CHAPTER NINE

Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
     the rugged places a plain. Isaiah 40:4

Sweat drips down my jawline. I promise myself that I will not pull out the map copies that Paul helped me memorize. I like them because each part of our path is blown up in 8.5 x 11 fashion. I have twelve pages for one week’s worth of hiking.

SunFloJo has mentioned a couple times that she has the official AT hiking map—perhaps the best one made. It is an accordion style single piece of paper, laminated. She took a class about how to read the terrain markings.

I do not want to insult the best map with my wrinkled papers. 

But I am a concerned about our situation.

If the backpack and I could melt into the ground, that would be ok with me. I have odd thoughts about weight such as maybe the staple holding my papers together is too heavy. Every unneeded item in the pack needs to be reassessed.

We reach a 4-way trail stop with a post marker on the AT trail near a small place in the woods called Rock Spring Cabin. There is a trail that leads down to the miniature cabin roof in the distance. There is no way we are taking extra steps to see that. We do not even discuss it. My eyes scan left, right, forward and behind me. Green and brown woods stretch as far as I can see and tall above us.

We are still new at reading the occasional four feet tall with four sides concrete markers with their slivers of metal inscriptions nailed around the top. The thin metal is stamped with minimal words and mileage that probably makes more sense to an experienced hiker. 

There is no ‘you’ve got this’ or ‘yes, Idiot, go that way’ written anywhere. I could use some assurance or encouragement at this point in the day.

Six miles over rocky terrain, with steep angles, straight up hill and then straight down hill all while carrying heavy packs began to create an intense kind of tired.

Standing at the post, SunFloJo furrows her brow. She pulls out the official map.

The girls ponder the pole, touching the words as if feeling the raised letters will help somehow. 

I set down my backpack to rest. Dropping it to the ground feels so good. My back can breathe.

I wait while SunFloJo continues to look puzzled.

Nervous, I ask, “Do you want me to get out the enlarged print outs of each area?”

SunFloJo says, “If you have a better map, then sure.”

 “It’s not better. Just a different type.”

This is SunFloJo’s plan, it is her dream. I want to respect that. She prepared for months. I watched YouTube and huffed and puffed around my neighborhood for a few weeks.

She nods to get them out, so I retrieve the papers for each day and trail section.

SunFloJo inspects the papers for comparison, then confidently points, “This way.”

We follow.

Surely, we are getting close to the end of the first day? I fantasize about setting up camp, cooking with JoAnn’s little stove. I would like to sprawl on the ground with nowhere to go until morning.

We trek on. And on. And on.

The trail becomes narrow. The path is 6-12 inches wide along a mountain’s edge. I did not anticipate walking along another mountain edge today. One slip of the foot and any of us could fall into a valley. To our right is a deep drop off. To our left, the dirt is taller than us.

Lots of rocks are under our feet. I am thinking about staying steady and not falling off this cliff. I send telepathy thoughts of thanks to Paul for insisting I take trekking poles. Wow, was he ever right about that. In challenging spots, I use the trekking poles like handrails to get me up and over rock or tree root obstacles. Was this really supposed to be a beginner course?

We turn to rest with our packs leaned on a rock. Everyone’s hair is in frayed ponytails to counter the heat. Delighted that the day could almost be over, I gain energy and decide to take off first. I lead our foursome for the first time on the trail.

No one seems to want to pass me, so I continue to lead along the narrow stretch. I try not to think about how closed in by leaves and branches we are. Or about Lyme disease. Or ticks. Don’t think about any of the bad stuff, Surrender.

Brown is the dominant color in this area. Branches reach out to scratch me. I am glad to wear long pants. We keep a decent pace while being silent as each person carefully assesses their steps so they do not fall. I can probably keep up this pace until the next time we rest.

I focus step by step until I see something slither left to right just one foot ahead of my foot. 

My brain registers what it is. My body freezes and my hands shake then slam down the trekking poles by my sides onto the rocks. My heart is on fire!

Before the trip, I researched what snakes to look out for in this region and am sure that was a bad one. Of course, are there any good ones when you are out in the woods like this?

The snake crossed my path but is still on the right side of the trail at this point. Its head looks back at me.

My abrupt stop reverberates through the group.

“What is it!?” I hear Sunshine and Stalker C say.

“Sssnake,” I muster from my locked-up body.

“Ooo,” SunFloJo is interested. She passes my stiff body to take a look.

“Mmm hmm,” she affirms. I imagine the girls are wide-eyed behind me.

