[at-l] fond things remembered

[hopefl@juno.com (hopefl@juno.com)]

The last many weeks have been very hectic for my family. My mother fell
and had to spend some time at a special care unit. This afternoon and
tonight are the first normal ones we've had since the accident. Between
helping to care for Mom and my job, I haven't had time to reflect and
remember and re enjoy my time on the Trail. 

My mother fell while I was on my annual spring (March)hike up in SW VA.
That really made it hard for me to enjoy my trip. My wife assured me that
my mother was ok at the unit and that she would manage til I got home.
Somehow that only made me feel more guilty about being off on a hike. 

The weather was cold and icy during my hike. Nights dropped into the
teens and lower. The days saw both sunny skies and freezing
precipitation.  I woke up at Doc's Knob shelter to snow on the ground and
more coming down, the fog was heavy. I hiked north after a big breakfast.
When I reach a power line right of way, I lost the blazes. I assumed the
AT would just cross the ROW and keep going north. Wrong. At some point I
had missed a double blaze where the Trail took to the ridge line. I'm
sure I was enjoying the snow and looking at all the critter tracks
crossing the trail and just failed to notice the Trail leaving the fire
road it had been following.  

After searching the ROW for an hour, I decided I needed to take the ridge
and try to pick up the Trail there. I decided that if I didn't find it,
I'd stay on the ROW and go down the mountain til I crossed a road and
then hitch into Pearisburg. Just as I reached the ridge line I looked to
my left and saw a white blaze. That was no small miracle as the wind had
coated the south side of the trees with snow and ice. With a fair degree
of relief (I was down to snack food and about 2 ounces of fuel) I headed
north towards Pearisburg. I walked about 8 miles in a near whiteout due
to fog. 

There was not much point is going to the Angels Rest because the top was
socked in with fog. Also, the Trail had become treacherous due to all the
ice. I slipped and slide down Pearis Mountain for about a mile or more
til I was finally out of the ice and snow. Down below the fog it was
raining. I took a moment to breath easy and be happy all that frozen
stuff was behind me. I was so glad I had gotten down without a fall. I
took about 5 steps and slipped in the mud and twisted my left knee!!
Dummy, it ain't over til it's over.

I limped into Pearisburg and ate supper at the Hardees. The folks there
were very kind. I stopped at the door and ask a lady if they minded me
coming in to eat, wet muddy clothes, pack and all. I had to chuckle a
little at her reply: "come on in, you are one of the clean ones." After
eating, I got directions to the Holy Family Hospice. The lady told me
exactly how to get there but advised me it was too far to walk. Funny how
distance is such a relative thing. Anyway, I hike on to the hospice where
I met up with Duce (going south) and Lionheart (going north......again).

I rested my knee at the hospice, it recovered pretty well in about a day.
There was a wedge and maul by a wood pile so I decided to help out by
splitting up the firewood. Duce offered to assist. I have to confess that
I took some unfair pride in being able to do something physical better
than a "kid." In fairness, I grew up splitting wood and Duce grew up with
computers and gameboys so it was not exactly an even deal, but his heart
was right.

Back on the Trail, I was glad to be hiking with company. Lionheart was my
first companion on the trip. I took a great deal of strength from hiking
with him. As a child he had polio so walking on regular ground is no
simple task for him. He has a hiker's heart and I was honored to be with
him. I will never again look at a steep hill or icy, slippery rocks in
the same way. We stopped to eat lunch near the blue blaze trail to Sarver
Cabin when another storm came over. This one was full of thunder and
lightning. As we got going again, the Trail began to fill up with sleep.
It was April Fools Day, a fact which did not pass us without much
comment. 

We got to Niday Shelter skint up and tired. The wind was blowing sleet
into the shelter so I rigger up a trap while Lionheart fired up the stove
and made coffee from the last of our water. Once the trap was up I went
to the creek for more water. The lid froze on my water bag on the way
back. That night we decided that prudence was the better part of valor.
Next morning we got to a road and hitched to Cloverdale.....in beautiful,
warm sunshine!!

In the weeks since I've been home, I've spent many an hour sitting by my
mother's bed or wheelchair watching her doze and nod. Sometimes it was
hard to hold back tears, seeing her so weak and frail. But her spirit is
still made of fire and iron and the bone doctors assured us that there
was every reason to expect her to recover from a broke arm and pelvis.
She is now back in her apartment at the retirement center. The
"sundowner" syndrome is going away and each day she seems stronger.
Looking at her, I recall the woman that led us boys up and down ridges
looking for muskedines and blackberries in the summer and persimmons in
the fall. 

I fondly remember the strength, physical and moral, that was my mother.
She was as at home in the forest as she was in garden or kitchen. I can
only guess the number of tons of wash she carried to the line. She has
never been one to complain of a load. Lionheart must possess some of her
nature and grit. I recall watching him hike and feeling an odd sense of
inferiority. I recall how lucky I am to have a wife who has cared for my
mother as if she were her own. Remembering is a good thing, it is a
rewarding thing too. When I think about such things, I remember what a
blessed and fortunate man I am.  Hopeful
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