i want to especially give a big warm hug to a few peeps in particular for their physical contributions to our journey in the last few weeks. the chapman's: mr. jimmy & ms. emily for the cinnamon rolls, ear plugs, and such ;) way too much, but thank you a ton; to ms. leslie from e.n.t. for the financial investment- huge thanks, you've blessed us with a warm delicious food to nourish our hungry bodies; to ms. amy lien for her encouraging words, awesome shipping skills, and friends with relatives in the hotel industry (more on this later); to papercrown productions (jonathan king & elliott davis), for their video editing & computing skills to get all the t's crossed and i's dotted with this blog... so you guys get a better idea of where we are... & more impressively what our days look like with a soundtrack, as little dull moments as possible, and chops of scenes arranged in ways that will probably make this voyage look similar to that of a planet earth, mixed with a little bear grills episode, and one of those state travel promotional videos - where they make arizona look like the best vacation destination on the planet (even better than tupelo), but except in our case, the A.T. - "the place where magical dreams come true"...(and it is... for us... and maybe for you too at some point, even if only a mile or two); to my daddy for his words to me, and emails to you guys-getting the word out about this site and making sure the location device is doing its' job; and last to mention specifically, the brains and heart behind the operation my momma... taking care of us with food package delivery, gear shipments, shuttle pick ups, and hotel/hostel reservations; and for general mention, all of the family and friends that heard our dreams, joined in our pursuits, pushed us out the door, are praying for us daily, and keep reminding us of the dream when it's hard to see it, and challenge us to continue the chase.
now for those answered prayers that you guys might not have heard about, and if you had, wouldn't know who the instruments were. well to give some praise our Father, I will do my very best to recall all of the answered, and even those unvoiced on our end, gifts along the way in the last few weeks: (actually I'm going to leave this paragraph for next week's blog and I will continue the thanksgiving then, but I have run out of time for this week, because we leave in about 10 minutes.)
ok. well basically as micah had said, in a little more than two weeks, we had covered 107.7 miles as of last tuesday at lunch... of which a third had been done the last 3 days we were hiking (38 miles). we were snowed on from 12:30 sunday, until breakfast the next morning. the wind was blowing @ 15-30 mph and the highs didn't get out of the 30's that day (i have no idea about wind chill). lows were in the teens that night. it was the coldest day yet... and that's why we kept hiking, we didn't want to stop and get cold. i think we got 13 miles that day. and 13 minutes of sleep... sleeping bags were falling down on the job of warmth that night. anyway monday (the next day) was awesome. the next morning we woke up with warmth started coming over the mountain around 9:00, and the snow began to melt - as did the ice from the trees. and we saw the sun for the first time in 6 days. it had rained relentlessly since we left helen, ga last week, and when that was over.. snow. oh yeah, but back to monday... we woke up, set out late, and were hiking with shorts and t-shirts in 70 degree temps by 12:30 that day. it was unbelievable. god had smiled on us and it was all we needed to press on for almost 15 miles that day. some night hiking, city/mountainscapes at 10:00 at night, visibility for 50+ miles @ 5,000 feet of elevation, and to top it off: a run up a firetower at the top that night, and a warm fire once we got to the shelter, provided by some old friends we had met a week+ back... and we were all really happy to see one another.
yeah... the Lord really displayed some beautiful workings of his creation, providence, and faithfulness that day.. it was glorious.
the next morning we woke up and were gone by 5 to get 10 miles to Franklin, NC by 11:00 a.m. once here, we were met by an awesomely unbelievable man that i don't have enough time in my life to describe (ron haven), that took care of us the first night... and then, the next day, amy lien (a friend to micah & myself that lives out in Colorado) called a friend she went to school with that lives here, to see if he wanted to meet up for a bite to eat, and he wound up offering to put us up in his dad's hotel for 4 nights and hook us up with free food vouchers for the week as well... i know what you are thinking... you hate us.. you think we don't deserve a vacation from a vacation... well i beg to differ. and so does my knees, legs, and feet! :) it has been a marvelous last few days... we have rested well... ate well... and are now about to head back out this morning to cover as many miles as our feet will let us for the next few weeks. we hope to avg. around 10 miles or maybe more a day.. i am praying that the goal is a righteous one and that He would honor it, but it He sees other wise... He is still faithful and good. pray for us please. that if we make the miles - that we would worship Him supremely, and if we don't that we would worship Him supremely... and in the middle of that... that we would worship Him supremely. i am praying for that for you all as well. thank you all so much for you love and care for us.
