MAGIC

Hi all, this is post #8 about brother Paul and I as we hike the Appalachian Trail. Thanks much for your encouragement and support. Very soon we will be in Maryland!

A lot of great stuff has happened since started this hike. We have been the recipients of what is known out here as trail magic! The people that supply such are often referred to as trail angels. A couple of them picked us up when we were facing a 6 mile walk to resupply in freezing weather. Another fed us all the hot dogs we could eat after a hard days hike, plus dinner and the next mornings breakfast (thanks legendary angel fresh ground)!

The natural world has also supplied us with numerous magical moments. Wildlife, waterfalls. summit and ridge line views have been just awesome. If magic can be defined as the impossible becoming possible then would have to say that the fact we have made it this far is also magical. There is no way that two months ago when we started out from Damascus that thought would make it out of Virginia. We are though, and for that I am extremely thankful. I don't know how long will be able to keep going but I do know that this has been a heck of a journey and am glad to be here. The goal remains to get to Maine, however in so many ways the trek has already surpassed my hopes and dreams.

I believe that there is much magic to be found all over the world not just in natural surroundings but also from individuals as well as services and programs delivered from organizations. one of the purposes of this hike is to try and raise some funds for two such agencies, Easter Seals of Wisconsin's camp Wawbeek, and Hawaii's non profit attached to its' Services for the Blind program known as the Friends of Ho`opono. Originally as the first posts indicate I did not plan to hike for any charity. Fellow camp counselors from Wisconsin though encouraged me to hike for Camp Wawbeek where I worked a couple of summers. The time spent there was trans formative. After agreeing to do that then decided that it made sense to also try and help out the Friends. After all a huge chunk of my being still remains at Ho`opono. If interested you can read more about these two organizations at the blog sites set up several months ago. They can be found at www.wawbeekaloha.blogspot.com and www.friendsofhoopono.blogspot.com.  There is a short video clip attached to each but you may want to have earplugs handy.

Alright photos follow below. They include deer, bear, birds, waterfalls, and cover highlights of the past few weeks such as scrambling up spy rock, and walking on a stony man. The one of my praying in front of the priest wilderness sign was taken after the tremendous rainfall that hit the south a couple of weeks ago. For some dumb reason I had put up my tent the day before during a slight lull and was one wet camper by the time we got off that mountain! Physical health is a okay and am 90% recovered from a recent chigger army body invasion! Okay next blog should be in early June. By then thinking we may be about done with Pennsylvania!