3/30/17

Day 19 on the Trail

Today was a long day on the trail. The mileage wasn't to bad with only 16.9 from Max's Patch to Deer Park Mountain Shelter. The rough part was all the down hills today, luckily my body held up enough to make it to the shelter.

Although the hike was brutal today, the weather was extremely nice. Not to sunny and not cold, perfect for a pale guy like myself. Also saw a ton of wildlife today, including what I believed to be a rat snake. The snake was stretched out across the trail and I decided to take my trekking pole and move it off the the trail a bit. That little guy was aggressive though and struck at my pole a time or too.

With the terrain being downhill a lot of the ways we went slow. This also allowed a lot of people to pass us. We were extremely luck to get a spot in the shelter tonight, with it only fitting 5 we were the last two able to get a spot.

Some of the highlights of the day for me was watching the sun rise this morning on top of Max's Patch. I highly recommend this as a day hike if you are around that area. Although camping on top can be really windy. Another highlight was just getting to camp at a decent time today. We made it to camp around 4:30 when we usually don't arrive until 6 or later.

Tomorrow we will be getting of the trail for the weekend to spend some time in Hot Springs with our families and recover from minor foot aches and blisters. Nothing to worry about though! I am so ready to see my family, it has been a constant encouragement when I am feeling down on the hike.

Ministry out here is slowly but surly starting to arise. Again today we were able to tell people how Max and I met. This is a good way for us to let others know about our faith and how it has changed our life. God works in some pretty cool ways and I can't wait to see what else he has in store for us!



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Location:Deer Park Mountain Shelter

3/29/17

Day 18 on the Trail

It's been a really cool day today. We had an easy day today of only 13 and went from Standing Bear Farms to Max's Patch.

We hiked really relaxed seeing how we only had 13 miles. This was nice after having harder hikes the past 2 days. The views of the day was on top of Snow Bird Mountain and Max's Patch. They are balds and the views are amazing. It is just sets of rolling mountains, one after another.

After resuppling with food at Standing Bear Farms I realized I still didn't have enough food. So Friday going into Hot Springs I might be a little hungry, but it's ok there is plenty of good places to eat there.

Along the trail today we met back up with Easy Mac and also met a guy named Harry from Australia and a girl named Blue Skies from Canada. They were cool and we actually ended up chilling up at the top of Max's Patch the whole time together. As we were hanging out we all got to experience a lot of awesome things. First, a woman came over and was giving free massages to help her complete some training hours. I didn't participate but it was cool to see! We also got to all watch the sun set and I was able to catch an awesome timelaps video. Now we are all cowboy camping watching the stars. It's a little windy up here but the stars are worth it!

Hot Springs is on Friday and I'll be glad to get some good rest and food while I'm there. Also in stoked to see family and my girlfriend.

I have found that more opportunities have popped up that allowed me to talk about my faith. It's crazy to think but most of it spurs from people asking how Max and I met, which was through Camp Maranatha. Super stoked for more conversations, especially if we can continue to stay with the same group of people so maybe it will become deeper.

Thanks again for everyone back home! Your prayers and support means so much to me!



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Location:Max's Patch

3/28/17

Day 17 on the Trail

Another day on the Appalachian Trail completed. Today we went 18.4 miles from Tri-County Shelter to Standing Bear Farms Hostel. Today was a ton of downhill which is never good on the body but Max and I were able to get to the hostel tonight with minimal aches and pains.

Also today we left the Smokies. They were extremely beautiful and I can't wait to go back there some day, but now the focus is getting to Hot Springs.

Once we arrived to the shelter, we meet up with some people that we had already met prior to arrival. Ready was one of the guys, he's pretty cool. He's the type of guy that will do anything for you which is cool. If only we could keep up with his pace. He started off hiking 25 miles a day, which is insane.

So getting to camp so early really gave us time to settle down, get resupplies, and then have a while to hangout with everyone. I can already feel that God has been moving in and through us. I pray that each and every day we are a light for him. Hopefully soon we will get into a group of people that hike the same pace as us! That's what I can't wait for.

I hope all is well back home! I miss everyone and can't wait to tell all the stories I've heard. Thanks for all the prayers and support!


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Location:Standing Bear Farms Hostel

3/27/17

Day 16 on the Trail

What a day it has been. We woke up pretty early this morning because we knew we were going to have a long day. We were right! We rolled into our destination around 8:20. So in 12 hours of hiking we managed to hike around 25.5 miles.

