Heartbreak Ridge

After my 77-mile Foothills Trail hike, Eric wanted to go on a section with me. I chose a 13.5 mile stretch that was the most remote section on the trail and only accessible by boat. 

We talked Ashlyn into dropping us off at the north end of Lake Jocassee. It's actually in NC in the Jocassee Gorges at the Toxaway campsite. We waived her goodbye and wished her luck finding the boat dock again. 

Our hike started off fairly easy. 

But quickly turned difficult with what's known as "Heartbreak Ridge". This 600-step incline will defininitely get your heart rate up!

After the steep incline, it was more ups and downs as we followed the lake shore. The waterfalls and views were nice!

Our goal for day one was 8.2 miles to Virginia Hawkins Campsite. We didn't meet many hikers on the trail, so we felt pretty sure the campsite would be open. 

When we arrived, we had plenty of daylight left to pitch our tent and eat dinner.

The wood was really wet and we had a hard time getting a fire started. That worked out well, though, because we were so exhausted from the hike that it gave us an excuse to go to bed early.

In the morning, we refilled our water bottles using a filter and fresh water from the nearby streams. 

We also gathered our food  & trash from the bear bag we hung 175 feet from our tent. 

Finally, it was time to head to the car. Day two was only 4.3 miles. We crossed several bridges along the trail as it crossed over lots of rivers and streams. The white blazes (marks) on the trees indicate the path of the trail.

Eric was a great lead as he broke most of the spider webs for me! There was also a 2-mile stretch that was super buggy with lots of gnats and mosquitos. I think I'll invest in a bug net on my next hike just to have it handy.

Eric made an instructional video of our hike to educate anyone wanting to do this section of the Foothills. You can view it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRYuHwDtdK4

Bathroom Renovation

I am grateful for a simple life...I just need a roof, a clean bed, lights, plumbing, and a few essentials to keep me happy. Nothing fancy. So when Eric wants to update areas of our home, I just sigh. I don't understand the purpose when things are already functional. However, once completed, it really does look nice. 

Here's our bathroom before the renovation...

The process to pick out tiles, paint colors, etc. was stressful. It took time and multiple trips to various stores to achieve the right look. It's also permanent. And it's expensive. Then, we lost access to our bathroom for several weeks. 

But the finished product was amazing! When I look at the before/after photos, I realize Eric was right. It did need updating. 

Since our master bath opens into the master bedroom, the bedroom needed an update as well. Otherwise, the transition didn't flow. This is why I hesitate doing renovations. It ALWAYS leads to more.

I didn't take a before photo of our bedroom, sorry. But, here's the picture after it's finished.

Now my favorite part...we get to enjoy it! I now have fully-functioning bathroom and bedroom space again with a more contemporary look to last another 20 years.

Army Training Camp

There are four methods to becoming a military officer in the US Army...the academy (Westpoint), OCS (Officer Candidate School for previously enlisted members or civilians with degrees), ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps via colleges and universities), or through direct appointment (medical & legal specialty).

Luke has been enjoying ROTC for the past two years and is now off to the required training camp between his junior and senior years in college. Upon graduation of this 5-week camp, he will be commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. Below is all the gear he had to bring.

Somehow, it all fit within these 4 bags....

His girlfried was sweet to drive up and visit before he left.

At 4am, the alarm went off to catch a plane to Ft. Knox. He didn't sleep very well, so he decided to play the PS4 to calm his nerves while he waited on us.

Time to leave for the airport! Oh my, not sure I'm ready for all this, either.

While waiting in line to check bags, we met another mom/son. The cadet, Nick, was from the Citadel, and had never flown before. Luke reassured him that they could stick together and that he'd guide Nick through the DFW terminal for their connecting flight. He's already showing his teamwork and leadership skills!

Time to say good-bye. First little sister...(she posted a cute Insta story about this if you follow her account).

Then mom. Does this ever get easy?? I gave Nick's mom my cell number so we can offer support for each other.

He arrived safely! For those who would like to send him mail, you can address the letter to:

Cadet Justin Luke McConnell

Advanced Camp

5/D/3

24 Rhineland St.

Fort Knox, KY 40121-3031

Letters should be mailed no later than July 12th or he may be gone before they arrive. His graduation will be Live-streamed from 8-9am (Eastern) on Monday, July 19th at https://www.youtube.com/armyrotc.

Until then, here are some channels to follow as the 5th Regiment begins their leadership journey. I'll be watching for Luke daily and will try to post specific interviews, footage, or quotes of him. Enjoy!

Blog:  https://futurearmyofficers.army.mil/category/advanced-camp/

Videos:  https://www.youtube.com/armyrotc

Social Media:  https://www.facebook.com/armyrotc

Photos:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/armyrotc/albums/72157719454496650

CEO Hike - Day 5

Our last day was upon us as we still had to trek up two mountains..Sassafras and Pinnacle. These provided the best views of the trail, though, with the promise of a long shower and comfy bed by day's end. Let's do this!

We were joined by three more hikers for our final day who met us at the parking lot to ascend Sassafras, the highest point in SC. It was tough. Of course, the entire trail had been tough, so this was the norm. Flat or little incline areas like this allowed us to catch our breath.

