Hike for Discovery Honorees

I dedicated my Grand Canyon hike to our loved ones who lost their battle with cancer, and I hiked in the spirit of those brave survivors who are with us today because of the advances that groups like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society have funded with your generous donations.

Here is the list of honorees that I carried with me into the Grand Canyon.

Hiking the South Kaibab Trail

Starting Out

I woke up at 4:30am in order to grab breakfast before catching the bus to the shuttle to the trailhead. By the time we got there, the sun was already coming up. We got out of the shuttle and I caught my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. I was speechless; the majestic view took my breath away. The rising sun cast shadows on the canyon, revealing only the highest points of the north rim in the distance. The near-full moon was still out, completing its setting arc over the west rim.

After taking a few photos at the trailhead, my team, consisting of 6 hikers from 4 different chapters, plus our two guides, set out down the South Kaibab Trail around 6:45am. Our lead guide, Elaine, works full time for the Grand Canyon Association and has years of experience leading hiking groups on trails. Jorge is from Costa Rica and is a professional hiking guide and biologist. Both of them were extremely knowledgeable about the area’s flora and fauna, as well as the history behind the creation of the Canyon and the different rock and mineral layers within its walls.

It was about 40 degrees and windy out when we started on the trail, and most of my teammates were bundled up in jackets, mittens and hats. I knew that it would heat up pretty quickly once we got into the sun, so I wore an extra long-sleeved base layer, but that was it. It wasn’t too bad, and I had time to change shirts whenever necessary.

The South Kaibab Trail begins at an elevation of 7,200 feet on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, and runs about 6.5 miles down to cross the Colorado River on the canyon floor. As a guided day hike, we were not allowed to go past the 3-mile point. This trail is one of the two maintained trails in the park (the second being the Bright Angel Trail) and was created by the National Park Service expressly for the purpose of hiking and mule travel. It also (supposedly) has the best and clearest views of all the south rim trails, but I have to say that just about any view of the Canyon is pretty amazing.

The Incident

After descending a side ravine, we reach “Ooh-Aah Point,” named for the sound people make when the canyon opens up and they can see the majestic views to the east and west. The trail makes a sharp turn to hug the canyon wall and descends further.

Halfway to our turnaround point, about 1.5 miles down, is Cedar Ridge. There we were able to use the facilities (a glorified outhouse, which is a lot better than the lack of facilities we had the whole time we were training!). After our rest and snack stop, we ventured out to the overlook at the edge of the ridge. Now, all morning the wind had been whipping up sand and dust from the trail and smacking us in our faces. It definitely tasted like sand at any rate. I wanted to protect my eyes, so I broke Rule #2 (which is “Don’t use any gear you haven’t trained in.” Rule #1 is “Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.”). My sunglasses had broken prior to the trip, so I had purchased an inexpensive pair the day before the hike, thinking I wouldn’t really need them since I rarely hiked in sunglasses. Well, these particular sunglasses skewed my depth perception, so I actually stumbled on the trail a couple of times.

I followed Elaine and Melissa (one of my DC teammates) down some rocky “steps” to the overlook. I peered down through my sunglasses and saw the step below me as one long rock, which in reality was two rocks with a large crevice in the center. I stepped down right on the crevice. Since there was nothing there to catch me, I just kept going down. I pitched forward, falling probably 3 feet, landing mostly on my left side. Next thing I knew, Elaine had thrown herself on top of me to keep me from rolling over the edge of the canyon. (Don’t worry. I wasn’t really that close to the edge.) As I dusted myself off and sat up, I felt sharp stabbing pain in my left shoulder, my left shin and right thigh (which had landed on a large pointed rock). I could tell large bruises were starting to form already, and I had skinned both my knees. We were only 2 hours into the hike!

My guides asked me if I had pulled anything. I was shaken and throbbing, but I stood up and took a step. Miraculously, I didn’t feel like I had pulled anything, so I said I was okay to finish the rest of the hike. JoAnn, one of my teammates from the Chicago area, gave me her unused neck cooler (a special neck bandana soaked in ice water that you wear to keep cool in extreme heat). I spent a few minutes applying the cool pack to my bruises, gulped some Advil and kept on going.

The Halfway Mark

The trail continued fairly straight, going down steadily but not too steeply, and curved around O'Neill Butte. My thigh hurt with every step I took, but I ignored it and kept going. Around 10am we stopped for lunch at Skeleton Point, 3 miles into the canyon at an elevation of 5,200 feet. From our spot at the edge of the point, we could see part of the muddy Colorado River, as well as the lush green trees and grass of Phantom Ranch, a facility for hikers who choose to stay overnight in the Canyon. We also had clear views to the west, perfect for taking lots of photos, which I did.