not everyone deserved of deep gratitude is listed above, and the people that are, words cannot express what it has done for me... for us. for our view of Christ and His body. i hope to continue giving thanks in my heart and in my life, and also on this blog while it exists. thank you. love you.
some truth we've been mulling over for the week: (ran out of time, ride's here, i will post what He's been doing in our hearts more specifically next time.)
hey era-body.
this is a deeply sincere thanks to everyone who has been following us to this point, praying, reading, thinking... and i want to especially give a big warm hug to a few peeps in particular for their physical contributions to our journey in the last few weeks. the chapman's: mr. jimmy & ms. emily for the cinnamon rolls, ear plugs, and such ;) way too much, but thank you a ton; to ms. leslie from e.n.t. for the financial investment- huge thanks, you've blessed us with a warm delicious food to nourish our hungry bodies; to ms. amy lien for her encouraging words, awesome shipping skills, and friends with relatives in the hotel industry (more on this later); to papercrown productions (jonathan king & elliott davis), for their video editing & computing skills to get all the t's crossed and i's dotted with this blog... so you guys get a better idea of where we are... & more impressively what our days look like with a soundtrack, as little dull moments as possible, and chops of scenes arranged in ways that will probably make this voyage look similar to that of a planet earth, mixed with a little bear grills episode, and one of those state travel promotional videos - where they make arizona look like the best vacation destination on the planet (even better than tupelo), but except in our case, the A.T. - "the place where magical dreams come true"...(and it is... for us... and maybe for you too at some point, even if only a mile or two); to my daddy for his words to me, and emails to you guys-getting the word out about this site and making sure the location device is doing its' job; and last to mention specifically, the brains and heart behind the operation my momma... taking care of us with food package delivery, gear shipments, shuttle pick ups, and hotel/hostel reservations; and for general mention, all of the family and friends that heard our dreams, joined in our pursuits, pushed us out the door, are praying for us daily, and keep reminding us of the dream when it's hard to see it, and challenge us to continue the chase.
now for those answered prayers that you guys might not have heard about, and if you had, wouldn't know who the instruments were. well to give some praise our Father, I will do my very best to recall all of the answered, and even those unvoiced on our end, gifts along the way in the last few weeks: (actually I'm going to leave this paragraph for next week's blog and I will continue the thanksgiving then, but I have run out of time for this week, because we leave in about 10 minutes.)
ok. well basically as micah had said, in a little more than two weeks, we had covered 107.7 miles as of last tuesday at lunch... of which a third had been done the last 3 days we were hiking (38 miles). we were snowed on from 12:30 sunday, until breakfast the next morning. the wind was blowing @ 15-30 mph and the highs didn't get out of the 30's that day (i have no idea about wind chill). lows were in the teens that night. it was the coldest day yet... and that's why we kept hiking, we didn't want to stop and get cold. i think we got 13 miles that day. and 13 minutes of sleep... sleeping bags were falling down on the job of warmth that night. anyway monday (the next day) was awesome. the next morning we woke up with warmth started coming over the mountain around 9:00, and the snow began to melt - as did the ice from the trees. and we saw the sun for the first time in 6 days. it had rained relentlessly since we left helen, ga last week, and when that was over.. snow. oh yeah, but back to monday... we woke up, set out late, and were hiking with shorts and t-shirts in 70 degree temps by 12:30 that day. it was unbelievable. god had smiled on us and it was all we needed to press on for almost 15 miles that day. some night hiking, city/mountainscapes at 10:00 at night, visibility for 50+ miles @ 5,000 feet of elevation, and to top it off: a run up a firetower at the top that night, and a warm fire once we got to the shelter, provided by some old friends we had met a week+ back... and we were all really happy to see one another.
yeah... the Lord really displayed some beautiful workings of his creation, providence, and faithfulness that day.. it was glorious.
