As many of you know, normally I am NOT a very outdoorsy person LOL! That has somewhat changed now that I have discovered the white blaze of the Appalachian Trail!
In 2020 the week after I ran my first marathon, my middle son Thomas was preparing to set out on his thru hike of the AT. However, Covid changed his plans when they closed down the trail. He thought about moving forward with his hike, but stories kept coming in about thru hikers not being able to restock in some northern states. So, him and his girlfriend changed their plans and instead set out to complete the Colorado Trail.
I had checked off marathon from my bucket list...Check! And as the pictures from their hike came rolling in, I set a new goal: I was going to learn how to hike!
When my husband and I first got married, he had completed most of NC on the trail and parts of VA. His lifelong dream was to complete the entire trail. Twenty seven years ago I didn't understand. Why in the world would you want to become homeless for 6 months, live in the woods, and just walk. No showers, limited food, and limited contact with other people. It just didn't make any sense.
In February of this year I told my son and hubby, "I want to go hiking. I want to learn how to do this." My son, laughing said, "Mom, all you do is put one foot in front of the other."
So, he planned our Easter backpacking trip to Greyson Highlands in VA. More info on this beautiful piece of creation can be found here: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/grayson-highlands
Good Friday we set out for nearby VA. I was optimistic. Afterall, I was in fairly good shape. I have run a marathon, I teach and practice yoga, I teach Zumba, and I do kickboxing 4 days a week. Little did I know that I would be humbled pretty quickly!!!
This was by far the hardest thing I have ever done! Mentally and physically. Greyson Highlands is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The wild ponies, the pristine farmland, and the amazing mountain views. But, I wasn't prepared for the HUGE rocks...up and down rocks. Rocks here. Rocks there. Rocks everywhere.
I was ill prepared. My pack was "weigh" (LOL) too heavy!!! Weighing in at a whopping 28 lbs plus another 4 probably for water!!! I wasn't prepared food wise! I packed a little of this and a little of that. I took way too much food! As my son said, "You live and learn!" Boy, was he right!
So, this past weekend we did the Max Patch to Hot Springs section.
This time we left Statesville around 5:30am. I had booked a shuttle to meet us in Hot Springs and take us to Max Patch. I recommend calling in advance to book your shuttle. If you want a list of possible shuttles, let me know.
For this hike, I felt a little more prepared:
- I planned out my food. I decided to go back to my normal eating of low carb/high fat diet. I know that fat fuels, so I wanted to put this to the test. I had not carb loaded for any of my running, so I knew it worked in that situation, but would it work for a 3 day backpacking adventure on the AT?
- I cut out a lot of weight. I got my pack down to 22 lbs before water.
- I got me a good pair of hiking shoes. I chose the Altra Lone Peak 6
- I invested in some Darn Tough hiking socks
- I drank a gallon of water everyday leading up to my hike
We arrived at Max Patch and set out around 9:15am. I cannot tell you how beautiful this section of the AT is...you have to experience it for yourself! There were wild blackberry bushes everywhere! As far as the eye could see it was lush green. The tall trees towered above. The trail was covered in these beautiful, fragrant petals. The petals were embellished with the most beautiful heart shapes.
Day 1 we made it about 8 miles. Lemon Gap was about an 800 foot ascent in just at a mile! We met up with another hiker, David, who was going to be out there for 10 days. We made camp about 4:30. After setting everything up, we ate our dinner, and hit the hammock about 6:30. That night I got about 11 hours of sleep.
Day 2 we headed back up the mountain, and then it was downhill. What I have found for me personally, is that the downhills are harder. My knees and hips started hurting. The gradual declines don't bother me as much, but there were quite a few parts that were not so gradual! LOL! By the time we made it to camp, I was exhausted. We had put in another 8 miles or so. We got to camp around 4pm with only a little over 3 miles to Hot Springs. We set up camp, chatted with some thru hikers, and hit the hammock around 7pm. That night I got a little over 10 hours of sleep.
