Stella Arbelaéz Tascón hiked the full length of the Appalachian Trail that runs through the Shenandoah National Park northbound. I joined her for the final 13 miles after my trip to Texas to go to the 75th Infantry Division Reunion. Stella was staying at a hostel which gave me a location to drive to. If she was on the trail and camping it would have been a challenge to find her. I would only have a mile marker an endless trail to search. We agreed that one car should be at the end of our planned hike, so that is where I ended up parking my Prius. That was our goal.
The hostel was adorable, with boot drying devices on the front porch along with places to hang backpacks. There was a large map of the entirety of the Appalachian trail in the living room. We were hiking just a section but Stella and Boo Boo her trusty hiking dog had hiked over 107 miles. Boo Boo’s trail name was One Gallon Ninja and Stella’s trail name was Acorn. This was my first time on the Appalachian Trail so I didn’t have a trail name yet.
The first day hiking, we ended up starting late because I had forgotten my hiking poles in my Prius. Stella had to drive me back north to retrieve them. I had put the poles on the passenger seat so I would not forget them, and they managed to slip down between the seat and the door where they could not be seen. We got back to the trail head where Stella had last been hiking late in the day. Our hope was to find an hour or two each day to sketch at our campsite. Since we were starting late we had to push hard to make the miles to the planned camp site. A relaxing hike became a race against time
Stella would take a rest every few hours and have a small bite to eat. On the last pit-stop I didn’t want to bother taking off my backpack and I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t have a bite. The Shenandoah section of the Trail climbs some steep grades all along a mountain ridge. Late in the day hiking, we were racing against the sunset to try and get to the top of a ridge to set up camp.
My pace slowed and Stella with her hiking experience, pushed far ahead of me until I lost sight of her. I kept thinking I could pick up my pace and catch up but my feet felt like they were made of lead. Stella told me that if I faltered on the trail I would be on my own. She would carry Boo Boo out if he could not go on, but I would be left behind until a rescue team might later find me. The sun set and I would pause every few feet to regain some energy. From long distance biking, I know it is important not to look up at the steep grade ahead, but rather to only look at the patch of ground ahead. I had hit my wall and psychologically I had to push through. I shuffled upwards like I was climbing Mount Everest. Then I heard Stella’s chipper voice in the distance, and I knew she was setting up her tent up ahead. I was close and I was elated.
When I got to the spot Stella had picked to pitch the camp, I managed to set up the one man tent I was carrying but I was spent and wanted to get some food in me. Stella saw that I was going to abandon the task and she helped me pound in the stakes for tent lines. In the dark, I got to try out the mini camping stove. I had brought a WWII style lighter to light the stove, but the flint just would not ignite the flame. I had to borrow Stella’s lighter. Finally, I ate my planned Mountain House meal. Fireflies lit up in the woods all around us as we ate. In the morning a dear walked through our camp and was surprised to see us.
This gouache painting was done at Little Stony Man at an elevation of 3697 feet. The clouds rolled in and would hide the distant trees and mountains. It was a beautiful and mysterious morning. It felt so good to share it with another artist. https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/stony-man.htm
In the Clouds
Stella Arbelaéz Tascón hiked the full length of the Appalachian Trail that runs through the Shenandoah National Park northbound. I joined her for the final 13 miles after my trip to Texas to go to the 75th Infantry Division Reunion. Stella was staying at a hostel which gave me a location to drive to. If she was on the trail and camping it would have been a challenge to find her. I would only have a mile marker an endless trail to search. We agreed that one car should be at the end of our planned hike, so that is where I ended up parking my Prius. That was our goal.
The hostel was adorable, with boot drying devices on the front porch along with places to hang backpacks. There was a large map of the entirety of the Appalachian trail in the living room. We were hiking just a section but Stella and Boo Boo her trusty hiking dog had hiked over 107 miles. Boo Boo’s trail name was One Gallon Ninja and Stella’s trail name was Acorn. This was my first time on the Appalachian Trail so I didn’t have a trail name yet.
The first day hiking, we ended up starting late because I had forgotten my hiking poles in my Prius. Stella had to drive me back north to retrieve them. I had put the poles on the passenger seat so I would not forget them, and they managed to slip down between the seat and the door where they could not be seen. We got back to the trail head where Stella had last been hiking late in the day. Our hope was to find an hour or two each day to sketch at our campsite. Since we were starting late we had to push hard to make the miles to the planned camp site. A relaxing hike became a race against time
Stella would take a rest every few hours and have a small bite to eat. On the last pit-stop I didn’t want to bother taking off my backpack and I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t have a bite. The Shenandoah section of the Trail climbs some steep grades all along a mountain ridge. Late in the day hiking, we were racing against the sunset to try and get to the top of a ridge to set up camp.
My pace slowed and Stella with her hiking experience, pushed far ahead of me until I lost sight of her. I kept thinking I could pick up my pace and catch up but my feet felt like they were made of lead. Stella told me that if I faltered on the trail I would be on my own. She would carry Boo Boo out if he could not go on, but I would be left behind until a rescue team might later find me. The sun set and I would pause every few feet to regain some energy. From long distance biking, I know it is important not to look up at the steep grade ahead, but rather to only look at the patch of ground ahead. I had hit my wall and psychologically I had to push through. I shuffled upwards like I was climbing Mount Everest. Then I heard Stella’s chipper voice in the distance, and I knew she was setting up her tent up ahead. I was close and I was elated.
When I got to the spot Stella had picked to pitch the camp, I managed to set up the one man tent I was carrying but I was spent and wanted to get some food in me. Stella saw that I was going to abandon the task and she helped me pound in the stakes for tent lines. In the dark, I got to try out the mini camping stove. I had brought a WWII style lighter to light the stove, but the flint just would not ignite the flame. I had to borrow Stella’s lighter. Finally, I ate my planned Mountain House meal. Fireflies lit up in the woods all around us as we ate. In the morning a dear walked through our camp and was surprised to see us.
This gouache painting was done at Little Stony Man at an elevation of 3697 feet. The clouds rolled in and would hide the distant trees and mountains. It was a beautiful and mysterious morning. It felt so good to share it with another artist. https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/stony-man.htm