the next morning we woke up and were gone by 5 to get 10 miles to Franklin, NC by 11:00 a.m. once here, we were met by an awesomely unbelievable man that i don't have enough time in my life to describe (ron haven), that took care of us the first night... and then, the next day, amy lien (a friend to micah & myself that lives out in Colorado) called a friend she went to school with that lives here, to see if he wanted to meet up for a bite to eat, and he wound up offering to put us up in his dad's hotel for 4 nights and hook us up with free food vouchers for the week as well... i know what you are thinking... you hate us.. you think we don't deserve a vacation from a vacation... well i beg to differ. and so does my knees, legs, and feet! :) it has been a marvelous last few days... we have rested well... ate well... and are now about to head back out this morning to cover as many miles as our feet will let us for the next few weeks. we hope to avg. around 10 miles or maybe more a day.. i am praying that the goal is a righteous one and that He would honor it, but it He sees other wise... He is still faithful and good. pray for us please. that if we make the miles - that we would worship Him supremely, and if we don't that we would worship Him supremely... and in the middle of that... that we would worship Him supremely. i am praying for that for you all as well. thank you all so much for you love and care for us.
not everyone deserved of deep gratitude is listed above, and the people that are, words cannot express what it has done for me... for us. for our view of Christ and His body. i hope to continue giving thanks in my heart and in my life, and also on this blog while it exists. thank you. love you.
some truth we've been mulling over for the week: (ran out of time, ride's here, i will post what He's been doing in our hearts more specifically next time.)
Thursday
shorty
4/16/09
hey guys and gals out there following along with us. we just checked out of the Grand Prix hotel here in gatlinburg, where we are about to run and pick up groceries for the next week, send a package from the u.p.s. store back home, and then head back up into the hills.
sadly in all of this, us being here the last day and a half, this computer i am typing from has been occupied a majority of the time by other hikers and guest of prix, so we have had slim opportunities to blog. but really the more I've thought about it, i knew that in blogging this week, for myself at least, my words would have been really scattered and wouldn't have made a whole lot of sense. i really have a whole lot to tell everyone and can't wait to fill everyone in on what all's been going on out in the woods, but I guess it's going to have to wait one more week. i hope this is o.k.
next week we will be in hot springs, nc and will be nearby a library.. hopefully with more than one computer and without any time constraints.
i miss you guys like crazy, and hope that everyone is experiencing the Lord in mighty ways... that we all are awake to His work & love in our lives.
micah sends his love as well. we are bummed out we didn't get the opportunity to let you guys in this week, we will try and make up for it next time.
ways to pray for us: as this gets more comfortable or easier for us to endure what we are going through/easier to plan for/feels more natural, it has a tendency, subconsciously almost, to feel like we can do this thing without the hand of the Lord. Blatantly obvious to us is that God cannot not be in this, but I guess our struggle is that: by not acknowledging our need for dependence, we are not being alive and awake to what it is that He has planned in this, and we, not intentionally, get in a mindset that it is us doing the doing. we forget... and i guess it doesn't matter if your in the woods, where your needs are food-water-warmth-shelter and staying alive, or in your home- where the met needs are not as pressing or life threatening... broken vessels are broken vessels whether your rich/poor, warm/cold, hungry/full, or around loved ones/alone in the woods. broke is broke, pray for us to know Christ more intimately and that our love for Him, and more so, His love for us, would pour over in the relationships that are being built on the trail with the other hikers. pray for micah and mines' friendship: that it would continue to grow and not be complacent, or stagnant. it's hard to do what we are doing, only having one another to feed off of, communicate with, and live this out with. i can't explain why that is... but it's difficult. anyway just pray that we can continue to communicate and grow together.. in Him.
i love you all, thanks for your thoughts and prayers. until next time.
dartanian (greyson 'nitro' campbell)
hey guys and gals out there following along with us. we just checked out of the Grand Prix hotel here in gatlinburg, where we are about to run and pick up groceries for the next week, send a package from the u.p.s. store back home, and then head back up into the hills.
sadly in all of this, us being here the last day and a half, this computer i am typing from has been occupied a majority of the time by other hikers and guest of prix, so we have had slim opportunities to blog. but really the more I've thought about it, i knew that in blogging this week, for myself at least, my words would have been really scattered and wouldn't have made a whole lot of sense. i really have a whole lot to tell everyone and can't wait to fill everyone in on what all's been going on out in the woods, but I guess it's going to have to wait one more week. i hope this is o.k.
next week we will be in hot springs, nc and will be nearby a library.. hopefully with more than one computer and without any time constraints.
i miss you guys like crazy, and hope that everyone is experiencing the Lord in mighty ways... that we all are awake to His work & love in our lives.
