We have been overwhelmed by our start to the hike. We walked twenty miles on Friday from Tybee to Savannah. Cynthia has an old ankle injury that flared up as a result, so we took a few days longer to rest in Savannah. Since leaving Savannah, we have been slowly progressing in a northwestern bent. The first day was rough. We walked along a road thick with trucks from the local port and rife with dust and chemicals from the railroad and nearby chemical plants. Our packs were too heavy and our feet were tender. Around mile 12, Cynthia’s feet couldn’t go any further and my heart couldn’t handle any more of her limping. I asked a man we saw working on his car if he would drive us the rest of the way to the RV park we were shooting for. He obliged and the last three miles flew by in a way unimaginable for anyone who drives everywhere on a regular basis.
The RV park was a real oasis. We met Jim and he invited us toenjoy fresh fruit and vegetables in his RV. We obliged and had a great talk into the evening. Wnotice not, however, sleep well. The man loudly committing and the more nature oriented night noises made it hard to sleep.
In the morning, we met a sweet couple from Wisconsin who offered to drive us intotown. They took us to the local Wal Mart we bought a cheap wedding ring for Cynthia to wear in lieu of her nice stuff that we left at home.
We also went to the post office and mailed almost twenty six pounds of stuff home or ahead to our next big town. Twenty. Six. Pounds. Unbelievable. We are quickly learning. How this works.
After town we lost Cynthia’s Crazy Creek chair and I walked almost an hour back to retrieve it. Somebody threw a pack of cigarettes out their window for me. I thought that was pretty sweet.
We camped in the woods off the road that night it was actually pretty quiet and beautiful.
During our rush to send all of our excess gear home, I packed the cord which connects my iPhone to our solar panel. Our primary means of navigation had just died, but not before I wrote down our directions to our next destination.
At a late afternoon gas station stop, we met Michael. He offered to have us stafamily his family. We agreed. They did not. They looked very unhappy, so we left and Michael took us to Moss Oak Music Park. We spent last night and all day here. It is a wonderful place and we are sad to be leaving tomorrow. The Grandson of the owner of the park has offered us a ride to Statesboro and we have accepted.
My original conviction against accepting rides has crumbled under Cynthia’s foot pain and my desire to spend time with the people we meet. They are clearly becoming a central part of this story we are trying to tell.
Pyar and Cynthia,
In my thoughts for you to walk by, I left out an important one: On a long journey, it takes a good ten days to settle in. Therefore, don’t FREAK OUT until day eleven. By then, however, you’ll be fine. -Greg
Your notes of wisdom have been awesome Greg! Thank you for the reminders. We are definitely still figuring things out, but you’re right–it’s getting better.
I hope things are sorting out themselves for you. I am thinking of you daily and sending good thoughts your way. The cherry trees at Tokei Shrine are very beautiful right now. You must be seeing some awesome scenery as you go along. (Hugs) May your feet toughen up and you meet only nice people along the way.
We miss you already.
may i suggest swinging low through the great state of tx, on your way. austin (and emma and i) would love to have y’all. happy trails (and roads?)
tom henry
We would love to see you Tom! We have family in Austin, so you can count on us coming to see you next time we are down there.
Your comment: “During our rush to send all of our excess gear home, I packed the cord which connects my iPhone to our solar panel. Our primary means of navigation had just died, but not before I wrote down our directions to our next destination”… This is most amuzing and the backpacking readers may scratch their head asking “are you for real???”
If you want to connect with nature and the local environment, dump all the technical junk and unecesary stuff. True backpackers only load what they can carry to include a map and a lensatic compass.
Set a realistic goal and do not overdo it. 40 pounds and 40 kilometers (on flat terrain) in one day were my limit!
Hey Andy! The bulk of our trip won’t be on wilderness trails. We will primarily be walking on roads with small portions of the trip through wild places. We opted for an iPhone because the sheer number of maps would be a huge wast of paper and we are mostly going to be in places with cellular service. For those places without, we have Gaia GPS. I am a retired Outward Bound instructor. I teach map and compass navigation, so I deeply appreciate the utility of that skills set. This trip didn’t call for that. You are correct about the anticipated mileage. It is indeed ambitious. At the peak of my fitness, I have gone 65 kilometers with a 60 pound pack. That was on a really good day. So yes, I agree with your assessment of the intended mileage. I’m going a bit slower than I had hoped, but I think I will be able to build up to it.
Where are you two? Haven’t seen anything on here for awhile. Stay safe
We are in Tennessee! It is hot and beautiful and we are making new friends all along the way. How is the park treating both of you?