The best part about today wasn't that we completed a tenth of the trail or because we pushed our biggest day. It was because for most of the day we had the chance to see some of the most beautiful views we've seen all trip. The day was full of ridge running with gaps in the trees to see awesome views. The only thing was that half the time it was too foggy to see.

We also hit another cool milestone today! We climbed Clingmans Dome this morning. The reason why it is so special is due to the fact that it is the highest elevation on the Appalachian Trail, coming in roughly around 6600 feet above sea level.

Everyone that we stayed with yesterday are either in Gatlinburg or at the shelter before this one. It's a bummer not to have the familiar faces but that just means it's time to meet more people!

Tomorrow we will be doing 18 miles to a hostel called Standing Bear Farms. I'm just looking forward to another day of hiking. Today really showed the beauty of Gods creation. I hope for tons more days like today!

It was also cool to see that by pushing passed the shelter that everyone else we knew stopped at God set us up for an opportunity. On our way to the shelter we ran across a woman who was going to the same shelter. Her name was Pokie, and like her name she was a little slower. We were able to help her out though Max stayed with her and helped her over a tree while they sent me ahead to let the person she was with know that she was ok just a little slow.

This also brings up the fact that I got a Trail name today! I am now Chompers, partially due to the fact that the land before time was one of my favorite movies growing up. The other side to the name is the fact that I like to eat a lot! I'm just glad it isn't a bad trail name.


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Location:Tri-County Shelter

3/26/17

Day 15 on the Trail

Today was a day of ups and downs. We planned to do 19 miles and instead we only did 13.5. This was because of how awful the weather was, it was cold, wet, and rainy. But we are getting to stay in a shelter tonight which is great!

I am glad we got to stay in a shelter tonight though because it suppose to we a night full of rain. Also I got to hang out with a lot of the guys that I have been seeing the last few days. It's great out here, kinda like a huge family. I will say, I do miss my own family and girlfriend back home. Luckily I get to see some of them in Hot Springs this coming weekend, I can't wait!

Tomorrow it is supposed to be rainy all day and we plan on having a huge day, 21 miles. So we are planning to get up around 6 and get started.

I want to thank everyone for wishing me a happy birthday, it has been pretty good considering the circumstances. As always thanks for all the support and prayers!


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Location:Double Springs Shelter

3/25/17

Day 14 on the Trail

Another great day in the beautiful outdoors. Today was my first day in the Smokies. We crossed the Fontana Adam this morning and did an easy 17.4 miles to Spence Field Shelter. The shelter was full so we are having to tent camp tonight, which wouldn't be bad but it is supposed to rain tonight.

It was a really peaceful day today we had an early lunch at a huge tower on one of the mountains and just took our time. It was a nice hike, not to many steep ups and downs. The funny thing is I think today was one of the toughest days in the Smokies.

As we set up camp this evening we met a guy named Geizer. He is an older man that has just retired. We talked and ate dinner with him. His pack only weighed like 12 pounds before food and water of course, but that is insane.

Physically I'm doing pretty well, my ankle is feeling much better! Thank you to all who has been praying for me. Max had one of his calves give him some fits the past day or so. It is just really tight and not wanting to stretch out.

I'm still glad to be out here and hopefully we will start having more chances to share our faith. I feel like we are getting set in with a certain group of guys which is great because we are starting to be able to go deeper than just the "What's your name? Where are you from?" routine that is so easy to get in. God is great! Thankful for everyone back at home supporting and praying for us!


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Location:Spence Field Shelter

3/24/17

Day 13 on the Trail

It was an easier day today, only about 8 miles and we ended up in the nicest shelter of the Appalachian Trail, the Fontana Hilton. Don't let it confuse you it is not a Hilton hotel, but a nice wooden shack without a door!

We started off the day with a 7 mile down hill section. It was hard on the joints like always but I can definitely feel my body getting stronger. Once we reached the Fontana Marina we called for a shuttle that would take us into the Fontana Village. This is where we were we planed to get our resupply. After an hour of waiting on the shuttle it finally came and we were off.

Once we reached the Village we got our resupply and re packed it into our bags. We also marveled at our new z-seats that the Job Sunday school class at Hull Baptist bought for us! Thanks so much guys.

After getting our resupply we decided to print off our backcountry permits for the smokies and grab a bite to eat. The lodge had a bistro in it where I was able to get a burger called the wildwoody. Definitely recommend it, it has a burger and barbecue and bacon!