micah sends his love as well. we are bummed out we didn't get the opportunity to let you guys in this week, we will try and make up for it next time.
ways to pray for us: as this gets more comfortable or easier for us to endure what we are going through/easier to plan for/feels more natural, it has a tendency, subconsciously almost, to feel like we can do this thing without the hand of the Lord. Blatantly obvious to us is that God cannot not be in this, but I guess our struggle is that: by not acknowledging our need for dependence, we are not being alive and awake to what it is that He has planned in this, and we, not intentionally, get in a mindset that it is us doing the doing. we forget... and i guess it doesn't matter if your in the woods, where your needs are food-water-warmth-shelter and staying alive, or in your home- where the met needs are not as pressing or life threatening... broken vessels are broken vessels whether your rich/poor, warm/cold, hungry/full, or around loved ones/alone in the woods. broke is broke, pray for us to know Christ more intimately and that our love for Him, and more so, His love for us, would pour over in the relationships that are being built on the trail with the other hikers. pray for micah and mines' friendship: that it would continue to grow and not be complacent, or stagnant. it's hard to do what we are doing, only having one another to feed off of, communicate with, and live this out with. i can't explain why that is... but it's difficult. anyway just pray that we can continue to communicate and grow together.. in Him.
i love you all, thanks for your thoughts and prayers. until next time.
dartanian (greyson 'nitro' campbell)
Hello
4/23/09
Hey Friends,
I might have to make this quick, cause I hear speak of me getting bumped off the computer.
I'm here in Hot Springs, NC. At the library.
And just a side note really quick, this town has had the best Sweet Tea I've had since I left Atlanta.
We've just taken it easy the past twenty four hours. Eaten some good grub, sat in the natural hot springs, just relaxed our muscles. It's a nice town, real small, but real pretty. And there's only one phone in the whole town to use and basically no cell service if that say's anything about what kinda of town this is.
And dang it! there kickin' me off the computer. I might be able to write more later but maybe not.
Some LOVE from me to you. Peace!
Hey Friends,
I might have to make this quick, cause I hear speak of me getting bumped off the computer.
I'm here in Hot Springs, NC. At the library.
And just a side note really quick, this town has had the best Sweet Tea I've had since I left Atlanta.
We've just taken it easy the past twenty four hours. Eaten some good grub, sat in the natural hot springs, just relaxed our muscles. It's a nice town, real small, but real pretty. And there's only one phone in the whole town to use and basically no cell service if that say's anything about what kinda of town this is.
And dang it! there kickin' me off the computer. I might be able to write more later but maybe not.
Some LOVE from me to you. Peace!
Saturday
caliente sugir
4/25/09
buenos dias.
here we are in hot springs where the Lord has shown us His beautiful smile once again.
we arrived here on wednesday around 9:30 a.m. with hungry bellies and a lot of pent up excitement for a telephone, a bed, and a tub-naturally fed via a 103 degree hot spring that would soften and relax our tired achy bodies.
the hungry belly part of the deal we silenced within the first hour of walking into the town at a local diner with awesome food, and as micah said, "the best sweet tea since I left Atlanta (for me, Tupelo)." the phone we were looking forward to however was non-existent in any hotel, hostel, outfitter, almost anywhere. only one. near a laundromat. the most expensive pay phone i have ever put money in. the bed came in the form a queen up above a pub called the iron horse. it was a coffee shop/gift shop/art gallery/bar/hotel all in an old train depot. really neat. no phone/tv, just bed-bathroom. it was nice. the hot tub - fantastic. it was on the outside of the town, beside the river that borders everything. the tubs themselves were old jacuzzis that they drained and refilled with naturally fresh mineral water after every use. they had jets, a roof, and a three-sided fence that sectioned off the hot tubs along the banks of the river; with the open side looking over the river. NICE! for a little over 10 bucks you sit in there for an hour... best investment yet.
that afternoon after the hot-tub visit, we did our running around: laundry, some phone calls in between waiting in line at the one phone with 25 other hikers, mail pick-up, outfitter visit, hanging out with other hikers we haven't seen for a while, and getting settled in our quaint honeymoon suite with a skylight.
