Trail Truth 3—What I Learned

After 9 days of going up and down mountains, I’ve returned to my life in California. Probably avoiding poison ivy is the biggest reason why. Although I admit I do enjoy not having 40 pounds on my back 10-12 hours a day.

I miss being with Rich, and it was odd coming home last night from LAX. The house seemed so different. Even being at the airport with so many people and nothing “green” was odd. But I did meet some nice people and even got to pray in Spanish with a woman heading to Puerto Rico. So, life goes on.

For those who want to just see a few of the things I learned on the Appalachian Trail, here is a quick little summary. If you want to see more of my “journal” details, they are below the summary. (You can also see Rich O’Neal’s Facebook page for more of his continuing adventures on the AT.)

Top Ten Learning Truths

God is good always: I spent a lot of “head time” walking the trail. That gave me what I needed to slow down and appreciate the ferns and trees and sky and fresh air around me. Everywhere that I looked I saw the hand of a loving Creator. Especially one day walking down Mount Stratton in the rain, I really loved the cool water dripping on my head and the patter of raindrops on the trees. Those are the kind of sweet times in life to look for and enjoy.

Ecclesiastes 12:1:
Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth….

Never be negative: At first, because I was so much slower than Rich going uphill, he would wander ahead and wait for me to catch up. My temptation was to think I had to hurry and catch up to make him happy. His was to not think evil of me for slowing him down. Also, after a couple days on the trail, I recognized that I was beginning to complain to myself about the pain in my shoulders, the clouds of mayflies buzzing around my head, the black flies biting me, and the constant roots and rocks at my feet. I remember how I DECIDED to be thankful for Rich and this great opportunity to learn. That decision seemed to change everything for the better.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Look up (and down) to get to the goal: I can remember a few specific climbs that were about three miles up or down. The “ups” just seemed to go on and on and on. Every time we left any town or parking area, there was a major trek up the mountainside. The trail was often beautiful with rushing streams or amazing rock formations, but it took me a lot of work to keep going. Thankfully, Rich had a digital map (and hard copy) to show us where we were going and how far we had to go. That helped me keep the goal in mind. Coming into one town, the trail was very, very steep with giant stone steps that took some maneuvering with poles to get down. But we knew that eventually we’d get there.

Philippians 3:14:
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 13:19:
A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul.

Get as much information as you can to be ready: If I had put more diligence into finding out about the trail, food needed, and my sleeping bag—life would have been more enjoyable on the trail. I didn’t realize that the trail was basically all up and down with most steps full of rocks and roots. I pictured green, flowery, sunlit meadows along nice sloping plains. We bought food for our first four days at Trader Joe’s. Sherry and I had talked about eating nuts and dried fruit, so I “stocked up” on that. But on the trail, I had no appetite for the first three days, and carried around about 8 extra pounds of food that I never ate (although I did give it to Rich). Rather than buy a new sleeping bag, I used my “winter” bag in a summer setting. Not only did it add weight and bulk to my pack, it was hard to sleep at night after sweating on the trail and laying in a hot bag.

Proverbs 24:27:
Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.

1 Thessalonians 5:21:
But test everything; hold fast what is good.

Love and listen to others: Many of our overnights were at shelters where other travelers stayed. This was an opportunity to meet people and learn about them. Some memorable people (using their “trail names”) were: Mango and his bout with a terminal illness; Robin pushing on with her dog when a friend opted out of their trip; Hollywood, a corrections officer with a heart of gold, who helped a young man that had been teased by others when previously on the trail; Foodsack, a young history major who had the humility to learn about God’s Word in the stars; and Jake and Gabe (real names), two Juniors in high school who had great maturity and genuine love for others.

Proverbs 19:20:
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

Adjust, adjust, and then finally, adjust: Even though I had my pack “fitted” by an outfitter, my shoulders were killing me the first few days. Then I readjusted the length and it got better. Rich and I talked, so I made it a little longer—and it was a good fit! My left heel hurt, and Rich told me about something his doctor had done. I tried it myself and the pain went away.  Going up and down hills (or moving at all) without trekking poles is tough. Since they are adjustable in length, we learned to go shorter on the ups and longer on the downs. This helped keep better control. Perhaps the biggest adjustments were in my thinking: remembering Hebrews 12:1-3 on the really tough climbs, singing “I Have Christ in My Heart” (a tune Sherry gave me before I left), and always looking for the beautiful things to be thankful for.

