It started as a spark of an idea; a faint glimmer of something that sounded fun; a simple e-mail thread. When we invited our mothers to join us to hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail, a part of me expected responses along the lines of “that sounds great, but I just don’t have the time”. Instead, plans were made, dates were chosen, flights were booked, and excitement mounted.
However, we had absolutely no idea what we were doing.
You may think this is heading in a direction where we end up getting lost, and/or missing some vital components needed for the trail. If you are looking for drama, you may be sorely disappointed, because my friend’s mother, Tish, stepped in as our savior. She has hiked sections of the trail numerous times and led boy scout troops on so many hikes that she had enough knowledge and gear – backpacks, sleeping bags, mattress pads, water filters, etc – to fill the gaps in our own collections.
So the six of us – me, John, my mom (Lucy), John’s mom (Beth), Tish, and Beth’s friend Sylvia – embarked on a beautiful four day hike from Grayson Highlands to Damascus, in Virginia. Ten miles spread throughout each day sounded quite easy, but once you factor in the hills and the weight on our backs, it turned out to be quite exhausting. We just continued to put one foot in front of the other, day after day. I’ve always wanted to hike the AT, and getting to share it with our mothers made it even more special.
Since it’s hard to put into words the beauty the AT has to offer, I’ll let the pictures (and my captions) speak for themselves.
Somehow I fit all of this in a bag and carried it for four days…
The beginning of the hike, while we’re still energetic and clean. From the left: John, Beth, Sylvia, Lucy, Tish, and me
Sylvia with wild ponies in Grayson Highland. Apparently, they came close enough to lick the salt off their legs. Unfortunately, John and I had decided to take a detour up a mountain and missed the ponies.
My mom and me on the AT
After one particularly steep climb, my mom was understandably exhausted.
Tish and John enjoying the view
Enjoying a break with John’s mom.
On our second night, we were too exhausted to set up camp beyond this field filled with cows and their excrement.
Hiking (or curtsying?) alongside a stream
Reaching Damascus! The end of our hike!
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