36 Days and Counting ...

"Patience is the training in abiding with the restlessness of our energy and letting things evolve at their own speed." ~ Pema Chodron, The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times

Thirty-six  days and counting … and we hope to board a plane using passes from a friend and be on our way to Brussels, the first leg of our journey. We will spend a few days visiting our youngest son who is in the Army working at AFN Benelux. It has been 2 ½ years since we last saw him.  It will be great to wrap our arms around him and give him a BIG hug! 

We will be traveling to familiar territory. Twenty-eight years ago we left Belgium after living in Europe for six years and returned to the U.S. At that time our sons were in 1^st and 3^rd grades. Never in our wildest imaginations did we think one of our sons would join the Army and then serve at the same duty station. Stoney flew helicopters for the SACEUR and I think this was his favorite assignment in 20+ years with the Army. Zach is a combat photographer/videographer working in tv broadcast and he is really enjoying this assignment.

We have made some arrangements this past week and our journey is becoming less of a dream and more of a reality. Stoney has taken care of the rental car at Brussels airport. We’ll drive about an hour South to visit Zach. We’ll drive the rental car to Charelois airport for drop off and fly to Biarritz, France on Ryanair. Reservations for that flight are confirmed. We’ll take a bus or taxi from Biarritz airport to Bayonne train station for a ride to Lourdes. 

 

Lourdes is a small town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southern France.  In 1858, a 14-year old local girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed a beautiful lady appeared to her in the remote Grotto of Massabielle. The lady identified herself as “the Immaculate Conception” and appeared to Bernadette 18 times. The faithful believe the lady to be the Blessed Virgin Mary. An estimated 200 million people have visited the shrine since 1860 and the Roman Catholic Church has officially recognized 69 healings considered miraculous. Have a look at the link if you’d like to read about Lourdes.

The following day we will travel by train or bus to Pau train station (not too far from Lourdes) and we have made arrangements to take a van along with a few others to St. Jean Pied de Port. It's about 90 miles and I think we will enjoy the scenery along the way.  We'll have time to walk around the little town and we'll spend the night at Gite Azkorria on the rue de la Citadelle not far from where we'll begin our journey on the Camino.

 The next day we'll begin our walk on the Camino. We don't have to leave early morning because we have reservations at Refuge Orrison (third dot on map). We will start the Camino gently by walking only about 5 miles our first day.  The next day it will be about a 10 mile walk to Roncesvalles (last dot on chart 1) where we will probably spend our second night unless we are not ready to stop walking. It has been said that the first day can be quite challenging for those who walk the entire 15 miles.  So we are grateful to be spending our first night in Orrison. You can see by the elevation chart, it's a climb UP the Pyrenees.

This morning we received 2 inches of rain and so it was a great day for Stoney to test his hands-free trekking umbrella. I used mine on the Appalachian Trail and it made walking in the rain tolerable on most days and when the rain was a gentle rain, it was absolutely delightful to walk in the rain. A loop hooks the handle around the backpack waistbelt and there is a velcro shoulder attachment that holds the adjustable height umbrella pole to the shoulder strap.  So we walked about 3 miles this morning and I made a little video. I apologize that I'm a bit tongue-tied in my narration. When Stoney talks to me while I'm making a video, I get a bit distracted and my narration suffers. At the end of the walk, he thanked me for his new umbrella.

You Can't Sit Down

Feb. 25, 2014 on the Yellow Trail at Sweetwater Creek State Park

"Pilgrims are persons in motion--passing through territories not their own--seeking something we might call completion, or perhaps the word clarity will do as well, a goal to which only the spirit's compass points the way." ~ Richard R. Neibuhr





Our compass pointed toward Sweetwater Creek State Park, a conservation park which opened in 1976 (the year our first son was born). It encompasses 2,549 acres of land west of Atlanta, Georgia and it is the most visited day-use park in the Georgia State Parks System. We love this place and usually go on a weekday when it seems we have the park to ourselves. The park offers a diverse range of plant habitats, from river bottomlands and marsh to hardwood, pine and mixed upland forests to open meadows. Wildflowers are generally abundant from late winter/early spring until fall.

