The Path

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Silas has passed the 30/300 mark today.
30 Days and over 300 Miles behind him.

A Shelter Life

Shelter along the Appalachian Trail

All along the Appalachian Trail are “shelters”. They have been constructed over the years by Trail Hiking clubs and associations or the National Park Service. They are spaced about 12 to 20 miles apart and most are in remote sections of the trail to discourage Weekenders and locals from using and or trashing them. Hikers are also encouraged to use these shelter locations to overnight. This keeps long sections of the trail pristine and not cluttered with old camp sites. A sturdy shelter can be a welcome sight on a rainy, foggy, or snowy day.  Silas shared with me his Shelter experience.

"I found the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to be a difficult hike. Six days of relentless rain and cold kept my clothes wet. Hikers are required to use the shelters and I didn't sleep well. The Shelters are old and usually smell like hiker's feet and body odor. Mice love to live in them because of the food crumbs they can feast on and packs they can raid. On the positive side they are normally warm and dry.....those are my favorite words at the moment."


"I can’t remember the name of the first shelter I stayed in, but I know it was in the Smokies. It was a rainy day and I was not looking forward to the crowds I knew would be crammed inside the shelter I was planning to stop at. I arrived around 4:00 pm and walked inside. It was a stone structure with wooded bunks built inside. The bunks are actually two rows of wooden shelves. The top shelf was full so I claimed a space on the bottom with five total strangers. I rolled out my sleeping bag in the last open area which happened to be next to a young girl hiking with her family. She was a bit nervous and I was as well but such is shelter life. The wood was hard and uncomfortable, I could hear mice squeaking as if they were laughing at my awkward situation. As I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep the girl I had felt so bad for next to me began to snore. Her snoring was louder than my Dad’s legendary snoring. He can be heard from a mile away. I no longer felt any sympathy for that child at all.”

"Silas"

Shelter Buffet

The Fontana Hilton, Lake Fontana NC

Shelter at Sassafras Gap



A Packed House

No Pain, No Rain, No Maine.



Silas wearing his "Trail Face"

As I have communicated with Silas over the past few weeks there are several things that I find amusing.  One of these is the whole "Trail Name" thing.  The Appalachian Trail Community of hikers are an interesting bunch.  there exists one huge common denominator among them and that is the journey they are all on. Other than that they are a wild mix of personality, age, gender, background, and so forth.  This thrown together tribe of wanders give each other names.  You do not get to pick your name it is hung on you by your fellow travelers.

"People are given names based on how they are perceived on trail.  If you snore, smell, or act out, you could be given a name for it."  

Silas (Missionary)



Here are a few that Silas has mentioned. Also some pictures of folks he has met. I'll let you try to put names to faces.........







Duck Fart, Good Times, Yard Sale, Not Bad,  Diesel,  Tropical,  Bear,  Pigpen,  Chicken,  Honeybun,  Twister,  Twenty Three,  Goddess,  Sparkle Feet,  Disciple,  Lipstick, 

Almost through the Great Smokey Mountain Nationa Park

Survey Marker

The World as seen from Charlie's Bunion.

Silas is nearly through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.  It has been a wet and cold hike.  Today as he leaves the Park he will have 246.5 miles behind him with only 1,952.2 left to go.  Pray for some sunny days and level ground!

Life's Ups & Downs

We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world,
and the best we can find in our travels
is an honest friend.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Days:  21

Miles:  206.5

Trail Ascent:  51,978.3 ft.

Trail Descent:  50,068.2 ft.

Trail Grade:  490.6 ft./mile

That's a lot of up and down walking for the son of a flat-lander.

Godspeed Silas.

Pizza!!!!!!!!!

It seems there are many strange happenings along the Appalachian Trail.  Silas has discovered a community of fellow travelers as well as those that serve this band of wanderers. All along the trail Silas has encountered folks handing out food and drink, knitted caps, offering rides into towns and shelter from storms.  What a great journey! Silas told me the following story about an event that took place at a shelter somewhere in the Smokey Mountains.

