Trekking Upward

22. Day 2 – Through the Temple of Cairns – August 10

Our wakeup call came at 6:30 that first morning. It was barely dawn, quite cool outside and I didn’t want to budge from the cocoon of my sleeping bag. We had an hour to get dressed, freshen up, pack up our gear and go to breakfast. If unpacking our gear and laying out our sleeping bag and mat had been difficult, packing it all up was even more of a challenge. I struggled every morning trying to stuff my sleeping bag into it’s sack while sitting on the floor of our tent. There was limited room to sort through my belongings and find what I wanted to wear for the day. Getting dressed had to be accomplished in sequences of steps. I had to kneel to slide my long underwear down to my knees, then lay on my back or sit to get them off the rest of the way. The reverse was needed to put the bottom layers on. Of course, the top layers weren’t as difficult. The next step was to get everything back into the duffel bag. Ugh! Socks went on last and to get out of the tent, I had to take my shoes out of the plastic bags used to store them inside the tent, set them outside the opening and figure out how to get my feet in them with my body still inside the tent and then stand up. Jo decided after our first morning that we needed more than an hour to get this done and set her alarm to wake us up at least a half hour earlier than the wake up call each morning. The thoughtful crew would bring your coffee or tea in a cup to your tent opening every morning so if you needed that cup of brew to help you wake up you could count on having it delivered to your tent door.

But for me, it was off to the breakfast table in our mess tent to get my morning Hibiscus tea along with breakfast. Each day there would be two thermos pitchers on the table, one had hot water for hot tea in individual packs or powdered hot chocolate. The other pitcher had piping hot ginger tea. Then we were served a breakfast of pancakes, eggs cooked to resemble a large, flat pancake, a large pot of porridge which was thin oatmeal, fresh fruit, and various bread selections. I’m sure there was a meat selection as well, but I did not choose this option. Before we left the table, the cook staff would bring a snack for us to take along for the day’s climb. This was a box of mango juice, muffin, a package of dry biscuit cookies and a few pieces of hard candy. Next, you had a short time to use the porta john, fill your water bottles, brush your teeth, and assemble for the day’s journey.

While we were eating breakfast the crew would be taking camp down and packing it up. They would put our packed duffel bags on a tarp in the center of camp so they could pack up our tents. Each crew member had their assigned duty. There was the tent staff, cooking and food preparation staff, porta john staff, guard staff, and our guides. As the various aspects of the camp were ready, the porters/crew would begin taking it to the next campsite. The mess tent and porta johns which were two little, bright blue tents with a zip entry and housed a little porta potty, were the last to be packed up. Once we were ready to go our head guide would start us on our next leg for that day. As we would start our very slow pace, the porters and crew would pass us carrying very large packs often on both their backs and their heads.

Our destination on day two was to get to Shria Camp II. It wasn’t a very difficult hike for this day but to be honest, I lost all track of time, distance, and elevation gain. I just followed the leader and put one foot in front of the other until we got to the next camp. It seemed to be more of a gradual climb in a vast, desolate area where the vegetation was scrubby and dry. There were white and yellow flowers along the way adding some color and interest to the landscape. We made stops at times for water, trail breaks (emptying one’s bladder), and snack breaks. As we neared the camp, the porters and crew came down the trail to meet us and carry our daypacks the remainder of the way. Once we got to camp, the staff circled around and sang a welcome song where they named each one of us in the various verses. This was a ritual that occurred each time we got to camp. They always had a smile on their faces and took great measures to please and help us with anything that would make our journey lighter and easier. They would be ready to dust off our boots and pants, help us find the tent where our duffel bag had been placed, take our gaiters off or literally anything we wanted or needed. We were treated like royalty. The mess tent would always be set up and as soon as we had our tent settled, there would either be a hot meal or snacks ready for our consumption. On this day we arrived in camp early enough for a nice afternoon break, but after lunch, the head guide told us to gear up for a short walk up to a higher elevation. He wanted to see how we would do going to 13,000 ft. and this would help us acclimate to the higher elevation we would be encountering over the next few days. So off we went up the dry, stony, dusty trail to a place I called the Temple of Cairns. It was full of stone cairn towers obviously stacked by previous hikers. We rested at this destination for a while and then returned to camp for a snack of popcorn and peanuts before the main supper meal. Between the snack and supper, I decided to rinse out some socks, undies, and the very dusty leggings I had worn that day. It turned out to be a big mistake as most of the garments did not dry out for the remainder of the trek despite the very dry air. I think it was too cold to let the bulkier things get dry. I had counted on having the leggings to wear but had to make do with other lower body garments until the ascent to the top when I needed four layers, and our head guide sent my leggings to the cook tent to dry them by the stove so I could wear them on that final push to the summit.

After supper Jo and I made our way to our tent and noted the clarity of the stars and once again saw that cloudy image we call the Milky Way. It was just as amazing the second night as the first night we saw it. I quickly fell asleep but was awake again in the night to go to the bathroom. I was taking Diamox to help prevent altitude sickness and acting like a diuretic is a common side effect. It was too cold to go to the porta john and so this had to be accomplished with some ingenuity in the tent or just outside the zipped opening in what we called the vestibule. Then I had trouble going back to sleep as the sounds of the breeze causing the tent to flap and other noises that I thought surely must be wild animals just outside our tent kept me awake for much of the night. At last, it was morning and time to pack up again and see what the day would bring.

21. The Beginning of the Trek – August 7

Three weeks ago today, on August 7, 2023, a group of individuals met in the town of Moshi, Tanzania. We were to be a group of nine, but one individual had flight delays so would join us the following day. We checked into the Panama Hotel which was not the one originally scheduled for our lodging. We were to have double rooms but now we were three to a room for the women and the two men who were there had a double. Alex who would join us the next day would get a single room. The triple room was crowded with three beds, our suitcases, our duffel bags and all our stuff that ended up scattered around the room. The shower did not have proper runoff, so the floor was very wet each time one of us showered. I shared a room with Jo Simmons and Kristen Gillan who had accompanied me on the game park safari just before this meetup in Moshi with the group. After freshening up, we went to the dining area to meet the rest of the team members over dinner and encountered a lovely, large rat along the pathway. He was harmless and seemed rather friendly.

Some of the group were already at a table and the others arrived shortly, to make a group of eight very tired, hungry, and anxious individuals about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. The extensive menu had lots of vegetarian items that sounded tasty, so I ordered a guacamole sandwich. Then we waited almost two and a half hours for our order to be served. I was tired and hungry, and the wait seemed an eternity. When it arrived at the table, I think I would have eaten just about anything. It was satisfying but seemed more like three slices of bread with guacamole between the slices. We were uncertain about drinking the table water, so we ordered bottled water. We filled our water bottles from the bottled water and I think by the time we checked out we used up the entire supply of bottled water they had at the restaurant. While we waited for the food to be served we had time to begin getting to know one another. There was Mark Kohus, 52, diagnosed with early onset PD, Jo Simmons, 47, whose dad has PD, Kristen Gillan, 46, whose mom is in the end stages of PD, Justin Fields, 38, with early onset PD and a deep brain stimulator, Laura Aldrich, 35, whose father passed away with PD, Connie Qian, 32, whose father has PD, and Betty Frances Thomason just 19 whose dad has PD. Alex DiLalla, 28, diagnosed a year ago just two weeks before his wedding with early onset PD, would hopefully join us the next day

The next morning, we met with the tour operator at breakfast, and he laid out our day ahead. After breakfast we were going to walk to town and do some market shopping. We ended up walking about six miles along dirt sidewalks and visited a small craft market where I purchased a few small souvenirs and then on to the big market in town. The sights in a market like this always fascinate me. There were stands of fresh fruit and vegetables, big bags of dried beans, rice, spices, flour, and other items. And of course, there were trinkets of bracelets, carved animals, earrings, paintings, and such that the vendors would beg us to buy from them. I made a few selections, but we didn’t spend much time here as it was time for lunch. I got to ride in a tuk tuk for a wild ride to our lunch venue. It was outdoors on the lawn at a very nice place. My eggplant sandwich was fabulous. Here also, Alex joined the group. Fortunately, we had a van take us back to the Panama Hotel where we were instructed to pack our duffel bag with the gear we were taking on the climb and meet in a conference room for orientation.

I worked hard to get all my gear packed into my duffel bag and then headed over to the meeting. Most of the others were already in the room with all their contents out of their duffel bags and waiting for the head guide and tour operator to inspect our readiness for the climb. I was dismayed that I was going to have to take everything out and then try and get it back in the bag, but I didn’t have a choice. Fortunately, all my gear was approved, and the head guide recommended I could leave a few things behind. Then came the task of getting it all back in the duffel bag and carrying it back to the room. This was our first time meeting the hike leader, Abel Lauwo whose grandfather had led the first western mountaineer, Hans Meyer, to the peak of Kilimanjaro in 1889. Abel was a very experienced guide, and we would be his 1021^st expedition to the summit. I knew we were in very good hands with Abel. His expertise would keep us safe, and he would do everything possible to get our group of hikers to the top. He would know the pace we needed to go, the signs and symptoms of altitude sickness and what to do for it and advise us what to eat and drink to stay healthy on this trek.

I went to bed that night very excited that the next day, Wednesday, August 9, I would begin the expedition to the summit of the roof of Africa, the highest peak on the continent and the tallest free-standing volcano in the world at 19,341 feet. After breakfast we got our bags ready, put what we weren’t taking with us in storage, took some group pictures and loaded onto the bus. Along the way we passed a field with giraffes grazing and of course we had to stop and take pictures. Next stop was at a gas station where we used the restrooms, and I found a man selling bandanas that I had to have. Jo and I purchased nine of them so each member of our group could have one. The stop seemed to be taking a long time. The tour operator left us to go to a bank to get money to pay the entrance fee to Kilimanjaro National Park. There seemed to be an issue getting the cash out of the bank to pay these fees, so we continued without the tour operator to our destination. He must have worked out paying the fees as we were granted entrance to the park. It was here that we learned that our itinerary was being changed from 8 days and 7 nights to 7 days and 6 nights. This would mean that we would start the hike at about 10,000 ft. and climb to about 11,500 ft. bypassing the rainforest the first day instead of starting at about 7,500 ft. and going up to about 9,500 ft.

We arrived at the Londorosi Gate where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch consisting of hot soup and sandwiches. We loaded back on the bus and continued up the road bypassing the rain forest and arrived in the Shira Plateau with moorland vegetation. We had not been able to see Mt. Kilimanjaro yet as we were in a layer of clouds preventing us from seeing the peak that we would be climbing. As we rounded a curve in the road we cleared the cloud layer and there before us was the majesty of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was one of those ah ha moments where silence is the best response. When the bus stopped we eagerly disembarked ready to hit the trail. Of course, there was the obligatory group photo op and then we donned our daypacks and were ready to get going. Abel lifted my pack and asked what all I had in it as it seemed too heavy. He began taking items out of my pack and putting them into his pack and that was the routine every day for the rest of the trek. It was late in the afternoon and the mountain was glowing in the sunlight. The words pole, pole mean slowly, slowly and this was the slogan each day of the hike. Due to the altitude, one must go slowly so as not to tax the body in the thin air. I felt we were traveling at a snails pace and wanted to go just a little faster as I was afraid we would be hiking in the dark if we continued so slowly. The trail was not very difficult, but it was very, very dusty. Jo was in shorts and soon her legs were coated with a thick layer of dirt. We had to cross two small ravines with small streams to get to Shira Camp I and just as we arrived the sky was pink with a beautiful sunset.

Jo and I decided to tent together and set about unpacking our gear in the dark, in a very tiny space and without getting dirt everywhere. It was a taxing undertaking and one that I did not master the entire trek and by the end of the trip it was definitely the pebble in my shoe for the journey. Once settled we ventured to the mess tent for a delightful hot supper and conversation around the table. On our way back to our tent we were amazed at the brilliance of the stars and enjoyed a view of the Milky Way I had not seen in many years since pack backing in southern California in my twenties. We crawled into our sleeping bags and tried to sleep. I think I was awake by 3:00 a.m. with restlessness, excitement, and the sounds of camp. Thus was the beginning of the journey to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

20. Jet Lag! – August 23

I arrived in Asheville on Friday evening August 18 around 7:00 p.m. I was slow getting off the small jet and then made a stop at the restroom. I must have missed my bag at the luggage pickup carousel. After waiting a very long time for all the bags to appear, I discovered mine was missing. I had a tracking device in it so I knew it was at the airport. After checking with the main counter at American Airlines, I found it had been sent there and I was able to retrieve it and be on my way home. My husband had planned to take me out to eat on the way, but after 40 plus hours in transit, I just wanted to go home. There was food to eat in our frig, then a shower, and off to bed. The next morning he decided to go to church and after he left I collapsed into the bed and fell into a deep sleep for several hours. When I awoke, I just wanted to eat again and go back to bed. On Sunday morning, my suitcase, daypack, and carryon were still sitting unopened in the foyer. I decided to tackle the job of unpacking, doing laundry, sorting out the souvenirs I’d brought home and begin the process of settling back into life in North Carolina. I discovered that the garden had exploded with an overabundance of produce while I was gone. The tomatoes, blueberries, basil, cucumbers from our garden and sweet corn from the family farm were needing attention. It is now Wednesday morning, August 23 and I have accomplished much of the unpacking, sorting through the mail, and am still working on the garden produce. If you’ve ever put up sweet corn, you know it is a lot of work and my dear brother David, and his wife Julie worked very hard to process all I wanted and bring it to our house where all we had to do was box it up and put it in the freezer. But, I am still waking up a 3:00 a.m. and wanting to sleep a lot. Last night I fell asleep on the couch and when I woke up I couldn’t figure out where I was or what time it was or what was going on. I think I fell back asleep and when I woke up again decided to find my way to my bedroom, brush my teeth and crawl in bed. But once again I am awake at 3:00 a.m. This readjustment has been difficult and I hope resolves soon.

Yesterday afternoon, I had an interview with our local news network, WLOS 13. I had met with Marvin Parker of the sports section before the trip and he wanted to do a follow up piece upon my return. When he started the interview, I began shivering. This is not like a typical Parkinson tremor. It happens when I am stressed, or tired, or cold, or hungry, or hot. Marvin was really nice, very polite and interested in my story but I can’t remember what I said. It is a blur. I am hoping my message about why I did this incredible trip came across. I wanted pepople to know that the number one reason for climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro was for fundraising for the Michael J Fox Foundation. It’s number one mission is to find a cure for PD. All of us in the PD community and those with family members or friends who they know personally with the diagnosis, want to end this disease. Research and development is very expensive and the Fox Foundation has funded an incredible amount of research that is already helping those with PD. Michael J Fox has been and continues to be a very inspirational giant in the quest to conquer PD. Second, I want to help change the stigma associated with PD. While it is a neurodegenerative disease, many people can live vibrant, productive lives before they get to the last few chapters of their story. They need not see themselves or others as damaged for many years yet to live. I want to inspire people to take charge of their life and not surrender easily to powerlessness but to fight for what is worth fighting for. And thirdly, I want to bring awareness about the signs and symptoms of PD so that people with and without the disease can be aware of possible indications of PD. This might help someone take action to slow the progression of PD or seek medical help that can give them relief and improve the quality of their life. Hey, I’m a 67 almost 68 year old woman with PD who just reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. If I can do that, then maybe I can inspire others to get off the couch. Maybe I can urge them on to take charge of their life and live vibrantly. Maybe I can get them moving as the best way to preserve movement is to keep moving. Maybe I can have an impact in someone’s life. That would make it all worth what I have done.

On a side note – the one legged stance with hands held up above my head is to symbolize finding balance in life while reaching up to attain lofty goals and aspirations.

19. I Did It- Made It to the Summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro – August 14

So I made it to the roof of Africa. It has been an amazing journey. I would not say it was fun as it was grueling, hard work in the sun, cold, wind, dust, and very desolate environment. But it was incredible!! It was exhilarating! It was unforgettable! I was only able to get there with much help from many people. But yet, I did it one step at a time up that mountain. Now I am sore, exhausted, drained, emotional and ready to head home. I plan to write more about my story in future entries but for now, I need a little rest.

18. Check-in With Team Fox for the Climb – August 7

Today I will check-in with the group and tomorrow is orientation. I’m really glad I chose to come early to be able to adjust to the time change and recover from jet lag. Others in the group have had issues with flight delays and cancellations so I am glad I am here and am eager to get on the trail. I haven’t hiked in two weeks and can feel the difference in my well being. Two women from the group, Joanne Simmons and Kristen Gillan, joined me for the weekend visiting the northern part of the Serengeti National Park. We have had an awesome time and are now refreshed and ready to start climbing. It has been one of my lifelong dreams to see a big game park in Africa and feel blessed to have accomplished this while I still can. I have never been one to delay achieving my goals but with PD I feel even more determined to get out there and live life fully. I am looking forward to meeting the other team members and getting to know their stories. Then there will be the final packing of my gear. I think I have overpacked and will need to shed some of my things. Now to figure out just what has to go and what can stay behind to be protected for the 8-day trek.

I am frustrated with the slow wifi here and am struggling to post on this blog site. I will undoubtedly revise my entries but at least for now readers will have some information about what is happening on my grand adventure.

17. The Flight to Africa – August 1

The day before I was to fly out of Asheville was a busy and hectic day. There were lots of things I needed to do before I left my home for 18 days. I had bills to pay, emails to respond to, garden produce to manage, cleaning to do, calls to make, and last minute packing to accomplish. I felt some pressure and anxiety as I readied for the trip. My husband would describe me as somewhat irritable and that I was. On the way to the airport, we had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants in Biltmore Park to celebrate our anniversary as we hadn’t taken time to do that yet. We finished the meal with fresh strawberry shortcake and ice cream. Then we were off to the airport to check in, clear security and wait to board. Since you can’t linger long at the airport curb, we said a quick goodbye accompanied by a short kiss and I proceeded to the check in counter. The line was short so I breezed through to the waiting area at my gate with plenty of time to sit and wait. Ugh! I wish I hadn’t beein such a hurry to get there.

The flight to Dallas was just under three hours but was a bit rough from turbulence. It felt good to disembark and with about four hours til the next leg I used my time to have a nice Mexican dinner. Then I found my next gate and relaxed for a while. But with time on my hands and mountains to climb, I found a long staircase to ascend and descend at least three times, carrying my heavy carry-on bags. At last it was time to board my next plane. The line was very long and my coach seat was near the rear of the plane. I began nesting in my little zone by the window that I would be occupying for the next 14-15 hours. I had my shoes off, neck pillow out, ear phones ready, and was exploring the little amenities bag when a flight attendant stopped at my row of seats and asked if I was Lucreeta Moooore Pin Pin ta to which I said yes. He asked to see my boarding pass and passport. Oh no!! Was I being deplaned?! He explained that I was being reassigned to business class and to please get up and relocate. The thought went through my head that many were praying for me but I wondered why God favored me over the older-than-me woman wearing a neck brace and who’s jaw dropped with envy as I left her row. I thought about offering her the exchange for just about 2 seconds before proceeding to my new nest. The upgrade was magnificent!! There was a lot of room with a seat that positioned flat so that I could sleep fully horizontal, pajamas, amenity box with lotions, plush pillow and blanket and almost full privacy with a door that closed across the entry to the cubicle. I changed into the pajama shirt and had to smile as the outfit made me look ready to report for duty on the starship Enterprise. I had my own personal flight attendant who offered me just about anything I could ask for. But all I really wanted was to stretch out and sleep. About 7 hours later I woke up in a time warp. I had no idea how long we had yet to fly, what time it was or whether it was light or dark outside. I ordered breakfast consisting of fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, assorted breads, and strawberry smoothie. It was served on top of a cloth cover for the tray table and the elegance was completed by a little candle too. You can tell I only fly coach.

The next leg started by disembarking at the Doha, Qatar airport with a 10 hour layover. I had reserved a sleep cubicle hoping to get some sleep but the mattress was hard, the walls were thin, the pillow was uncomfortable, however, it did give me a private place to rest before the next leg. I got up at six o’clock and freshened up a bit. The attendant at the desk of the sleep-n-fly area told me the gate assignment for my next flight and I set off to find it. After walking a long way and taking a train, he was wrong. I had to go back from just about where I started, so I took off running to get there. Once at the gate, I linked up with Jo Simmons who is also on the climb and who had recently come to Asheville to hike with me. We boarded our plane without difficulty and had smooth sailing the rest of the way. There was a brief stop at Dar es Salaam and then on to Kilimanjaro airport. We landed on a strip that seemed to be a remote, dry area. There was no chance of a Kilimanjaro sighting as the sky was fully covered in clouds. The customs procedure was fairly easy and when done, our ride was waiting for us. I purchased a local sim card for my phone which took a lot of time to accomplish. Then we headed out for the hour drive to our lovely hotel where I am now fed, showered and ready to sleep. Enough of this tale for now.

16. Last Entry Before I Leave for Africa – July 28

This will be my last entry before I fly out of Asheville on Tuesday, August 1. This week has been busy with getting many last-minute details taken care of. There were purchases to make, packing to be done, bills to be paid and many other things to attend to. By far, the highlight of my week was the Bon Voyage Party my hiking club gave me. I started my own hiking group when Covid had the country shut down. I knew I could not take a break from the outdoor activity that gave me so much help in dealing with PD. Other groups I had been hiking with decided to halt activity for the most part, but I felt this was unnecessary to stay safe. In fact, I felt that being active in the outdoors was a good way to preserve immunity and health. So, I offered invitations to hikers I knew and started Lucretia’s Hikers. By now, the group has grown to about 60 members with about two thirds of them regular hikers with me. The others hike infrequently or are “lurkers” as they enjoy the pictures of the group hikes I post to our site. Over the many miles and hours on the trails, I have gotten to know the members well and many have become very close friends. They have been a constant support in every aspect of my life. The party was overwhelming by the outpouring of support and affection shown to me. The attendance was large, and they gave me flowers, gifts for the trip, a banner to pin to my pack on the trek and a card signed by everyone. Individual members gave me personal cards, and one member wrote a limerick personalized for me. Another member created a picture from stones, moss and a stick that displays a hiker climbing a mountain. The box it came in was wrapped in a beautiful silk scarf with fresh flowers instead of a bow decorating it. I was rendered speechless and in tears by the overwhelming demonstration of love and support. To say thank you does not seem adaquate to express the gratitude I want to express to them for the many, many ways they have been there for me. But my hiking group members are not the only ones who have been very supportive both in my ambitions to climb Kilimanjaro but in the daily, continuous struggle of handling life with PD. I have a long list of friends, family, church members, neighbors, and even strangers who have offered both monetary contributions to my fundraising campaign as well as overwhelming love and support. This is not casual support but the kind where one will be available 24/7 to listen, or talk, or go places, or take care of physical needs. My well is brimming over with genuine friendship, concern, and love. I wonder how I got so lucky to have such a tremendous throng of advocates but am eternally grateful to the many, many people who have touched my life with their generous outpouring of kindness and devotion. The list is too long to name everyone I appreciate and want to thank but I would like to mention Lisa Scaterragia, my publicist, who has given many hours helping me get the word out there. Then, I would like to thank my family members comprised of my four brothers and their wives, my nieces and nephews and their spouses and children, my father’s wife, my husband’s family especially his children who I consider my own too, and their significant others and children, and my daughter Lauren. But the one who gets the most billing and who has stood by me through everything is my precious husband Jay of 32 years today. He is my rock, my best friend, and the love of my life. I love you with all my heart and will be running to your arms when I return.

15. Seven Days and Six Hikes with Bob and Joanne – July 23

This past week I hiked six of seven days. My brother Bob came down from Michigan to hike the first three days with me. Then we had a day of drenching rain that nourished our dry area and Bob left to go back to Michigan, so that gave me a day off. Then, Joanne Simmons, one of the Michael J Fox Climb Kilimanjaro team members, flew in from New Jersey to spend three days hiking with me. Bob and I did three very different hikes. The first was a short 5.5-mile hike along a section of the Mountain to Sea trail from Big Ridge Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway to Shell Knob. On the second hike we invited members of my hiking group to join us for a trek from Skinny Dip Falls to Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields. This 8.6-mile and 1,400 ft elevation gain hike was a challenge but very pretty. We enjoyed four waterfalls, a mountain river, interesting fungi, flowers, and diversity of trail construction. Half of the group did a shuttle and returned from Graveyard Fields while the rest of us returned on the same trail back to our car. The third hike was to see the grand falls at DuPont State Forest. It started out to be a drizzly day, so we donned rain gear and headed out. We took in Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, High Falls and three lakes for an 8.5-mile hike with a surprising 950 ft. elevation gain. In addition to the usual trail sights, we spotted a quiet, unobtrusive, peacefully resting water snake and a gorgeous cluster of what I think is Chicken of the Woods, a brightly colored fungi that can be eaten if you’re sure of its identity.

Joanne aka Jo, and I did three days of different hikes as well. The first day we went to Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Rockies. As we drove up the parkway to the Mt. Mitchell area, we entered very dense fog, the kind you can barely see a car length ahead. It was windy and cold and of course views would be non-existent. Once at the trailhead, we were greeted by a reporter and a photographer from the Asheville Citizen Times, our local newspaper wanting to do an article about my planned adventure. I was interviewed and photographed for about 45 minutes and then we were off in the cold, windy, damp, and foggy weather to see how far we’d be able to go. The weather improved as we trudged on, but the tail was very slippery as we got our footing on rocks and roots. Then there were technically difficult places requiring the use of our hands and ropes to scramble up steep, rocky, muddy, and root laden patches. Eventually, we came to Big Tom and then Mt. Craig which had glorious views from their higher than 6,000 ft. elevation points. We finished our hike at the Mt. Mitchell peak and observation point and were grateful the sun was partially out giving us the beautiful views we were hoping to see. The second day with Jo, we went to Black Balsam and Mt. Tennet to hike. This was completely different from Mt. Mitchell in that most of the trail was exposed to the sun and the paths were more like trenches than flat trails. We were glad we applied sunscreen as it was a sunny day with lots of exposure. On top of Mt. Tennet, we had sweeping panoramic views and found other hikers who were interested in chatting about our training for the Kilimanjaro hike. The third day, I took Jo to hike Mt. Pisgah which isn’t far from my house. The short trail to the top was steep and we had to stop and get our breath a few times on the way to the peak. Once at the summit, we gazed at the very tall broadcast tower which can be seen from every direction in the Asehville area. After we got back to our car, we decided to take the short drive to hike to and climb one of the few standing fire look-out towers in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The walk from the pullout off the Blue Ridge Parkway was a steep, gravel road about three quarters of a mile mostly in the sun. The tower had a very steep, metal stairway to climb that was not for anyone who might be afraid of heights. We chose to go on up the ladder and take a look at the views which did not disappoint. The mountain ridges stretched out before us in every direction with their slightly blue hues characteristic of the mountains of Western North Carolina. Then it was back home, shower, grab a bite to eat and off to the airport for Jo to catch her flight back to Jersey City. We had a wonderful time over the three days we spent conditioning together and getting to know each other. I already know I have a friend for life and the bonds of this journey will be lasting. And that’s even before the hike where I will have other team members to get to know and share this trek of a lifetime. Looking forward to what lies ahead with less trepidation now. Thanks Jo for being a part of my conditioning efforts. Now to take a break from hiking for a few days as I must admit – I’m tired!