early to bed, early to rise. we were up early making out our schedule for the next few weeks and trying to sort out food to make sure we had enough and not too much. weight REALLY matters. we packed everything up and checked out by 11. went to the library to blog, only to find all 4 computers full with a 10 man waiting list. as you could see, while i went on to try and make phone calls, micah slipped in for a second and was able to write a little bit b/4 they gave him the axe. we rendezvoused at 12 for lunch at the diner again, because of their famous hiker burger, but mainly because of their sweet tea... from there we were planning on making some last minute phone calls, if possible, doing at least 5 minutes worth of blogging, again - if possible, and then setting out for the day.
this is where the Lord really began to more blatantly show us Himself in a really cool way...
i must leave you now with a cliffhanger... we have to go now... but soon, we will be back to typing (more like next sunday or monday). I really can't wait to not only let you guys know what has happened this last week... but really even further back than that. i'm burdened really, knowing that there's so much He has blessed us with and having worked out His plan in some really awesome ways for us, and that we haven't put it all on this blog yet. really there's no way to get all down on paper, but we want to try our best to recall everything, for you guys' sakes alone to see His faithfulness and mighty hand in our lives, i pray, would be oh so encouraging... but also for us to remember all that he has done. and how much He loves us. so know that in the days ahead we will continue to fill this page.. with His magnificent story and our minute roles in it. we love you guys, hope all is well. thanks for your prayers, so much.
g
buenos dias.
here we are in hot springs where the Lord has shown us His beautiful smile once again.
we arrived here on wednesday around 9:30 a.m. with hungry bellies and a lot of pent up excitement for a telephone, a bed, and a tub-naturally fed via a 103 degree hot spring that would soften and relax our tired achy bodies.
the hungry belly part of the deal we silenced within the first hour of walking into the town at a local diner with awesome food, and as micah said, "the best sweet tea since I left Atlanta (for me, Tupelo)." the phone we were looking forward to however was non-existent in any hotel, hostel, outfitter, almost anywhere. only one. near a laundromat. the most expensive pay phone i have ever put money in. the bed came in the form a queen up above a pub called the iron horse. it was a coffee shop/gift shop/art gallery/bar/hotel all in an old train depot. really neat. no phone/tv, just bed-bathroom. it was nice. the hot tub - fantastic. it was on the outside of the town, beside the river that borders everything. the tubs themselves were old jacuzzis that they drained and refilled with naturally fresh mineral water after every use. they had jets, a roof, and a three-sided fence that sectioned off the hot tubs along the banks of the river; with the open side looking over the river. NICE! for a little over 10 bucks you sit in there for an hour... best investment yet.
that afternoon after the hot-tub visit, we did our running around: laundry, some phone calls in between waiting in line at the one phone with 25 other hikers, mail pick-up, outfitter visit, hanging out with other hikers we haven't seen for a while, and getting settled in our quaint honeymoon suite with a skylight.
early to bed, early to rise. we were up early making out our schedule for the next few weeks and trying to sort out food to make sure we had enough and not too much. weight REALLY matters. we packed everything up and checked out by 11. went to the library to blog, only to find all 4 computers full with a 10 man waiting list. as you could see, while i went on to try and make phone calls, micah slipped in for a second and was able to write a little bit b/4 they gave him the axe. we rendezvoused at 12 for lunch at the diner again, because of their famous hiker burger, but mainly because of their sweet tea... from there we were planning on making some last minute phone calls, if possible, doing at least 5 minutes worth of blogging, again - if possible, and then setting out for the day.
this is where the Lord really began to more blatantly show us Himself in a really cool way...
i must leave you now with a cliffhanger... we have to go now... but soon, we will be back to typing (more like next sunday or monday). I really can't wait to not only let you guys know what has happened this last week... but really even further back than that. i'm burdened really, knowing that there's so much He has blessed us with and having worked out His plan in some really awesome ways for us, and that we haven't put it all on this blog yet. really there's no way to get all down on paper, but we want to try our best to recall everything, for you guys' sakes alone to see His faithfulness and mighty hand in our lives, i pray, would be oh so encouraging... but also for us to remember all that he has done. and how much He loves us. so know that in the days ahead we will continue to fill this page.. with His magnificent story and our minute roles in it. we love you guys, hope all is well. thanks for your prayers, so much.
g
Wednesday
Heya
I bet your wondering where the flip are, and if your not then I'm gonna tell you anyway.