We started on the Red Trail at the Interpretive Center and headed upstream to the bridge on the Yellow Trail and crossed Sweetwater Creek (looks more like a river to me than a creek).  We took the more rigorous ascent to the ridge and warmed up quickly. We passed by a mother and daughter and greeted them. The mother said she would enjoy the trail more if she could breathe a little easier ... I was taking some deep breaths in and out and assured her she could make the climb. We were walking in a beautiful hardwood forest. As the trail descended through the ravine, we passed by a large rock overhang and I tried to take our picture with it in the background but only managed a small corner in upper left. Archaeologists estimate that Native Americans used this as a shelter for several thousand years. It began to rain and we put on our ponchos (a first test to see if we'll take them to Spain). It was fast and easy to put them on over our packs and we didn't overheat wearing them.The trail leaves the ravine and levels out and we walked through some dense stands of Mountain Laurel which are beautiful when they bloom in the Spring. This is the area where the bricks for the New Manchester mill were made in the late 1840's. The extraction pits are visible from the trail in the winter. 

Mill ruins - pic taken in April of 2011

Having finished the 3 mile loop, we crossed back over the bridge to the Red Trail, walked along the creek. The rain had stopped and we removed our ponchos. We passed by the five-story mill ruins and the rapids (up to a class IV at "The Falls") where we saw a father and two older children. A short time later, a guy out for a trail run passed by (so we saw 6 people total on the trail). We've had quite a bit of rain and we both noticed that the sound of the water seemed much louder than we had remembered on past hikes.  

The White Trail intersects with the Red Trail at the overlook of the mill ruins. It is a 5.2 mile loop which passes through some of the most remote areas of the park. It was designed to highlight the park's wildlife and plant communities. The trail winds through several lovely stream coves and follows the ridges overlooking Sweetwater Creek. The trail turns west and follow's Jack's Branch upstream to Jack's Lake. Around the 8 mile mark my feet were asking for a little rest so we sat on a bench overlooking Jack's Lake, drank some water and enjoyed a little trail mix and soaked in the quiet for about 15 minutes.  Then we continued the climb out of the lake valley. The trail passes through the Jack's Hill area, a former farming community now known for its open meadows which are a favorite of bird watchers. I guess the former farmers of this area planted daffodils and we passed by and enjoyed several areas graced with their beautiful sunny yellow heads lifted high.

I was pleased with the way the Newton Boco AT trail runners handled the slippery rocks and the varying terrain. I really like the cushioning in the forefoot and I hope it will support my foot and keep the plantar fasciitis at bay. They only come in this hot pink color!!!  I've put about two hundred miles on them but it was my first time to wear them hiking with my pack.  I think these will be the shoes I take to Spain (well, a new pair, which will hopefully take me the entire 500 miles). 

We finished the day at Sweetwater Creek by enjoying our packed lunch seated at a picnic table.

Still practicing with iMovie and making little videos.  So here's our 9 mile day in 2 minutes:



The longer we walked, the more I thought of this song. Walking with Stoney is a lot like this song. On our daily walks when I take my "shuffle" with me, I always pick up my pace when this song comes on.

We were pilgrims in motion today passing by territories not of our own.

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." ~ Colin Powell

 

Counting the Days ...

“The object to pilgrimage is not rest and recreation – to get away from it all. To set out on a pilgrimage is to throw down a challenge to everyday life…there is a stony road to climb on foot – a rough, wild path in a landscape where everything is new. The naked glitter of the sacred mountain stirs the imagination.” ~ The Art of Pilgrimage – The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred by Phil Cousineau 



Stoney has begun a countdown … he usually mentions it when we are on our daily walk. My heart skips a beat and my stomach does a little flip/flop because I’m taken back to one year ago when I began my journey on the Appalachian Trail. Ahead of that journey, I’d done a lot of reading from books, journals and blogs about individual adventures on the AT. No one wrote about pre-hike anxiety and I was surprised when it jumped on me ! 

On February 12, 2013, two days before Stoney would take me to the trail, I was very unsettled. My pack seemed so huge and heavy. I had packed, unpacked, rearranged inside the pack too many times to count. I couldn’t determine what I could leave behind to make my pack smaller. It was winter and I was carrying a heavier sleeping mattress (insulated), microspikes, more layers, etc. So Stoney offered to drive me (about 2 hrs.) to Mountain Crossings at Neels Gap for a pack shakedown where an employee who had completed a thru-hike would take a look at everything and weed out the unnecessary. It was humbling to take it all out of my pack and spread it on the floor (undies and all) in a corner of the store. The young man was just a few years out of high school. He said I would need everything I had packed with the exception of my Kindle (which I knew was a luxury). In one respect I was relieved but I was still nervous; I was heading out to the woods alone and could I really do this. 

Was I experiencing performance anxiety -- thoughts of doubt, failure or a lack of confidence due to a perceived lack of ability? I think the self talk in my mind was getting the best of me. I had no appetite on the morning of my start but forced myself to eat a little. And the other times I returned to the trail after injuries, it was the same for my jittery stomach. The good news was that after walking for an hour, the nervousness went away. Thank you, endorphins. 

