Date: 2012-07-03
From: High Point State Park HQ NJ 23

To: US 206, Culver Gap
Miles today: 14.3

A disaster of a morning! Surefoot and SOS got off for their hike by taking Surefoot¢s car to their end spot¢¦with the plan to hike back south to here where Mini Mama and I will pick them up¢¦so we did not have to get up early and take them¢¦that sounded good to us! When we got up shortly thereafter and I went into the kitchen¢¦I discovered that we had been visited in the night by my greatest fear¢¦rodents!!! I ¢freaked¢ out and paced around trying to decide if I could stay in this cabin 2 more nights¢¦the answer turned out to be a huge NO WAY! Megan and I decided to go to breakfast OUT even though I had purchased breakfast food yesterday. Off we went to the Firehouse Bagel Caf© where we tried to relax (daughter doesn¢t like the r-word any more than I do¢¦where do you suppose she got her fear?...I know where I got mine) Anyway, we had bagels for breakfast and tried to think what to do. We had passed a Mom & Pop motel and decided to go look at it and see if they had rooms. We did and they did¢¦so I told the lady I would be back IF I could get my money back at the state park. Back to the state park where I pleaded my case. They graciously gave me all my money back and didn¢t seem the least bit concerned about the r-problem¢¦they even asked if I wanted to change cabins. I tactfully, I hope, explained that I didn¢t think that would help any. So with the receipt for the money return in my hand, I went back to the car where Megan was waiting. A note here: Megan said, ¢Mom I doubt that they will give your money back since they didn¢t seem to care about the r-problem.¢ I said, ¢Okay, Megan, it is your turn to pray¢¦I prayed the other day the Max would like the chickens and he did¢¦so now you can pray that I get my money back so we can move on.¢ She did and the power of prayer came through again!We went back to the small hotel and rented the last room she had. It only has a double bed and a twin so one couple (to be decided later) will put up their tent in the yard. Actually Jon and Megan elected to put their sleeping bags in the back of their car for the night.Megan and I went on to the library in Sussex (rating of 8) and used their computer connection so Megan (who works for Summers Financial Services) could work and I could catch up the journal. We only have a refrigerator in our room so will cook on the grill tonight. All for now¢¦Later...We drove to pick up the guys and met them crossing the road. We all went back to the hotel so they could shower and then we packed our dinner food and SOS drove us up to the top of Sunrise Mountain pavillion on the AT. We drove up the mountain to the parking lot and then hiked up to the top. The view was magnificent! We grilled chicken and had zucchini, carrot bread, tomatoes and cheese. It all tasted great up high in the mountains with an incredible view. We came back down and headed to Port Jervius which is where Jon's car was parked. We found the car after a little wandering in the wilderness and both drove back to the room. Jon and Megan elected to sleep in the back of their car because the twin bed proved to be a little too cozy for two. Neither of us can remember the road name of the day...too bad...it was a good one!SOS here:Surefoot became my first return moral support hiker. Surefoot is my son-in-law Joh Lorenz and I am proud to say is a pastor. Jon is the pastor at Holy Redeemer Lutheran church in Sandusky MI and is also a chaplain in the US Army Indiana NG. Jon is married to my youngest daughter Megan. Surefoot and Megan are the parents of 5 of our 14 grandchildren.Surefoot and I left our starting point at 9:50 AM, a slow start. Surefoot and I saw very few people hiking the trail until nearly the end.The biggest surprise of the day for us was meeting Shenanigans and Secrets hiking North at the very end of the day. I had not seen Shenanigans since Hot Springs and Surefoot had met her the last time he was on the trail with me at Mountain Crossings in Georgia. Shenanigans/Nina did not even have a trail name at the time. It was great to see her. I could say I caught up with her but the truth is she fell back with me because she took 4 zero days in Delaware Water Gap. She and Secrets felt like they had earned it after hiking PA. I believe their statement gives you some idea how difficult PA can be. Surefoot hung in all day with me and ended the day with 2 blisters and learned that cotton underwear is not the underwear of choice on the AT - it leaves one chaffed where on does not want to be chaffed.It was great to know Surefoot wanted to hike with me - especially since it was part of his and Megan's 10th anniversary celebration.THANK YOU Jon and Meg for spending time with Trail Mama and I.My "Dearest Sis" has been an influence throughout my life. We are only 1 year, 1 month and 12 days apart in age. This always sounded like a lot of diapers (before disposable diapers) to me - I often wonder how Mom kept up.It was very difficult to live up to the expectations that she created in teachers in our small little school in Rome City IN. I always was being compared to that adorably smart big sister. She set the bar high academically and quite frankly I did not jump over it.Besides having the same teachers, we also had the same friends. Our friends were our classmates, neighbors, counsins and fellow Methodists. Because of this we had many shared experiences from sports, to proms, to going to the lake swimming or skating on the lake.I am blessed to have such a caring Sister who has given her life for others and I think about her often on my hike from GA to ME. Trail Mama and I are doing our best to share it with her through one of her hobbies - collecting post cards. I know she is appreciative. It is fun to try and pick cards that we know she will like.I praise the Lord that he gave me such a wonderful Sister who has enriched my journey through life.