14. A Reflection on Greybeard Overlook and Big East Fork River Trails – July 14

I got in two hikes this past week. One was from the Greybeard Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Glassmine Falls Overlook. The other one was a trail that follows the Big East Fork River starting at a lower place than the part of the same river I did last week. As I hiked along these trails, I was in a reflective mood. My very dear friend Margie was near the end of her life and did indeed pass away before the second hike of the week. She was ninety years old and had waged a valiant war against cancer that invaded her body more than 20 years ago. I spent a lot of time with her after her husband Harold passed away a few years ago and we became very close. Margie was very inspirational to me in the way she lived her life. She persevered to live vibrantly and fully up to the end. She was my greatest cheerleader in my quest to summit Kilimanjaro and so wanted to see me make it to the top. As I traversed across the trails I noted that each path has its own unique personality and offerings. While all the trails I have been hiking on are in the mountains of Western North Carolina each one is different with varying flowers, trees, views, streams, waterfalls, and path configuration. The hike on the same trail can be quite different depending on the time of day and time of year. In the spring life is emerging with the fresh greenery on the vegetation and an abundance of flowers popping out of the ground. Summer is dense with the leafed-out foliage, bright with colorful flowers, hot with the humidity and sun, and the waterfalls are refreshing. Fall brings the vibrant red, orange, and golden tones of the leaves that sometimes seem to rain from the sky and then dance on top of the water as it meanders down streams and rivers. Winter is often cold and frosty and sometimes we have snow to navigate through. But with the leaves gone and the crisp atmosphere the cooler weather brings, the views are at their best and one can see much more clearly. I was reflecting how the trails I travel upon during the different seasons of the year are a metaphor for life itself. I find myself hovering between fall and winter now and wonder what lies ahead and what I will be able to see as I get into the winter of my life. But like my friend Margie, I do not plan to go softly into winter but rather meet it full on and find the rewards that remain to be discovered.

Margie and me about five years ago.

13. Conditioning Hikes to Buck Spring Trail and Bridges Camp Gap Trail – July 8

The first hike this week was a 9.25-mile, and 2,287 ft. elevation gain loop starting from the trailhead parking area for the Mt. Pisgah trail. Mt. Pisgah is an iconic peak about 15 miles southwest of Asheville, NC. It has the highest broadcasting tower east of the Mississippi River from its summit at 5,721 ft. The television antenna rises to 6,023 ft. above mean sea level and can be seen from all directions for many miles away. Our trek started on the Buck Spring trail passing the foundation stone for the historic hunting lodge of George Vanderbilt of the Biltmore Estate. From there, we took the Laurel Mountain Trail and wound around to Pilot Rock which is a bold-faced stone cliff providing views of the valley below. From there we kept descending down a steep, rocky trail and ended up on a gravel road. It was a long descent, so we knew it was going to be a hard climb up to our starting point. We found the Thompson Creek Trail and followed beside the pleasant sounds and sights of this mountain stream for about 2 miles. Along the way we spotted a Carolina lily standing all by itself. This variety of lily is the North Carolina state wildflower and is rather rare to find. We eventually got above the creek and the babbling sounds faded in the breeze as we continued trudging upward. We were pleased to find many plants in bloom including the Carolina Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Fly poison, Galax, Fire Pink, and even some late blooming native azaleas. After many zigzags we finally passed Little Bald Mountain at 5,286 ft. and from there it was all downhill back to our car. We made the journey in 5 hours and 7 minutes of moving time. I was grateful for the two women hikers who joined me on this delightful though tiring adventure.

The second hike was from the Looking Glass Rock overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is the iconic monolith I climbed last week which can be seen from several overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We started on a trail to Skinny Dip Falls but cut off that trail to take the Bridges Camp Gap path to the Big East Fork River. It was a steep trail down to the place where the narrow trail levels off somewhat and hugs the side of the mountain as it follows the river. It is difficult when the trees are leafed out to get a good view of the river below the trail as it rushes over boulders and rocks making cascading waterfalls most of the way. Along the way though, there are areas where the water drops into crystal clear pools of ice-cold water inviting us to jump in and cool off. We might have done that if we didn’t have to scramble down a sheer drop off to get to the river. We stopped for lunch at a place where the trail was at the bank of the river, and we were able to stand on rocks at the river’s edge. The trail was forested with lots of Carolina rhododendrons in full bloom and lots of Dog Hobble in the underbrush. It was obvious that this trail does not see many travelers. When we got back to where we turned off the trail to Skinny Dip Falls, we decided to take the short trek over and look at them. This destination is very popular among locals and tourists alike as it provides a good place to get in the water. On our way back to our cars, we stopped to take group pictures with the very iconic “dragon” tree as our backdrop. While the 5.3-mile and 863 ft. elevation gain trail wasn’t very difficult, it was beautiful, refreshing, and a fun trip for all.