After heading to the general store and getting an ice cream for dessert, we set back out towards the trail. This is where we decided instead of going on into the smokies, to actually relax for the night and stay at the Fontana Hilton.

It was the right decision to stay. We plan on pushing pretty hard through the Smokies so we needed to give our body some rest. Also there are a ton of people here and we get to hangout with everyone. This is one of my favorite parts of being out here is socializing and getting to know everyone's stories. This also can help give us more opportunities to share our beliefs and why Jesus is our Savior.

I think we are about to have a big fire tonight with everyone in the shelter so that will be fun!

Thanks again for all the prayers and support. You do not realize how much it means to me.

Also another great way to do some outdoor ministries is by being trail angels and giving trail magic. This is when you are at a Gap on the Appalachian Trail and you give the hikers some food or something warm or cold to drink depending on the weather. It is a total morale boost for all hikers.


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Location:Fontana Hilton Shelter

3/23/17

Day 12 on the Trail

It was a long day today, we were able to knock out 22 miles. Coming out of the NOC we had a 7 mile climb which is a rough way to start a day. As we climbed out of the NOC we were able to meet a lot of people.

Some of the ones we met were Butter, Bullfrog, and Yak the Fisherman. Yak got his name from catching a trout at the NOC with his trekking pole. We also met a guy named Lawn Chair, his story was extremely long but really cool. He was a captain of a sail boat in his younger days.

We pushed on until around 5:00 and decided to cook some dinner because we were really hungry. Having all the ingredients we decided to make some backwoods chicken quesadillas. They were really great, definitely hit the spot after a day of hiking.

After dinner we were still feeling pretty good so we decided to night hike. One of the coolest things we have done! There was a pretty big section during the night hike were we did some ridge running. Ridge running is were you are hiking on the very top of the mountain. So it is steep sides with beautiful views.

We didn't get to camp until around 10:15 and then had to set up extra quietly so we didn't wake all the other hikers. Also by coming in this late we didn't get the ideal spots to set up camp. It was worth it though, night hiking was really fun and we also had our fastest pace of the day during it.

I wanted to thank everyone for the prayers, my ankle felt a whole lot better today. Please continue to pray for our health and our mission!


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Location:Cable Gap Shelter

3/22/17

Day 11 on the Trail

Today was a pretty good day! We woke up this morning at Cold Spring Shelter and decided to have a decent breakfast. I scrambled some eggs we got from Franklin and cut up hotdogs in the eggs too. This made for a killer tortilla.

As we started hiking we were able to see some pretty cool views. Wesser Bald was probably the second most highlight of the day. We hiked with a day hiker up to the top and climbed up a tower to see a 360 degree view and snack. While we were up there we were able to get to know this hiker and found out he is actually from the Clemson area and he was born in Athens. It's such a small world.

After we left the tower we started on a 7 mile downhill section. This was bad for me, downhills in general are bad on joints, but for me my left ankle tendon started to flare up again. I think it might be a little case of tendinitis but we will see how long it will take to heal.

On that note we decided to stay at the NOC for the night to rest my ankle. We did 12 miles today so it wasn't to much hiking. But the NOC is awesome, we had a big burger with chili and cheese on it and a bowl of soup. It was also nice to shower again!

Got to see a lot of people again today. Still praying for God to give us opportunities to share. I know it will come though I just need to be patient!

Thanks for all the prayers and support!


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Location:Tsali Shelter NOC

3/21/17

Day 10 on the Appalachian Trail

What a day on the trail. It was by far the worst day mentally for me. I had a really great time in Franklin and enjoyed getting clean again, but when we stepped off that shuttle this morning I realized that I was back to having to walk farther away from home. I miss everyone so much and I was in my head a lot today thinking. So to say the least it was a very quiet day, with a lot of prayer.

On the other hand we had some awesome climbs today. We climbed Siler Bald and Wayah Bald, they were both very long steady uphills. The cool thing was though the view from the top was absolutely amazing. You could see for miles from their vantage points. Wayah has a lot of damage done from the forest fires last year. It's known for having a big rock tower at the top, and although the tower was still their the roof and a lot of other parts of it were destroyed. Siler in my opinion was the prettiest, with 360 panoramic views. You could see for miles. It also was our lunch spot so we got to sit there a while taking in all of Gods creation.

Physically I'm still doing alright! Still a little tenderness on the front of my left ankle. Also my feet are starting to expand and grow so my boots are really tight now and starting to hurt my feet. That's alright though I have another pair waiting on me at Hot Springs.

