Dan "The Man" Miller: Never met a situation he couldn't find something wrong with. "Hey, is that a Dirty 100 Dollar Bill you are giving me?" (but in a good way)
Becky, The Sergeant. She kept the troops moving, even before 6 am!
Roger Sutton: Author, Artist, aerospace engineer, Renaissance man, our host. Our tour guide, I want to go back, so, like, he's a great guy and all!
And me, AndyMan, the goofball! The guy with the camera.
Thursday, June 12: Wake up. Pack Car, Feed Harley (Thank YOU JUNE! She's feeding and walking Harley for me while I'm away, what a gal! She's awesome!): Jump in car, go to Ocala to meet with Roger. Roger and I drive to GA. Only one thing eventful trying to find a vegetarian selection on the Arby's menu. Settle for Broccoli and Cheese potato with a hunk of plastic butter (I think it was plastic, it wasn't melting!) on top.
Get to GA, get excited when I see Roger's beautiful mountain get-away home.
Then I figure out why he calls it a "get away" because Woody, Becky, Dan and I would stay in the "guest house."
Then I figure out why he calls it a "get away" because Woody, Becky, Dan and I would stay in the "guest house."Well, at least the ventilation is good! (he didn't really make us stay there, well, not all of us, but hey, Dan snores!)
Next Roger and I went for a warm-up jog. "No problem AndyMan, We'll just go for a 6 miler at Flat Creek loop." Cool, me thinks, Flat Creek, can't be any hills there. Wrong-O Mary Lou! I huffed and puffed and Roger wouldn't pass me and let me die in peace I had to keep going, he jogged and I raced like a bear was chasing me (there are no bears in GA are there?) and an hour later we were done. Roger told me good job, I couldn't answer back, I was breathing too hard.
Then the internationally famous Chris Wedge came over for dinner. Chris is 
now famous because his picture and quote are in the 2008 Western States glossy program. His quote is a page long, but here's a little snippet from said quote: "I crossed the line (which he often does, ask Deborah!) It was an emotional moment. .... Like the day you got married." Yeah, Deborah was there for both. Check. He was tired. Check. She looked better than he did. Check. I gotta agree Chris, 3 out of 3, a lot like your marriage day!
Friday morning at 4:15 the crew arrived, Becky, Dan, and Woody. We let let them sleep in while Roger and I met Chris for a loop at Stanley Gap. I wisely let them take off while I hiked. hiked out and up 4 miles. Slow solid climbing and flipped around. About 1 mile into my return journey my earlier question, "Are there bears in Georgia?" was answered by this fella:
He wasn't all that big, but thank you Jesus, thank you lord, he was running away! Of course once his course was well established I bowed up and hollered, "That's right, you better run, I need a new rug!" Yeah, I was a little more alert for the last 3 miles of a now quicker run back to the car!We returned and the gang was up. Becky, bless her heart, made breakfast for all, I cleaned up and they all (including Roger who was up for more even though he and Chris answered my slow 8 with a rapid 11 of there own) went out for an afternoon 20 mile run on the AT. I got the better end of the deal there. I laid around, read, and watched Tiger work his way in to contention at the US Open. I'll tell you, any day you can see a bear and a Tiger on a day that doesn't involve the zoo is a good day!
After an early dinner, off to bed and ready for an early morning on the AT.
Saturday I was to provide assistance to the gang while they ran 30 miles on a tough section of the Appalachian Trail. Once again, Becky (you guys owe her a big thanks, and I don't mean maybe!) made sandwiches and got together nutrition for all and packed coolers with drinks. For the run I dropped the crew off near Springer Mountain and they ran 8 miles to the first sag stop while I goofed off.
At the first stop everyone refilled while Becky waited patiently (er, well, er, yeah, patiently that's right, yeah, I meant that!) And here they come now!
Then off to the next stop 4 miles down the trail. And I got much better at Crewing. See I spread things out, so no one had to be patient.
Then I even had time to get some running and jumping in.
(I just love that timer on the Camera!)
And then have a well deserved drink of my own!
Then off to Woody Gad 4 more miles down the trail.
Thankfully, Roger made me climb to the high point a mile in.
....................... Totally candid shot, I swear! ............Then the gang soldiered on towards the run's fruition at Blood Mountain. After a tough 10 miles on the rocky trail we reunited and it felt so good!
So, now we wave goodbye from Roger and Jill's Appalachian Getaway:
What a wonderful trip with people I really dig! Thank you Roger! When we going back?!
17 comments:
Okay, the three day wait for the post was worth it. Great reading. Loved the pix.
Thanks Dave, Geez, that Roger, his cabin didn't have squat! Oh sure, it may have had 4 bedrooms, it may have had 3 bathrooms, it may have had a hot tub, sure, it had a full size air hockey table, and there was direct TV oh, and sure sure, a beautiful view, and a gas grill and two refriderators, but it didn't have internet!!!! And it was really expensive (I mean he charged us $20 each! Not total, each! He CLAIMS that was for the cleaning company, I just think he was getting RICH off of us!)
Yeah, and you didn't even mention that there was lots of screaming involved at Western States and my wedding day.
CW
Yoikes, thanks for sharing Chris, er I think....
Geez, now you're really making me question my decision to stay in T-town (that's Tampa this time) and slog/walk/bitch/moan/say my fave cuss word more than once during my 30 arduous miles at Croom....live and learn.
You saw a bear and a Tiger...AND they were both black (which is the most dangerous kind).
Did you expect political correctness just 'cuz I'm hanging in uber progressive New England?
Wow, looks great, and great post, Andy, nice art!!
Actually the Tiger was Cablonasian and the bear, yeah, it was black, black as Lee Elder!
Just me, you should have gone with us! It rocked! Things are always more funer when the Doctor's in the house! (and in the hot tub and on the trail :)
Chaser, onliest thing better would have been if A: you were there or B: We'd had our camp in Colorado, they have Bares too! Luckily, you'll get to host Roger in August. I don't know what kind of a guest he is, but he's a helluva host (and feel free to charge him the $20 cleaning fee! Kidding Roger, just kidding!)
Sorry about the 20 big ones. I Had to collect a few bucks for the "Golf and Bowl" tonight. Although I'm not sure what it will be like to do either with quads that feel like they were peeled from the bone with a pair of pliers.
Hey best of luck and remember this:
Golf: Low score wins
Bowling: High Score wins.
Me, I bowl Tiger's golf score and golf Earl Anthony's bowling mark, yoikes!
Nice pics...I see that Woody and Dan got new shirts.
Prof, I didn't think that you paid too much attention to clothes.
I'm a slave to fashion yet somehow I can run 7 days a week with only 2 running oufits (maybe that's why Tracy always runs in FRONT of me rather than BEHIND me).
Aman...from the pix, it really doesn't look like you did too much running. But hey, its all about having fun, right?
My role was to chronicle the weekend and to provide support for the guys on their epic 30 miles on the AT. I got in a few miles(28), but I'm tapering, and I take my goofing off seriously!
It sounds like Becky did all of the work ! She deserves some fun.
Yeah, Becky did get kinda gypped. But not by me, I cooked the dinners and did the dishes, hey I drove too, I guess I got the sticks other short end! (of course was that "Free" trip which was nice :) LIke Roger always says, "Free don't mean Freeload!"
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