Date: 2019-03-26
From: Outlook Ave

To: Pattinson Road 
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night¢s knock on the door was Flower Boy! I was so happy to see him! We met each other my first day of hiking the trail. March 28, 2018, and he¢s here to hike my last day with me. Our friendship has come full circle.  We started our hike going UP. Mount Greylock is 3489ft above sea level. She will be my last big climb on the A.T.  The journey up was snowy and long. We stopped at Mark Noepel Shelter for a snack. Then continued our ascent. In places the snow was three feet deep. In others it was only 6 or 7 inches. It was a heavy wet snow and really made my legs ache during this climb. I think Flower Boy felt the same.  Flower Boy is already a thruhiker. He completed his hike in September. He already has photos of this portion of the trail from a different time of year. At one point we saw a wooden structure across an open snow covered space. He said this space is actually water. Like a pond or a lake. He has a photo from when he hiked through here before. As I began walking towards the structure he snapped a photo of me and said ¢she walks on water¢. It was true, I did walk on water...frozen water! Haha After five hours of hiking UP, there it was, the monument on top of Greylock. The view was nothing short of breathtaking. I took photos, and did a live Facebook video. I took my time and enjoyed the view.  Flower Boy and I sat on the concrete around the monument and ate our lunch. It was windy, but the sun was shining. He gave me a fist bump... it¢s the hiker way.  I left Greylock feeling accomplished. I thought I might be weepy but I really wasn¢t. We went DOWN, then back UP to Mount Williams. There was another view but nothing that compared to Greylock.  As we made our way to Mount Prospect ledge we were reminiscing. Flower Boy has ALWAYS wanted to trail name me ¢hammer¢ because I¢m the only hiker who ever started out with a hammer in their pack! In my defense it was a small hammer! But as we were hiking he said Hammer was still appropriate because I am tough as nails. He was impressed that I had hiked through this much snow! Not just now, but in November and December too. He¢s from Maine and said if it hadn¢t been for me, he would NEVER be out in this!  The ledge was nice, but still nothing compared to Greylock. Greylock was MY personal grand finale!  We had nice Mountain View¢s the whole way down. Towards the end I could hear music calling us out to the road. It was Baby Girl and Papa Big Swig blaring The Climb by Miley Cyrus...it¢s my song! They had flowers, hugs & kisses, and my daughters on FaceTime with grandkids in the background. I may have lost it a little at that moment. Soon my phone rang and it was my trail sister Hugs. I got texts from Big Kahuna, Texas, Daddy Shakira, and Feathers. It was a good day! I thought I would come out of the wilderness with all of this new and profound wisdom to share with the world. Nope.  I do have a much better sense of self than I¢ve ever had before. AND, I think this new sense of self is in all the right ways. You know, the securely grounded but reaching for the stars way.  The very best part of my journey was the people. I was blessed with the right people at the right times on trail. From Tramily to other hikers I met in passing, to trail angels, volunteers, and of course my own family and friends. People showed up when I needed them. They showed up with a good heart and kind words.  All of my tramily members will be tramily for life. I genuinely love them all! Most importantly I would be lost without my biggest fan, the love of my life, Papa Big Swig!  I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. I am blessed undeservedly blessed. Now I¢ve got a book to write. Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018/2019)Where¢s your faith?