Tonight I'm staying in my first shelter, Cold Springs Shelter. We have been tent camping the whole time but due to the rain we are just now starting to get we decided it would be awesome not to have wet tents to lug around.

Almost forgot to mention since we were in Franklin we picked up a dozen eggs a block of cheese a piece and a pack of hotdogs! Let me tell you it was a lot of weight but it was way worth it! Such a good dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow.

Also some people I've met today was Lost and Found who was at the shelter when we got here. He's a 19 year old from Pittsburgh. Also as I was typing a guy called Ready just came in the shelter. He just did a 24 miler which is insane. During dinner this evening we met a guy who had did a Southbound thru-hike last year. He told us a bunch of cool places to check out along the way.

So after it was all said and done today wasn't as bad after all. I'm still happy to be out here and meeting people every day.

Again thanks for all the prayers and support!



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Location:Cold Spring Shelter

3/20/17

Day 9 on the Trail

This morning we woke up at around 7:30 at Mooney Gap and set off for Winding Stair Gap. This is about a 12 mile trek in which we had until 2:00 to reach. Needless to say we did it with the motivation of real food.

Some high points of the day first starts with Albert Mountain. It is said to be at mile 100 of the AT which means we have conquered our first 100 mile stretch. Not to mention the view were amazing from on top, especially when you climb up the watch tower! You really can see the intricate design of the landscape, God is so great!

We also was able to hike this morning with a guy named Billy. We've been seeing him the past few days and was able to get to know him a little better today. He is just a section hiker but he was a really cool dude. He's from Hilton Head South Carolina and is the owner of a construction company.

Close to the end of our hiking for the day we came across a big dog on the trail that was accompanied by a mom and two kids. So after petting the dog for a moment and as we started back on our way one of the kids asked if we would like an apple. This family had been hiking with a whole bag of apples to give to the hikers. It made my day!

As we finished at Winding Stair Gap for the day we said our goodbyes to Billy and waited on a guy Max new to come give us a ride into town.

This guy is named Stuart, he has known Max now for a few years through working at Truett. Stuart took us pretty much anywhere we needed to go. We went and picked up our resupply packages from Outdoor 76, went to Walmart and got some extras we had been craving, then Stuart took us to eat. We ate at Shoneys because they had an all you can eat buffet which was absolutely amazing. Then off to DQ for the free first day of spring vanilla cone.

After such a great day in town we decided it would be a good idea to extend our stay until tomorrow morning. I was so glad to be able to get a room at the Budget Inn. I had my first shower since I've been on the trail, I was able to wash clothes, and have some more good food. For dinner we had Dominos! While doing clothes we met another guy who had hiked this far in crocs which is insane. I couldn't imagine doing such a task.

All in all it was another amazing day! Special thanks to Stuart for taking us to town! I miss everyone like crazy and can't wait to see everyone again. Thanks for the continued prayers!


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Location:Budget Inn, Franklin NC

3/19/17

Day 8 on the Appalachian Trail was another long day! We pushed harder than any other day so far with 20 miles. Yes, we did 20 yesterday but today was a much harder day terrain wise. With Couthouse Bald and Standing Indian Mountain both in one day as they were around 5000 foot of elevation was a task.

This morning we woke up to really cold temperatures around 28 and had the first climb right from the start. By the time I reached the top of Couthouse Bald I was already exhausted and the day had just begun. We reached Standing Indian by lunch time and mingled with some other hikers while we ate. One of the hikers was named red and it was because he was a ginger. It's kind of funny how people get their little trail names out here. Max and I still haven't gotten ours yet. Hopefully soon though and hopefully they will be good ones.

As we started up Standing Indian Mountain, I realized it wasn't as hard as I thought. The climb was low on the angle but it was just such a long ascent. Along the way my left Achilles started giving me fits. It was because of such a long incline that we were going fast on. Needless to say I learned my lesson to slow down on inclines.

The day kind of got easier after those two mountains but we just had a long way to go. We reached our destination at around 6:30. My feet feel like I just jumped out of a helicopter onto pavement from 50ft up. I'm so sore. But I'm still so happy I'm out here.

Mentally I miss everyone back home and I am ready to see them. I think about home the most in the times throughout the day I'm down. Today had a lot of ups and downs. The sun was a great moral boost for most of the day though.

We made camp with a guy named Billy. We have been hiking with him the last 2 days. He seems to be a cool guy, he's just a section hiker though and is planning to get off around Fontana.

