Building the Co-Ops
and Team…
How all this came to be still blows my mind and I just thank
God for the awesome privilege! First I
could not take on this privilege with debt, also known as current day slavery. I am extremely grateful to be debt free and
have been able to save up a nominal amount of money. So I thank Moms for letting me stay on the
farm and work for my rent, and to my friends who were irritated by the fact
that I either did not have a phone or had a pre-paid phone over a 2-3 year
period. Sorry Guys! I also want to be thankful that my mother took
me on her journeys on the Appalachian Trail in my youth. I have had the privilege of hiking several
states with her, and she has exposed me to the beauty of the AT throughout my
life.
On the day of March 15, 2014 I was approached by a Direct
Care worker from Barium Springs who had heard about my fast approaching
trip. It was a neat experience because I
was taking my daily hike to the Post Office to receive our agency mail. I had developed the utmost respect for this
Cool Bearded man who I had known for a little over a year. His name, Nubs or Sir Beard A Lot aka Zack
Paben. Nubs (His nickname is Nubs
because he lost his 8 fingers in a traumatic injury while a young adolescent)
was an idealist. I loved hearing him
speak about his ideas and we immediately hit it off upon meeting each other
over a year ago. Nubs told me about his
Mission and Vision related to a Not-For-Profit he was building known as More
Heart Than Scars. His PLAN: Hike the Appalachian Trail for an individual
who had his leg amputated to a type of cancer known as sarcoma. Nubs was going to do this in 2015 by having
top class endurance runners, mud runners and others complete sections. He contacted one Park Ranger who put a damper
on his dreams by saying, “Sir, we do not allow stunts on this trail. You cannot have more than 10 people together
in the same area. This is to conserve
the Appalachian Trail. I love your
cause, but you just cannot do that on the Appalachian Trail.” Nubs was crushed. He wanted to fulfill the goal for this young
man who could not. Not only this, this
amazing individual had the opportunity to build his spirits with Nubs, and
partake in Mud Runs. Unfortunately, he
was a huge part of Nubs life for a very short period and passed away. His goal and legacy still lives with More
Hearts and Scars and myself as I hike the Appalachian Trail with his Spirits
and medal in my possessions. Look for
another post coming soon about IHOP. It
is fair to say that IHOP was a huge healing inspiration for Nubs and allowed
him to conquer the challenge of a pully ski system that took his fingers off at
a young age.
Nubs has also requested that I sign IHOPs name on shelters
if permissible and leave his legacy where possible. Our motto will be: WE HOP for IHOP. WEHOP is the basis of More Heart Than Scars
which stands for: Wilderness Experiences
Helping Others Persevere.
The Game Plan…
Myself, Joe and Cathrine Hiatt will arrive to Damascus,
Virginia for Trail Days. My mother will
be shuttling us there on May 16, 2014.
Trail Days is the annual festival where NOBO (North Bound) thru-hikers
should be while departing Springer Mountain, Georgia months ago. Here we will partake in the festivities and
prepare ourselves for our new life. We
will head out May 19th, and depart to Maine. Nubs will meet me there with his wife and
beautiful girl Snow Lilly. Upon
completing our hike to Maine, Moms will pick us up in Maine and bring us to
Damascus, Virginia or Springer Mountain, Georgia to complete the remainder of
the trail. Yes, this is still considered
a thru-hike even though we are not actually going from one end to the
other. This type of thru-hike is called
“leap frog” or “flip-flop.” My AT Team
and I plan to complete the Appalachian Trail and arrive home for
Thanksgiving. This will be the greatest
Thanksgiving ever. Through the trails
humble lessons, the family time, the food and convenience in our American
Society is sure to bring tears of joy, laughter and many many crazy tales of
our stories throughout the Appalachian Trail.
Last, but not least, More Heart Than Scars will be sending
their teammates to hike/run parts of the AT for JRP (John Powers, the
individual I will be hiking for). I will
be the thru-hiker, they will be the Trail Runners. We plan to logistically meet at times, share
stories and Trail Magic, and carry the legacy of our fallen brother JRP. They will be my support at times, and I will
be theirs. However, our biggest support
of all will be from God and JRP’s beautiful spirit. There will also be a virtual AT
thru-hike. If anyone is able and
willing, please go out and hike 13.1 miles anywhere on the Appalachian Trail,
contact Sir Beard A Lot, and buy a $30 medal.
This medal will directly support More Heart Than Scars, F*CK Cancer and
the Levine Cancer Institute. I will have
the privilege of meeting his mother prior to my trip and walking alongside her
for the final leg of the trip. We are
More Heart Than Scars!!
Be sure to visit their page www.morehearthanscars.org and see
the amazing momentum and things they are accomplishing. Also, add More Heart Than Scars on facebook
and be sure to like their page. You can
contact them through their web page or facebook. Nubs will be sure to respond rather quickly.
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