We stayed at Skeleton Point for almost an hour, heading back up the trail around 10:45. At this point I realized that I had over-packed. The night before the hike, I panicked and packed an extra half-liter of water (for a total of 5.5 liters), plus a bunch of extra food for energy to get up the trail. Turns out I didn’t need it, but I would have rather over-prepared than under-prepared for this hike.

Before we left Skeleton Point (no idea why it’s called that, by the way), we spotted a mule train way down on the trail, heading up. Elaine said that they would probably catch up with us before too long.

Getting Back Up to the Top

One of my teammates, Amy from Eastern PA, also had a heavy pack. I also think she has asthma, but has never been diagnosed. Or maybe it was the altitude. During the really steep climbs, she and I stopped fairly often to catch our breath, but fortunately, I never needed to use my inhaler. During our breaks, I’d snap a few photos. By this point, clouds were beginning to dot the otherwise clear blue sky. I realized that it helped give the photos depth, so I shot lots of them. Sometimes the canyon seems so massive (spreading over 1.2 million acres), its grandeur is incomprehensible. I realized that if you’ve never been there, sometimes the photos just look like a fake backdrop or plastic model. It’s just too amazing to be real…

Anyway, we continued to trudge up the trail into the glaring sun, stopping at the steep switchbacks. I kept looking back on the trail to see if the mules were going to catch up with us. Sure enough, not too far below Cedar Ridge, they caught up to us while we were taking a snack break. They passed us – 13 mules with 3 riders – and stopped on the trail just above us. We just prayed the wind wouldn’t kick up while they were taking a potty break.

We made it back to Cedar Ridge and took a longer break and used the outhouse. We set our packs down on a circle of rocks around a tree. A very bold squirrel popped out and approached us, looking for some tasty handouts. He probably would have jumped on me if we hadn’t scared it away. I sat and took in the view. Even though we’d been here before, it was 4 hours later and the light had changed so much that the scenery somehow looked different, the colors more vivid.

A couple from Pittsburgh (or at least they were Steelers fans by the look of their outfits) were sitting by a large rock, closer to the overlook. In my peripheral vision, I saw the same bold squirrel run across the ridge and hide behind the rock. I watched as he got closer and closer to the guy, who was oblivious to its presence. Suddenly, the squirrel jumped on the guy’s thigh, begging like a small terrier for a treat. The guy shot straight up and did a little “a-wild-animal-just-pawed-me” jig. I was trying not to crack up too loudly.

The Final Stretch

We got back to our feet after a nice break and kept heading up the trail. Did I mention how steep it was? We got back to Ooh-Aah Point and ran into a group of teenagers. We joked with them about going down to the river, which fortunately they weren’t since they didn’t have ANY water on them. It amazed me how seemingly unprepared some of the people were who we encountered. There was one girl trudging slowly up the top part of the trail as we were coming down, clutching only a Sprite bottle. The thing about being rescued in the Grand Canyon is that if you do something stupid (like dehydrate because you didn’t bring enough water), they will charge you for the rescue – something like $25,000 for the helicopter ride. They are serious about people being prepared for the heat and elevation.

We passed Ooh-Aah Point and the top of the rim came into view. From a distance, you could barely make out the 9 steep zigzagging switchbacks at the top of the trail. Suddenly, I turned a corner to see Jorge on his stomach, hanging over the edge of the trail. Apparently he had spotted a snake that he wanted to show us, but it was having none of that. It was kind of a bummer because we didn’t see much wildlife on the trail besides enormous ravens and the crazy squirrel.

We made it to the final switchbacks, maybe 15 minutes from the top. Everyone was in front of me except Amy and Elaine. I got to the second switchback and suddenly both my legs cramped up violently, right next to the bruises. I had never cramped up on a trail before and never this badly in my entire life. I felt like sharp knives were slicing into my leg muscles and I literally couldn’t take another step, I didn’t know what to do. Elaine told me to sit down on the trail and elevate my legs on the closest rock. I did that for about 10 minutes, until I felt like I could walk again. I put my pack back on and trudged up the next switchback.

Jorge had led the rest of the ladies to the top so they could use the restroom. Next thing I knew, he was running down the trail towards me. I waved and said, “I’m fine. My legs just cramped up, but I’m fine now.” He came up to me and said, “I figured. Give me your pack.” I replied, “What do you mean ‘give you my pack?’ You’re not carrying my pack.” I thought to myself, ‘I trained for 3 months and I’m 10 minutes from the top. No way I’m wimping out now,’ and told him as much. But he insisted, and seeing as how I was having trouble walking, I reluctantly handed him my pack. And then he asked Amy for hers.