The ministry out here is going slower than I expected. Really it's all about the relationship at this point, conversations are going to arise which will be great! Giving food to Daddy Long Legs and some other people is one way we can get to people and open up conversation. Please pray for more opportunities to come!

Tomorrow we will be in Franklin North Carolina! I can't wait, we are gonna get some real food for super. A burger would be great right about now.

Thanks again for everyone's support and prayers!


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Location:Mooney Gap

3/18/17

Another day in the books! Today marks a week since we started the Appalachian Trail and also is the 6th day on the trail! It was the longest yet, we did a little over 20 miles on the day which makes it our first AT 20 mile day!

This morning leaving Tray Mountain was pretty rough it was a wet foggy morning with a ton of down hills and brutal climbs. We actually did what some consider the toughest climb in Georgia today, Kelley's Nob.

This morning was not the best physically either. My right knee started giving me fits to go along with my already bum left ankle. But continually throughout the day I prayed for healing and many miles later they aren't hurting me at the moment!

We made it to the Top of Georgia hostel by 1:00 this afternoon and was greeted with open arms! They gave us a free soda on the house which was awesome! I was really craving a Dr. Pepper. I also bought Max and I a pepperoni pizza which was delicious. Then we went to the gear shop and picked up our food drops and I needed another tent stake from when I left mine in the blizzard earlier this week. While we were at the top of Georgia we met a guy called Daddy Long Legs. He wasn't as prepared when it came to food as me and max were so we were able to give him some of our extra. This was great because it helped him out tremendously and it also helped us lose a little weight.

We took a shuttle back out to the trail around 2:00 and took back off. We had 9 miles to do before camp. They were hard miles too, we were already tired from the morning hike so that made us slower. But after feeling good at our first destination we decided to push to Bly Gap. We arrived around 6:30 and hustled to set up camp and eat. With a little conversation with a few guys in camp we wrapped up dinner, did our daily chores (like filter more water) and climbed into our tent!

Tomorrow is going to be another long day as we are trying to push for Franklin, North Carolina by Monday evening. But the best part of the day was 1 state down 13 to go. We are now in North Carolina!

Continue to pray for Max and I! We are glad to be out here and thanks for all the support!


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Location:Bly Gap

3/17/17

Another great day to be on the trail. It was a little cold to start the morning but one of the guys we camped with got up and started the fire back. After packing up Max and I had our first breakfast at where we had camped. Usually it has been to cold to stay long enough to make breakfast so we would do it later in the day, but this morning it was bearable and breakfast was great.

Today was a push, we were able to get 15.4 miles in and 9 of those miles were before we ran into some trail magic at unicoi gap. Keith Ivey and some others had some awesome Boston but sandwiches, along with other snacks and drinks for hikers that came through. I can't begin to express how amazing it is to get trail magic. It's such a blessing, and I feel like after the trail I will have to do some of my own.

On the other hand after the long day I have come to the conclusion that the worst part about hiking other than awful weather is the down hills. They are so rough on every joint in your lower body. Right now I'm alright though only nursing a bum tendon in the ankle. Prayers for my ankle would be great!

Once we arrived at Tray Mountain we saw Milo and his mom. Milo is a 13 year old boy that has decided to hike the Appalachian trail with his mom. He is a really cool kid and has a mans pace. Max and I can't even come close to keeping up with him, luckily we can usually keep pace with his mom. Tonight we were able to get to know them a little better around the campfire.

God has really blessed me with an awesome opportunity. I'm constantly around amazing people with many different backgrounds. Hopefully through this experience someone finds the Lord! I can already tell I'm getting closer and closer each day! Thanks for the continued prayers and support!

PS. More pictures to come soon!


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Location:Tray Mountain Shelter

3/16/17

What a day it has been! We got back on the trail this morning around 12:30 at Neels Gap and was able to put in some good miles before stopping at Low Gap Shelter for the night. This was around 11 miles that we were able to cover in 5 hours!

Once we were in camp we met back up with a Adam and April which was a couple we had met a few days ago. They are some pretty cool people.

Sharing a camp fire us 4 along with 3 other guys spent most of the night sitting around sharing stories and talking about each other's lives. Hopefully these are the people we will be hiking with for a good bit of time.

On the other hand the weather was great today, mostly sunny (I might have gotten sunburned) with some brutal winds. It's currently really cold. It said it could get down to 29 tonight which I'm not looking forward to. Luckily though where we set up camp is out of the wind, not 100 yards up the mountain though the wind is whipping and it is making sounds like a huge waterfall.

