While out and about I received this text from Brett:
Tough days. I have broken part of my foot from a trip and fall. Will update when I have service where I can make a call, but it may be a while.
Later, I received this e-mail:
Feel better from being sick--100 percent recovered. However, I took a fall and think I have broken a part in my foot. It's totally black, and I can barely get a shoe on. I am making slow progress but still going. I have been hiking with Coconut and her dad since we have met up again. No cell reception anywhere. I am slow but still pushing on. Thinking around the 20th.
Nothing like having bad news with no way of talking to Brett!
Showing posts with label text. Show all posts
Showing posts with label text. Show all posts
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
(Fri. 7/20/12) White Mountains, NH (Text)
Can you make it tomorrow?...You can pick me up and bring me back for a few days.
Can you be in Gorham, NH at 3:00?
I will try to be at the trail crossing at 3:00.... There should be a parking area. Do not be late.
[I won't! So excited to see Brett!]
Can you be in Gorham, NH at 3:00?
I will try to be at the trail crossing at 3:00.... There should be a parking area. Do not be late.
[I won't! So excited to see Brett!]
Friday, July 20, 2012
(Thu. 7/19/12) White Mountains, NH (Phone/Text)
I finally got a phone call from Brett, but it ended up being a very frustrating one. I had sent him a few texts and e-mails this last week with almost no response. I was thrilled to hear his voice, then crushed when the phone cut off on us. We were only able to talk long enough to make a tentative plan to have me pick him up on Sunday.
Later that evening he was able to follow up with a short text:
Should be Sunday afternoon near Gorham, NH. I will update soon.
[I hope so!]
Later that evening he was able to follow up with a short text:
Should be Sunday afternoon near Gorham, NH. I will update soon.
[I hope so!]
(Tue. 7/3/12) Manchester Center, VT (Phone Update)
The text that I received from Brett on Mon. 7/2/12 is typical: "I should be able to call tomorrow. Terrible cell coverage in VT." Of course, we traded texts back and forth on Tuesday trying to figure out when we would be free to talk. I was spending the morning with family at a hot air balloon festival when he called. Brett was in the middle of eating lunch when I returned his call. We traded a few more texts working out our schedules and finally talked that afternoon.
Brett said the Green Mountains in Vermont were really nice. He had a few tough days of exhaustion where his muscles just didn't seem to want to work any more. So he planned on taking it easy and resting a bit.
He was staying at Green Mountain House Hiker Hostel in Manchester, VT. He said it was a really nice place. In fact, it was the nicest place he has ever stayed in on the trail. They give all of their guests a free pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
My parents were able to meet up with Brett the day before. They went out for dinner and took Brett to a grocery store to resupply. I asked Brett if they said anything about his appearance. I had told my parents that Brett had not cut his hair or shaved his beard, that he had lost a lot of weight and generally looked homeless. Brett said my mom's words were, "I just didn't expect it to be this extreme." Brett said he has a whole mountain man beard. My mom took one snapshot of him which I have now seen. He really doesn't look much like the man I last saw four months ago.
Brett said that he is "seeing the light". He is getting more enjoyment out of the hike, though he still has a lot of hard hiking ahead.
There was a tragedy on the trail a few weeks ago. Brett said that this far along on the trail, all the thru-hikers know of most all the other thru-hikers for that year. They may not have met them all, but they are aware of most of the AT Thru-Hikers Class of 2012. One of the thru-hikers in the class, a younger kid named Parkside died 50 miles from Katahdin. He dove into a lake, and the word is that his body instantly cramped up and he drowned. Five fellow hikers left the trail to attend his funeral. They were now carrying his ashes the rest of the way to Katahdin. He said the tragedy was felt strongly by everyone in their "class".
Brett said he can't really feel his big toes anymore. They are almost totally numb. He also thinks he'll always have a lingering limp from stress of the trail. And he has really big calf muscles. I asked Brett if having minor, but permanent damage to his body would be worth it in the end. His response was, "Totally".
Brett said the Green Mountains in Vermont were really nice. He had a few tough days of exhaustion where his muscles just didn't seem to want to work any more. So he planned on taking it easy and resting a bit.
He was staying at Green Mountain House Hiker Hostel in Manchester, VT. He said it was a really nice place. In fact, it was the nicest place he has ever stayed in on the trail. They give all of their guests a free pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
My parents were able to meet up with Brett the day before. They went out for dinner and took Brett to a grocery store to resupply. I asked Brett if they said anything about his appearance. I had told my parents that Brett had not cut his hair or shaved his beard, that he had lost a lot of weight and generally looked homeless. Brett said my mom's words were, "I just didn't expect it to be this extreme." Brett said he has a whole mountain man beard. My mom took one snapshot of him which I have now seen. He really doesn't look much like the man I last saw four months ago.
Brett said that he is "seeing the light". He is getting more enjoyment out of the hike, though he still has a lot of hard hiking ahead.
There was a tragedy on the trail a few weeks ago. Brett said that this far along on the trail, all the thru-hikers know of most all the other thru-hikers for that year. They may not have met them all, but they are aware of most of the AT Thru-Hikers Class of 2012. One of the thru-hikers in the class, a younger kid named Parkside died 50 miles from Katahdin. He dove into a lake, and the word is that his body instantly cramped up and he drowned. Five fellow hikers left the trail to attend his funeral. They were now carrying his ashes the rest of the way to Katahdin. He said the tragedy was felt strongly by everyone in their "class".
Brett said he can't really feel his big toes anymore. They are almost totally numb. He also thinks he'll always have a lingering limp from stress of the trail. And he has really big calf muscles. I asked Brett if having minor, but permanent damage to his body would be worth it in the end. His response was, "Totally".
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
(Tue. 5/22/12) ?, PA - Becca/Brett Exchanges
5/22/12 Text from Becca to Brett:
Sitting at the ball field thinking of you. Will try to type our family news soon. Sorry it's been a while. Wrens left the nest today. Miss you when I watch them. Hope to talk to you soon. Love you!
5/22/12 Text from Brett to Becca:
Crossed into PA today and left the comfort of the south. I was also thinking that I really do miss you. The past two days have been solid rain. I want to dry out. Dry is a feeling that I take for granted when I am at home.
5/21/12 E-mail from Becca to Brett:
Sitting at the ball field thinking of you. Will try to type our family news soon. Sorry it's been a while. Wrens left the nest today. Miss you when I watch them. Hope to talk to you soon. Love you!
5/22/12 Text from Brett to Becca:
Crossed into PA today and left the comfort of the south. I was also thinking that I really do miss you. The past two days have been solid rain. I want to dry out. Dry is a feeling that I take for granted when I am at home.
5/21/12 E-mail from Becca to Brett:
Brett, I was just looking through the book and noticed this description of Pine Grove General Store (1095.6 mi., “home of the half gallon challenge”):
“open 7 days Labor day to Memorial Day….”
First of all, I think it is supposed to say “…Memorial Day to Labor Day….” My concern is this: are you going to get there before Memorial Day [next Monday, 5/29/12]? And will they be open?
5/22/12 Email from Brett to Becca:
I have heard that they are open. If not I will do my challenge at Don's house. I should be there this weekend. If you could, get a list of dentists around Carlisle PA that take our insurance. My tooth is beginning to hurt again. But not worse than my feet right now. Two days of rain and walking with soaked shoes makes all the feet soft and wore three or four blisters today. But I am a few days from hopefully getting everything clean and dry.
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