The group that Silas has been hiking with for several days arrived at a shelter along the trail.  These rustic and remote shelters are located about every 12 miles.  As they were shedding their packs and resting aching muscles a man walked into the camp carrying three large pizzas.  He was delivering an order placed by someone at the shelter named "Mustard Seed". (hikers all have trail names)  Well no one  answered to the name "Mustard Seed" so the man offered the pizza to  Silas and his friends for free along with cold sodas.  They gladly accepted his offer and sat down to enjoy this unexpected feast.  When everyone had been served the Mountain Pizza Delivery Man confessed that he was "Mustard Seed" and just wanted to bring up some pizza and hang out with AT hikers for a bit.  This tale seems amazing to those of us traveling life's ordinary path. To those on the AT it's just Trail Magic, and it happens from time to time.

 Pizza and Cold Soda!! Magic Indeed!

Pizza Delivery on the Appalachian Trail !!!!!



Happy A.T. Trekkers

A "ZERO" day in Gatlinburg TN.

Sunset in the Smokies

Silas is spending an extra day in Gatlinburg to dry out and wash up.  He has seen a lot of rain during his trek through the Smokies.  He topped "Clingman's Dome" elevation 6,643, the highest point in Tennessee and on the Appalachian Trail.  He was hoping for a spectacular view, but instead saw clouds. 



When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new,
This restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb,
and to seek the mountain view.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox


Great Photos should be accompanied by great poetry.

Smokey Mountain Hiking

Hanging food out of bear's reach........... but I sleep at bear buffet level!

Silers Bald Shelter

Appalachian Trail

All I need is in a pack,

All I own is on my back.

Great Smokey Mountain National Park

Silas spent Easter on the shore of Lake Fontana in North Carolina. He is about to enter the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. It will take 5 or 6 days of tough hiking to get through the park. Silas will reach the highest point along the Appalachian Trail in the next day or so. I guess that means it will be all downhill to Maine....... HaHa! 

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11

I have noticed and mentioned to Silas that he seems to be eating more pizza on this "wilderness trek" than he ate living in "civilization.  His response was "The Lord provides". 

I can also give a mileage update:

175 miles traveled.

10.9 miles per day average.

Silas needs to maintain a 12 mile per day average to make his planned "Wedding Rendezvous" point at Harper's Ferry West Virginia.  Storms and Fire have cost him a bit of Trail Time but he is making it up.

Continue to pray for Silas as he hikes along the Appalachian Trail.

TRAIL MAGIC

A group of folks handing out snacks and drinks along the trail in Georgia.
"Trail Magic"

Sometimes along the trail, usually at highway crossings or campgrounds, there will be groups handing out snacks and drinks to the hikers.  Most of these are church groups, some are trail clubs that maintain sections of the trail. The Thru-Hikers refer to these events as "Trail-Magic".  Silas has enjoyed trail-magic because it has helped him obtain the occasional Dr. Pepper.  He also picked up a hip, hand crochet, beanie from some older ladies who knit them for the hikers.

Silas told of one such group who were washing feet along the trail.  This made quite an impact on Silas and the other hikers that he was traveling with.  Needless to say, a Thru-Hiker's feet are usually dirty, blistered and stinky.  Getting you feet washed and toe nails trimmed is real "Trail-Magic".
What a powerful testimony.
Continue to pray for Silas as he walks. 

Trail Map for the Southern Section of the Appalachian Trail

Silas On Trail

I thought I would use this Blog to keep friends and family updated on Silas and his journey on the Appalachian Trail.
Silas is currently off trail in Franklin North Carolina. He arrived there Monday afternoon and planned on resupplying and picking up a package of supplies he had mailed there before he left Ruston.
Silas was going to get back on the trail first thing Tuesday morning but a wildfire was threatening the area north of Franklin and the Forest Service closed 5 miles of the trail until Wed. morning.
This will give Silas an extra day to rest and doctor his feet a bit.
The town of Franklin is a very hiker friendly town, well known to Thru-Hikers.  According to Silas the small town is now full of Hikers waiting to get back on trail.  He has met a number of fellow travelers and will enjoy the chance to spend a little "chill" time with them.


For those of you who like the numbers, here they are.
119.5 miles in 14 days. This includes two "zero" days.
overall average of 8.5 miles per day.
Hiking day average of 9.95 miles per day.
Most miles in a day 19.75
Fewest miles in a day 5.25


Torrential Rainfall, Tornado Threats, Snow Flurries, Fires, and Blisters, all in the first week! Silas is still smiling and having the time of his life.

Keep Silas in your prayers.