2 Timothy 3:16,17:
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped [fully outfitted] for every good work.

Every step you take in life is important: The first few days I got a feel for my poles and where to put my feet. Then one day when I got distracted and lost my footing, I crashed into the brush along the trail and a broken branch cut into me right next to my eye. I decided that keeping my health (and my eyes) was worth keeping my focus at EVERY STEP. I also fell off a small board bridge into some soft mud at the end of an 11-mile day that included 3 miles straight up a mountainside. I had to remind myself that neither fatigue nor slippery conditions are an excuse to get hurt. From that point on, up to my final footstep at the parking lot in Manchester, Vermont, I believe that I stayed focused.

Psalms 37:23-25:
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.

If you make a mistake, move on and overcome it: My mistakes were so many that I don’t even know where to begin. But each time, I knew that the Father forgave me because of what His Son has done for us all. The great thing was that there was always a solution and I could pick up my feet and move on. When I fell and bent a metal trekking pole, I was able to push it back into place and it worked fine. And so often answers or encouragement would come from helpful new friends—like medicated soap to clean poison ivy sap, or advice on filtering water.

Philippians 3:13:
Brothers…one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.

Philippians 4:19:
And my God will supply every need of yours….

Cherish good friendships: Being with Rich was the highlight of the trip. We both were at the University of Missouri at the same time, were at another college for a year on staff where we met our wives, have sons the same age, shared a home for four years, and were running partners 3-times-a-week for seven years. With that kind of history, we “knew” each other before hitting the trail. At first, we were pretty quiet while hiking, to keep our focus. And I soon realized that I had to do three things to make it: get enough water, keep my breathing regular, and watch my footing. Rich helped me by staying only slightly ahead when I needed to regain my breath, stopping for water breaks, and keeping a doable and safe pace. On our last day together at a motel, we had a great talk about what we learned and how thankful we were for each other.

Proverbs 18:24:
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

1 Thessalonians 2:8:
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

The power of prayer: This may be the fullest learning of all. Praying in the spirit, speaking in tongues, really works. It helped with having perfect weather, physical strengthening, and especially staying peaceful on the inside. Rich and I would have a short prayer before starting out each morning, but we both spent a lot of our “quiet time” praying for each other and those we love. God never allowed me to be tempted beyond what I could endure in shoulder and heel pain, annoying insects, hours of climbing, or poisonous plants. But I didn’t have to endure it all at once. It was only after one trouble got taken care of, that something else would hit. And I know that your prayers and the support of others helped me get through.

Ephesians 6:18:
Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

1 Corinthians 10:13:
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

A Journal in Review

[These are my impressions and don’t include mileage and elevation changes. See Rich O’Neal’s Facebook page or an interactive map of the Appalachian Trail for that kind of information.]

Saturday, June 13: Vera dropped us off at the Dalton, Massachusetts entry to the Appalachian Trail. We started hiking at 8:40 in the morning. At first, there was a bit of uphill, which surprised me. Also, we were under trees the entire time and there were lots of rocks and roots everywhere you stepped. Rich got ahead of me a little bit and I tried to keep up, but after a while we had to stop so I could get a breath of air. We continued that day with lots of ups and downs.

Finally, we ended up at a shelter that held 4 people with 2 bunks, but they were all taken up by college students. Rich and I set up our tents on wooden platforms that were about 10 ft. by 8 ft. and then went over to the campfire.

The kids were a lot of fun. One young man loved to do puns about starting a new business, so I joined in and we had a good time. When Rich and I headed off to our tents, we asked them to keep the noise down so that we could get some sleep. After one reminder yell from my tent later in the evening, everything was fine.

Sunday, June 14. This was a day of climbing up to the top of Mount Greylock, with a scenic view on the way. At the summit was a giant monument that had been built during the FDR years and a lodge that was temporarily closed. We sat and watched parasailers jump off the cliff and go sailing into the big, beautiful valley below.

Then we headed down the other side on a long trail and, since we were pretty tired, we missed the shelter where we had planned to stay. We kept going and found a nice site for our first night of “rogue” camping. Unlike a shelter, you don’t have a latrine, bear box, platforms, or a campfire area. But it was a beautiful night and we had a good sleep after hanging the bear bag high in a tree to protect our food.

Monday, June 15. We walked uphill a while, and then a downhill hike into Williamstown, Massachusetts. Since the trail was steep with up to 4-foot stones, we had to be very careful as each step was treacherous.