Suddenly 30 pounds lighter and carrying only my camera, I felt like Superwoman heading up the trail! I teased Jorge about being our personal Sherpa, but it felt really good to hike unburdened, and I finished the trail in no time. We celebrated by asking some random guy to take our group picture back at the top.

We completed the hike in just under 8 hours – 6 miles with 4,000 feet of elevation change. We did it!!

The Aftermath

We took the shuttle back to Bright Angel Lodge where some of us stopped for a frosty adult beverage before heading back to the hotel for the celebration dinner. I checked out my “battle wounds” in the restroom. I normally bruise pretty easily, but I was stunned by the rainbow of colors all over my body. My left shin looked the best, a tennis-ball sized black-and-blue ring – not too harsh. On my left shoulder, an oblong blob of dark purple, about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide, painful to the touch. But my thigh was a whole ‘nother story. The bruise had grown as I hiked and was now bigger than my entire hand, with stripes of magenta, purple and indigo. That definitely hurt the most.
I put ice on the bruises as soon as I got back to the hotel. It was only after taking a shower and trying to shampoo my hair that I realized I did not have a full range of motion in my left arm. In fact, I couldn’t lift anything with that arm, or raise it above shoulder level without pain. I really beat myself up! But I’m tougher than I look. All I can say is thank God I did not fall and re-injure my back. THAT would have been difficult to deal with on the trail.

Reflections

Despite the fall, I had a wonderful experience and an amazing hike. I achieved one of my dreams – to hike the Grand Canyon. The park gets over 4 million visitors annually, but less than 1% actually step foot on a trail inside the canyon. I decided that I would love to see the Grand Canyon a couple more ways – doing a hike to the bottom from the North Rim, and on a whitewater rafting trip on the Colorado River.

The point of this trip was to do something that challenged me physically, to give me a feeling of accomplishment and purpose. During our breaks, I stopped to reflect on the strength and courage that cancer patients need as they undergo treatment. I was inspired by all the stories I’d heard from you of survivors’ struggles as they beat the disease and went on to live cancer-free. I remembered those who were not as fortunate, but was touched by the love and caring that surrounded them as you all sent in their names to be included on my list. I carried the list of honorees with me while I hiked.

Most of all I thought about my friend Alison and how much I miss her. But I know her spirit was with me the whole time. It’s because of her, and because of your support that I was able to raise over $7,000 towards a cure for blood cancer. I could not have done this without the support of my family, friends and colleagues. Because of your generosity, and that of others like you, our chapter with 18 participants raised the most money of all the chapters this season - $88,000. The grand total for participants from all of the chapters was $500,000. It’s amazing how it all adds up, and it’s important to remember how many more lives we’ve saved by doing this event together.

So again, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, and I look forward to the next challenge!

To see my complete album (over 200 photos), please click here.

I DID IT!!

I just wanted to post a quick note to say “I DID IT!!” Yesterday I hiked the Grand Canyon! It was a challenging, but amazing experience, which I will write about as soon as I have my photos organized. In the meantime, here is a “teaser" photo of my hike group on the trail.

With the help of my wonderful donors, I was able to exceed my fundraising goal of $7,000!! My total is now at $7,067 and counting. Thank you so, so much for your donation and for your support. I could not have done this without you!

I Made My Fundraising Goal!!

Today I received the donation that put me over my fundraising goal of $7,000!! I'm so excited (and relieved) that I made it before I left for the Grand Canyon. I cannot express how grateful I am to all of my wonderful donors who made this possible. It just goes to show that all of the donations, large or small, do add up and can make a difference.

Some statistics (in case you are curious):

Funds raised to date: $7,017
Total number of donors: 90
Average donation: $77.97
% of donations made online: 91%
Average online donation: $80.03

Where does this money go? It goes to fund outstanding scientists at the forefront of blood-related cancer research at centers throughout the world. It supports projects in private sector companies that have potential therapies that are not being pursued, either for lack of resources or the perception that the blood cancer market may be too small to provide adequate return on investment. It allows the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to advocate public policy positions that accelerate progress toward cures for leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma. It provides support to newly diagnosed patients and their families. Your donation helps save lives.

So thank you, again, from the bottom of my heart, for your friendship and your support. I couldn't do it without you!

3 Days to Go...

I can't believe it's almost here! On Thursday, September 27th, I leave for the Grand Canyon. I'll stay in Phoenix with the HFD group on Thursday night, then on Friday we drive to the Grand Canyon. We will hike all day Saturday, starting out sometime between 4am and 8am so that we can return in plenty of time for a celebration dinner.

I checked the weather forecast for the Canyon, and it's going to be much chillier than I previously thought. It's calling for highs in the mid-70s with lows in the upper 20s/low 30s. That's right, when I wake up Saturday morning, it will be WINTER, then it will supposedly heat up very quickly as soon as the sun comes up. It's a desert, go figure. But this means I have to rethink my clothing and packing strategy. I've spent all summer training in hot weather gear. Now I have to figure out layers that are light enough not to be too cumbersome when I have to take them off and carry them. The last thing I need is more weight in my pack! I've already been advised to increase my water supply to 6 liters because I will likely drink it all. (And there are no opportunities to refill on the trail!)

The trail I chose is the South Kaibab Trail. It is a wider, well maintained trail, but rocky and steep at the top. According to the description, "this trail features steep and strenuous switchbacks, especially at the top, which is the last part of the hike. This trail elevation loss/gain of 2000’ to the maximum turnaround spot 3 miles into the Canyon." So it's not a long hike in terms of mileage (6 miles total), but will take much longer to ascend because of the steep climb and considerable elevation gain. I know I will be able to make it back up, but I think it will take me a while to do it. The South Kaibab Trail gives most spectacular views, but the trade-off is that you spend most of the day in complete exposure to the sun. One thing I learned this summer is how to liberally slather on the sunblock.

I'll try to write more just before and after the hike (assuming I can get internet access at the hotel) and keep you posted on my adventure. In the meantime, please wish me luck and think happy thoughts on Saturday afternoon to help me get up that canyon wall!

Donors Hall of Fame

I just wanted to take a moment to send out a special thank you to my wonderful, wonderful donors. I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity and support I have received throughout my fundraising process. Because of you, we are one step closer to curing leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers. Because of you, more information and services will be available to blood cancer patients. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

My Donors Hall of Fame

Aina Irbe
Alice Hirzel
Allison Reeder
Amy Longyear
Andrew Schmitt
Ashley Carlson
Barbara Plevelich
Beth Tichansky
Beth Touchet
Bev Jackson
Brent Apponyi
Carey Ragels
Cat Castagna & David Reese
Colleen McGuire
Craig McClellan
Craig Millis
Dale Glaser & Nora McCaffrey
Damian Liska
Dana Bomkamp
Danielle Davant
Dave & Maryellen Howard
David Hobson
Denise Castaldo
Donna Ioffredo & PJ Hambrick
Doug & Liza Larson
Ellen Fong
Ellen O'Brien
Ellen Ward
Emily Dalton
Evan Parker
Gary Truelsen
Heather Bowes
Jason Larson
Jaya Chimnani
Jeanne Chou
Jen Bristow
Jen Nelson
Jesse Vazzano
Jessica McClure
Jim Beachler
Jodie Jarocki
Joe Greenlee
John & Brooke Frassinelli
Julie McHugh
Julie Pekarek
Julie Reber
Karen Kimball & Peter Hackett
Katie Allston & Paul Dowell
Katie Magin
Katie Miller
Katrina Cain
Kaustuv Chakrabarti
Kelly Welch
Kevin Leonhardt
Khang Hiu
Kirsten Jensen Crank
Kris Guido
Kristin Hibler
Kristin & Bruce Maynard
Laura Dines
Lee Gary
Liesl Combs
Lilly Shoup
Linda Gray
Lynne O'Connell
Maria Hernandez
Mark Thiele
Melissa & Jason Kramer
Merry Davine
Michael & Michelle Siefert
Monica Byler
Pam Magasich
Pamela Dorland
Pamela Lurie
Patrick Hackett
Patrick Taylor
Phil Voss
R. Gary & Pam Smith
Rachel Day
Ramune Rastonis
Robin Rodensky
Ruby Broussard
Sarah Pratt
Scott Graves
Scott Ledford
Shayna Lebowitz
Sridevi Nanjundaram
Stacey Irvin
Steve & Erin Susalka
Sue McNeely
Sunil Nanjundaram
Susie & Steve Cooper
Tricia & Branden Ritchie
Viengkeo & Dave Tzong

Last Training Hike - Back to the Billy Goat Trail

What a beautiful day for a hike! Finally, a day that didn't reach 90 degrees by noon...

I missed the group hike at White Oak Canyon last week because I was in Austin, TX attending the Austin City Limits music festival. I wasn't completely lazy, though. The place where we stayed was about 2 miles from the festival site, so we walked there and back each day, not to mention walking between stages all day long in the hot sun. It wasn't "training" but it definitely helped.

I did want to get in one more training hike before I leave for the Grand Canyon on Thursday. My friend, Jeanne, kept me company on this short (2.5-hour) hike on the Billy Goat Trail at Great Falls. It was a great day for a hike (and we didn't have to start before 9am!) and there weren't many people on the trail. We saw all kinds of fish and turtles in the canal, as well as an enormous blue heron that flew by us and landed on the bank opposite us. Here's a picture of the two of us at the end of the hike:

Thanks, Jeanne, for coming hiking with me!

To see more pictures, click here.

Training Hike #11 - Catoctin Mountain

Ah, another steamy day on the trail. It was definitely in the high 90s today, with lots of lovely humidity. Today's hike took us to Catoctin Mountain Park in Thurmont, MD (20 min. north of Frederick), a trail I'd never hiked before. We were warned in advance that there was a fairly steep climb near the end, good practice for the Grand Canyon!

My friends Ramune and Patrick were the brave souls who joined me for this one. The three of us, with my teammate, Ginna, completed the (supposed 6-hour) hike in about 5.5 hours. The coolest part about this trail is the diversity of the flora and rocks throughout the park. We would hike through a thinly wooded area, then climb a small hill and suddenly find ourselves surrounded by tall ferny groundcover. We'd turn a corner and find ourselves surrounded by huge boulders among pine trees, or we'd reach a creek and suddenly need a machete to cut through the thick bushes and vines. One part of the trail was lined with large hunks of white quartz.

For some reason, the hills were particularly difficult for me on this trail. I don't know if was the heat or humidity or something I ate, but I actually felt sick to my stomach for a stretch. I sat for a few minutes (and practiced taking photos of tree fungus on the stump beside me) to catch my breath and the nausea went away. I slipped on some loose dirt and fell about halfway through the hike. My lower back started acting up on the last uphill jaunt, and I'm pretty sure it was because my herniated disc was aggravated by the fall - one of the most dangerous things I can do to myself. (My chiropractor keeps telling me how much I want to avoid back surgery, so I have to be extra careful out there!)

Other than the last hill, I really enjoyed this hike. Like many of the other training hikes I've done, it would be much more pleasant to try it again in the fall. It was way too hazy to see any views in the distance. Here's a picture of my three hike buddies near one of the overlooks.

Click here to see more pictures from my hike.

Return to the Billy Goat Trail – Training Hike #10

Because of Labor Day weekend, this was a “plan my own” training hike. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find anyone to go with me, but little did I know so many people would be in town this weekend. I just want to thank everyone for getting up early and coming out with me on Saturday: Jessica, Ryan, Scott, Julie R, Rachel, Julie M, Kaustuv, Carey, Katie, Grant, and Minh. I had a great time on the trail – I hope you did too!

A little after 8am, we started out on the towpath north towards the entrance to Section A of the Billy Goat Trail. (I had done this part on an earlier training hike with the group.) Once we got through the wooded area, we started the rock scramble through boulders overlooking the Potomac River. We stopped a couple of times for snacks, on the sandy beach area and at the top of a high shelf of rocks.

We made it back to the parking lot area in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. We bid farewell to those who weren't continuing onto Section B, and continued down the towpath. None of us had ever hiked this section before, so we weren't sure what to expect. It was much more even than Section A, with a low trail paralleling the river. We made it back to the towpath and headed back to the parking area. On the way, we saw lots of fish and turtles in the canal. All in all, it was a beautiful day in the low 80s, not a cloud in the sky. We finished the entire 6.2-mile hike (with breaks) in about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Here's a picture of the group partway through the towpath portion of the hike. Click here to view the entire photo album.

Training Hike #9 - Old Rag Mountain

Wow, okay, so where do I start with this one? It took 10 hours to do a 6-7 hour hike - a little excessive. But at least no one got hurt.

Old Rag is one of my all-time favorite trails to hike, however, it is not for people who cannot deal with heights or are out of shape. This is one of those trails that I have to train for, and I felt prepared to do it, despite the warnings of a 100+ degree heat index. I fueled up at breakfast and had plenty of water and gatorade. I love this hike because it challenges almost all of your muscles - it requires some rock scrambling and a little bit of bouldering to get up the trail. There are also some majestic views of the Virginia countryside as you get closer to the summit. Of course, this also means some precipitous dropoffs along the edge.

I played "sweeper" again on this hike. Again, this meant I was responsible for making sure that everyone in the group made it safely off the trail. I spent the entire day hiking with Susan, Zee and Judy. My friend, Patrick, came along just for fun. We took our time getting up the first part of the trail, basically 2-3 miles of shaded switchbacks that got steep in some places. This has always been the most challenging part of the hike for me because it's not particularly scenic and you're just going up and up through the forest. I'm not the world's fastest uphill hiker, but little did I know that the ladies I was with were even slower. I didn't push anyone because it was so hot, but I was insistent upon everyone hydrating properly and eating enough food.

We finally made it to the first overlook and stopped for a pre-lunch (thinking we'd get to have a proper lunch at the summit an hour later). We got on the trail again and the terrain started to get trickier. There were a few places where I had to coach the ladies on how to get up the rocks, sometimes kneeling down and letting them use my leg as a step stool, sometimes boosting them from behind. Often, Patrick or I would go up first and they would hand up their packs so they could try climbing unburdened. Some spots were so tricky, they insisted on finding a longer way around instead of trying to get up the marked trail.

In retrospect, we should have turned around when we hit the 3-hour mark and we weren't at the summit. But at that point, I thought we were fairly close to the top, and I knew that the trail down the back side of the mountain would be much easier to negotiate than to climb down the technical trail we had just come up. So we kept moving forward, encouraged by other hikers who said things like, "You're close -- it's only 18 minutes away!" But because our pace was so slow and we kept stopping to let faster hikers pass us, it took us nearly 8 hours to reach the summit. All I could think about was getting to the other side so that we could cruise downhill the whole way.

By the time we reached the top, thunderclouds had started to roll in. When we reached the sign for the summit, it had started sprinkling. Instead of checking out the overlooks, I got everyone to continue on the trail and under the cover of the trees. About 10 minutes after we left the summit, a bolt of lightning struck very, very close to where we had been standing. At this point, I started to panic a little, encouraging the slowest hiker to speed it up, while trying not to freak out. At one point, it started to hail and I kept saying, "Let's go! Let's move it!" but they just couldn't go any faster. I'm not sure they realized how much danger we were in.

I stayed with the slowest hiker, patiently lagging behind while she picked her way gingerly down the trail in the rain. I tried everything I could think of to get her to go faster, but my worst fear was that she would try to go too fast and fall, which would be even worse. So Patrick and I stayed with her as the others went ahead. I also knew our hike leader would be panicking by this point, but I had no cell phone reception the entire length of the trail. I was hoping the ladies who went ahead would be able to tell her what was going on, and perhaps get assistance.

We made it to the second of two shelters, where the trail intersected a fire road. As we neared the intersection, a park ranger SUV pulled up with our hike leader in the passenger seat. We were saved! We decided to get a ride with the ranger all the way back to the trailhead. I thought about finishing it on foot, but realized I was out of water, so I reconsidered. I had not been prepared for a 10-hour hike, though next time I will be!

All in all, this was actually not my worst hiking experience. (Remind me to tell you about getting lost in Shenandoah, or the West VA hike of 1,600 stairs.) I would love to hike Old Rag again in the fall when it's not 100 degrees or thunderstorming.

I stopped taking pictures when the rain started, but click here to see pictures from the first half of the hike.

Training Hike #8 - Bull Run-Occoquan Trail

So apparently my plea for nice weather was heard! Saturday's weather was the best we've had so far - the morning started out in the low 80s and the humidity was fairly low (compared to the last several weekends). Our group did an out-and-back hike (approximately 10 miles), starting at the north end of the Bull Run-Occoquan Trail near Centreville, VA. The entire trail runs for 18 miles, and ends in Fountainhead Park south of Lorton. The section we hiked parallels Bull Run (a free-flowing tributary stream of the Potomac River) and is quite shady and thankfully, not very hilly. The purpose of this hike was to up the amount of time on our feet (~ 5 hours) so that we can better gauge hydration and hunger needs for a longer hike.

The woods surrounding the trail were very lush and green. For the most part, we felt like we were far out in the country, until we crossed under a couple of overpasses for busy roads. At one point, we saw two white-tailed deer cross the run and bound into the woods.

I want to thank my friend Lilly - she was in town this weekend, so she joined us for the hike. What a good sport! Here's a picture of us on the trail:


Click here to see more pics from the hike.

I Reached My Fundraising Minimum!

This is my third major fundraising event. The first was the Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk in 2002, where I walked 60 miles from Baltimore to DC, and raised over $4,700. The second was last year's Hike for Discovery to Yosemite National Park, where I hiked for 8 hours (on a trail with significant changes in elevation) and raised over $6,700. I've also participated in a couple of smaller-scale fundraisers in-between. One of the reasons I continue to do these events - apart from the obvious "raising money for worthy causes" reason - is because it reaffirms my faith in humanity. More and more of the what I read in the papers or see on the news these days seems to focus on all of the bad things happening in the world, and who is to blame for them. It's exhausting to absorb all of that negative energy and not let it bring me down. But when I see the outpouring of generosity from people (because they are my friends, or they are related to me, or because they believe in the cause, or all of the above) it restores my belief that people are inherently good and kind, and mostly, want to help.

Some of it is selfish on my part, I'll admit. I get so excited when I see a new donation email alert from my website, meaning someone has made an online donation, or when someone says, "Oh, let me write you a check right now." I feel like they are investing in me, allowing me to help make a difference in the world - for the better.

