Wed Aug 1: A beautiful walk-so many tunnels to walk thru; I can feel the cold air, its like walking into a refrigerator. I thought about laying down to rest in a tunnel to cool off but figured I’d give someone quite a scare if they came thru. My pack broke, temporarily fixed it but it rides on my hips funny now-I hope it’ll hang in there another 600 miles. I’ve put close to 8000 miles on it. In the town of Cairo I met Dean who owns the hardware store, a hiking enthusiast, and wanted to start a B and B as a way for hikers to shower or soak in a tub, have a place to sleep and a chance to enjoy the quaint town. He said after 3 years of waiting for hikers I’m the 1st one he’s met on the ADT. Walked into Pennsboro, stopped to take a picture of a lady painting a mural and a man offered to give me a tour of the depot. He came back with another man, Jim, and they both told me some of the history as they took the plastic bag dust covers off the memorabilia. They invited me to set up my tent in their backyard and then invited me to take a shower and eat dinner with them. I explained how I’m getting off the trail to baby-sit for a week and then visit Becky for a week. I was uncertain how I’d get to the airport because Greyhound has very limited services-Jim said he’d drive me there-how awesome, I’ll be able to keep walking and Sunday morning he’ll get me and take me directly to the airport.
Thurs Aug 2: Walked thru the longest tunnel yet, nearly ½ mile long-2300 feet. Met Sharon Weekley, she has been keeping track of me and invited me to stay with her and her husband. I arrived at her home at 7:00 and the local TV news arrived at 7:30. This afternoon I stopped by a home to get water and 3 kids decided to walk a mile with me!
Fri Aug 3: Am walking to Salem today where Sharon will meet me and take me back to her home for another nights stay. A couple miles down the trail a troop of kids, along with Sharon, headed towards me. Last year Sharon had a fundraiser at her school for the library, this morning she called some of them to see if they’d come out to meet me. We walked a mile or two together and then I trekked by myself till Salem.
Sat Aug 4: Woke up and waited for Jim, I was able to stand in the doorway of the church and stay dry from the rain. Jim dropped me off at the airport and will be back in 2 weeks to pick me up. What an awesome man! Received permission to camp in the backyard of the church again when I return to start walking.
Sun Aug 19: Returned to Wolf Summit.
Mon Aug 20: Followed the railroad tracks into town-got thoroughly soaked from a T-storm. I would like to go to the library but still need to get a bit dryer first. Found a perfect place to sit and let the breeze carry away some of the moisture-an abandoned covered bridge. Walked to the library and used the computer, most libraries allow me extra time if no one is waiting-not here. Only 1 hour even though the majority of computers sat empty. Made copies of what I needed and winced at what looked like hurricane winds pummeling the trees outside. Walked into the creeping darkness and pouring rain to set up my tent in a yard. Once set up I gingerly mopped out my tent with my bandanna and carefully organized myself to keep my sleeping bag as dry as possible thru the night.
Tues Aug 21: Woke to rain-later in the a.m. sun shone-I’m drying but everything in my pack is soaking wet.
Wed Aug 22: Camped in a yard last night-the landowner invited me in for b-fast and to shower and wash my clothes. He came out to invite me in and I wasn’t packed yet, I made the mistake of leaving my tent up while I went inside. After I showered I put on my clean shirt and wrapped a towel around my waist while my clothes washed-what do you know, it was raining! I ran out to get my stuff packed. I needed to get to the Rotary Club in Grafton to speak at noon. It was done raining when I started walking but because my pack was wet I ended up getting wet anyway! As I’m thinking about the scripture verse where Jesus says, “ For those whom much has been given, much is expected, and for those whom even more has been entrusted even more is expected.” I look at my own waste, my own overeating, my own greediness and as I’m sitting in a restaurant hearing a baby cry I think of those children who are starving and crying because they lack food to fill their tummies. I realize that just by hiking across the US I am not really able to touch people the way I want to, this is a lifelong mission that I’m dedicating myself to.
Thurs Aug 23: Last night I stopped by to speak to some paramedics/officers-one of the guys recognized me from when I was on TV and when I asked where I could stay in town they arranged for me to stay at the local motel. Just what I needed was some time to rest. I met a couple in the laundromat that waved me in as I walked by; they are bicycling around the country and are also hikers. Towards the evening I walked by a woman in a garden and stopped to talk. She invited me in to her parent’s house and then invited me to spend the night at her house just down the road. She was so kind that she let me sleep in her and her husband’s bed so that I could have a room with a bathroom. While I showered she ran over to her parents to borrow some extra clean sheets for me-how totally sweet, I’ve never had anyone give their bed to me like that.