Day 3 we got up and took our time. We set out for Hot Springs. It was all downhill. It was a beautiful section. Walking through tunnels of rhododendrons...I hate that they weren't in full bloom. Some of the path was a little narrow with one misstep leading you over the edge. I can't explain the feeling of approaching the town. You could hear the business. I can only imagine how the thru hikers feel each time they come upon a town after being out alone in the wilderness for days at a time. When I finally made it to Hot Springs, the trail comes right out at Laughing Heart Hostel, which is where we had parked the car on Friday. Rob, Thomas, and Bethany had made it out before me, and they were waiting in the car. I said, "I really thought y'all would be waiting to cheer me on." Their response, "But, we did the same hike!" LOL
There was no one there cheering me on as I made the final steps into Hot Springs, but inside I was cheering us all on! I was cheering for the section hikers we had met. I was cheering for the thru hikers we had met. And, I was cheering for us!
The trail teaches you a lot about yourself. You have time to pray. You have time to appreciate creation. You have time to collect your thoughts.
I am by no means a trail expert. I am just a gal who is hooked on weekend hikes. My ultimate dream would be to complete the AT with my hubby! For us to take 6 months and set out for an adventure of a lifetime! Who knows? Maybe we will one day.
Some folks have asked what I ate on the trail and what other resources I used. I am putting the links below.
Happy Trails,
Kimberly
My meals/food each day (I tried to stick to the times as close as possible):
-Breakfast: Keto coffee-https://amzn.to/3wQGpYA This was truly the most delicious coffee! It was one of the highlights of my day! Especially drinking it in my new Sea to Summit collapsible coffee mug: https://amzn.to/3wQGpYA
-11am: Fat Bomb (I bought a variety of flavors. My favorite was the Macadamia/Chocolate. Each pack had about 2 Net carbs. https://amzn.to/3N7nEac
-Throughout the morning and afternoon I had Hoody's Keto Trail mix. I also added some strawberries and blueberries that I dehydrated to the mixture. I kept these in my fanny pack. I ended up taking too many! I took 5, but ended up giving away 3 to a thru hiker :). This trail mix is DELICIOUS!!! https://amzn.to/3m16yPg
-1pm: Lunch consisted of:
..King Arthur sardines in Extra Virgin Olive oil-https://amzn.to/3wY8b5B
..Veggies I had dehydrated
..Justin's nut butters-https://amzn.to/3PR59IV
..Olives (these were the best ones we could find that were portable): https://amzn.to/3wWXkss
3pm (or thereabouts)
-Keto coffee
-Fat Bomb
I packed 3 avocados, but only ended up eating two. I ate one with my dinners. I gave the other one to a thru hiker :)
Dinner:
These meal were AH-MaZING!!!! I will definitely be using these again and again! I love the taste, and I loved the fact that it was only ONE serving! Highly, highly recommend these!
Friday-Beef Tacos and added some of my dehydrated veggies and avocado
Saturday-Buffalo style chicken with dehydrated veggies and avocado
In my water I used Nuun energy during the day: https://amzn.to/3GBIz2x
and Nuun Rest before I went to bed: https://amzn.to/3lX8MPA
**I also used Go Far Endurance Fuel for Women in my water. I would put one serving in my morning water. While this is not specifically Keto, I had used this in my long distance running. It not only provides your electrolytes, but it also serves as nutrition. In all of my research while I was training for my marathon, this was the cleanest endurance nutrition I could find. Like I said, IT IS NOT necessarily Keto/low carb. ** https://amzn.to/3MZwqHc
Other products I HIGHLY recommend:
-Altra Lone Peak 6. I am a Hoka girl...I loved running in my Hoka's. I was torn between the Hoka Speedgoat and these. I decided to go with the Altra's for two main reasons. 1. The material is FAST drying! 2. The large toe box...this made a huge difference in the downhill steps. My toes were scrunched together!
-Darn Tough Hiker Crew socks. When we did our first hike I wore my regular running socks. My son tried to tell me to invest in Darn Tough socks. I didn't listen. However, this time I did! I bought two pair, and I LOVE them! The are super comfortable and the best part? They have a lifetime guarantee!
-Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt. I have been borrowing my son's quilt, but will be purchasing my own before our next trip. This is a little pricey, but it is so worth the investment! My first trip it was 35 degrees with rain...if my bottom quilt had been snug (that's another story in and of itself), I would have been comfortable all night! This go round I was more than comfortable! I love that you can customize your quilt with the colors you want! The one I use is the 0 degree quilt. https://enlightenedequipment.com/enigma-stock/
I have been following the Keto eating plan to some degree since 2018. I found after my weight loss surgery that it was the easiest way for me to keep my eating under control. I realized pretty quick that this eating plan worked for me in so many ways!!!
- Decrease in appetite
- Increase in energy
- Losing weight, and being able to keep it off
- Completing a marathon without carb loading
In April of 2020 I got sick with Covid...body aches, fatigue, fever. Unfortunately, the fatigue didn't leave for over 10 months. I had just ran my first marathon in March 2020, but by June I couldn't even walk to the end of my street!
I found myself slipping into a deep depression! My active lifestyle that I had come to enjoy...gone. It was no longer easy to follow any healthy eating plan because the more depressed I got, the more I wanted to eat.
So, during this time I gained 25 of the 87 pounds that lost back...just like that! Poof! It sure was a lot harder to get off then it was to put back on LOL!!!
March of 2021 brought a new look on life. A new motivation to get my life back together! Some of the things I implemented:
- Drinking a gallon of water everyday
- I started going to bed early and getting a good night's sleep (my favorite sleep aide)
- Joined a local women's kickboxing class
- Got my yoga teacher certification
- Started Zumba
- Implemented intermittent fasting (great resources here)
- Tracked my food--strict keto
- Implemented neutraceuticals into my daily supplements
I am happy to report that I have now lost 30 pounds since March! And here is where the Keto Egg Fast comes in to the story!!
I came across the Keto Egg Fast researching how to break through a plateau on the Keto diet. Here's the basics of how it works:
- Eat at least 6 whole eggs per day
- Eat 1 Tbsp fat for every egg
- Eat up to 1 Tbsp full-fat cheese for every egg
- Use highest quality eggs, fat & cheese
- Eat a whole egg within 30 minutes of waking up
- Eat egg fast meals every 3-5 hours (stop 3 hours before bed)
- Use seasonings/spice, with limits
- Use keto sweeteners, with limits. Avoid sugar alcohols
- Enjoy zero-carb drinks like coffe and tea
Examples of my meals that I ate on my Keto egg fast:
- Boiled eggs
- Egg salad
- Chaffles
- Egg drop soup
This is the Day that the Lord Has Made!
Psalm 118 is such an encouraging chapter! It is one the most uplifting, praise ridden Psalms that scholars say was penned by David.
I’m no Bible scholar by any means, but when I read this Psalm I can’t help but feel my spirits lifted! Psalm 118 is the last of the Hallel Pslams, which simply means the “Songs of Praise.” These songs were traditionally sung at the holidays or on feast days. This particular Psalm was a Passover song.
When I learned this interesting fact about this Psalm it literally gave me chill bumps! This was the song that Jesus sang with His disciples at the Passover meal BEFORE He was betrayed, mocked, humiliated, and crucified!!! He gave thanks to His Father for His goodness! (v1) He acknowledged that God was for Him and that man could not harm Him! (v 6). He took His refuge in God (v 8). He would soon be surrounded by enemies from all sides (v 11), but the Lord helped Him! The Lord was His strength! (v. 13-14). He would not die, but He would live! He would live to tell the works of the Lord! (v. 17-18). He rejoiced because this was the day that the Lord had made! (v 24)
As I sit here on January 20th, 2021 I have a sense of peace. This peace can only come from God! All the events leading up to this day have brought me nothing but fear and anxiety! We have faced many difficult and challenging times over the last year! Everything has been turned upside down. We have seen riots in the streets. We have witnessed a pandemic that has basically shut down the world. We have seen friend turn against friend. We have seen brother turn against brother. We have witnessed what will surely be an election that no one will ever forget.
But, before I even got out of bed this morning, the words of this Psalm came to my mind. I went over in my head the positive affirmation of the fact that “this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” I got up, fixed my coffee in my “Today I choose Joy” coffee mug. Got out my Bible and went to the Psalm that contained this verse. I then looked at my phone. It was mind blowing that last night I received a text from a dear friend that has another verse from this same Pslam “ It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” My mind was blown!!!
