And We're Back!

Billy, Kevin, Toby and Ted begin the "100 Mile Hike"

Toby returned from his vacation a bit early...
The 100-Mile-Hike became more of a 25 mile hike when the guys chose to leave the trail. My daughter and I got a call at 8:30 AM asking for rescue at a waystation on Skyline Drive. We were terribly worried that someone was injured or worse. Did Toby run off in the woods? Was someone sick?

Happily it turned out that everyone was okay but very weary. Our men had underestimated the difficulty of carrying enough food and supplies for 9 days, and overestimated their ability to walk consecutive 15+ mile days - especially in 95 degree heat. They even ran out of water one afternoon, leading to a potentially dangerous situation. Ted had mistakenly brought his old boots which resulted in some nasty blisters. 

Toby rests while his "pack" catches up to him!

Everyone had been a little concerned about how Toby would fare on this challenging trip. To our surprise and relief, he was the trailblazer most of the time. Billy said he'd look back down the trail like "Hurry up, slowpokes!" At first Kevin carried part of Toby's food, but after seeing Toby trot mile after effortless mile he happily transferred the kibble to Toby's backpack. 


I'm glad that our three adventurers had the good sense to call it quits when they realized they'd bitten off more than they could chew. Sometimes that's the hardest decision to make, but the wisest one. 

"Well, if I can't be in the woods the beach will have to do!"