April 23, 1997 (Day 35 – milepoint 336.6 – Nolichucky Campground)

A fellow who goes by the name of Kampfire has been offering shuttles into town for hikers and has also been dropping folks off at different spots along the trail so they can slackpack (hiking without a pack). Kampfire was in town offering rides this morning, so I, along with Easy Chair, Fruitcake, Footprint, and Snoop, decided to take advantage of the rare slackpack opportunity.

We first stopped for breakfast at the Elm Restaurant in Erwin, where today’s special was all-you-can-eat biscuits and gravy for 94 cents! With a cup of hot chocolate my total breakfast bill was $1.73 and I did not leave hungry.

Kampfire dropped us off 19 miles north of town in a cold rain. After he drove away, we all had a brief chuckle about the fact that, with only food and water and no gear, there would be no option to cut the day short if we got tired or injured. It was 19 miles or bust!

But like I said, we “chuckled” about it. With a light, playful energy, we each set off at our own pace. With minimal weight on my back, I moved quickly and comfortably. It was never a question of “if” I would make it back to the Nolichucky campground, but “how fast.” Despite the fact that I was colder than any other day so far, especially without my pack against my body, the hiking was easy, and I made it back with Easy Chair in about 5 hours. Returned to a hot shower, about 2500 calories for dinner, ice cream to wash it all down, and crashed early.

Aquaholic

April 23, 2009

Hey Aquaholic,

A potent dose of perspective is running through my veins today. I have two close friends who are dealing with some challenges relating to their children’s health.

One friend has triplets (three boys), and as if that wasn’t challenging enough, one of the boys was just diagnosed with Autism.

The other friend has an eight year old son who is showing signs of growing and maturing into puberty too early. This may be the result of a condition called “precocious puberty,” which can be physically and emotionally difficult for kids and can sometimes be the sign of an underlying health problem.

It appears there are some effective treatments and good support for both of these situations, and I admire my friends for tackling things as well as can be expected, but I really sense the feeling of helplessness in both of them. To be uncertain about your child’s health is enormously stressful.

My kids’ health are not in question. I am very thankful for that and I feel a high level of compassion for my friends.

Like Dad says when we discuss life’s challenges, “Are the kids safe? Are they secure? Are they happy? That’s your gauge. Make your decisions accordingly.”

O’