This is where I left you on April 25th:
Back on the Trail
On April 27, Liz Murphy, my daughter by choice if not by name, drove me back to the the Blue Ridge Mountains. With some luck and skill we found Martian at the Cornelius Creek Shelter in Virginia. He was settling in with Spillz, Juice Box, Laps, Marathon, Penguin and others. We surprised them with some Miller High Life, Gatorade, and fatty snacks.
I was excited to be back and true to form Martian suggested we watch the sunset from the Blue Ridge Parkway nearby. Liz and I pitched our tents and set off with Martian to watch the sun set from a nearby clearing along the Blue Ridge Highway. Afterwards, excited to sleep in my new lighter weight Gossamer Gear 2P tent . I slept like a baby - as I always do in the woods.
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| Martian, Liz & I catch the Blue Ridge Mountain sunset |
In the morning we awoke to the sound of songbirds. My new tent worked great but I'm determined to pitch it better next time to minimize condensation within. After breakfast, Liz headed out in the car to do some hiking and exploring on her own. I threw on my pack and again hiked north with Martian and the gang. With my newly "repaired" knee, I decided to lighten my load and left my food, tent and sleeping bag in the car. At 3pm, after 20 miles of hiking Martian and I met Lizzie on trail as she hiked south from the VA 501 trailhead to meet us. She shuttled us into into Glasgow, Virginia for the night.
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| Liz and I cross the James River behind Martian |
Back at the shelter, with some new friends, I was compelled to introduce one of my favorite trail games. I ran across the street to the convenience store to find Oreos. The hiker resupply products, in an aisle of their own, were so expensive. Oreos: $5.99! I found generic vanilla sandwich cookies for $2.49 and ran back to the shelter. Then, to demonstrate, I placed a cookie tween my eyebrows and then maneuvered it into my mouth without using my hands. Laughter and cookies. Smiles.
In my tent later, fun and games aside, I assessed the knee situation: I had felt some knee pain on some of the steepest terrain, but it wasn't bad. The 20 miles had overall felt easy. This might work. Yay! I slept like a baby in my brand new ultralight tent, eager to hike on the next day.
In the morning Lizzie shuttled us all back to the trail head in two trips. Then she was off in the Subaru to visit her 28th national park - Shenandoah. Our next campsite at Brown Mountain Creek lay 22 miles ahead. About 8-9 hours of hiking. Crossing my fingers I set out.
As I hiked, the supportive but concerned face of my physical therapist, Michelle Lucas, appeared before me. I was coming to realize what she surely knew but I had refused to acknowledge. I had returned to the trail too soon. I had spent weeks bashing up my knee. I gave her a week and two one hour sessions to show me how to heal. I did my exercises. And, she did a fabulous job. But, she is no magician and I am not a patient patient. I knew right then I was heading home again. Home to the Burgh. Back to my therapist, and ice packs, and rest. And, patience. This hike is a marathon not a sprint I reminded myself.
The decision made I hiked on enjoying the gorgeous Brown Mountain Creek mesmerized by the wildflowers, and curious about the remnants of the small community of freed slaves that settled here in the early 1900s. Stone walls, chimneys and other structural remnants were all that remained of the community in this beautiful valley. It was forested as I walked through it, but must have been logged before these refugees settled here to farm. I hiked on smiling and realizing once again how easy my life is.
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| Interpretive signage along Brown Mountain Creek |
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| Martian hikes on without me, again Notice the boxes of shoes left for hikers. |
My thru-hike interrupted again, Liz and I chose to combine retreat with fun. We headed west toward Pittsburgh, but on our way enjoyed a lovely night of riverside camping at New River Gorge National Park. Liz prepared the fire,
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Relaxing by the fire Liz conjured along the New River, WV |
and cooked up a fabulous camp meal for us. I love my ramen bomb. I really do. But, this was real food, in a cast iron skillet. We dined on vegan pulled pork sandwiches, mac n' cheese and a lovely green salad accompanied by a some hoppy beverages. Another night of heaven on earth for me. We rolled home toward Pittsburgh in the morning. But not before meeting other campers who ... this is the way my life works ... were moving into our Pittsburgh neighborhood and were passionate - like me - about urban farming. We promised to connect when I return in the fall. New friends!!
I Feel Good
Saturday morning, April 30, and I'm back home on Pittsburgh's South Side Slopes. I can see the roof of the physical therapy office from my window. It's only three blocks away, on the other side of the railroad tracks. I'd spent weeks bounding down hills too fast and knocking my knee cap off its track. Now I'm home in the city. Not in the woods. Not on the AT. It's gonna take more time. I'm hoping two weeks more work will be enough. That's becomes my plan. Two weeks more should do it. I book PT appointments. Two per week with daily exercises at home should do the trick.
I get a text from my friend, Dips (see Post 1) "How are you mentally?" She knows this kind of setback can be tougher psychologically than it is physically. "I'm mentally good.", I reply. "Thinking 1-2 weeks / wait n see. I'm optimistic."
I love that she checked on me. Then she asked, How ya feeling?
I replied "Other than my knee which feels meh."
What The Heck Am I Happy About?
I live a charmed life every day. My worst days are better than most folks good days.