“Yep, that’s a rattler wiggling on its tail.” SunFloJo is calm.

I have not moved. Gripping my poles, I mentally flip through Internet pictures. With multifaceted brown shading and a rattle, I know we have encountered a poisonous Timberland Rattler.

I watch the snake. Finally, it decides not to eat us and continues toward a tree on the cliff side.

Whew. I feel like moving my rusted Tin Man body now. Dehydration helped me not pee my pants.

I am nervous to pass the Timberland’s general area, but we must pass the snake and continue the trail. There is nowhere to run. There is no way to get off this ride. I try not to think about how many other snakes are probably nearby too.

We hike.

And we hike.

Then we hike some more.

I naturally slide to the back of our line, struggling to keep up with the group.

This day is taking forever. How could we be on top of a mountain, then at the bottom of a valley, back to the top of a mountain…then in another valley, only to begin climbing another mountain again? Wasn’t Day One supposed to be our short day?! 

According to Sunshine Rat’s Fitbit, which I am now starting to call the boob-o-meter because she keeps it in her bra, we have walked eight miles. 

Eight miles on a flat track or a road through town sounds doable. But with rocky terrain, multiple inclines and declines and a backpack that must weigh 45 pounds…well, I am about to die.

My feet swell inside my half-size-too-small magic boots. I am grateful for them, but the magic is gone.

We climb another steep hill. The path is evolved to 2 feet wide. The forest appears lush green again. I see a small stream of water flowing down the mountainside. If this was the beginning of the day I might be impressed and loving the beauty. 

At the end of the day, this is hell. Hell I say!  Everything hurts. Every muscle, my feet, and my toes shoot sharp pain with each step. My toes would feel better if I could cut them off.

I do not speak. Every effort must be spent on moving toward the end of this day. Dirt mixes with my sweat. My mind searches for coping mechanisms.

Please let the end be soon. 

If this is how each day is going to be, then I do not think I can do it.

I am going to have to find a place to park my body for the next few days. There are campgrounds somewhere. They can come back for me Saturday. 

SunFloJo is talking to me, but I do not hear her. One foot in front of the other: that is all I can do.

Sunshine Rat and Stalker C lead. After not seeing other humans for a long time, I hear them meet a couple. Sunshine asks, “What are your trail names?”

“I am Stinky-Braids,” A lady about my age says.

“I’m Other-Brother,” The man says.

Stalker C repeats, “Other-Brother?”

Stinky Braids chimes in, “His real name is Daryl.”

I catch up in time to smile at that Other Brother Daryl TV show reference while they all are laughing. I sit down to rest while they converse.

Then Stalker C & Sunshine Rat catch the next energy wave and are determined to climb what we hope is the last big hill of the day in front of us. The hill is straight up. I probably cannot do it without using both my legs and arms to hold onto rocks and trees. The girls storm ahead, soon out of sight. SunFloJo hangs back to look out for me. I hope she does not feel saddened by my lagging. I do not want to ruin her trip.

We start to see people come down the hill for an evening hike. They look fresh and free without heavy backpacks.

Strangers tell SunFloJo that our destination of Big Meadow is just at the top of the hill. In my exhausted state, I am not sure I believe them.

We join the climb while my head spins in disbelief. If I live to get to the top, I need to noodle my best plan for surviving this week. I am not sure I can do this adventure. I am more rattled than that snake’s tail earlier.

This is SunFloJo’s dream, her recon mission.

No matter what, I do not want her to quit because of me. She must keep going…even if I am the one who must call it quits. 

SunFloJo scales these trails like they are nothing. She is in shape. I am not.

Hopefully, I can convince her and the girls to keep going after tonight. I will find a spot to be safe for a few days alone.  

My body becomes one with the hill. I pull myself up with tree limbs and steady my poles on rocks as needed.

I wrestle to the top and practice how I will convince SunFloJo and the rest of the team to keep going. I know SunFloJo will not want to leave me behind, but I will be fine and they will do much better without me.

At the moment, I see no other solution except to quit.

If you would like to listen to the audio version of this creative work, please check out my Podcast: SURRENDER ON THE TRAIL.

Also, if you’re new here and want to start from the beginning, go to the SURRENDER ON THE TRAIL page of this website for the collection of chapters.

© Copyright 2016 Surrender On The Trail – Glenna S. Edwards Thanks for reading or listening. Check back next Sunday for CHAPTER TEN.