Trail Recap! Hot Springs, North Carah-lyna

Recap: Nov. 14-20 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sat. November 14 Today Ben covered 54 Miles. He started the day off on the Trail at 3 AM - and ended the day about a half hour after midnight. There was at least one break during the day where he met Rick to re-fuel. It was, according to Rick, the hardest day yet - and they were lucky enough to have a place to sleep thanks to Mary Hill at the Mountain Harbor Hiker Hostel.On a side note - Ben had radioed into Rick at some point near the end of the day that he was having a hard time orienting himself. Since the radio picks up when Ben is within a mile+ of the car, Rick knew he was nearby.  Like the true coach that he is, Rick told him to get his head back in shape and find the Trail. Tough love, but soon enough, Ben's headlamp appeared in the distance. To give you a sense of Ben's mindset when he returned - he had assured Rick that he was "perfectly fine" and didn't need the extra attention.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------  Sun. November 1627 miles. The post-midnight arrival last night pushed wake up to 7 AM. Ben was on the Trail by 9. 20 degrees out.Carver's Gap – Elk Park area (elevation, 5,500 ft)Slept in the car for the night.  Mon. November 17 Rick Reports: A thin film of snow sits over the ground. Not enough to stick to the plants.Ben is shooting for 44 miles today - having awoken at 4 AM and headed out on the Trail at 5 AM. Rick expects him "home" at 9. PM funny slip of the tongue... Tues. November 18th Today Ben set out for 44 miles.I caught up with Crew Chief Rick Cheever this afternoon as he sat at the counter of the Smokey Mountain Diner, in Hot Springs North Carolina. He had made a pit-stop for some warm Carolina grub - and lowered the phone while he ordered from the woman behind the counter: "Mashed potatoes please...Mac and Cheese....Yes Ma'am....Cornbread....Thank you Ma'am." It sounded as though he'd ordered the most 'Southern' combination of menu items available. Rick is a California transplant, born-and-raised in Arizona, and takes in the landscape and local culture as though he were stepping foot onto Ellis Island for the first time. Nothing is lost on him - not the orange color of the skyline, or the bite of 20 degrees; not the sight of Ben's headlamp approaching at the end of a long day, not the meaning of the mission, the fortitude of ALS Heroes - nor the compassion of those tracking the team everyday. He, like Ben and the rest of our team, recognize the blessings that have been meeting us at every turn. (Picture of Rick Wearing a shirt from Dan Wright's Walk to Defeat ALS Team! - Rick Watkins outfitted out team with Dan Wright shirts while in Roanoke! This has become one of the few shirts Rick Cheever now wears...) Rick explained that he had just come from the Trailside where he met Ben at a brief pit-stop and was grabbing some food before heading back to find the Trailhead.  The previous night had dipped into the 20's so the two spent the night in the car. The two had intersected at a few different points that day -- first after 9 miles, then after 20, then 8 -- and then, after the dinner at the diner -- 6 miles. With just about a week before finish, both feel happy to know they are nearing the peak of Springer Mt. Rick admits that after a few days off the Trail, they will start to feel the pangs of re-adjustment. Tonight they sleep in a Hostel, thanks to the generous donation of a one-night's stay from the owner. As we near the finish line - please know that you can play an active role in this campaign.  It is important to reach out to local media (newspapers, TV, etc.) and make our mission known. For in telling one story, we are able to tell the story of so many others. Onward HO! Thurs. November 20th Hello Team!  ...Caught Ben briefly on the cell phone after a 34 mile day in Tennessee yesterday. Straight from the Turtle's mouth - he said he's feeling good. Yesterday, with 12 foot snow drifts and white patches up and over the Smokies - was, according to Ben, the most visually stunning day to-date.He says the terrain proves to be as challenging - or more so than the Maine and New Hampshire segments of the Trail - which has come as something of a surprise after the relatively friendly, more-familiar terrain in Virginia. In fact, while covering ground through the Shenandoah Mts, (in his home-state), Ben felt as though he had been getting stronger. Now, once again, he finds himself feeling almost as he did at the start; treading over craggy, steep and difficult ground. Even so, each day brings another reason to keep it up - and in the short time we had to talk, I told him about the emails and postings that our Team has received over the past two days. He was eager to hear updates about new friends like Bobby B & Karen Duffy (keeping up with us since the start) & Ken Patterson, not to mention the Davis family...Ben is so grateful to you all, and I assure you, it is knowing that you are out there "whispering in his ear" - that will take him up and over the Smokies. Let's take a page from his notebook today - and choose something that, though difficult, craggy and steep in it's own right, will bring us closer to that person we wish to be. It is only through those tiny, incremental steps that we are able to to teach and communicate with each other - and spur growth within ourselves. Ben proves this on the Trail. “True progress" St. Francis of Assisi says, "quietly and persistently moves along without notice.”Last night Ben and Rick hunkered into the car as the temperature dropped, the moon rose, and the leaves curled under in the cold. You are on their minds as they gear up for the day ahead. *Be Well / Team 2175 (Cj) "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." -John Muir