Week Four: Flash-Bandit Hikes On.
By MrsJ
@SophiaMorros (5044)
Belews Creek, North Carolina
May 4, 2019 7:41pm CST
Friday marked day 28 since my oldest son started his trek on the Appalachian Trail.
I drove a couple of hours east and picked him up at Station 19E a hiker hostel where he had spent the night.
We went into the grand metropolis of Roan Mountain, Tennessee to restock his back-pack with tortillas, tuna, and Little Debbies (packaged snack cakes for those of you unfamiliar with the product).
He wasn’t in a hurry to get back on the trail since he was only aiming for a shelter 9 miles up from our location as his goal for the day so we drove up through Roan Mountain State Park to Carver’s Gap where we hiked up the mountain to enjoy the view he had enjoyed the day before.
We spent some time enjoying the sights on Roan Mountain before grabbing lunch in a local BBQ place and heading back to the trail
It’s been a tough four weeks for him. He’s hiked in rain and snow. Temperatures have been icy cold on some nights and hot and steamy on some afternoons. He’s decided that he likes sleeping in a bed. He likes daily showers. He likes having cell service that allows him to chat with his girlfriend. Hiking 30 miles a day is doable but not particularly enjoyable.
It’s definitely been a learning experience for him!
7 people like this
6 responses
@Juliaacv (56354)
• Canada
5 May 19
@SophiaMorros He will be gone out there long enough, that for someone so young, it is a pretty significant chunk of time out of his life, so surely he will carry what he has learned during this time with him for many years to come in his normal life.
Hopefully he writes a book about it and his life's lessons that he's gained along the way some day.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
5 May 19
@Juliaacv one of the things he has learned is that his time and money budgets are inadequate. He can do the trail within the parameters he's given himself but that means 30-40 mile days (which he's proven he can do) and hostels or showers for the rest of the way.
He was counting on mountain streams for bathing but the trail runs along mountain ridges and streams are mere trickles along the top.
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@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
5 May 19
I hope the lessons he's learned about himself and acknowledgement that there was value in some of the concerns we expressed before he started) stick with him when he goes back to a more normal life.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11383)
• United States
5 Jun 19
I have one friend who has hiked the Appalachian Trail. It is such a beautiful country. I love the mountains but day hikes are all I can take.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117259)
• El Paso, Texas
8 Jun 19
I don't like hiking, I'm always afraid I'll step into one of those stupid traps that so many trappers set out.
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
5 May 19
I'm not sure how much fun he's having at the moment...but there isn't really another reason.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382325)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Jul 19
It's good that he is now perhaps clearer on what he likes and what he doesn't like so much but can put up with.
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
5 May 19
He is finding himself out there alone.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
5 May 19
He's discovered that he doesn't really like being alone (something I could have told him 24 years ago already 
)
)1 person likes this
