It's never fun seeing a journey comes to an end, but if it never ended
there couldn't be new adventures.
Music featured in this video: “Lazy Pirouettes” provided by teknoaxe.com, “Walking in the Country” by David Mumford
Trail Journal
October 18th 2020
Drawbar Cliffs to Table Rock State Park
4.9 miles
Spiced Peaches
What you need...
· 1 oz freeze dried peaches
· 1 to 2 tsp pumpkin Pie Spice
· 1 packet of honey
· 250 mL water
What to do...
· Bring water to a boil.
· Add peaches, honey, and spice. And reduce heat.
· Stir continuously until peaches are soft and a syrup forms.
· Allow time to cool, then enjoy in front of a beautiful sunrise.
I unzipped the tent and poked my head out the door.
"Woah!"
"What? What is it?!" Beth and Nancy stirred in their tent.
"You gotta see this."
The sky was smeared with pink and orange. Rising in the center of it, a red hot coal.
Once again Beth and Nancy got a head start while I took my sweet time at camp. I was just as conflicted this morning as I was before bed last night. I wanted to finish the hike, but I didn’t want my time on the trail to end.
Walking out on the outcrop of Bald Knob was like a nostalgic punch to the gut. Years ago thru hiking seemed so out of reach. I wasn't experienced enough, wasn't determined enough, wasn't tough enough. Now I was standing in the same spot with over 70 miles behind me and less than 5 to go.
The last mile to the trailhead was not what I expected. I guess I picked a bad day to rejoin civilization, because the day hikers were far from friendly and didn't give a flying flip about sharing the trail. I know I looked and smelled horrible, but dang there's still a person under all this dirt! The irritable park visitors lining up to take my parking spot before I could even get my pack off made me I want to retreat back to the woods. If it weren’t for my aching knee and completely empty food bag I just might have done it.
Lunch at the Pumpkintown Mountain Opry made me forget all about the frustration at Table Rock. Stopping there had become a tradition for me. Hiking, kayaking, you name it. Most of my adventures in the Upstate end with a sandwich on their porch. After a scoop of chocolate ice cream I was finally ready to head home.
A few weeks later I excitedly ripped open an envelope from the Foothills Trail Conservancy. Inside was my hard-earned Peregrine Award. Moral of the story you don't have to drop everything and walk across the country to be a thru-hiker. And you don't have to ditch your life back home for 6 months to experience an incredible adventure either. Whether you're taking on the 3,000 mile Continental Divide Trail or the 30 mile Art Loeb Trail it's about taking the first step and seeing the journey all the way through.
