White Blaze, where ya at?

Renée Lemieux
Apr 22, 2016
2 min read

Four days into the Smoky National Park. Long miles, hard terrain, and emotionally difficult days. The trail is starting to challenge me here and there. Although there have been a handful of moments when I feel like I’m lost and confused, I breath…look around…remind myself where I am, then think how I am the one who chose to hike this trail.

I love the trail. I love nature. I love the community. People call me Chia. This is how they identify me and I absolutely LOVE it. Life on the trail will be challenging at times. I knew this…it was inevitabl, but all of this makes the challenge worth it.

I was once told by a lovely friend of mine that I love too much. Maybe not too much, but SO much. I’m starting to realize how true this is. So many times my expression of love has floated out towards a variety of things and people. There are many levels and kinds of love. The idea and thought that love should be shared and expressed is becoming more important by the day.

Who knows when our time with that person or thing will be the last.

So…love. Express love. Share love. Verbalized love.

I was not going to blog today, since I just recently had blogged BUT THEN REALIZED…

I’ll be in the smokies for the next seven days without hitting a town. Exciting stuff that’s for sure. Blisters are on the feet. A sore and achy body has taken over (thru hiking is by far the most physically demanding experience I have EVER gone through).

I am happy. I am safe. I am more than okay. The views, forest, peacefulness, and burst of color keeps drawing me in.

I have reached and passed the highest point on the AT…Clingmns Dome 6,643 ft. I have reached and passed the 200 mile mark of a north bounder 🙂

SEVEN days worth of food packed into Big Green. A smile on my face. Love in my heart. Curiosity in my soul.

Missing some wonderful and beautiful people back up north, but enjoying and soaking up all the goodness around me.

Quick shoutout to the wonderful, vertical, stripe of paint the color of snow. This blaze guides the AT hikers on the trail they need to be on. Every time I pass this beautiful mark I send appreciation and verbally thank the blaze. When a stretch of land goes on without the blaze, I ask for a blaze to please appear (more often then not one will pop up).

Talking to myself. Thanking my surroundings. Appreciating the weather. Onward bound…

Enjoy the rest of April all! More to come after the smokies. ~Chia