Fri Aug 24: Another hot day of walking, thankfully the road goes by plenty of cool creeks so I’ve been washing off in the water staying cool. The gnats started driving me crazy so I stopped early to put up my tent and feel sane.
Sat Aug 25: Saw the biggest caterpillar I’ve ever seen before, it was the size of a hotdog-green with orange spikes at its head. Wasn’t sure if it was poisonous so I didn’t touch it. When I got into the town of Parsons I stopped for some lunch and a girl working there invited me to come to her Sunday school class and speak to the high school youth tomorrow. Then when I went to pay for my lunch her boss had told me it was on them. I went to Ruth and Victor’s home to stay with them for the weekend. They live on a farm with goats, cows, and lots of cats. I got to hop onto the back of the ATV and help corral the cows into the other field-then picked some corn and shucked it.
Sun Aug 26: Spoke to the Church of God youth, then went to mass, then back to the Church of God to go out to lunch. I’ve forgotten how goofy high schoolers are-they cracked me up with their stories of driving (they definitely need some prayers when behind the wheel). Went back to Ruth and Victors and visited with the visitors who came by. Watched Ruth give her special goat, Matthew, a drink from a liter bottle of Pepsi. Matthew also likes Oreos J. Got a headache because I haven’t had much to drink today. Went to the Methodist church service this evening and was surprised when the pastor invited me to speak about my mission.
Mon Aug 27: Here is a neat poem I received from a lady I met a couple weeks ago who walked a while with me:
By Melanie from Logan, Ohio
Lost?
Am I lost and don’t know what to do?
Keep my mind clear,
Overly simple, but believe this true:
Don’t get down on myself
God cares and is near,
He’s not putting me on a shelf.
Push away that dog of an energy buster
Keep walking in faith-don’t get flustered.
God will always make a reason and redeem my trying season-
If not realized in this world, then the next-
I know cause its in His text.”
(Gen 45)
Tues Aug 28: Had a good night sleep despite having my shoulder blades between 2 rocks-it is challenging to find a relatively flat space on the side of a mountain, but it is an absolutely gorgeous place to sleep! Washed up in a stream and walked the rail trail into the town of Thomas. My plan was to walk to Davis and use the library there, but I saw a sign indicating a library in Thomas so I decided to go ahead and stop here. Good thing I did because I found out that there is no library in Davis. Received an e-mail from a man on the Great Bend Rail Trail and he wanted to do something nice for me. He knows people who work for the Resort in Canaan Valley and will inform them I’m coming thru…perfect timing because I plan to go thru there tomorrow and needed to meet Jim Shaner (prayer walking across America) at the lodge Thurs morning. While getting groceries a lady started asking me about my hike and invited me to stay at the campsite in the SP with her and her husband-they are volunteers for the park. Stayed up talking about the trail, faith, and encouraging them they’re never too old to follow their dreams. Got to see a line of giant windmills on a ridge-impressively huge-I haven’t seen them since fields of them in Kansas.
Wed Aug 29: Headed on the park-to-park trail with some of the campers I met. Beautiful area-reminds me of the NE, Maine. Once at the Canaan Valley I got a room and lazily did nothing the rest of the day.
Thurs Aug 30: Met Jim this morning. Jim drove 6 hours to walk with me. He is also walking the ADT whenever he gets time off work, so far he’s walked from Delaware to Ohio and he prays and asks people to pray for America. He has been at this walk for 5 years. Dolly Sods is a wilderness area with many trails I’d like to come back to-the trail I took was a little confusing because there were not always signs at trail junctions. I got myself confused on the trail once-I crossed a stream and headed into pines and all of a sudden realized I wasn’t on the trail anymore, but on side trails meandering around sites where people had camped. I found the stream to follow it till I found where I had previously crossed it. Jim waited for me back at where the trail junctions with the campground and after I put my tent up he drove me to town to take me out to eat. The drive took close to an hour because of the bumpy and curvy road.
Fri Aug 31: At lunchtime Jim left to get home- he blessed me and prayed for me-how lucky I am to be blessed with getting to spend time with so many of God’s loving people. Before he left he asked me why I trusted him-I have been asked this before and feel it is how God wants us to treat one another. I also want my actions to be guided by something greater than fear-I want to use love, trust, compassion and hope to help me make decisions-Fear takes away freedom.
