Date: 2006-04-11
From: Crawfish Valley

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: clear sky

I should have been a fortune teller. We went to bed last night with the idea of starting today's hike at 8am - I doubted that heavily. I was correct. We started hiking at 10am.Today was a rough one for Dad. He really wants to do this with me but at the same time he doesn't want to slow us down which he knows he is doing and that is frustrating him tremendously. it also frustrated me quite a bit over these last few days because I knew that no one in the world could hop in with us cold turkey and keep up, and I told Dad that but he kept thinking that he was in marithon shape - but this is hiking with 50lbs on your back. But now he understands and I feel bad for him. He hates hiking at times, as do I, and he hates slowing us down but he loves hangning out with me, which I enjoy as well. I think he feels that if he stops now that I will view him as a failure, which I won't at all. Very few people could come out of the starting line and do the type of miles he has done and I wish he could see that. I wish he could see that I know that he tried and that is what counts to me. Now if only we would all just think past our frustrations - and that is what I'm trying to do. Sure, we slowed down a lot but I got to hang out with my Dad a bit. Sure, I hate moving slow or geting behind schedule, but I am fortunate. How many people can say that their Dad wanted to hike part of the A.T. with them, and did? Few, I believe. So we struggled on.Lunch was hard for me. Dad broke down in tears. he hates that he is slowing us down, and he is in so much pain. It was hard to watch Dad then. Here he has been a superior athlete for a long time and now it is just hard for him, very hard. So we kept going.Braveheart and I pushed on to the shelter. When I got there, I dropped pack and went back after Dad so I could carry his pack. He was a bit relunctant, but soon gave in to common sense. We then went on to the shelter. Today, Dad wanted me to ask him questions and two I chose were: What do you wish you could have taught me, which he answered for me to be a pilot, and then I asked him what were his proudest moments for each his kids. Kaeli's was a letter Dad received from her youth Pastor, J.J., Carissa's was when she graduated and how happy she looked, and mine I can't really remember which is quite odd. It was almost like I didn't care waht it was, but rather knowing for a fact taht my Dad was proud of me for something, anything, almost brought me to tears. I literally was smashing my legs with my hiking poles so I didn't well up. His answer turned out to be when I took Rachel Oyer, my first girlfriend, to the Jr./Sr. banquet in High School, then I think he said when I graduated, then he said me hiking this trail. I just found it quite odd that I was moved in such a way, regardless of what his answer would have been.Anyways, Dad's feet have been hurting and I got to see why. He has massive busted blisters on the back of both heals and on his pinky toe. They lookes so raw. Know wonder he has been in so much pain! It for sure are the worst blisters I've seen. He sure is a trooper for being able to do any kind of miles with those. so he is trying to figure out whether he should go on or not. Braveheart and I are going to meet him in Pearisburg either way. So we'll see what he decides.maple and spice oatmea x2---PB&J---rice and chicken - mountain house