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.

CEO Hike - Day 2

After yesterday, I was completely exhausted, so I slept fairly well in the tent my first night. In the morning, I got up early, packed my bags, and headed out with Team Engine. Here's the duo who were gracious to stop for a rare picture..

Mid-morning we ran into some "trail magic". This is common on the AT (Appalachian Trail), but something I hadn't expected on the Foothills Trail. Trail magic is where someone leaves a special treat for hikers. This was an ice chest with chilled Dr. Pepper's! Although I didn't care to take one, the thought was very sweet.

Shortly after the trail magic, we hit a steep incline up a mountain. The two guys got farther and farther ahead of me and I soon found myself hiking alone. I knew to follow the white paint on the trees marking the Foothills Trail (called a "blaze"). Plus, the rest of the group was probably 30min or so behind me if I wanted to wait it out.

It was also reassuring to pass signs like this occasionally that were built by boy scout troops. Very helpful!

I stopped for lunch at a bench at the top of the mountain. 

The view was gorgeous!

I continued to cross several streams and rivers to cool my face and wet the bandana. That made the final push to the campsite a bit easier.

Another 16-mile day was down and I got to relax before the next group arrived. I was so exhausted that it was hard to stay awake and participate in our evening chats. We talked about favorite books, favorite movies, family, and our organizations. 

Here's my single tent. It was muggy and warm down in the creek area, so I slept with the rain fly off. Although I tossed and turned more than the first night, I still slept relatively well. 

CEO Hike - Day 1

My big week arrived for all that training in prior months. It was time to begin a 77-mile trek on the Foothills Trail. Here's our morning team meet up for the eight of us who are attempting the entire trail..

Once we arrived at the trail head in Oconee State Park, we were joined by seven other CEOs who just wanted to hike the first day with us. 

And then we were off...

The hike was supported, meaning our night gear was transported by a support team to each campsite. That took about 20lbs of weight off our backs. However, I still over-packed from not knowing what I'd need. My day pack was also around 20lbs when loaded with food and water.

My hiking pace was faster than most, so I found myself hiking with Team Engine, the leading hikers with walkie talkie #1. The other end was the Caboose, or walkie talkie #2. The devices should have had a 2-mile range, but in the mountains, we quckly lost connection with the rest of the group.

Fresh water sources were plenty! I brought two water bottle filters and three 1-liter bottles, but that was overkill. I could have easily packed just two bottles and kept refilling at each fresh water opportunity. The week was HOT, though. It was nice not having to filter so much and have the water handy, but it made my pack weigh considerably more than it needed to.

After a grueling 16.5 mile day with lots of sun, sore muscles, and difficult terrain, the site of the campsite was amazing! I soaked my feet in the Chatooga River, splashed water on my face, and pitched my tent. Since we arrived an hour ahead of the other hikers, I even had time to clean up and refresh for Day 2. The support team then grilled us kabobs and smores, our best meal of the week! 

Awards Day

It's 8th Grade Awards Day for our last time in middle school. The Little One racked up some serious awards, too!

She received the ONLY mathcounts award in the school, a certificate for being co-president of Student Council, separate awards for the highest average in Honors English I, Honors Algebra I, Honors Science, all A's for the year, and scoring a 100 on her End of Course Exam in Algebra I. 

Here is a video of Julia receiving the awards.

She was all smiles heading back up the bleachers.

Proud dad with our little one.

A few pics with her friends...this is Katey from soccer.

This is Blakely from cross country...

This is Abigail who shares the co-president role with her in Student Council...

We signed her out of school for early dismissal and treated her to Olive Garden for lunch.

Later that evening, she had her soccer awards.

The coach said some great things about the team this year and handed them each a certificate.

Then the JV team handed the coach his award and card. Wonderful season!