Uwharrie National Forest

     We have spent the last 2 weeks hiking around the Uwharrie Forest.  Not a large forest only 50,000 acres.  We got on the trail where it crosses 109 and head south to the Dutchman Creek loop.  I have been told there would be many different kinds of wildlife to see.  The only wildlife we saw were Boy Scouts.  This hike was a warm up for our AT trek next month.  We traveled up and down the rolling hills tromping through creeks and heavily dense second growth Pine, Elms, & Walnut trees.  Pushing through Hollies and rhododendrons.  We had lunch on top of Dark Mountain a nice view looking over the rolling hills.  Lunch was quick and back on the trail.  Our decent back into the valley could have been faster if we jumped out about 4 feet.  Of course the sudden stop at the bottom may have hurt a little.  I was grateful we were descending and not ascending it was nearly a vertical drop.  Would of been hand over foot ascending.  As we returned back to the Uwharrie trail we headed back north.

     As we reached the Dutchman's Creek Campsite we joined up with another scout group.  Just as we started setting up camp the rain came.  Daniel Tyler and I got our tent and hammocks up and I collected some firewood before everything was soaked. We all laid down for an hour or so.  I was entirely spent. The longest hike, 10 miles with a forty pound pack, I've taken since my youth.  We woke around 5 and started dinner.  Still raining I got a warm fire going.  As we ate Scouts wandered in and out of our site enjoying our fire.  Many asking how I got the fire going.  "Didn't you see me collecting wood when it first started to rain" I asked.  The scouts were kind of funny they put their food up in a bear bag.  I told them from time to time I have herd of a bear in the forest.  I was more worried about rats, squirrels, & rattlesnakes.  That rattled them and they went off.  Tired from the long hike we ate & talked awhile then off to bed around 8pm.  The rain woke me a few times during the night but I slept well.
     Around 6:30am 2 birds sounding like a car alarm woke me up.  First thing I realized was that it wasn't raining.  I got up; dressed, dropped my tent, got the boys up, they got ready and we started hiking out.  Only 5 miles out!  However they had to be the longest.  Two miles in and my legs were rubberized lead.  Each rise of my leg brought effort.  As my feet hit the path my legs wobbled from fatigue.  The path seemed to get longer with the knowledge that a strenuous climb was still in front of us.  We would talk about most anything to take our mind off of the pain in our bodies.  Trying to laugh just to distract ourselves of what laid ahead.  Then we were at the foot of our last climb.  Looking up, the path looked impossible.  Then I realized why I enjoy hiking.  Once you commit to the path there is no turning back and no giving up.  You must finish, no way to get out without walking.  So up and out I went.  My stride shrinking from 2.5 feet to maybe 6 inches.  Reaching the top the sound of cars from the road brought hope.  Every turn of the trail brought us closer and further.  Each bend I would hope to see the Subaru but nothing.  Finally there she was I made it 15 miles, wet, rain dripping from my hat, and totally worn out I struggle for my keys started the car & turned on the heater.

    What did we learn?  Maybe 30 miles in 3 days is to much.  While even in hard conditions we survived and overcame.  Those old dumb stories I have can be distracting.  Once we commit to the trail do or die no stopping until we find the end.  The journey is the fun!

 

Turning Point

Tuesday I drove with Ann to Greenville SC to visit what turned out to be a very interesting man, Fred McCain.  Hs is currently in a skilled nursing facility with a number of ailments.  Mainly he is being treated for liver cancer.  While I would say my least favorite visit is hospital visitation.  I am very uncomfortable in these situations.  While most people know I tend to say the wrong thing in everyday conversation, I am always fearful of opening my mouth in a hospital.  Fred was different than I expected. 

When we arrived he was at physical therapy his assistant, Fernando, greeted us.  Fernando has been by Freds side since the day he entered the hospital.  His admiration for Fred was immediately evident.  I knew very little of Fred’s ministry.  Fernando filled me in on how Fred has change his life and given him an opportunity to get back on his feet and start his life over.  Fernando has hope.  During this time Fred returned.  I had expected a warn tired frail shell of a man ridden with cancer.  What came in was anything but.  Fred was cheerful and showing plenty of energy.  He greeted us we started catching up on nearly 30 years of separation.  When sharing his history and vision he seemed to gain energy.  I found an amazing man.

