A Week of R&R at Monteagle

AT For CZC celebrated the 4th of July in style at the Fuqua family home in Monteagle, Tennessee. Upon arriving in Roanoke last weekend, J-Bird, Ewok and Houdini promptly rented a car and drove back south to James' mountain home for a week of rest and relaxation. Lots to report on this Saturday morning.

The hikers spent a few days enjoying the air-conditioning after the blistering heat of the past couple of weeks. While they continue to love their time on the Trail, it sounds as if they took full advantage of their "zero days." James' mother, Karen, writes:

They were fine. Ate everything in sight, slept a lot, fell in with the young folks at Monteagle, went rock climbing, played croquet, went swimming at the Monteagle pool (the oldest swimming pool in TN), rode in the 4^th of July parade in Gil’s old car. In all, a good break I think, complete with AIR CONDITIONING and REAL MATRESSES.

Additionally, James' father Gil, whom hiked with the guys several weeks back, added:

Gil's Rolls Royce is ready for the 4th of July parade.

Matt, James and Houdini, rode with me in the parade. They pitched candy out to the crowd and had a grand time... I know they enjoyed the rest, food, showers and clean beds. We have a big house in Monteagle and they were no trouble to add to the party... James drove them back in the rental car and dropped them off at the trail near Catawba. He then returned the car to the airport in Roanoke and then headed out to meet them. They are headed your way.

We finally had an opportunity to catch up with Matt for more than a few minutes over the holiday. He informed us that all is well and that he was thrilled to have the time off the Trail. He really enjoyed the rock climbing and was amazed at how difficult it was. While he typically does not like heights, he acknowledged that "you are so busy watching where to put your feet and holding on, that you don't even think about looking down."

Yesterday evening, the three hikers drove back to the Roanoke area and began their hike again at Catawba, mile marker #702 from Springer Mountain. They hiked a few miles last night and ended up "cowboy camping" here at McAfee Knob, a famous rock formation with phenomenal views. Matt informed me this morning that the sunset and sunrise from McAfee might very well be the most beautiful views he has ever seen.

Additionally, Matt had this to say during our call this morning:

We've been through a lot of new experiences over the past few weeks... It's hard to put into words; there isn't much time to reflect... we're always in the moment of things... First, thanks to Gil and Karen for putting us up for the week in Monteagle... We had a great time relaxing, getting out of the heat, and had a blast in the parade... Thanks as well to Tyler for taking us rock climbing at Foster Falls...

We just got back on last night and camped out at McAfee Knob, probably one of the most popular rocks on the AT. It was great to get off the Trail and relax, but it's good to be back... We're about 150 miles from Shenandoah National Park where Mom and Dad will pick us up... From there, we plan to figure out how to get to Maine and hike south... We're thinking it will be wise to avoid the Virginia to New York section right now, which is flat and hot...

Dehydration and heat are our most common concerns. It's common to carry over a gallon of water each right now. We don't really know when water source will be dry due to the drought... We're all feeling really good though... That should do it for right now. I'll call you in a few days... Thank you so much for doing all this... Talk to you in a few days.

Looking ahead, they plan to arrive in Troutville within the next couple of days and finish restocking before continuing on to Buchanan, where Matt's tent will be waiting for him. He plans to be in touch again soon and suggested that he'll be sending me the second round of pictures from his camera within the next week. Check back in soon for more updates on AT For CZC!