SPRING 2001 backpacking
class reflections on our hike
APRIL 12 to
APRIL 16 hiking south to north camping at miles 1, 12, 22, & 36
I. MY NAME: Mark Schmerse
II.
Reflection
It’s a beautiful trail!! What? Hills in Indiana? You
bet! It was great getting to know
everyone better and have our own personally modified Easter Service. I did put on a clean shirt for it! Catching the snake was fun. Eating chives in my Ramen spiced it up
great. It’s great to get away from the stress of school and
finals. I had wonderful company to hike
with and Justin J. didn’t snore, so tenting with him was great. It was awesome!
III. Advice
Be ready! Buy your food before driving down and stopping
at Wal-Mart and having plenty to eat is always great. Hitching into town is great! Especially for some gas station treats. You cross a few good roads. Get your head ready! It’s at least 80% mental. Try and have a good attitude and press on. And never, NEVER pee into a
stream! Especially where you’re
filtering water or Coach D is coming down the trail with someone’s mother. Backpacking is a blast! Enjoy yourself and God’s creation. Hike on brothers!
I. MY NAME: Stacey Yax
II.
Reflection
Well, this is the first time I ever
did something like this. It will
probably be my last. It was a GREAT
experience—I’m really glad I went. The
trail was very beautiful, a lot of ups and downs! It was great spending time with people I
don’t normally spend time with at school.
I didn’t get any blisters, but my knee is so painful now and so are my
toes!
III. Advice
Realize what you are getting into
before you actually go. I didn’t think
it would be anything like it was. Bring
enough TP.
Pack light!!! If you don’t you
will wish you did. Your feet are so
precious—take care of them—they are the only ones you get! Have fun.
If you start south, I thought the first and third days were hard and the
second and fourth days were easier.
I. MY NAME: Josh Kramp
II.
Reflection
I guess I can say that it was a lot
more than I expected. I’ve hiked before,
but with all the up and down it was crazy!
It was great though. I loved the
scenery and being away from civilization was awesome, and “tranquilizing.” I’m glad I went. It was cool to get to know Paul Kind, John
Drury, and Justin Johnson…oh yeah, Coach too!
We had some great laughs, some rough walks, and some great
memories. By the way, Papa Harry’s was
awesome!
III. Advice
BABY YOUR FEET! They are so incredibly important. Read up on all info you can get on walking
and feet. It is so vital. Also pack light. You don’t need more than one change of
clothes, 2 pair of socks, and not a lot else!
Make sure you drink a lot of water.
Your body needs it. One last
thing, prepare yourself mentally! That
is how you’ll get through it! I guess
the last thing I would add is make sure you read Coach D’s stuff on the
web. It’s priceless! (And you could educate yourself on
hitch-hiking too!!)
I. MY NAME:
II.
Reflection
This is my first hike in two
years! We all spent three hours in
silence from 12-3 pm on Friday. I
mentioned on the seven last words of Jesus.
Very Rewarding! Silence is
amazing, especially in the woods.
III. Advice
If you are making good time, have
the guts to hitch-hike in to town for goodies and adventure. If you make good time on Friday, hitch into
South Boston by means of St. Rd. 160 (just beyond mile 11). Head left and get a ride about 7 miles or so,
where in you’ll find the “South Boston Opry.” Folks from all around southern Indiana meet
on Friday nights to play country and Gospel music. If you want to jump in they’ll let you. One of my craziest adventures ever! Don’t be shy,
Indiana folks will hook you up.
I. MY NAME:
II.
Reflection
Great group to travel with! The three hours of silence and meditation on
Good Friday was very rewarding. You
learn a ton trekking with Coach D about more than just backpacking. The trail is great many times you just shake
your head and think, “Wow!” The 12:05
mile time was great. Getting away right
before finals was great. The
Make-your-own-Easter Service was great!
II. Advice
Where do I start? I’ll never forget the hitchin’
into town. If you have enough adventure on
the trail you have to try that. Pack
light, but don’t sacrifice food for less weight. Take tons of food. Water filters are great. Walk with people some of the time and by
yourself part of the time. Silence can
be a great thing. Hike fast and you’ll
have time for longer breaks in the sun.
Air out your feet quite a bit and the blister bug won’t bite as
much. Keep a good
attitude as best you can, even when there’s a 400 ft climb looming in
front of you. Final
advice—pick up backpacking as your life-long hobby!
I. MY NAME: Justin Johnson
II.
Reflection
Lots of ups and
downs. Lots of
wonderful views. For the few
hikes I’ve been on, this was amazingly unique and challenging. There was so much versatility. I couldn’t handle it! Great views, great trails,
and great for your body. If you
want to be a hotty, hike the
knob and have a great body. Hitch hiking
2 times as an addition to this adventurous trip. Great hicks who were
extremely kind. The dynamic of a
spiritual experience was wonderful. Bonding with others who usually you wouldn’t. A life-shaping trip.
III. Advice
·
make
it an adventure (challenge thyself)
·
Pack
light with specific needs
·
Pray,
pray, pray as you hike (great opportunity to connect)
·
If
you want to be a hotty, hike the knob and have a
great body
JON FOX and ANNE BAWDEN
(32 miles—we didn’t make the whole trail…but almost did!)
Name: Anne Bawden
Reflection:
Most I ever walked in a weekend let
alone hiked. This was really a lesson
about fear. I was afraid when we hiked 1
½ miles Thursday night in the dark.
Bramble tore up my legs. I was
afraid when the ground on one side of me dropped off by the trail and my
backpack made me feel off balance. But
God spoke to me through His beautiful creation and Jon’s encouraging words, and
by the second day, I was no longer afraid!
It was a great weekend, even though we left the trail early.
Advice:
Do not only look at the trail in
front of your feet, look at the beauty around you. Great way to get “General
Revelation.” Always talk with God
when you’re afraid or hurting. He takes
your mind off of it. Don’t be ashamed if
your body can’t make it.
I. MY NAME: Keith Drury
II.
Reflection
What a great hike with a wonderful
collection of people-become-family. A
powerful “silence walk” on Friday, cool Easter service, crazy dark night
adventures, blisters, laughing, rain, soaking feet, meals atop hills, blowing
wind, 80 degree hiking, 40 degree hiking, campfire memories, trail arrows,
quiet chatting on breaks, waiting for slower hikers, Being the slow
hiker they wait for, loving instant mashed potatoes, loving good company bonded
by common experience!
III. Advice
Go light. Watch the feet. Don’t over-exert self and lose the whole hike
by racing too much today. Look at the
turtle, the wild fox, trillium, buttercups, snakes, birds, wild turkeys, deer,
and trees. Enjoy “general revelation”
and the absence of distraction—but most of all—just keep on keeping
on—that’s the only way to make it.
~Coach D
|
Hiked 44+ miles? Head to Papa Harry’s for that great tasting
pizza that you have been salivating about for days. Reward yourself…you deserve it! The Easter 2001 Crew had a
fabulous time of telling stories and laughing till we cried. What a way to end this adventure! Everything we ordered was
great…the consensus was that the barbecue chicken was the sweet treat, slides
down smooth (much like sliding down a muddy knob). DIRECTIONS: Option One—Drive down Main Street in
Columbus and ask random people where Papa Harry’s is. Find out that everyone has their own
opinion, but none of them are right.
Result: see a lot of the city on an empty stomach. DIRECTIONS: Option Two—Head north on Washington. Hang a right on 4th Street. It is a white building about a block down
on the left. It’s on the corner with a
little pizza sign. Yes, there is a public
bathroom. Go through the kitchen and
hang a right at the hallway. Then turn left and Ta-Da,
there they are. |
Another
group who hiked the knob the same weekend in 2001 that the Backpacking class
hiked
“THE WES
PATE SIX” (We didn’t make the whole trail—it is harder than you might think)
Wes Pate, Brandon Schenck, Brent Bickel,
Cameron Osborne, Stevan Sheets, Chris Entrot
We
were supposed to start at mile mark 44, instead we
started at mile mark 47, that meant 3 extra miles on the first day
(Friday). We started grouped together,
going at a good pace. Surprisingly Stevan was leading the pack.
Friday – The first three miles were no problem
but remember those were extra.
11:00 – stopped for lunch, took a nap, read
some scripture. Morale was high except
for Stevan,
he looked like he passed through the stomach of a sick old woman.
12:00 – The silence walk. We all spread out: Wes and Brandon – Brent and Chris – Cameron
and Stevan.
3:00 – Wes, Brent, Chris together are dead
tired. Brandon is 3 miles ahead of
us. Cameron and Stevan
are no where to be seen.
3:30 – Wes finds Cameron, Stevan
has deserted the mission. Morale is
low. Water is lower.
5:15 – We met a guy named Tim who gave us all
his dried fruit. Cameron is so tired
that he starts puking and vomiting and yakking.
7:15 – Brandon scouts ahead to mile 31 and
finds a lake, we make it there and camp in and near the glorious water. All in all besides losing Stevan
it was a good day.
Saturday – We are all stiff and hurting but
ready to go at a leisurely pace. (That
didn’t happen)
12:00
– Wes is close to falling into a coma.
We are all too tired to eat so we sleep for an hour.
Later
– We meet Coach going North, he says “It’s not
supposed to rain.” (He’s wrong)
Mile
18 – We are out of water, to tired to go on—we have to
give up.
5:30 a.m. – RAIN!! We are out of here. After six miles of hiking on the highway a
guy named Cecil picks us up and we go to church covered in mud. Then he takes us to our cars. It was a great trip!!!
Stevan P.
Sheets (the first to give up in the Wes Pate Six group)
April 12
4:30 – Leave
9:00 – start hiking
9:40 – mile marker 47
10:18 – fire started at mile marker 46
11:15 – asleep
April 13
6:45 – good morning
7:18 – begin hiking
7:48 – mile marker 45
8:23 – mile marker 44
8:53 – mile marker 43
9:44 – mile marker 42
10:05 – mile marker 41
10:50 – lunch
12:00 – start silence and hiking again
2:20 – called Craig (and he answered)
What is Missing?.....
Between
mile marker 38 and mile marker 37 I became extremely
fatigued and through much prayer and extreme help from Cameron Osborne…I realized
I couldn’t go on like this. At the next
crossing of a dirt road, I got up enough nerve to just travel down that road
until I came to the first house. Three
dogs greeted me at the house. One of the
dogs finally sniffed me and allowed me to get to the front porch. I was greeted “hesitantly” by Mrs. Sharon Gabberd. She gave me
a “once over” and asked me to step inside.
I had a short conversation with her and she told me that she was
expecting her daughter to be home from school shortly. She gave me a glass of water with ice (in a
mason jar)!! When her daughter came home
she drove me 10-plus miles to the town I am in while writing
this—Scottsburg. I walked to the nearest
payphone and thankfully had brought my new visor and happened to have my
calling card number stored in here. I
called IWU’s 1-800 number but the offices were closed (It is Good Friday...or
as the people in the gas station are referring to it as Friday the 13th.) So I called Craig Harrington – thinking Kory, his roommate and my RA might still be there and could
help me out. Surprisingly Craig answered
and, after I finally convinced him that I wasn’t joking, agreed to come and
pick me up. God bless Craig and Mrs. Gabberd. So here I
wait for Craig. Only being talked to
once, I still feel like I am on the trail.
The time is now 3:06 p.m. and “the boys” are again allowed to talk.
I
imagine I look extremely scary to the people who see me sitting here in the
corner of this gas station! The lady at
the counter told me when I asked that I could sit here until my ride got
here. I smell terrific! Maybe I’ll waste my last four dollars on some
sort of real food. Some “gruff” looking
characters just walked up so I’ll wait for the food until they’re gone. A cheeseburger, some fries, and a newspaper
later, I’m still patiently waiting for my friend Craig.
Found
out our military people in China returned yesterday. Praise the Lord. As I sit here I can’t help but think of how
badly I’ve failed at hiking Knobstone Trail.
It was definitely a test of stamina and on that test I failed. List of people I may have disappointed:
1. Cameron, he really wanted me to continue, but
his pleadings and encouraging words fell on ears that knew I was in
trouble. (Break) hitch-hiking or traveling the hard way?” – that
was what someone just asked of me. I
explained and got a nod of encouragement from Miss. Someone.
2. Chris, he was my “partner” on the trail and
we were to share the carrying of the tent.
3.
Wes, Brent, Brandon, I ditched them too.
4. Drury, it was “his” trip I was on.
5. Dad, dad said he had that good kind of pride
when I told him I was going on this trip.
It is now 8:22 p.m., April 13, 2001.
It
is Good Friday. I am sitting at my
computer typing. I have taken a long,
warm shower. I am eating cold beanie
weenies and I am sitting in an air-conditioned room. The hike that was to be,
didn’t make it in Stevan’s life. Sorry!
As I sit here and write, I am thinking of things that may never make it
onto this screen, but something’s are for sure.
Stevan is a big boy. Stevan knew when he
was outdone by the trail. Stevan will never, ever
make fun of Indiana for being flat. Stevan will never, ever
make fun of overweight people including himself. Stevan enjoys the
outdoors. Stevan
enjoys sports. Stevan
enjoys relaxing. Stevan
does not enjoy climbing some 300 feet vertical knobstones
with 40+ pounds on his back.
It
was an occasion not to be forgotten soon.
It was an occasion not to be repeated (hopefully). As for me, I will sit here and work on my
computer and pray for my buddies who are out there right now roasting
marshmallows and singing funny songs around a campfire that is probably too big
and too hot to be so close to their tents.
I will apologize a million times to those guys. And a million times they will say, no big deal we didn’t even realize you weren’t with
us. Something happened today in my life
that I can’t really explain. It was
embarrassing and at the same time, freeing.
Weird is the only word for it, I guess.
I pray this monologue
of Stevan’s brain finds each of you well. As for the lady who save me a ride to
town? Here’s her address in case any of
you feels drawn to thank her for saving your brother, son, nephew, grandson,
friend, Stevan P. Sheets.
Sharon
Gabberd 7095
E.
New
Thanks for
reading! Stevan
Sheets
REED
HALL RA STAFF—(we hiked 22 miles of the Knobstone Fall Break 2002
Reed Hall staff’s top five list of the
Knobstone Trail
(1) Getting a gun pulled on us…by an un-uniformed
officer “getting his bearings.”
(2) Wrecking the IWU van and being pulled out of
the ditch by a couple functioning alcoholics exclaiming, “Who was driving this
apparatus?”
(3) Hiking in the dark, setting up camp,
sleeping, hiking in the day, and seeing our van—again.
(4) Next we experienced a little bit of
rain…maybe a lot of rain. We slept in
the rain, hiked in the rain, ate in the rain, etc.
(5) A big decision to combine two days into one,
a total of 13 miles with a huge incentive of day beds, showers, good food, and
fun times at Sabrina’s house.
Above all else you must have VP on the KT!
-Danielle “Pyro” Searl
-Pam “Pacer” Kutella
-Dawn “Dawna or
Crack (you decide…)” Koch
-Ali “Moses” Walls
-Sabrina “jukebox”
-Andi “Kilamanjaro” Priest
-Shawna “Sunshine” Bittner
Overall
lessons learned from hiking the Knobstone Trail.
-
You can do more than you think you can.
-
Attitude is everything
-
Teamwork! The pace of the
slowest person is the pace of the pack, put them in front!
-
Everything is an adventure!
It is all in perspective and choice!
This was an amazing bonding trip for our
staff!
Dawn Koch—RD of Reed Hall