Fred has had an incredible journey.  He recognized in 1969 he was an alcoholic and joined AA.  In 1992 he had lost everything he had including 2 wives.  Literally homeless he found his way to his sons house in Greenville he was on his way to Denver.  The second day he was there a man approached him and asked if he knew anything about alcoholism they needed a driver to get men to the meetings.  These men after a short time offered him the ministry.  Fred had no money so they took an iou.  Fred had 3 apartments and 1 resident to start.  He went into some of the monumental hardships you face when running a ministry like this.  For instance; as the ministry grew, and he was adding apartments to facilitate incoming residents his building went condo.  It took time to get his funding together when he got it he was told the building had already sold.  He feels they pushed him out.  As his story goes it was for a reason for he found a new home large enough to grow and the right price.  Turning Point is still in that building.  Today they house 125 residents he has impacted and changed the lives of 1000’s of men.  He has never taken a dime from the state and has remained privately funded.  You can find more of his story @ http://turningpointsc.org.

There are hero’s doing amazing deeds to keep society moving forward and giving people hope.  While there will never be a Dr Fred show or Fred show his impact is far more than giving someone a car or trip. As I press on towards the goal my hope is to be half the man Fred McCain has become. 

Just to save some money

It is 6:30am Saturday morning.  Bad enough I am awake at 6:30 actually was up at 5.  I have always thought those Friday morning after Thanksgiving shoppers are insane.  Where am I?  I am sitting in the Friendly shopping center waiting until 10am for the bi-annual REI garage sale.  Your thinking he got up on Saturday morning to save a couple bucks.  Nope it is even worse than that; I got to REI at 4:30pm Friday afternoon.  The great news not so great news there is 17 other crazy people here as well.  My hope is I can grab a pack.

They say the journey is ½ the fun.  I have yet again met some unique people.  The first person I met runs camps during the summer for at risk kids.  Based out of Asheboro they are an interfaith organization.  She also runs mission trips to Africa, and South American.  The next group a bunch of college kids their energy is so full of life.  I think I would like to live near a college campus.  Talking with them I felt younger.  Oh to be that full of dreams and desires.  Maybe that is why my daughter moved out.  The groups just behind me are profession garage sale ebayers.  While saying they are true outdoors people I did over hear them making their plans to grab the gadgets because they are worth the most.  A few boys from past ranger classes showed up and said they were surprise to see me. 

So why am I here?   I do like saving money.  The main reason my kids bugged me.  Any chance to get outside.  Any chance they can get out to meet new people and play.  So while I am resigned to paying full price for good equipment my boys wanted an adventure.  So last night they hooked up with some people and played some kind of wall ball mostly involving beaming the ball at each other.  They then engaged in a game called corn hole.  Well it was not long before they were throwing the bean bags at each other.  I think around 4am they finally passed out. 

Well we survived the day and saved around $480 on gear for our hike in April.  While I didn’t get my pack would call the adventure worthwhile.  With only one incident of a women showing up shortly before they opened the doors thinking she could just cut the other 300 people in line.  Katie was right; she knew I would be the one that would speak up and show her the end of the line.  Lady called me rude guess she didn’t think the line applied to her. 

About time.

Well I should have started this last year.  So a little back ground.  A year ago I weighed 320lbs, I couldn't play with my kids, my knees kept me from most every activity, I developed type 2 diabetes, dangerously high blood pressure, & high cholesterol.  My Dr gave me 4 years before my first heart event.  I had tried many diets losing weight then gaining it back.  Katie and I talked and decided to look into lap-band surgery.  After a 9 month process in late October I had the surgery.  The day of surgery I weighed 311lbs.  Today I have hit 250lbs.  While the surgery was a great start in order to get here required a lot of exercise 4-5 days a week 45 mins at a time.
So today I enjoy hiking with my family.  The challenge of getting to the top of a mountain and sharing the view with people I love.  I love the peace of the forest.  Getting to the top of the mountain looking out over tree covered mountains watching the hawks riding the wind as it pushes up from the valley below.  No sound of civilization just the wind and the birds.  We enjoyed a great lunch and shared dreams and goals with each other.
As I sat up there I couldn't help but think there was no way I would have done this last year.  I would make some excuse and put it off.

Today I am off all my meds.  My knees have not given me any trouble.  I CAN PLAY WITH MY KIDS AND ENJOY IT!