Since we will walk the Camino together and my pack weight should be cut in half (unless I go crazy and decide to take my bigger camera and other luxuries), I’m hoping there won’t be as much anxiety in the days ahead of our adventure. But then again, we are flying on Delta buddy passes (thank you, Beth), we’ve never hiked together day in and day out for 5 weeks let alone in a foreign country, or slept in a different place each night for 40 days. My husband won’t have his room to retreat to, news to watch, no normal routine. But, hey, we are setting out on a pilgrimage and throwing down a challenge to every day life.

 I’m testing uploading video with my phone. I like to take pictures of little things and the ice and snow storm gave me an opportunity to capture a dogwood bud, cherry tree buds, camellia bud covered in ice first and then snow. You can turn your speakers off if you don't like the music. 

Walking in the Snow - Prep for the Pyrenees?

I am experimenting with sharing my videos from Vimeo rather than youtube. This is a snippet from the beginning of the snowfall.  I was wondering if I could actually capture the snowflakes
"Preparation for old age should begin not later than one’s teens. A life which is empty of purpose until 65 will not suddenly become filled on retirement." ~ Dwight L. Moody

In our area of Georgia we don't get much snow. Since we are retired and don't have to drive in the snow, I'm always a little excited as I sit at home and watch the snow falling and accumulating on the ground. I recall all the fun of childhood days spent playing in the snow. Growing up in Illinois, there was no doubt snow would fall during the winter.

On January 28, 2014, we received about 2.5 inches over the course of several hours. The next morning we went out for a walk. I wanted some practice with my camera attached to my trekking pole via a stickpick. It was about 17 degrees when we ventured out and a beautiful sunny morning. This was put together using iMovie which I hope to use when we walk the Camino. I am testing a new pair of trail runners from Newton, Boco AT which I may use on our adventure. The tread was good in the snow but, of course, on ice, terrible. When we cross over the Pyrenees from France to Spain in late April, I hope we don't encounter snow but if we do, these shoes will work. My feet stayed dry and warm and gripped the snow. 

My husband was concerned that I would fall on the ice and then we might not be able to walk the Camino this Spring; thus, the exchange of words at the beginning of this video. When you hear me say "WHOA!", he had just slipped on the ice but managed to remain upright. So I chuckled thinking about the irony of his warning to me.  Of course, we were grateful to have completed a 7 mile walk with no falls.


 


Presently, on January 30th, early afternoon it is 36 degrees (feel likes 30) with lots of sun. So, we are headed out for a walk. The streets are dry except for the shady places where the ice has not melted so my husband won't have to worry about me slipping and falling on the ice. Atlanta and the metro area was covered by the national news media last night. Yes, it was a total nightmare. The South is not prepared even for just a little snow and ice.

On Saturday, February 1st, the weather prediction is for the temperature to reach 63 degrees. We had a low this morning of 5 degrees. I wonder what we will experience on the Camino?

On The Right Road

“When we are sure that we are on the right road, there is no need to plan our journey too far ahead. No need to burden ourselves with doubts and fears as to the obstacles that may bar our progress. We cannot take more than one step at a time.”

  Orison Swett Marden

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Georgia. The thermometer registered 27 degrees when we awoke and it was 31 degrees when we got into the car to head to Sweetwater Creek State Park. It’s a fairly short drive to the park and it was 35 degrees and sunny when we stepped onto the yellow trail. It warmed up to 61 degrees by early afternoon and I got a little sunburn on my face.

Our packs were light (12 lbs. and 10 lbs.) – nice !  Compared to the approx. 30 lbs. Buddy held on the Appalachian Trail, I hoisted him with ease. Now all I have to do is remember how good today felt with just 10 lbs. and not stuff him full when the time comes to walk the Camino across northern Spain …

I’ve been upping my mileage when walking around town but yesterday was a better test of the healing of my right foot plantar fascia. Walking on uneven ground, roots, rocks, and tons of slippery leaves covering everything put my feet through the paces. There was a slight difference compared to my left foot which has never suffered an injury, but all in all (for an old gal), I was able to go 10 miles on the trails at Sweetwater Creek and enjoyed all 23,000 steps.

It’s cloudy and rain is on the way but we’ll walk around town today between rain showers or head to the gym.

This is my first attempt using iMovie to make a video. It’s a practice video because I’d like to record our walk across Spain. We are planning and dreaming ...