Just shy of the summit is a great viewing area. We had to take a quick selfie! It's hard to believe that that tall peak in the far distance is where we were the previous morning.

Sassafras Mountain is the dividing line between NC and SC. They had a cool marker at the top!

                                     

The summit also had 360⁰ of gorgeous views! 

It was too early for lunch, but we made it the longest snack break ever. The porta potty here was also super nice! 😄

As we headed down, it was another 5 miles to the next big ascent of Pinnacle Mtn. But once there, the views were equally amazing! In the far distance we saw Table rock (the white rock exposed on the mountain side to the left). Almost done!

My family was supposed to pick me up at 3pm, but instead, they met us on the trail! So happy to see them! Wow, they smelled nice.

Yay! I made it to Table Rock State Park!! It was still another mile or two before we exit the park and get to the car, but wow, what a great hike! Now for a long shower, some real food, and lots of hugs and kisses. 

There's a quarterly newsletter in the area called the Jocassee Journal, and the editor wanted us to do a story about our hike. I was elected to be the group's scribe and draft the piece. When it's published, I'll post a link to that here.

CEO Hike - Day 4

On the morning of day 4, my feet were sore and the tendons in my arches were on fire! The first few days of keeping up with Team Engine had backfired on me. Not wanting to risk further damage, I offered to help load the boat with all the night bags and give my feet an extra hour of ice & rest. 

There was another trail entrance just a few miles up the bank, so they dropped me off there while I waited for the group. Instead of 16 miles as scheduled, I'd be going 12.5. Super disappointed, but I had to listen to my instincts if I was going to finish the trail. Afterall, there was another 28 miles to Table Rock State Park.

After two days of hiking solo, I was looking forward to having company and coversations. This was a great group of nonprofit peers, and hiking with them provided an excellent opportunity to get to know them better while passing the time (and forgetting our pain).

The pace was still challenging but quite fun! We laughed, told stories, and motivated each through every steep incline. It was this shared experience that created a professional support system we all needed. By the way, a double-blaze marking on a tree, like you see below, means the trail is changing directions. 

Most of our hike on Day 4 was covered with tree canopy as we slowly made our way out of the lake bed and up the mountains. Just steps after steps after steps, up and down, up and down. I'm thankful for all the work done to help make this trail safer.

We arrived at our final campsite and were excited for what we thought would be a huge party that evening! Several nonprofit leaders who didn't want to hike had planned to join us and hear about our experience so far. Unfortunately, their hike down from the parking lot was more difficult than they expected. Plus, a thunderstorm rolled in and cut the party short. Only a few of us dared to camp. The hard rain, thunder, and lightening didn't cease until around 1am. My tent stayed dry, though!

CEO Hike - Day 3

We're down to 5 through-hikers now. One fell and had to be picked up, another was called up for reserve military duty, and the other just needed a break and will rejoin us for the last day. Again, I got up early and headed out with Team Engine. I was proud of myself for making it to day 3!!

It didn't take long for me to be hiking solo again. I enjoyed the precious time to myself since ithe experience was rather meditative. I just kept following the white blazes, no matter how faded they were to spot. At times, the Foothills Trail felt like I was in a rain forest or back in the Jurassic time period with all the ferns and vegetation. 

Mid-morning, I reached a cool marker showing I was halfway done! Only 38 miles to go!

I mentioned earlier that I overpacked my snacks. Some of my favorites (and should have only packed) were a nutty trail mix, dried mangos, peanut butter crackers, and the meat/cheese sticks. The last one surprised me, but the protein was amazing and tasted great!

The terrain became easier by Day 3. There' was still plenty of elevation to climb, but fewer rocks and tree roots that can twist your ankle and slow you down. The trail also weaved into North Carolina a bit. Here's the entrance to NC that opened up into the Jocassee Gorge.

Not long after, I saw this fella. Eeek!  I patiently waited about 5 min for him to move along, then once completely clear of the trail, I ran through. Whew, no thank you on wanting to see another.

Towards the end of this day I was rounding Lake Jocassee. Eric often talks about getting our jet ski out and transferring him to this entry point on the trail. It's probably another 4 miles to the campsite, so it would be fun with fresh legs. After already doing 12 miles, though, I was dreading the last stretch. Lot's of elevation still to go!

The end of Day 3 was promised to be a good one with a boat ride waiting and cold beer. Every turn and every bridge crossing I kept looking for a boat. Finally I spotted one in the distance which meant I had reached our campsite!

But first, I had to cross the bridge...

Then refresh in the cold river below.

Once the others arrived and we set up our tents, it was time for that boat ride!

The support team tonight was retired Marines who lived near the lake. They knew some secret waterfalls that were only known to the locals. All I saw was a little cove that looked like it was a scene from Jurassic Park. But we kept getting closer and closer to the end of it.

Then wow!! It opened up into a beautiful oasis with a roaring waterfall feeding the lake!

Afterwards, we went to the open water and all jumped in!

Dinner consisted of freeze-dried mountain meals. You boil water, pour over the meal, reseal the bag, and let it cook for 10 min. They must have magnezium in those meals because it kept me regular. The fear of digging a hole to do my business subsided quickly when I had to "go". Before bedtime, all food and trash was bundled together in our bear bags and hung high on a tree limb with rope. Thankfully, none of the bears bothered us throughout the trip.