Hobos Going Sobo in Their Oboz and We Never Looked Back ...

Frog, Faith

Description

This is the true story of Faith and FROG and their in-tents journey south on the Appalachian Trail. Go along with them as you experience the many adventures and challenges they face.

HOBOS GOING SOBO IN THEIR OBOZ is the true story of Faith and FROG (HOBOS) as they journey south (SOBO) each wearing a pair of OBOZ (hiking boots) on a long section hike of the Appalachian Trail. On April 7, 2021 they took their first steps in Groseclose, Virginia with plans to finish at Springer Mountain/Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia. Can they really hike those 545 miles? Can they find enough water sources and where to camp at night? Did they plan out their mail drops of food adequately? How will they be accepted by the younger hikers along the trail? Will there be experiences that were not planned on or accounted for? Is this a realistic goal and adventure for their age? You will hear it all – the good, the bad, and the ugly!



This is their story of adventure: the beautiful sunny days and the rain drenched days. The fantastic people that they met along the way, the plans that worked and the plans that needed to be changed. But most importantly, the time spent in GOD’s incredible creation and the many GOD moments along the way. Don’t ever stop dreaming. GOD has an adventure for you too!

Sujets

• Travel
• Essays
• Travelogues

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 29 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664271647
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

HOBOS GOING SOBO IN THEIR OBOZ and we never looked back ...

Our In-Tents Journey on the Appalachian Trail
FROG & Faith

 
Copyright © 2022 FROG & Faith.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-7165-4 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-7166-1 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-7164-7 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022912362
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 07/27/2022
CONTENTS
Background
Introduction
Our Journey to the Trailhead
 
1.Groseclose, Virginia, to Damascus, Virginia
2.Damascus, Virginia, to Hampton, Tennessee
3.Hampton, Tennessee, to Roan Mountains, Tennessee
4.A Match Made in Heaven
5.Roan Mountain, North Carolina, to Erwin, Tennessee
6.Erwin, Tennessee, to Hot Springs, North Carolina
7.Lori’s Glory Story
8.Hot Springs, North Carolina, to Hartford, Tennessee
9.Gatlinburg, Tennessee: Newfound Gap to Clingman’s Dome
10.My Journey to GOD / Brad’s Life Song
11.Great Smoky Mountains: Clingman’s Dome, Tennessee, to Fontana Dam, North Carolina
12.Fontana Dam, North Carolina, to Franklin, North Carolina
13.We Will Never Look Back
14.Franklin, North Carolina, to Helen, Georgia
15.The Finish: Helen, Georgia, to Springer Mountain / Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia
16.What We Have Learned
 
Epilogue
Months Later
Appendix A: Glossary of Words and Terms
Appendix B: Setting up Camp, Filtering Water, Our Meals, and Equipment
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
 
Dedicated to and written for our grandchildren:
Bryce, Ryan Jr., McKenze, and Lauryn
Our prayer is that you will read this story of our adventure on the Appalachian Trail and go beyond your own limits to accomplish great things for GOD.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.
—Mark Twain

Background
Brad, since the day I met him, wanted to backpack the Appalachian Trail (AT)—all 2,190 miles of it. It had been his dream for at least forty years. I have always enjoyed going on day hikes but really wasn’t that interested in overnight or extended backpacking trips.
In 2019, we met Brad’s cousins, Sheila and Randy, in Gatlinburg and took a day trip to Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. The AT runs through there, so I told Brad to walk along the trail because this would be the only opportunity that he was going to have to walk the AT. Who knew that five months later I would agree to join him in his dream; GOD must have got a good chuckle out of that one. I know we have!
I’m not sure the exact time I agreed to join him, but it was sometime during a three-week trip to Jackson Hole / Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, in the fall of 2019. We went hiking every day in the mountains (only day hikes), but I loved it and thought, Well maybe I should give this backpacking adventure at least a try to see if I would like it.
We didn’t officially start planning our trip until 2020 and knew it would take at least a year or more for us to plan a trip of this size. Our original plan was to thru-hike the whole 2,190 miles, traveling north through fourteen states, from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mt. Katahdin, Maine, and to do it within six months.
In the fall of 2020, we decided to see if we were capable of a long-distance hike. Throughout the year, we did research and gradually bought and collected our supplies and equipment. We took sixteen days to backpack the 132-mile Northville-Placid Trail (NPT) in the Adirondacks in New York. It was a hard and difficult trail (and many mistakes were made with weight and gear), but we learned so much. It was a great experience, and we found that we really had fun and enjoyed doing it together. I caught the backpacking bug. I was hooked!

Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I will be happily infected for the rest of my life!
—Michael Palin

Our biggest discovery while on the NPT was that we both knew a six-month trek might just be too much for us at this time. We knew that there was no way we would be able to complete it within the six months to reach Mt. Katahdin before they closed the mountain by October 15 (which gives us tremendous respect for the thru-hiker).
At first, we felt discouraged and embarrassed that we had told so many people we were going to do a thru-hike, and now we had to tell them otherwise. At the time, we were thinking it was an all or nothing; if we weren’t doing the whole thing, it was a bust. After much discussion, we realized we could still have this dream but on a smaller scale; we could become section hikers. Our excitement grew once again!
We went over a lot of different scenarios of sections we could do and finally came up with the section from Groseclose, Virginia, to Springer Mountain, Georgia (545 miles, through four states, within three months.) Our decision to travel southbound (SOBO) instead of going northbound (NOBO) was mainly due to the fact that we didn’t want to hit the Smoky Mountains during snow season.
So, on April 7, 2021, we took our first steps on the AT in Groseclose, Virginia, (Route 11) and headed south. This is our journey … full of adventure—the good, the bad, and the ugly. You get it all!
May this instill a desire within you to try something out of your comfort zone.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. So if you’re feeling uncomfortable right now, know that the change taking place within your life is a beginning not an end.
—Neale Donald Walsch

Our Support Team:
May the road rise up to meet you, the wind be ever at your back, and until we meet again, may the good Lord hold you in the palm of his hand! Slainte! Happy hiking! Rob M.
So excited for you!! Looking forward to reading and seeing all the pictures and stories! Praying for a safe trip! Love you guys. Tracy M.
Have an amazing time!!! Sam L.
Oh the places you’ll go, the people you’ll meet, Godspeed and have fun!! Peg P.
Hugs & prayers for you guys. Diana T.
Make sure you take dehydrated spinach. Just add water and fried eggs and you are good to go. Doesn’t weigh much and won’t go bad. Claude M.
How exciting! Godspeed my friends! Mary K.
Don’t eat all the candy bars the first day! Sandy L.
LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! STAY SAFE!!! (Yes, I am yelling!!) Suzanne M.
Looking forward to hiking vicariously through you both! Have a wonderful journey and enjoy each step. Safe adventures! Maryann V.
Excited for you and your journey! We’ll be praying! Have so much fun together!!! Margie W.
Be blessed with every step! Hugs and prayers accompany you wherever you go! Denise L.
I’m looking forward to traveling the road with you via your blog! Here’s to your safe adventures! Pat T.
Prayers of protection around you both!! Looking forward to hearing about all the wonders and adventures you encounter! Coleen B.
So excited for both of you! An amazing adventure! I pray God envelopes you in strength, safety, good weather, awesome sights and an abundance of tales and memories! Take care and enjoy every step! Michelle E.
Have a great adventure! Can’t wait to live vicariously through you two. Enjoy and safe travels! Bonnie B.
Looking forward to hearing of your adventures!!! Denise A.
Today’s your day to go! No turning back! Bethie T.
Wishing you well and safe travels as you begin your next adventure! We love you both! Christine K.
Walking with you in prayer and spirit! Living vicariously on this wonderful adventure with you and Brad! Don’t forget to dance along the way and tell Brad to eat his spinach! We love you both! Bev G.
Hugs & prayers continue! Darlene M.
Wishing you many gentle adventures. I look forward to the stories. Penny C.

The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
—J. R. R. Tolkien
Introduction
Every person walking the AT has a trail name. If you don’t come up with one, you will be given a name. To save ourselves from getting a name that could potentially be embarrassing, we’ve chosen our own trail names. Let me officially introduce you to Team Hobos: FROG and Faith. FROG is the acronym for Fully Relying on GOD, and to do that, we know we need faith . You can’t have one without the other; they go hand in hand, together. I don’t know anyone I would rather share this journey hand in hand with than my best friend.

A good f