See, over the last year or so many of us have placed our trust in the leaders in DC to save America. We have put our trust in policies. We have put our trust in the Constitution. We have put our trust in our President. But, ultimately our trust needs to be in God Almighty! He is for us! He is our refuge! It may seem that we are surrounded on every side, but rest assured, God will help us!
I don’t know what these next days look like, but as a body of believers, we must rise up! We must not fall back in fear! We must put our trust in God! We must be a light to a dark world!
So, today in what would normally be a very sad day for me, I choose Joy! I have the worship music blaring! I have my Bible out and I am digging for nuggets of truth to get me through what is to come!
Peace,
Kim
January 12, 2021
Today, like many days over the last 11 months, I have had periods of heaviness. My emotions range from anger, sadness, helplessness, and boldness. It can change at the drop of a hat depending on the time of day.
I have spent more time in prayer in these 11 months than I have in all of my adult life that I can remember. The state of our world brings me to my knees throughout the day.
But, today's Scripture brings encouragement. It's about putting my focus in the right place. It comes from Numbers 13. We all probably know the story from Sunday school. The Israelites had been delivered out of 400 years of bondage from the Egyptians. They had seen God perform miracle after miracle.
To name just a few:
1. They were brought out of one of the most powerful empires of their day
2. They had witnessed the Egyptians suffer the plagues of the God Almighty
3. They had smeared blood over their doorposts to keep the death angel from killing their firstborn
4. They watched as Moses through God's power parted the walls of water at the Red Sea so that they could walk through
5. They watched these same walls of water crashed down and killed the Egyptian army that was hot on their trail
6. They received miraculous bread from heaven each day-just the right amount they needed for their family
7. They drank water that gushed from a rock
8. They felt Mount Sinai quake
9. They saw this same mountain glow with fire
I mean, they had really been through the ringer, but they had witnessed God's miraculous power time and time again!
So, here we are in our story of Numbers 13. At this point the Israelites are right on the edge of taking possession of the Promised Land! So, God instructs Moses to send them on a reconnaissance mission: spy out the land and come back and report their findings.
Now, I wonder...God already knew what that land was like, was this a "test" to see who would have faith? Something to think about.
So, Moses selects a man from each tribe and ended up with 12 says. This story is a Sunday school favorite, often depicted the large grapes that the spies brought back.
But, I want to focus today on their perspectives. They go Into the land. The Word tells us they were there for 40 days! The journey took them from the southernmost part of the land (Desert of Zin), and took them to the northernmost part of the land (Rehob). This was about 250 miles each way!!! So for 40 days they infiltrated the land, checking out everything there was to see in the land. After all, this was to be their future homeland.
They travelled together, so therefore they witnessed the same things:
-the inhabitants were large of stature
-the walls of the cities were fortified
-the enemies of the Israelites
-the abundance of fruit
-the land flowing with milk and honey
So, they came back to Moses and gave their report. What was their focus? They told them about how good the land was, and they even brought out this gigantic cluster of grapes that the Word tells us took two men to carry on a pole! But, almost immediately they started telling of the negative things: the giants, the fortified cities, the enemies. Only two of the spies stepped forward to talk about the good things! Caleb must have remembered how powerful God was because he immediately chimed in "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it." But, he was outnumbered.
Negative self talk and focus won out. "...and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." They appointed to themselves that they were not mighty enough to fight these giants and take their land! They focused on the negative.
How often have I done this over the last 11 months! Focused on what I can't do instead of what I can do! Appointing a negative self view in the process.
"As a man thinketh, so is he." Proverbs 23:7
Our words and our thoughts have power.
What we focus on affects the direction our life will take. If we focus on the problem, we will navigate to the problem. But, if we focus on the solution, we will navigate to the solution.
During this pandemic, life might not be as it was, but...lots of blessings have come from this pandemic.
1. I have discovered I can do hard things
2. I have learned the power of prayer
3. I have learned that I have real friends
4. I have learned the blessing of just being
What blessings have you found during the pandemic?