Physically I'm alright, having a little pain on my left foot. I think it's just a tendon that is super sore. I'm gonna try to take it easier tomorrow. We will see how it feels.

Please continue to pray for Max and I. Thanks for everyone's support.


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Location:Low Gap Shelter

3/14/17

Day 4 was pretty brutal. Throughout the night Max and I were hit with 20+ mile per hour winds and a good bit of snow fall. Making it to the morning was all I could think about. The crazy thing about it was that we had set up our tents so that we wouldn't be effected by the wind, unfortunately during the night the wind patterns changed.

When I woke up at 6 am my boots were frosted over and had ice on the inside. What a way to start the day right? During the night the wind had blown some of the snow up into my boots which were placed in the vestibule (compartment of the tent that is made to house your gear from weather.) I through them on anyways and started to pack up.

After texting Max around 7 or so we went up to get our bear bag from up the trail. This is a bag with all of our food in it, that we hang in the tree away from our camp to keep the bears from rummaging through camp. We found that the knot Max tied was completely frozen, this in my opinion was like a foreshadowing of our day...

We started our hike this morning from Garrard Gap over to Neels Gap which is around a 5 mile trip. There was only one thing between us and our destination. Blood mountain, with an elevation of over 4000 feet, intense snowfall, and blistering winds it was definitely the hardest challenge we had yet to face.

We prayed over what was ahead of us today and took off. Two miles up a steep incline to the top, we charged. Once we reached the top we were able to stop at a cool all rock shelter. Here we tried to rehydrate and rest a bit before we started back. During our break we also was able to meet some people spring breaking. They came down from Virginia to avoid the bad weather, they soon realized that they avoided nothing.

As we started down Blood Mountain heading into Neels Gap we found that the Trail was poorly marked for conditions in which we were facing. None the less after a few tries Max lead Jacob (a guy we met the night before) and I down the mountainside.

I couldn't have been happier to reach Neels Gap. After enduring the wicked winter spell that came through we were able to get warm at the Mountain Crossing store.

We decided like most others hiking on the trail, to take a couple of days off before continuing to hike. We will be back on the trail Thursday! Thanks for everyone's support and prayers!


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Location:Neels Gap

3/13/17

Day 3 on the trail was great! Woke up this morning to freezing cold temperatures and it pretty much stayed that way all day. Max and I made great miles today though, it was around 12 miles of tough terrain. Finally felt like eating so I ate most of what I plan for a day. The best part of the day was this evening we were able to meet a group of hikers and talk and enjoy a camp fire for a few hour before the rain and snow pushed us into our tents. All of the stories of the people out here is so interesting. People come from al aspects of life to hike. There has been so many cool experiences so far and I know God has already been at work! Can't wait to see what's to come!


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Location:Garrard Gap

3/12/2017

Day 2 on the AT is in the books! We were able to hike 14.5 miles today. It was really cold today and they say it's gonna get even colder in the next few days. Physically I'm pretty sore but I knew that would be the case! I'm just happy I'm out here! We have meet tons of people already. Most of them we cross paths with at least 2-3 times a day so we are getting to know them! Everyone we have came into contact with so far has been really friendly and nice, which for me was shocking. I expected most to be distant. Also was able to experience our first trail angels today! At Coopers Gap there was a big white food truck looking van that had hot water for cooking with and refills on our water supply! It couldn't have came at a better time because I was down to 1/2 a liter. I know tomorrow will be just as great!
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3/11/2017

First day in the books! We were able to hike around 9 miles today after our 12:00 departure! Although it wasn't easy and I'm sore already, I can tell it will be such an awesome experience! I have already meet people all across the country and I'm sure I will meet many more tomorrow! Right now it is sleeting and it suppose to snow during the night. Not ideal for hiking but I'm so glad to be out here! God has truly blessed me with this opportunity. Worst part of the day was saying goodbye to the ones I love. They say goodbye is the worst part so I am extremely confident! Please continue to pray for Max and I.


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Location:Springer Mountain Shelter

March 10, 2017

Hey everyone,
It's the day before I start my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. I just wanted to say thanks to all that has helped in supporting me this far as well as those who will continue through prayer and encouragement! I am extremely excited to embark on this journey and will be posting on this blog at least every few days. I am confident that God is going to work through Max and I on the trail! Please keep us in your prayers!




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