When we got down to the road and walked a short way through Williamstown, it was very hot and sunny (kind of made you wish to be back in the shade of the trail).

Across town, we crossed a bridge over a beautiful stream, and then climbed uphill with the running stream on our right. We both stuck our heads in the water for a quick cool down.

After some steep climbing, we came to a rock scramble, which is a bunch of boulders all pouring down the side of a cliff. We had to use our hands and feet to get up it. I tried to use my trekking pole at first, but I slipped, bent a pole, and got a big bruise on my arm. This was one of those Hebrews 12:1-3 trying moments, but it was a good feeling sitting exhausted at the top.

Before getting to the shelter, we crossed the Vermont state line, and learned about the Long Trail. This is the same as the AT for a while, but splits off in its 273-mile trip to the Canadian border. Many of the young people we met over the next week were on the LT, including three college students at the shelter who told us in the morning to “Be bold, and start out cold!”

Tuesday, June 16. We hiked to a really nice beaver pond, complete with dam and beaver lodge. We met a nice lady whose trail name was Kashmir. She said she had spent the last 10 days with her son and was supposed to be in Europe right now, but things were too restricted there. She had hiked the whole AT a few years back. People either make up a trail name or are given one when hiking. My trail name was Evan Gelist (since the letters of “Gene Slavit” rearrange to make “Evangelist”) and Rich’s trail name was M.G. (mountain goat or man of God). Rich and I went past the beaver dam and made it all the way to the next shelter.

Wednesday, June 17. This was a very full and interesting day. Our goal was to hike into Bennington, Vermont and get refreshed there. Since the weather was getting hotter, I asked Rich if we could start out earlier in the day.

We broke camp quickly and got on the trail by 7:10 a.m. with lots of climbing until we got to Harmon Hill, which had a beautiful view of Bennington. While sitting there, we heard a whippoorwill singing, and when I whistled back, it responded. This was one of the prettiest places in the sunshine, with big bumble bees and wild flowers. I called it Harmony Hill, because Rich and I were like-minded on what we were doing.

At the bottom, we stuck out our thumbs for a ride, and were immediately picked up by Mark. He had lost his wife in the last year in an auto accident. You could tell that he was still pretty broken up about it. But he was very kind to us and took us where we needed to go in town. I shared with him about the hope of Christ’s return, and he said that he tried to live his life as if his wife would be happy with what he was doing.

He drove us the 5 miles into Bennington, where we found Joe’s Suds, a laundry managed by a very sweet woman named Rebecca. Rebecca had lost her husband a while back, so I shared with her about Christ’s return. She said that the hope is what keeps her going.

There was a Domino’s Pizza next to the laundry, but no seating allowed anywhere. Rebecca let us rest and eat inside the laundry, and Rich and I enjoyed one of the tastiest pizzas that I can recall–ever!

Within five minutes of thumbing it again, we got a ride in the back of Adam’s pickup truck. He was a carpenter who hiked the entire AT in 2015. When I said he was a carpenter like Jesus, he said “Yeah!”

Back at the trailhead we saw a flowing stream, and met Mango, who looked to be in his forties and was dressed in a colorful swimsuit with matching boot gaiters. He decided to go for a swim in the stream with a few young people that he had met along the trail.

We then began a very tough climb out of town, and about halfway up we met a man who told us that we were approaching split rocks where you can stand inside and notice the cool change in temperature.

That’s about the time that we met Kathryn McNeish (trail name, Robin) and her dog Lionel. She is a very sweet recent college graduate who we befriended and saw many times again in the days ahead. After cooling off between the split rocks, we made it to the shelter.

Around the campfire, we met Foodsack and Rock Solid, who had gone swimming with Mango back at the stream. All three had started in Georgia and met at different points along the trail. Foodsack, a young history major who had a lot of meekness, enjoyed hearing about God’s Word written in the stars and other things that I shared with him about Jesus Christ.

Mango shared with me that he had a terminal disease and wasn’t sure how long he had to live. His girlfriend had said that maybe he should do the AT, and he realized that might be a good idea. I told him about miracles I’d seen, including my back being healed from a major fall. Mango had a rough night getting up constantly, and I wasn’t sleeping well, but I could speak in tongues and pray perfectly for him.

Thursday, June 18. Rich and I decided to get out early the next morning, and we hit the trail by 6:50 a.m. It was 2 miles straight up the mountainside, so we made it a short day and stopped when we got to the next shelter.

