Day 5-6

Day 5 7-miles

Low Gap-Blue mt shelter

We broke camp really early to hopefully outrun the impending thunderstorms. We made it to our destination by 10 and ended up sitting around all day to rest. It was super windy because the shelter was on a high-ridge line. We made some great friends. Overall it was a super easy day of rest and we will be spending our first night in a shelter. 

Day 6 8-miles

Blue mt-tray mt shelter 

This morning was witnessed a beautiful sunrise from our ridge line shelter villa. It was our coldest night yet so we wasted no time breaking camp and heading down to our first town adventure. We made it to hiawasse, GA in no time since Dawn is so cute and nobody can turn her down. We went to ingles super market and it was AWESOME!!! They had clean bathrooms with running water, a place to sit down, and a deli with a $5 lunch special. We got a 2.5 day food resupply, and I bought some super charged deodorant so Dawn won't mind hugging me. Now we are in camp just hanging out. It's way less humid so we are letting all our stuff get really dry. We heard there might be storms tomorrow night so we might hike hard to a hostel 14-miles away and avoid the rain. Life on the AT is treating us really well. Besides some sore knees we are moving along injury free. 

Day 4-5

Day 4 04-03-14 12-Miles

Neels Gap-Low Gap Shelter

Today was a bit deceiving. We started out with intentions of taking it easy and just hiking 7 miles.  So we hung out at neels until 12:45 and only had one big climb to accomplish. When we got to our expected camp site that we had been told had ample water it was a pipe dream. The water was a mosquito breading ground coming from a PVC pipe from the road, and the tent sites were surrounded by dead trees. Who knew where that water came from. So we left our group and hiked on another 5 miles. We arrived late, but the camping situation was so much better. We made a huge dinner and slept hard. 

Day 5 04-04-14 7-miles

Low Gap Shelter-Blue mt Shelter

Last night we expected some storms. They never came, but we did experience some pretty strong winds. The tent held and we managed to stay warm despite the super heavy humidity. We woke up before sunrise and started hiking with the intention of hiking a simi-easy seven miles and to beat the storms. We made it to our destination by 10:45. Now we are just chilling at the shelter talking 8 other thru hikers for the rest of the day. The community we have encountered out here is something you wouldn't expect. Every body is going through the same experience and the sense of collective efficacy is awesome. Tomorrow Dawn and I are going into town to get a few food items and then hike to another shelter where we will meet back up with our friends Brandon and Jessica. 

Here I Am: Caleb's Story in my eyes

Here I am!

Lately I've been contemplating Caleb from the old testament. I've learned a couple things about him. First, he was not affiliated with the tribes. He was of the line of Esau and therefore had no promised inheritance. Second, he was fully committed to God! We learn that he was one of the original four spies sent by Moses to see the promised land. Caleb along with Joshua were also the only two who believed that God would give them the promise land. Put yourself in his shoes. The man knew In his heart the power God was giving them to take the land, but every one else melted in fear. We know that he was forty when he spied out the land for Moses, and because of the peoples fear he had to wait forty years. For forty years he trusted God with nothing but the clothes on his back, and the word spoken to him through Moses. He watched all his elders die, until he was among the leadership. I cannot fathom that level of faith!! He knew that he knew God was for him. In Joshua 14 we see his trust in God on display. After going to war with Joshua on his conquest he approaches Joshua and says: 

Joshua 14:6-15 Caleb's Request and Inheritance:

 Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh- barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh- barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God. ’ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty- five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty- five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”

 Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath- arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.

I see the heart of a warrior, confessing his faith, ready to receive his inheritance, not letting his age or past inhibit him. It's my prayer that I would have that determination. Not only to weather the storms but to take back what's been taken from me. Jesus said he came that I would have life abundantly! I'll take nothing less! Don't settle for anything less. Remember if any situation is going to steal from your life, kill your joy, or destroy anything and I mean ANYTHING you love, it's not what God has for you. It's time we take ownership of our paid for mercy and grace and live on a level intended for a child of God!!

Woody Gap-Neels Gap

Day 3 04-02-14 10-Miles

Woody gap-Neels gap

Today was a rough day. Blood Mt was awesome! I'm coming to believe that Dawn was made for this stuff. She hikes as fast or faster than every person we've met except one. In her defense, that guy is ex-special forces. It was also my birthday. On top of blood mt I met a guy from Manchester England who also was celebrating his birthday. That guy was truly interesting. He is ex-British Army and now works as a maritime mercenary guarding ships from pirates. He has a super thick accent, and might be one of the coolest guys I've ever talked to. We got to chat for the better part of an hour last night.  I got a trail name.  I'm now dubbed Gilligan, because of my hat and the handkerchief I wore around my neck to protect from sunburn.  Over all it was a great day to be on the trail.  

Day 1-2

Day 1 03-31-14 10-miles

Springer-Hawk Mt shelter: Today was a great day! The temp got up to mid 70's, which is the hottest I've been since last summer. The hike was beautiful with lots of views and people to meet. This trail is much more populated than the buffalo river trail that I'm used to. We met an awesome couple Brandon and Jessica that we plan to hike with for a while. Tomorrow we think we will hike about 13 miles depending on how we feel. Our camp at Hawk mtn shelter has almost two dozen tents a privy and a little spring fed creek. The creek is guarded by a deranged bat that is constantly bluff charging you and then turning at the last second. We think it has white nose syndrome. None the less, we filtered all the water we needed.  

