July 29th--Black Rock Hut-- Calf Mountian Shelter (13 miles)

The last full day of hiking. It will be a long hike but rewarding. This trip has now become 95% mental and 5% physical as the days get more difficult. We sat and apologized for not being more encouraging to each other. That was a breakthrough after the misery of this days hike. The small hill that we expected turned into one gradual mountain that never descended. By midway we were ready to quit as we sat on a stonewall overlook and ate lunch. It's the last push and I never dreamed it would be harder.
We reached shelter with hopes of solitude but found two women and a dog. After a brief conversation as we rested we were amazed at how enlightening this women's life was. A 40 year old science teacher who traveled the world more than once. She taught in Japan, trekked n Nepal 3 times, lived in Africa and worked with the peace core. She found Trax her dog when she began hiking sections of the AT. She will take 4 summers to complete the entire trail. Summer's story was compelling and ignited the desire to explore the hope in this world. It was a enjoyable ending to our last night on the trail. Other peoples' stories enhance our trail journey and leave an impression on us, shaping our lives forever.