When we arrived, Mango, Rock Solid, and Foodsack were there resting in the heat of the afternoon, and then they headed out again. Rich and I made a plan for the next three days, which we were able to stick to pretty closely. Robin and her dog Lionel showed up, and she let me use some of her soap to wash off the poison ivy resin on my arms and legs.

Friday, June 19. As we were packing up to get ready to go, Hollywood showed up. He had slept up in a forestry tower just above the shelter last night. He was all wet because of the dew and fog that came in that morning.

He is a corrections officer in upstate New York at a maximum-security facility with 2300 inmates—and has the language to prove it! He is a father, and told us about how he once helped a young man on the trail who had been made fun of by others.

Early in our conversation, I mentioned that I watched a certain conservative news show, and Hollywood’s eyes lit up. He said, “I love you, man!” Then he proceeded to tell us all about his life, his girlfriend, his love for our country and its constitution. He was probably the most colorful character we met on the trail.

We left Hollywood and climbed up past the forestry tower to the summit, where we had a nice lunch in the sunshine with an expansive overlook. After a few more miles of hiking, we found a beautiful stream with a perfect spot for a rogue campsite.

Saturday, June 20. This may have been my greatest challenge—the 3 miles straight up to the top of Stratton Mountain. But at the top, it was well worth it. There was another forestry tower with a panoramic view of the entire area including a few major mountains, a clear, shining reservoir, and two large ponds.

We met a couple who were doing the entire AT, and they offered some good advice about how to treat poison ivy. Since it was a weekend, we also met several day hikers, including Steve and Stacey. They are a very sweet couple who met in the operating room as nurses. They like hiking on the local trails, and kindly offered us some fresh fruit. We also met Jake and Gabe, 17-year-old students, who enjoyed hearing from me what their names meant.

Then, just as we started the 3 miles down the mountain, we heard loud peals of thunder, saw lightning flashes, and a light rain began to fall. To me, it was beautiful hearing the sound of the rain on the leaves, and to feel the air cool down, making it easier for me to breathe. The only downside was the slippery rocks. Rich pointed out a few orange salamanders on the way down that looked like skinny little “gummy lizards.”

At the bottom of the mountain, Stratton “Pond” actually looked like a big lake. And some people were enjoying a swim in it. Realizing that the next day would be the longest day of the year, we decided to go another five miles to the next shelter. This may have been the nicest stretch of the trail with very few rocks and stones, and nice and easy ups and downs.

We got to the shelter that had been built in 1956 (the same year that Sherry was born), but it wasn’t suitable for camping. We hiked on and found a bridge over a stream that was out of service and blocked off. After taking a detour over some rocks to get around it, we saw an inviting little camp area.

Rich, good friend and brother that he is, helped me put up my tent first, and I tried to sleep despite the poison ivy and the heat. As I was lying there I thought that it might be time to head back home. I was starting to really feel the need to take care of my battered body. And I missed taking care of Sherry and my other responsibilities at home.

Sunday, June 21. After a rough night of not sleeping much, we headed for Manchester Center, Vermont. It was Father’s Day and we both heard from family and friends who love us. I called Elijah and it was so encouraging to talk with him.

Prospect Rock had a great view of the city, so we hiked up and down the hills until we got there at about 2 p.m. On the way, Rich and I agreed that this would be the end of the trail for me.

We stayed at a cute resort that Vera had found for us, and we went out for a “big” supper at a Mexican walk-up restaurant. We closed out the night listening to a Bible teaching by phone, and went to sleep under clean sheets, thankful to God for his grace and goodness.

Monday, June 22. We got up early and sat and talked for a couple of hours about what we had learned together over the past 9 days. Rich shared how he learned to be patient with me when I hiked slowly at first, and not to think evil of me.

I shared with him how I learned that I had to make sure that my breathing was okay, and that I had enough water, so that I could keep going and not get hurt. I knew that safety was first, and each step is important. We also learned about being like-minded in communicating, which we actually got very good at! As we hugged farewell, I prayed for God to bless and keep Rich as he continues on his way.

God came through with a perfect flight home and a unique ride to the airport.  Andrew is a wonderful man from Poland who had been a limousine driver in New York City, and moved to Manchester after the 9/11 event. He loved the little town in Vermont and decided to stay there with his wife and their now 17-year-old daughter. He took me to the nearby Albany, New York airport, and then I caught a flight from there to Baltimore and then home to Los Angeles. I am so thankful to my heavenly Father for the love, the life, and the learning all along the way!