Alright everyone, I just got the official phone call...Mom is on the trail. (YEAH!!!!) If anyone saw the radar there this morning it was not pretty flood warnings and downpours everywhere, but if you know mom there was no chance a little rain was going to stop her. Well, my inside source tells me that it rained buckets all the way to the trail head, but once they got to the State Park, would you believe, the skies cleared, it stopped raining, and the sun came out. It must be a sign. By 10:30am this morning she was on her way. Go Mom!
This morning, one of her life long dreams is coming true. I am so happy for her. We all will worry, but MND2009 will be fine.
I am a map maker by trade, so above is the first of many maps to come so that we can track her progress. Start to finish almost 2200 miles, most of us would dread a car ride that long never mind that distance as a "walk" as she calls it.
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You go Girl!!!! Looking forward to all the tales.
ReplyDeleteShelly, thanks for letting us know! I am so excited for her! We looked at the weather report together before we left and actually discussed the very real possibility of starting out in the rain, so I'm sure she was prepared.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any mail drop addresses/dates you could share with us in case we wanted to send along any well-wishes, etc. during her journey?
You mother, daughter sister, friend, niece, grand daughter etc. is on her way.
ReplyDeleteIt poured all the way down to Ga. And for you race fans she left from Dawsonville Ga. which is the home of Bill Elliot....
We drove into the Park and someone shut the water off outside. So it was a decision to or not to put on the rain pants. She opted to be safe then sorry. She had to go into this rather large building built into the side of a mountain that went straight up. She asked if I want to walk in with her and I said no. So off she goes to sign in with the poundage of her back pac etc. Yup 45 big ones. Well when she came out she was so darn white looking and breathing hard to boot. Seems they had this realllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyy big cage crammed full of Rattlesnakes that she had to take her lil butt right past um. She did what had to be done, but not with out scaring her to death. So she got into her hiking boots and rain gear and said to me. "Meme want to come into and through the building so you can get a picture of my starting the Big Hike. Ya, well HELL NO. Then I thought, look lady if she can get past those slithering buggers not once but twice, I should be brave enough to do it so I could get a picture of her starting the hike. So I did go in and through just about as fast as my fat legs would take me. You have to go through the darn building by some un-written law to start the hike. I got a great picture of her under a stone arch and taking the first steps on the trail. Today's hike is 8.6 miles straight up to get to the start of the trail. Tomorrow will be all down hill she tells me. I will be going to Blairsville Ga. on Monday the 30 to take her food and some fresh fruit. That is where Rick and I lived when we first came south.
She walked off so tall and proud. Today was the first steps of her life long dream.
Love you all Meme
May God be the wind beneath your wings, Donna! Happy trails! I admire your reason, and will pray for its success.
ReplyDeleteAnna May
I forgot to tell you all, that just 10 minutes before Donna started the hike 2 young people, sex unknown, with 30 pd back pac left. Anyone up for a bet that she will catch and over take them? Meme
ReplyDeleteFantastic, Donna, and remember to write in the Moleskine -- and excellent mapping, Shelly!
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