Date: 2005-09-26
From: Pleasant Stream Shelter

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 16.1

start Pleasent Stream Shelterdestination White House Landingmiles 16.1 It rained intermitantly off and on all night long.I know becasue I had to getup three times to empty my bladder. The tent was heay with condensation,not asbad as last night though.Sometime before day break,the end guide rope came loseand the end of the tent collasped on us,wetting our sleeping bags. Papermakersecured it ad said that would be the last time I would build the house.Infact,if everything goes as planned,it will be the last time I build the tent fora long,long time. Last night was a disappointment for me.Instaed of sittingaround with Africa eating together and talking,we ended up in each of our tentsfixing supper because of the rain.The ame thing happened this morning.We satjust inside our tent and ate.It was hard to manuver my hot drinkand a bagle withPapermaker squeezed up pratically in my lap.We packed up our wet tent and putour packcover on and headed down the trail.The sky was grey with rain clouds andthe trees dripped with rain.It was not the k! ind of day I would have chosen for my last day.I wanted lots of sunshine and asoft level trail.I was getting lots of rain and a trail that was filled withslippery roots and rocks and plenty of mud thrown in.All the things I dislikedon the trail,all rolled into one day.Nesuntabunt Mountain almost proved to be my downfall.It seemed to go up,thendown and around,then up and down,repeating this terrainover and over.The profilemap definately did not show this.There was no way to get any kind of speed upand I seemed to just plod along.I felt like I was dragging a hundred poundsbehind me.It was too cold to stop very long for a snack,so we pressed on.We hadheard about some wonderful trail magic just past the Wadleigh Stream Lean T.Wehoped beyond hope that the people would still be there.Much to our delight,theywere still set up.Java,Jeopordy and their dog Foster were doing a long weekendhiker feed.A panckae breakfast,sandwiches for lunch and pasta and hot dogs andhamburgers for supper.More importantly though,they had a roaring fire going inthe fire ring.We fixed ourselves turkey sandwiches,,with potato chips,homemadecookies and lots of cold drinks.It was marvelous.We backed up to the fire andthawed out our bodies.Our clothes dried on u! s as we stood there,warming us even more.It was extremely hard to dragourselves away from there,especially since they had two tents set up that wecould have crawled into.We pushed on,much refreshed in spirit and body.I reallyneeded that magic to get me through the next eight miles.My last eightmiles.After staring out at 2172 miles,I am down to a single digit now. Africaasked me what emotions I felt knowing today would be the day I would finish mythru hike.I was not sad that it was over,nor happy that it was over.I think Iwas releived more than anything else.The bad weather made it easier to have itover with. I tried to remember when I first started this hike.I thought I was sowell prepared,yet I realize now just how ill prepared I was.There has beenenough memories to last me more than one lifetime.There has been emotionalhealings from scars that I have carried all my life.Lifelong hurts buried deepinside my soul,have been brought to the surface to be lanced and ! healed.I have learned so much about myself,bringing out inner strengths that I was unaware of,and letting go of negative behaviors and unhealthybeleifs.Someone told me early in my hike that there are no answers out here,andthat is the truth.The answers we seek are hiiden deep within ourselves.We areusually too preoccupied or distracted to delve deep inside to find thoseanswers.I have learned to be comfortable in the stillness and quiet of myselfand to listen to the still small voice of my heavenly Father. I got to the blue blazed trail that leads to White House Landing.This is whereI stopped hiking in 2003 because of a serious fall.It took me a minute or so torealize that I was through with my hike.I will be honest and say I had a spell.Agenuine,old fashion shouting spell,complete with hooping andhollering,tears,laughter and some dancing all rolled up into one.It was sheeradrenaline that took me the mile to the landing for White House.I let Africahave the honors of blowing the air horn which signals Bill to get into his boatand come across the lake to pick us up. We did not have enough timw to shower before the supper hour was over,so weall changed into dry clothes and sat down to dinner.A bowl of fresh cucumbersand tomatoes in vinegar started us off.The full one pound hamburger completewith cheese,lettuce,tomatos,and onions was almost more than we could eat. Lindastuck a candle into a cupcake and we sang Happy Birthday to Papermaker in honorof his birthday which is tomorrow.Just when we thought we were full,Africa getsa pint of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream to top off Linda's giant homeade trilechocolate chunk brownies.We nearly waddled to the shower hose,then to our roomwhere we strung damp clothes on a line above the wood heater.The weatherforecast is calling for two inches of rain tonight.That might keep us here anextra day because of the road conditions.That would not break my heart to bestuck here for another day.I am anxious to be home though.I miss my home,andfamily.I miss the routine things that a person does on a ! daily basis,yet thinks nothing of.Like turning on a water faucet,or flushing a toilet.Or washing your hands in hot water,or sitting at a table toeat.Things we take for granted,I miss all those things.We sat around the woodheater talking ,somewhat a somber atmoshere since we know this will be our lastnight together.I hate goodbyes,always have,always will. Bumpkin                           5 Million Steps for PolioAppalachian Trail GA-MA Bumpkin