Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum OT - Going Hiking

Made it to the 2/3 point - 1460 miles in Daleville, VA. Taking a day off to get chores done and rest the foot.

Sorry I can't do updates daily - I reserve battery power to call home and to listen to audiobooks and music courses. I think I have listened to every classical music class from the great courses now at least once. I get them from Audible.com. So the updates happen when I get wifi in town and can charge the phone.

Thanks for reading!

Sam

Sam,

Seven more days in my comfy, pampered cocoon, while you are out on the trail doing yet another 120 miles in the ECW....love the acronym. Your description of the beauty of the wilderness area was really touching.

Just awesome!

Hope you aren't getting buried in that freak snowstorm blowing across the south the last couple of days Sam - my wife & I just came through this area on our way back from Hilton Head Island and Virginia & western NC are beautiful but it's hard to tell under a foot or more of snow...hope you brought your snowshoes along!

Wow, I hope not, too! Guess the next time he posts he'll be coming in from the cold, like in some spy novel

Cathy

Its not supposed to snow on Halloween! Trick or treat! Updated the journal. Yes, I got about 3" above 4000 feet in SW Virginia. That's plenty - at least it was walkable. A wet heavy snow, but very pretty - there are photos in the 11/1 and 11/2 entries. But I survived and made it to Pearisburg. Headed back out in the morning, hoping it melts tomorrow.

Sam

Well, it's supposed to snow "here" on Halloween - it's traditional - but all we got is rain. The mountains may have fresh snow, tho. Glad you made it out intact!

Cathy

Oh dear. Sick! What a downer. I was relieved to hear you had made it to town, too. Jeez, I hope it goes away fast. What stamina you have. My best wishes to you.

Cathy

Thanks Cathy. I'm so glad I made it to a motel in time. Its not much of a motel, but 4 walls, heat, and a flush toilet can be wonderful when you are sick.

Sam

Sam, I'm glad you're safe in a motel while you're sick. I hope you can get someone to help you out with getting food (though I suppose you don't feel much like eating. )

Your wife must be worried about you!-

Take care, get lots of sleep!
Feel better soon!

Yea soup!

Cathy

Hey, everybody! Send good thoughts to Sam! He's having a sick patch, and it's no fun!

Thanks for checking in, Sam, after you got back on the trail. I'm sorry it's more complicated than we might have hoped. Maybe you'll just miss all the cold air coming in, and when you get back on the trail you'll have fine weather to the end!

We can always hope.

Take care. Take double care.

Cathy

Sam, here is my version of soup for you...

You are an incredibly driven guy. Factually.

From the piano rebuild, to the effort you put into the recital index, and now with your drive and commitment you are putting into this incredible trek. You're an incredibly driven guy.

I find that an admirable quality in a person as they can achieve so much with this inner drive. And you clearly have it, and are doing good things with it.

And that's why I have high respect for you.

So as Cathy said, Take double care.

Sam,

So glad you were able to get back to town and a doc quickly...we have all been worried about you. Ironic that after four months of braving the wet, the cold, the wind, the dicey water sources, all the physical and mental challenges, it would be a brush with civilization (that trail magic cooler) that might have laid you low.

Hoping for a speedy recovery.

Jim

Aw Sam, sending you positive thoughts from across the Atlantic! It's such an amazing achievement to have travelled the distance you have. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Sam, I hope it will be better soon!
We are with you!

Get well soon Sam - and hopefully back on the trail. Remember, you're heading south, so it's all downhill from here...

I played my own piano today! I got on a greyhound bus yesterday and went home to recuperate from the virus. Its a definite advantage to be hiking home, since its getting easier to get help from home, or to go home if I need to.

The plan now is to get back on the trail this weekend and head south again. Hopefully this is just a little bump in the road.

Thanks everyone for your kind comments and positive thoughts! They are really appreciated and help to keep my spirits up.

Sam

Sam, I'm glad you decided to take a (very hopefully) quick break. Rapid weight loss obviously needs to be taken seriously and I hope you are able to finish your journey without further illness once you are ready to resume it!

Sam, it's nice to know that you are recovering at home. Take your time!

That's great, Sam. Get some well-deserved rest. Hopefully your bug will go away quickly so you have a chance to pig-out on some homemade cooking a bit before returning to your usual diet of gorp, etc.

Dang, Sam, if you're up to it, there's still time for you to submit to the recital while you're home! Now, that would be a feat no one will ever match.... walk 1200 miles and then record a piece for the ABF recital, then go out and walk 800 more.