Day 2 04-01-14 13-miles

Hawk Mt shelter-Woody Gap

Today was a pretty smooth day. Longest day so far. We intend to taper off for the next couple days and build back up to an even longer day. Like anything you have to take long days and short days to build up strength. We are still hiking with Brandon and Jessica. Today we witnessed first hand some army rangers training to maneuver in a fire fight. It involved lots of machine gun fire and even a couple flash bangs. When I say first, I mean it was literally happening around us!! I was 10 yards ahead of Dawn and the others when the A.T. erupted with machine gun fire and yelling. I took a video and I'll post it later. So far the AT has been extremely good to us. Dawn is doing wonderful! I'm a little sore, but no more than expected. Life goes easy. 

T-minus 48 hours

Tomorrow we leave for Georgia!!! My grandparents will be taking us down there in their tour bus sized RV, and we will be hitting the trail on Monday. This past week has flown by! We've moved out of our first apartment, packed all our belongings for six months of storage, payed final bills, shuffled around savings, and generally enjoyed each other's company. Lately (since the new year), I've come to view my wife as more of my partner. She's always been my best-friend, but our relationship is growing into a stage of partnership. Yes, I will always be her husband and she my wife, but it has become something so much greater :)

We are so appreciative of all the well wishes we have received. Monday night we had a goodbye party for my brother-in-law who is now a Marine and going onto another training school. Thursday night we got to have dinner with Ryan and Mindy Redfeairen--truly an extraordinary couple full of love and zeal for the Lord. Then tonight, we had dinner with my whole family. Tomorrow we'll have a nice farewell breakfast with the family and be on the road by 7 A.M. Our packs are packed and everything is set to go. My pack weighs in at 29lbs fully stocked with 4 days of food and my water bottle filled. I'd like it to be closer to 26lbs, but I think I'll manage. Dawn's pack tips the scales around 27lbs fully packed and with 34 ounces of waters as well.

God has been so good in providing for all aspects of this trip. At this point it's time to put our hands to the plow and not look back. I find myself lately focusing on the simplicity of Jesus ministry, and I can't help but gravitate to that in a world that makes life so complicated, life as a Christian, when cut down to its simplest form, is all about loving one another with the love God shows us and being doers of the will of God. You might say, "Jeremy, there's no way I can know the will of God!" But we absolutely can. Don't over complicate it. Jesus said it best in Matthew 22:39, to "Love God and to love your neighbor." If you have no other starting point at discerning the will of God for your life start with loving Him, and being a conduit to others of the same love he showed us.  

If anybody has any questions about our trip that we can answer please feel free to leave them in the comment section and we'll do our best to answer them. Or send me or Dawn an email to: jerqin@gmail.com or dkuehn0517@gmail.com

No Fear Here!!

This past weekend Dawn and I took our first multi-night backpacking trip.  We backpacked for 4-days and 37-miles over mostly ice and snow covered Ozark Mountains on the Buffalo River.  I must say that it went great!  We recently changed up most of our gear, and it netted us a combined pack weight reduction of almost 7 pounds.  This trip Dawn felt much more comfortable in her new Osprey pack (last time her old pack gave her bruises on both shoulders).  My new Granite Gear pack was awesome, and I've even managed to grow my fullest beard to date in my 23.9 years of being.

This trip for me was a jog down memory lane.  I've trekked the trail we did a good half-dozen times in years gone by.  It was even the sight of my first backpacking trip when my Dad first took me.  During this trip I kept singing a song I heard in the movie O' Brother Where Art Thou.  It goes "In the highways, and in the hedges I'll be working for my Lord."  I find myself praying a lot while I hike, just spending some quality time with The Lord.  Jesus wasn't lying when he said he would not leave us as orphans but that he would send us peace, and the Holy Spirit as a comforter.  On our car ride home Dawn and I were talking about our experience and we both remarked how vulnerable it feels when we go to sleep.  Everything from wild boars, black bears, bobcats, and coyotes run around at night.  I know that most of them are very skittish, but none the less going to sleep in the dark with only a thin peace of polyurethane between us and the outside isn't the most secure feeling.  That was when I found myself praying the most.  Am I afraid of the dark?  Not in the least, but the mind always tries to play tricks.  Do not be paralyzed by fear, take hold of the promise of peace in Gods' Word and do not let go.  God is faithful to watch over his children, and He is most definitely faithful to perform what he spoke in his word.

All that to say this.  I've come to the conclusion that no matter what we are doing, if it's worth doing there will be challenges.  Fear will come at you and anxiety will try and have its' way with your mind, but God did not give us these feelings.

I'm so excited to go hike the A.T. with my beautiful wife.  She has become the best camping partner, and has been very diligent to learn everything she can.  She was also very forgiving of how I smelled after 4 days of hiking and no shower; it is something she will have to get used to on the A.T.  Here are a couple pics from this weeks hiking adventure.

Awesome fire on the last night

Our very cozy Nemo tent

Ice covered steps

At the very end of our trip.