100 Days.....

Saturday, April 1, 2017
Gateway to the Appalachian Trail, Amicalola Falls, Georgia.

100 days and over 1200 miles ago, Jake and I saw Silas off on an epic journey. A lot has happened since that crisp spring morning. Jake has gained a wife, Silas has lost 35 pounds, I still have my original wife and all my pounds, and Silas has experienced life's journey in a very unique way.

From the very beginning of Silas's adventure, I have been reminded of one of my all time favorite books, Pilgrim's Progress.  The trail names the hikers like to use and the unusual characters that Silas has met along the way could have been pulled from the pages of Bunyan's classic novel. It has made me realize how closely this long distance walk across 2200 miles and 14 states resembles life's journey.  Ups and downs, rain, snow, heat, cold, at times lonely, other times crowded, and the variety of paths, oh those trails!

(the white blaze marks the Appalachian Trail, it can be found in many of the following pictures)

Well Traveled and Clear Trail

Mountain Top Trail

Night Trail

Green Pastures Trail

Hemmed in Rocky Trail

Board Walk Trail

Hidden Trail

Difficult Unclear Trail

Stormy Trail

TRAIL?!

High Water Crossing Trail

Stumbling Trail

Narrow Trail

Crooked Trail

Pleasant Trail

Press on Silas! Greater adventure awaits you.

“This hill, though high, I covet to ascend;
The difficulty will not me offend.
For I perceive the way to life lies here.
Come, pluck up, heart; let's neither faint nor fear.
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.”  
    John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress