+ From the Parish Mailbox

Dear Stephen and Members of the Guild of the Christ Child,

I feel so fortunate to be a member of such a kind, thoughtful, and loving church. You all have been so generous and supportive with the birth of Christopher. I was thrilled to receive the beautiful flowers from the altar; and when Sally Slack came to visit and brought all of her gifts, I couldn't believe my eyes. The handmade sweater and cap will be perfect this winter and will be put in a special place once they are too small along with the beautiful wooden cross so Christopher always knows how much he was loved by the people of the Chapel of the Cross. I am so glad I have chosen to raise my boys in such a wonderful church. The dinner was delicious and a huge help, and meeting Sally was a very special treat also. Thank you for all you have done.

Drewry Mitchell

August 12, 2004

Dear People of the Chapel of the Cross,

Greetings from Connecticut. This update will be largely devoted to answering some of the most frequently asked questions about my hike along the Appalachian Trail.

What do you drink? I get water from streams, ponds and springs. I treat most of it with Aqua Mira, a chemical combination similar to municipal water treatment. I carry the water in two cycling bottles attached to my pack and, when necessary, in a plastic water bladder.

What do you eat? A typical day might consist of four packets of oatmeal for breakfast, two peanut butter and honey bagels for lunch, and some noodle or rice dinner with foil-packaged meat. I also eat the equivalent of eight energy bars and several handfuls of nuts per day for snacks. Snickers, Hershey's with almonds, or gorp can substitute for some or all of the energy bars. All together, I eat about 4,000 calories per day on the trail and more when I enter a town. Favorite town foods include pizza, bacon cheeseburgers, pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Where do you sleep? Shelters are located about every eight miles on the Appalachian Trail. These three-sided structures with a roof are generally next to a water source. I carry a 14-oz. tarp in case I want to camp away from a shelter, and I stay in a hostel in town about once per week.

What do you carry? Food, water, a homemade stove, fuel, spoon, cooking pot (which also serves as bowl and mug), sleeping bag, sleeping pad, bug screen, tarp, warm clothes, rain gear, trekking poles, headlamp, map, BCP and bible excerpts, severely limited toiletries, ultra-light first aid kit, disposable camera, and vitamins (including vitamin I - ibuprofen). My luxury items are a book (currently The Sun Also Rises), a journal, and a camp pillow. My pack weighs between 22 and 32 pounds, depending on how much food I have.

How do you cook? My stove is made from a coffee can, hardware cloth and a tuna can. The tuna can sits on the hardware cloth inside the coffee can and burns denatured alcohol (normally used as a paint thinner).

How far do you walk each day? In Maine and New Hampshire, 12-18 miles per day. South of New Hampshire, 15-25 miles per day.

What is the wildest thing you have encountered on the trail? A toss-up between two bears, two rattlesnakes, several hikers, and the entire State of Maine.

What made you want to hike the AT? I wanted to follow a dream, to have an adventure, and to encounter God in nature and in people.

I am pleased and a bit surprised to still be out here. Most aspiring thru-hikers leave the trail within the first six weeks, and most of those within the first two weeks. Reasons include illness, injury, loneliness, depression, unmet expectations, and running out of money. Only 10 to 15% of us finish. It took me six or seven weeks to adjust to trail life, and I am enjoying the journey very much now. The terrain has become much more hospitable. The spectacular alpine ridges of New Hampshire have given way to the gentler ski slopes of Vermont and the long, smooth ridge walks of Massachusetts and Connecticut. I am hiking with two people I met in Glencliff, NH. One of these hiking partners is from Chapel Hill, just finished a M.Div. at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, is friends with several of my Sewanee acquaintances, and is the son of one of Gretchen Jordan's friends.

This comes with continued prayers for God's blessing upon you and with warm wishes from Connecticut.

Faithfully,

David

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© 2004 The Chapel of the Cross