Granted, my knee hurts enough today to make the odds of completing this thru-hike lower. How much lower? I don't know. But, only 1 in 5 finish the hike. A bum knee is not an advantage. This would seem like a bummer, bad news, something to get me down.
Well, it's not what I had hoped for. But, how can I be bummed when I am:
- spending months out in the beautiful mountains and valleys within a compassionate community (more later)
- safe (other than the risks I pose to myself)
- secure (roof over my head, food in the fridge, money in the bank, etc)
- retired. And, yes, I am enjoying it very much. And, no, I am not bored.
- healthy other than the knee and a few other minor items mentioned earlier (see below)
- loved
So, I returned to Pittsburgh happy and worked on finding more smiles in flowers. First, I got some things scheduled:
✅confirm my son Jonah's plans to visit me in Pittsburgh next week
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| John Mayer gave a great show at PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh |
Saturday, Deb and I flew out to spend the weekend in San Francisco with my son and some of Deb's family. We watched her grand niece, Brigit, play kiddie soccer on Chrissy Field with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, walked along the bay, enjoyed dinner with my son Jake and provided him with a modicum of packing assistance. A wonderful weekend.
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| My next AT stop: Apparently, Powell & Market, San Francisco |
Posing in front of the famed Painted Ladies Victorian homes in San Francisco with Deb.
NOT! The Painted Ladies were one block to the right! Oh well
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| Deb & I help Jake a wee bit with packing up |
Flight Delays - An Opportunity
Before we could get back to Pittsburgh, Deb and I had to spend some extra time at Oakland International Airport enjoying flight delays. There are a few places you can find serenity in an airport: pricey airline clubs, chapels, and rooms for nursing mothers (so I imagine). But, for Deb & I its Vino Volo.
While we were enjoying a flight of World Value Reds the gentleman at the next table asks me about a book I'm holding. Moments later we welcome Tai Sheridan, our new friend to our table. We had a delightful conversation that made our layover a wonderful retreat. Tai is a delightful writer and a gift to the world. Among many books, he has written my new favorite introduction to and complete treatment of Buddhism … in 39 pages: Buddha in Blue Jeans (free on Kindle). Thanks Southwest for the delayed flight.
Smiling flowers everywhere.
Jonah Rosario and Clover in the Burgh
Returning home to Pittsburgh, I am lucky to be visited by my Brooklyn-based son Jonah and his lovely girlfriend, Clover. We walk, we talk, we hug, we laugh. we break bread, we clink glasses. What more could I want? What more do I need? Not a thing.
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| Louie in bed at home in Pittsburgh. Wish I could take him with me! |
Learning to Smile Again
Find a smile in a flower
~Thich Nhat Hahn
I heard Thich Nhat Hahn recommend this as an aide to finding your own smile. Lucky me - I look at flowers all day when I'm hiking. And, often bend over to take a rushed and blurry shot. Some passable pics from Virginia follow:
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| Rock harlequin |
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| Rue-anemone |
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| Trillium |
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| Fire pink |
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| Dwarf crested iris |
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| Magnolia |
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| Japanese barberry (noxious invasive weed - don't landscape with this!) |
What's Buddha Got To Do With It?
Do I want to finish this long hike? You bet.
How I will do so is yet to be seen. I intend to finish, but cannot say for sure. Bookies have changed my odds from maybe to lookin less likely. It could not be any other way. Thus far my AT thru-hike has been discontinuous. I've already left the trail three times to return to Pittsburgh or beyond. I developed PFPS or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome of the right knee and I've still got 75% of the trail left to hike!
Did I ignore the obvious and cause this injury by running down soft slopes with my pack on, charging steep downhills like a mogul skier, all while failing to take the time to stretch? Most definitely. There are plenty who could wear the "I Told You So" crown.
So, my hike from Georgia to Maine is not going to be a fast or continuous effort. For the second time I've watched my hiking buddy hike ahead while I head to the showers, and possibly to the injured reserve list!
It will, however, be what it will be. And, it will be perfect just as it is and has been. I have made so many beautiful sights, sounds, scents, sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, lightning bolts, mysteries, answers, mysteries and at the heart of it all: friends.
So why do I hike around as Buddha? First, it's better than Wrong Way - the other name my behavior suggested in 2018.
Second, I am happy with my lot. I live better than 99% of the world's inhabitants. I expect that my plans for the future may not play out. My past is littered with unfulfilled dreams, failed efforts, mistakes, and redirection.
Instructive maybe. But, it should be kept on the shelf like a reference book not read and reread like some thrilling historical novel.
Accept the past for what it is. Like a leaf that floated by on a stream. Bright, crisp and green, Or, brown, cracked and curled. Either way they're gone downstream.
I've had hopes dashed. A marriage of thirty years. Several business ventures. My 2018 thru hike. But, I watched that shit float away like a leaf on a river. I try to let the past go easily with a friendly good bye. Good bye shame. Good bye failures. I try not to hold onto the past or grasp at the future. So, my AT hike will, apparently, include knee injury, interruptions, separations from friends, sections to make up. Will I be able to hike the remaining, 1,500 miles or so? We will find out.
But, every day I am at home within my happy journey. Lucky me.
I invite you to join me. Reach out to me. My hands are outstretched and I'll gladly put my poles down for a hug.
Be well my friends
~Buddha (the one you know, not the one who lived 2500 years ago)