Last night, I received a significant donation that officially put me over my minimum fundraising amount for this event ($4,000). This minimum is the point at which the donations cover the cost of my participation while allowing over 75% of the money raised to go back to the charity's programs. If I hadn't made this minimum, I would have had to pay the difference out of my own pocket. Fortunately, I have many generous and supportive friends and colleagues whose contributions exceeded this amount. So thank you - all of you who have donated so far - for helping me make this a successful event!

For those of you who like statistics, here are a few on my fundraising efforts:

Funds raised to date: $4,185
Total number of donors: 49
Average donation: $85.41
% of donations made online: 86%
Average online donation: $90.95

Now this does not, by any stretch, mean I am done fundraising. On the contrary - for every dollar I raise over the minimum, 100% of the money goes to fund programs like: medical research grants; gaining access to clinical trials for life-saving therapies; and support to patients undergoing treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, or Hodgkin's disease. My goal is to beat my personal fundraising record from last year, and raise $7,000 before the end of September. I'll be sure to keep you posted on my progress...

Training Hike #7

This week's group hike was to Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland. I, however, managed to miss it -- but for good reason. I attended my friend Kristin's wedding back home in Warrenton on Saturday. As all weddings should be, this one was a celebration of love, happiness and friendship. I've never seen my friend so happy, and I wish her all the joy in the world.

I have to give a special shout-out here to Kristin and her new husband, Bruce. In lieu of giving party favors to guests at their reception, they decided to make donations to a couple of charities. My hike was one of the two they chose. Thank you so much!!

Next weekend's training hike is the Bull Run-Occoquan trail in Fairfax County. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for overcast skies and low humidity. (Is that too much to ask in August...?)

Training Hike #6

Okay, so there wasn't really a training hike #6. We had a free weekend where we were supposed to plan our own hike. I fully intended to do a short hike on Sunday until I found out my brother Jason was coming home. Instead, we went out to brunch with my parents, then my mom and I did a jigsaw puzzle until I settled down for a short nap that afternoon (must've been the mimosas).

I spent all day Saturday at Virgin Fest, the outdoor music festival outside Baltimore. Now, you may not consider this any form of training, but I'll tell you that it was a lesson in endurance and hydration. The temperature made it to the upper 90s (with a heat index past 100 degrees), and my friends and I were there for about 8 hours. I was on my feet dancing practically the entire day, so I felt like I got some exercise (granted, there was no elevation gain or heavy backpack to wear) and practiced drinking lots and lots of water.

The highlights of the day were seeing Paolo Nutini, Peter, Bjorn and John (and their roadie who did their soundcheck in Swedish obscenities, which I happened to understand), the Beastie Boys rocking it out as they always do, and the Police performing all my favorite songs. My first concert in high school was Sting's "The Soul Cages" tour (yes, I'm dating myself) and he looks and sounds just as good now as he did then. Because Virgin Mobile was one of the sponsors of the festival, there was a giant scrolling screen above the stage where, in between bands, concert-goers could send text messages to be posted. Magically, one appeared that said "Marry me, Maya. Love, Sting." Needless to say, I accepted.

Training Hike #5 - Little Devils Stairs

This week's hike was a "friends and family" event where we could invite other hikers to join us. On Friday afternoon, a small group of us headed out to Front Royal to go camping overnight. (A big thank you to my friend Patrick for coming out with us!) Despite the rain showers that came and went, we had a good time and managed to stay fairly dry.

We met the group at the trailhead for Little Devils Stairs around 8am on Saturday morning. The beginning of the trail was a steep uphill climb for about 2.2 miles, with several stream crossings, however, the water was pretty low. There were parts where we literally had to ascend steps in the huge rocks lining the trail, making we wish there was such a thing as a "little angels escalator." Turns out we climbed approximately 2,200 feet in elevation before we reached the Keyser Run Fire Road at the top of the trail. Here is a photo of one of my teammates heading up part of the "stairs."

It was pretty hot and muggy, but seemed to cool off a bit when we finally started heading downhill. All along the fire road, there were tons of butterflies feeding on the nectar of wildflowers.

To see more pictures from the hike, click here.

The whole thing took almost 4 hours, by which time my feet were hurting. But I really felt like I had accomplished something significant. After the hike, Patrick, Pamela (our hike leader) and her friend Maggie went back to the campsite to cook a well-deserved lunch of brats, onions and chicken wings.

Training Hike #4 - Harpers Ferry

This week's hike took us to scenic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. We had been warned that this was a really steep trail, but at least it was shaded and not nearly as hot as last weekend. It was actually a beautiful day for a hike.

I volunteered to be the "sweeper" this week, which means I got to stay at the back of the hike group and make sure that everyone made it off the trail safely. I hiked with two lovely ladies who kept me entertained the whole way up and down the trail, talking about our families and our reasons for doing this fundraiser.

