Woody Gap Along The AT

After spending the last few weeks nursing my sore knees, I was eager to get back on the trail. We had a miserable rainy Friday, but Saturday arrived with perfect hiking conditions. The weather was crisp and cool and the clouds quickly moved out, revealing an incredible blue sky. I joined six other determined hikers from the AOC as we headed up to Woody Gap. Just north of Dahlonega, Woody Gap is the closest access point from metro Atlanta to the Appalachian Trail, so on a good weekend, the trails emanating from the parking lot along Highway 60 see a lot of hiking traffic. If you’re interested in trying out a few miles on the AT for the first time, I would recommend Woody Gap as a perfect intro.

I must confess, having laid off a few weeks I had gotten a bit lazy. It’s amazing how quickly your trail legs leave you. We covered close to 12 miles in all and I was really struggling toward the end. The good news is that my knees held up well.

We are really blessed here in Georgia to have access to some really beautiful outdoor opportunities, and perhaps the premier trail system in the U.S. – the Appalachian Trail.

The Speed Of Time

It just struck me (again) this morning how time is flying by. There is a chill in the air. My yard is full of leaves, dead and crunchy underfoot. We are reaching the height of the fall season and October is nearing its’ end. In two months I will turn 50 years old. We all get so busy and stressed out sometimes that we don’t realize that our lives are getting away from us. Then one day it hits us – where did the time go…?

Fall has always been my favorite time of the year. Fall is harvest time, a time for reflection, a time where we can look back on the fruits of our labor and take stock. No where is the season more apparent than in the little country towns around America. Agricultural towns. The fields have been cleared and everyone can take a deep breath and a well deserved break from the labors of summer.

To me, there always seems to be a kind of pause in autumn. A moment where time stands still. Suddenly, unexpectedly, my mind’s eye becomes clear and focused. I’m able to see the road before me. I’m able to discern where I might have gotten off course. An inner voice speaks, strengthening me with resolve to do better… to be better… to be that person God created.

I can always count on Robert Frost to put things in perspective as in this excerpt from The Star-Splitter.

“…Busy outdoors by lantern-light with something
I should have done by daylight, and indeed,
After the ground is frozen, I should have done
Before it froze, and a gust flings a handful
Of waste leaves at my smoky lantern chimney
To make fun of my way of doing things…”

Do you sometimes feel like the person in the poem, that you’re just spinning your wheels? Find yourself a moment of pause this fall season. If the air is chilly, don’t run from it but lift your face into the wind. See where you’ve been and where you are headed. Get out of the city. Go for a drive in the mountains. Observe the harvest. Let the season lift the weight from your shoulders. Focus. Become clear headed. Time is flying by.