Or to hike when mother nature is putting on a heckuva lightning show! Back on our 31st day of this adventure, we got stuck in a thunderstorm between Roan Mtn and the Stan Murray Shelter. Just as we got to the shelter, a small bolt of lightning struck about 25 yards from the shelter. Poor Gracie got a little shock when the current traveled over the rain-soaked ground. She yelped and jumped into the shelter, then the other hikers pulled me in. We sat, cold and wet, Gracie shivering, and waited over an hour for the worst of the storm to pass. Then we jumped back into the weather and hiked/jogged another 2 miles to the next shelter, because there was no room for us at Stan Murray. It was a scary two miles, and left me concerned about whether I should be putting Gracie through all of this. The long miles, unpredictable weather, ticks, snakes, Giardia. Yet every morning, she's happy and ready to hike some more. So we keep going.
This afternoon, as we were making ready to hike out of Pearisburg, everyone was talking about a severe weather system moving into the area. I could see it in the distance, over the mountains we were headed toward. Then I saw the lightning, and decided the Holiday Motor Lodge would be a wise choice. So here we are. We've got a lot of miles to put in over the next seven days, but they'll still be there tomorrow. Tonight, it's important that we're safe from the storm. I don't mind hiking or camping in the rain, but lightning is another story.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Hey Kelli,
Missin' you and reading all your blogs! Sending you good vibes for good weather for you and Gracie!! Bless her little heart! Did you get my treats in Pearisburg? Jenn
Hey Kelli ...
Thanks for taking time to write me back on FB, with all the full agenda tasks u already have. I can only imagine what a great adventure this must be! My hat must tip a very big tip to you for doing this. U won't ever forget it and the wonderful memories will last a life time and extend beyond I am sure. Keep writing and sharing and we look fwd to the day when u are back and safe from the journey of a life time!
Joe
Hi Kelli, Just wanted to say hi and thank you for your message. Sorry I missed your call; it would have been great to talk to you.
I was glad to read that you decided to stay out of the lightening storm. You may not always be able to avoid them, but given an option, it makes sense to me! We've had a couple here in the past week, and I sure wouldn't want to be out in them, since they often come with high winds and, around here, hail.
Take care and thanks for keep the blog fresh with updates. Sam
Hi Kelli. I love reading your blog. Our thoughts and prayers continue with you on your journey.
Love, Sid and the folks at Trinity UMC
Post a Comment