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From the lens Life Lessons From The Appalachian Trail.

I'm glad you stopped by for a visit.

  • Words-of-Encouragement Apr 20, 2012 @ 5:04 pm | delete
    Congratulations! That's a lot of miles!
  • mamabush Mar 1, 2012 @ 8:27 am | delete
    Wow ~ I've spent way too much time on your lenses this morning, but I can't stop reading! :) My brother wants to hike the entire 2100 miles someday...the trail passes very near where I live. I hope he gets to do it because I can't wait to hear about it!
  • SayGuddaycom Jan 25, 2012 @ 2:09 pm | delete
    Brilliant
  • christopherlee Jul 6, 2011 @ 8:41 am | delete
    Great lesson learned, that the main thing, hope you have a better one next time.
  • RenaissanceWoman2010 Apr 14, 2011 @ 7:20 pm | delete
    I came back here to the trailhead to leave you an *angel blessing* of stardust. Well-deserved! Do you have another epic adventure in the works?
  • MysticTurtle Apr 15, 2011 @ 3:28 pm | delete
    Thank you for the blessing! I've done a couple of hikes and a long bicycle trip, but nothing in planning at the moment. Since I have a new family, my adventuring has been curtailed. I do miss it!
  • Francis Tapon Jul 13, 2011 @ 11:06 pm | delete
    It's time to drag your whole family on your next adventure! Congrats!
    I agree with your AT life lessons!
  • RenaissanceWoman2010 Apr 7, 2011 @ 1:49 pm | delete
    I can understand how this hike was a turning point for you. You will always have this experience within you. Thanks for sharing and inspiring others to have these types of adventures. Nicely done!
  • mypotlpeople Jan 4, 2011 @ 6:58 am | delete
    Great life lessons here. It's very inspiring,
  • Hiking-Hong-Kong Jan 2, 2011 @ 1:09 am | delete
    I have read many of your lenses but it is always great to find another to read. Your experience on this trail is fantastic. I would love to set out on an adventure such as this.
  • KarenTBTEN Oct 31, 2010 @ 10:40 pm | delete
    Beautifully written. SquidAngel blessings.
  • MysticTurtle Nov 2, 2010 @ 5:47 am | delete
    This lens makes even me tear up when I read it again. Thank you for the blessing!
  • DeborahLynne Aug 17, 2010 @ 8:35 am | delete
    Really enjoyed traveling with you on your through hike. I especially liked your interaction with the young boy and spending some time to lift up his spirits.
  • ohcaroline Apr 14, 2010 @ 12:06 pm | delete
    Is Mystic Turtle your trail name? I've heard that through hikers get a special tag. I enjoyed this article and will check out the others. :)
  • MysticTurtle Apr 14, 2010 @ 2:17 pm | delete
    No, my trail name is Shepherd of the Hills. Mystic Turtle is more for my writing.
  • WordCustard Apr 12, 2010 @ 3:34 pm | delete
    Another ~*~* Angel Blessing *~*~ for you and this wonderful lens.
  • MysticTurtle Apr 13, 2010 @ 8:39 am | delete
    Thank you for visiting and blessing my lens!
  • Heather426 Apr 6, 2010 @ 11:15 am | delete
    fantastic lens and journey that you shared!
  • MysticTurtle Mar 23, 2010 @ 6:04 am | delete
    Thanks, everyone, for coming to visit. I love sharing my hike with others. Thank you, S-mouse, for the angel blessing!
  • Sylvestermouse Mar 22, 2010 @ 7:51 pm | delete
    Amazing! I must thank my friend Wordcustard for sending me here! I believe I will have to live this one vicariously through you, but I absolutely loved the stories, especially the young boy you walked with. You will probably never know how much your friendship for that day meant to him. Angel Blessed and added to my Squid Angel Mouse Tracks lens.
  • jptanabe Mar 22, 2010 @ 1:16 pm | delete
    Wow, awesome! I love the way you describe all the lessons you learned on the way not just the scenery, although I'm sure the sights were wonderful too! Thanks for sharing this.
  • GrowWear Mar 22, 2010 @ 9:17 am | delete
    The sharing of your story of walking the Appalachian Trail is very beautiful and very inspiring. Thank you so much.
  • kimmanleyort Mar 22, 2010 @ 7:32 am | delete
    I remember being so inspired by Bill Bryson's account of hiking the Appalachian Trail. This is no less inspiring and well written.
  • WordCustard Mar 18, 2010 @ 12:02 pm | delete
    This was really inspiring. Congratulations on walking the entire length of the trail! I'll be featuring this at Squidoo Lens Reviews on Monday (22 March). Stop by and claim a review badge. :)
  • MysticTurtle Mar 18, 2010 @ 1:02 pm | delete
    Thanks a bunch! I'll stop by.
  • MysticTurtle Mar 18, 2010 @ 1:02 pm | delete
    Thanks a bunch! I'll stop by.
  • linkcity Dec 10, 2009 @ 9:16 pm | delete
    I really enjoyed the story. It's great and truly inspiring. You can do anything if you are passionate about it. Sucks that you fell and gave yourself couple of black eyes but sounds like you had an adventure of your life. I wish I could do that, but 2100 miles.....I mean damn! Thats a lot of walking. How many days did it take you?

    I really wish there were more and bigger pictures of your adventures.

    5 Stars and promoting it to Lens of The Day at SquidUp.org
  • MysticTurtle Dec 10, 2009 @ 11:05 pm | delete
    Thank you so much! I was on the trail 6 months and 2 days. I wish for better pictures, too! Unfortunately that was in my pre-digital days, and I only have a few scanned. The rest of my collection is in a box in my mom's basement, about 3 or 4 days' drive away.
  • jeffwend Dec 9, 2009 @ 11:22 pm | delete
    I love the story of you and the straggler. Its amazing how life provides those kind of opportunities for connections

    Thanks for sharing your story. But I have to ask, what happened to your eyes in one of the first pics? I kept looking for an explanation but could not find it. 5* and blessings

    All the best!
    Jeff
  • MysticTurtle Dec 10, 2009 @ 7:54 am | delete
    Thanks for the blessing! As for the eyes...if I tell you, you won't have to buy the book to find out! Actually, I do mention it in the Watch Out For Each Other section.
  • mysticmama Dec 4, 2009 @ 10:42 pm | delete
    Sounds like you had a great time!
  • MysticTurtle Dec 5, 2009 @ 8:43 am | delete
    It was awesome! As you can tell by my lenses and Ramkitten's, the AT becomes somewhat of an obsession.
  • Ramkitten Dec 4, 2009 @ 5:06 pm | delete
    I love this! (Of course. :) ) And a-lensrolling I will go. I'll also feature this on at least one of my A.T. lenses. Off to find the right one....
  • MysticTurtle Dec 4, 2009 @ 5:10 pm | delete
    Cool, thanks! You didn't miss Part 2, did you? It was going to be a long one, so I broke it up.

by

MysticTurtle

I had a normal childhood, but somewhere along the way I took off on my own path. I backpacked the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail in 2001 and the 700-mile... more »

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