We made it up to the cliffs overlooking the town of Harpers Ferry, the C & O Canal and the Potomac River where I snapped a few photos.

The trek back down was not quite as challenging, but definitely harder on the knees. We finished the hike in about 2.5 hours and joined the rest of the hike group for lunch at the Armory Pub in town.

To check out more photos, click here.

Training Hike #3 - Billy Goat Trail

I woke up at 5am to get ready for our training hike on the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls, MD. Did I mention that I am not a morning person? Nevertheless, I made it to the park on time - I set multiple alarms the night before - and was able to lead the hike.

It was really foggy when we first set out, and the rocks on the trail were still wet from the rainstorm the night before. I wasn't too worried about slipping until we got to the steep rock face. Fortunately, there were a couple of guys in my hike group who helped me up and down some of the more technical parts of the rock scrambles. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, but one of my teammates took some pics. Here's a picture of us climbing up the steep part:

Despite the crazy humidity, it was a terrific hike. We finished it in about 2 hours, and left before it got really crowded.

Fundraising Update

It has been only a week since I sent out my initial fundraising email, but I have already raised over $1,500! I just have to give a shout-out to my very first donors who made this possible -- you guys are terrific!

Viengkeo & Dave Tzong
Susie & Steve Cooper
Patrick Taylor*
Sue McNeely
Jessica McClure
David Hobson
Amy Longyear
Colleen McGuire
Sridevi Nanjundaram
Karen Kimball & Peter Hackett
Patrick Hackett
Ellen Ward
Beth Tichansky
Danielle Davant
Maria Hernandez

*Platinum Donor

Training Hike #2 - Great Falls National Park

This morning was our group's second training hike in Great Falls National Park. Unfortunately, my new cell phone's alarm clock got the better of me, and didn't go off. I made it to the park about half an hour late, but had missed the rest of the group. Instead of trying to catch up to them on the looped River Trail (which I hiked last year), I decided to do a 1.5-hour out-and-back and meet up with them at the end. I didn't bring my camera with me on my solo hike, but I wish I had. I saw this really cool lizard with black and yellow stripes that faded to a bright blue tail. (Later, after a brief Google search, I found out that it's a Five-Lined Skink.)

A heat wave has hit northern Virginia. It was definitely in the 90s by 9am, and of course, very, very humid. I had plenty of water and moisture-wicking clothes, but MAN it was warm. I hiked along the trail that overlooks the Potomac River, the falls, and Mather Gorge (the steep canyon created by the falls). Fortunately, the trail was pretty shady so I could stay out of the sun.

I eventually rendezvous-ed with the group near the falls overlook. I had my camera with me by then, so we posed for a couple of photos:

Training Hike Schedule

Here is the hike schedule for the season:

June 30 - Fountainhead Regional Park - Fairfax Station, VA
July 7 - Great Falls National Park, VA
July 14 - Billy Goat Trail at Great Falls National Park, MD
July 21 - Harpers Ferry, WV
July 28 - Little Devils Stairs at Shenandoah National Park, VA
August 5 - Plan my own (Sunday hike)
August 11 - Sugarloaf Mountain in Comus, MD
August 18 - Bull Run - Centreville, VA
August 25 - Old Rag Mountain in Luray, VA
September 1 - Plan my own
September 8 - Jeremy’s Run Loop at Shenandoah National Park, VA
September 15 - White Oak Canyon at Shenandoah National Park, VA
September 22 - Plan my own
September 29 - Grand Canyon National Park!

Unfortunately, we can't invite any non-participants to hike with us, but if you "happen" to be on the trail at the same time, that would be cool if you want to come out and hike. Everyone is invited to the "plan my own" hikes, so let me know if you're interested!

Starting off the Season

After my amazing Hike for Discovery experience last spring, I just knew I had to do it again. I raised almost $7,000, met some terrific people, and got to hike in Yosemite National Park. This year, I hope to fulfill one of my dreams -- hiking the Grand Canyon.

The big day is September 29, 2007. Like last year, I have to raise a minimum of $4,000 to participate, and train every weekend for 3 months. My biggest challenge, I'm afraid, is getting in shape for the rigorous hike. After spending a year in Lousiana eating wonderfully rich food and not working out regularly, well, let's just say I'm not in as good shape as I was this time last year. I am optimistic, however. I have a training hike planned for every Saturday (except 2) between now and the end of September. Mostly, I'm looking forward to getting out on the trail regularly and meeting new people.

This morning was our first training hike, but unfortunately, I couldn't do it because I am recovering from an aggravated disc and muscle spasms in my lower back. I did show up to meet the participants and take a group photo. Hopefully, I'll feel well enough to hike next weekend. Here's the pic of the group: