I made it! I hiked and camped alone this weekend (Sunday and Monday), and I probably owe my courage to Jami. She always invited me to go hiking or camping with her, and we usually did it together. However, the times that I was not up for going, she would venture out by herself! I hadn't really had the chance to, nor did I create the chance to go on my own until this past weekend. I borrowed Rachel's car (first time driving a Prius hybrid...pretty fancy!) and journeyed into the middle of Shenandoah National Park.

The first day I went on a 9.7 mile long hike (Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail Loop), labeled as strenuous, which turned into about a 15 mile hike. The road to the trail head was closed, so that added a couple miles to my hike. And then the map in the book that I had did not match the map that the Park Service gave me, so that added another few miles to the hike. I have new boots; I was reminded of this in the last couple miles of my hike because of the sore blister on my right heal.

I stayed in the main campground because I was not able to get a back country camping permit in time. I didn't sleep soundly, but I did get some sleep. More about that in the highlights...

And then the next day I did a small hike, hoping that I could ignore my blister if I put the right bandages around it. No luck. My 3.3 mile hike (Lewis Falls Trail Loop) was long and painful. That is, until I remembered I had my dorky Crocs in my backpack. So I walked the rest of the way with one hiking boot and one Croc. Since I wasn't going far, this worked out great!

Highlights about my weekend hiking and camping:

• Panoramic views of the whole Shenandoah Valley
• Incredible mid-70 degree weather
• Butterflies lining my entire walk
• Transcending from one season to the next and then back again by descending and ascending 2ooo feet on my hike
• Brilliant pink flowering trees (Redbuds?) set against a backdrop of bright spring green leaves of most other trees
  
• Three different screaming racoon fights throughout the night
• One yelping/terrified dog (because of the racoons? i'll never know)
• Practicing with my Pstyle some more
• Deer walking and chomping constantly within inches of my tent, again, throughout the night
• Three beautiful waterfalls
• Two 12-week-old Pomeranians that reminded me of Honey. Honey the Pomeranian that I fostered jumped off my three story house and lived without a wound to prove it. When the owner of these two pups said she was going to set them on the top of the brick wall while she took a picture of the waterfall, I grabbed them and set them on my lap! And they were tuckered out from the walk down to the falls, so they fell asleep on my lap. Phew.
• eating a whole hamburger at the end of my hike
• and a lot of time to think of and miss and love and send warm thoughts into the universe for each of you...my friends and family

Sending love to you today!