Good News, Bad News

Whew, today has been one of those days where you don't know whether to go back to bed and start over, or forge ahead. It started off well, with my friends and family wishing me a happy birthday. (Yeah, I still have those; thanks, everyone!) Forest and I went for our morning walk to get coffee, and then we settled in waiting for his food to arrive via overnight delivery. That's the good news; it arrived, and he absolutely gobbled it up. All that I thought was left to do was repack our gear to redistribute the weight, since his kibble weighs more than the dehydrated food he rejected. Thankfully, I began to get back in hiker mode.

At about noon, my wife called and told me that my stepdaughter had been in an accident and they were in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. This incredible woman wanted me to stay here and get back on the Trail. I could tell how upset she was and didn't really know how bad it was, so instead I called family and arranged for them to come get me tonight. I began packing everything in anticipation of the 4-hour drive home and about a 2-week stay, and began to get my head transitioned from hike to home.

Then, at about 3:30, I got a call saying that my stepdaughter was being released from the hospital to go home. She's banged up and has a concussion, but all in all she's going to be fine with time. Sadly, her car was totaled, but hey, we're just so lucky that she walked away from it. My marching orders from my wife were to stay put and get back on the Trail. So, I called my family, cancelled the ride and began getting my head back into hike mode.

With all of the craziness today, I didn't get everything done here that I need to do before I head back to the Trail. So, one more zero day here. On Thursday, barring any more emergencies, Forest and I will set off for the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) in Wesser, NC. It should be a 3-day hike. I'll trigger a SPOT alert when we get to the beginning of the trail Thursday.

Thanks for sticking with me through all of the ups and downs, everyone!