We have been off the trail for about two weeks now. We made it to the official halfway point, which is close to Mt Holly springs, PA. (I say official because there is an unofficial halfway point in Harpers Ferry, WV)
We hitched a ride with two guys who help maintain the trail and who offered to take us to Harrisburg, PA which was about thirty minutes or so from where we were. And from there we jumped on a Greyhound bus. 27 hours later we arrived in Tupelo, MS. Where we were spending time with family and friends. But I am currently at Lake Forest Ranch for the week and Greyson is with Meredith and family on vacation.
It's definitely been an interesting but awesome journey. And for right now its at a halt because we are po'. So we've decided to return to "normal" life whatever that is. And maybe sometime in the future finish the second half. We have stories and pictures and video footage that we want to share with you but it might take a little time. but I wanted to just leave a small note for now. And thank everyone for supporting us, it means so much to both of us. That you would care about our journey. And I really do hope to share more with you, whether its in person or on this blog or both. But just know that you are thought of.
Love
We have been off the trail for about two weeks now. We made it to the official halfway point, which is close to Mt Holly springs, PA. (I say official because there is an unofficial halfway point in Harpers Ferry, WV)
We hitched a ride with two guys who help maintain the trail and who offered to take us to Harrisburg, PA which was about thirty minutes or so from where we were. And from there we jumped on a Greyhound bus. 27 hours later we arrived in Tupelo, MS. Where we were spending time with family and friends. But I am currently at Lake Forest Ranch for the week and Greyson is with Meredith and family on vacation.
It's definitely been an interesting but awesome journey. And for right now its at a halt because we are po'. So we've decided to return to "normal" life whatever that is. And maybe sometime in the future finish the second half. We have stories and pictures and video footage that we want to share with you but it might take a little time. but I wanted to just leave a small note for now. And thank everyone for supporting us, it means so much to both of us. That you would care about our journey. And I really do hope to share more with you, whether its in person or on this blog or both. But just know that you are thought of.
Love
Monday
hey folks,
i was able to get a pic of the motley crew last week just coming off their shennandoah river run. the guys had an option to paddle almost 200 miles of the A.T. from waynesboro va. to harper's ferry. took about a week and had a great time. from left-right: gary, greyson, amanda, ziggy, & micah down front. (i stated that info for lack of recognition purposes due to "hair".)
Sunday
pearisburg, va
so... briefly.. as usual of late...
we are here for a half day and then back out. we are packing up this morning now and are about to set out and do about 50 or so miles in the next few days until we meet up with my family on Wednesday. I(we) LITERALLY cannot wait! It's been almost 3 mos.
for those of you who are unaware, my mama, daddy, sister & brother (her husband), and some close friends of the family got some tickets for them & us to a conference where a guy will be teaching/preaching that I have been a HUGE fan of for the last few years.. I've been podcasting his guy and listening to every sermon I could get my hands on since the first time I heard him speak. he is an extremely passionate, scripture saturated, communicator of the gospel... and a great blend of wit/humor/sarcasm/compassion.. God in His grace has given him an incredible skill set to play a cool part of this big story we're all in. matt chandler's his name by the way... check him out, I really think you'll like him & be challenged by truth...
so yeah.. I'm looking forward to getting to see him live for once ... but NOWHERE NEAR as excited as I am to wrap my dirty arms around my clean & beautiful family! we are going to be with them from wed. afternoon- sat. night and I am bursting at the seams anticipating it....
and as Micah said, we'll be able to put some time on this page next w/e... internet access, my laptop, full keyboard and plenty of stories... God is good.
also as Micah mentioned... somewhere around late July, we will be crossing the halfway point.. which, for now, is our goal... boiling springs, pa (or possibly a little further). the green paper crap that plagues most of us(if allowed to), might or might not bring us home... now... this next weekend I'll go a lot further into detail, but for now I'll just tell you that we've looked at where we are, costs, miles to go compared to dollars to go and saw that there's a conundrum of sorts. so we are just planning on for now, getting to the halfway line and rexamining where things are. we are now and by that time have prayed long and hard about His plan & purpose for our time out here..
for us personally, this whole time it's been about an incredible journey, and not a man made destination that changes with the wind each year... would it be awesome if the Lord saw fit to stop us in Maine!? yeah! if halfway is the goal... it is what it is... and so far... what a ride... or walk... anyway tell you more next week.. have to scoot... love to you
we are here for a half day and then back out. we are packing up this morning now and are about to set out and do about 50 or so miles in the next few days until we meet up with my family on Wednesday. I(we) LITERALLY cannot wait! It's been almost 3 mos.
for those of you who are unaware, my mama, daddy, sister & brother (her husband), and some close friends of the family got some tickets for them & us to a conference where a guy will be teaching/preaching that I have been a HUGE fan of for the last few years.. I've been podcasting his guy and listening to every sermon I could get my hands on since the first time I heard him speak. he is an extremely passionate, scripture saturated, communicator of the gospel... and a great blend of wit/humor/sarcasm/compassion.. God in His grace has given him an incredible skill set to play a cool part of this big story we're all in. matt chandler's his name by the way... check him out, I really think you'll like him & be challenged by truth...
so yeah.. I'm looking forward to getting to see him live for once ... but NOWHERE NEAR as excited as I am to wrap my dirty arms around my clean & beautiful family! we are going to be with them from wed. afternoon- sat. night and I am bursting at the seams anticipating it....
and as Micah said, we'll be able to put some time on this page next w/e... internet access, my laptop, full keyboard and plenty of stories... God is good.
also as Micah mentioned... somewhere around late July, we will be crossing the halfway point.. which, for now, is our goal... boiling springs, pa (or possibly a little further). the green paper crap that plagues most of us(if allowed to), might or might not bring us home... now... this next weekend I'll go a lot further into detail, but for now I'll just tell you that we've looked at where we are, costs, miles to go compared to dollars to go and saw that there's a conundrum of sorts. so we are just planning on for now, getting to the halfway line and rexamining where things are. we are now and by that time have prayed long and hard about His plan & purpose for our time out here..
for us personally, this whole time it's been about an incredible journey, and not a man made destination that changes with the wind each year... would it be awesome if the Lord saw fit to stop us in Maine!? yeah! if halfway is the goal... it is what it is... and so far... what a ride... or walk... anyway tell you more next week.. have to scoot... love to you
Saturday
mmm.. Hmmmmm....
man, it has been too long I know. and a lot has happened since we've last been on here. Honestly, more than I have time to write about right now, I apologize. but I'll write as much as I have time to.
Right now we are in Pearisburge, VA which is roughly over 600 miles into the trail.
just resting our feet after walking in the rain the past few days. Which the rain wasn't an all day affair but it rained long enough to get everything wet and put some blisters on the feet.
The past month, or however long it's been since we've written anything, has been
really good, we've come across many hard days, many cool people, and good days as well. this so far has definatly been a trip we'll look back on with smiles years to come.
we plan on putting up some more pictures and writing some more in depth blogs.
and apologize again for not keeping you all more up to date but town visits have been rushed lately and we haven't had a whole of time to write. I'm sorry this is so scattered. We should have some time to write more in a few days. thank you for
thinking of us, and just so you know where we're are and what we've been thinking
about I'll say that we are planning on being halfway in July and we've been wondering how far we'll be able to stretch our money. Which brings thoughts of the trip maybe ending a little early. but overall I know God has
has had His hand in this trip since before we left and the whole we've been out here. And I know whatever the outcome, whether we end it early or are able to keep going, it all come's from His hand.
We think of y'all often and hope your well. know that you are missed and loved.
and there will be more to come to the blog this next week.
- Treebeard
Right now we are in Pearisburge, VA which is roughly over 600 miles into the trail.
just resting our feet after walking in the rain the past few days. Which the rain wasn't an all day affair but it rained long enough to get everything wet and put some blisters on the feet.
The past month, or however long it's been since we've written anything, has been
really good, we've come across many hard days, many cool people, and good days as well. this so far has definatly been a trip we'll look back on with smiles years to come.
we plan on putting up some more pictures and writing some more in depth blogs.
and apologize again for not keeping you all more up to date but town visits have been rushed lately and we haven't had a whole of time to write. I'm sorry this is so scattered. We should have some time to write more in a few days. thank you for
thinking of us, and just so you know where we're are and what we've been thinking
about I'll say that we are planning on being halfway in July and we've been wondering how far we'll be able to stretch our money. Which brings thoughts of the trip maybe ending a little early. but overall I know God has
has had His hand in this trip since before we left and the whole we've been out here. And I know whatever the outcome, whether we end it early or are able to keep going, it all come's from His hand.
We think of y'all often and hope your well. know that you are missed and loved.
and there will be more to come to the blog this next week.
- Treebeard
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