Reflecting on the month in the wilderness

The soles of my hiking shoes are worn now. My clothing still attains a slight stench but it may be too insignificant for others to take notice. The blisters and bruises fade with each passing day. But, my mind does not believe the Shenandoah Ecoventure is over although the itinerary is completed.

The days after I arrived home I contemplated over whether or not I made the right decision for signing up for this experience for my final undergraduate semester at Shenandoah University.

I could have spent my final semester playing volleyball for the university, working at the television station, working my other outside jobs, learning in a confined classroom like everyone else. I could have been a typical college student and there is nothing wrong with choosing that path. But, I was at the point where I wanted change and boy did I experience a change.

I didn’t learn about the Ecoventure opportunity until this past June, while shifting through my e-mails this summer. I distinctly remember the e-mail saying that they were looking for one more student to sign up. I told myself it wouldn’t hurt to apply, so I did.

I spoke to my advisor Dr. Gina Daddario on several occasions throughout this summer about my internship. On one occasion, a couple days later I brought up that I applied for the Ecoventure and before I knew it I received an e-mail from Dr. John Copenhaver saying that I was in, I was tickled to death!

Then the e-mail that changed my perspective of the trip arrived in my inbox in late July from Copenhaver. The e-mail read that 2 of the participants had to back out due to academic inflexibility reasons. My concern at that point was that the program may be canceled and I had already made arrangements with my coach, advisor and bosses.

July came and went, as did August and September. Preparing for this trip academically, physically and mentally was the most demanding situation I had been in. I think I was only home to eat supper and sleep those months. I couldn’t tell you what I talked about with my parents or if we had conversations.

My concern when we were approaching our launch date was that I wouldn’t be prepared enough for this month trek. But, thankfully I overanalyzed the situation and got over that fear after we had completed several successful preparatory hikes.

Oct. 3, 2009 approached like a speed demon and we on the trail. It took me a good two hours that first night, to come to terms with we wouldn’t be returning to campus for another 28 days and these were the fellows I would be spending those days with. And I’ll be frank, those first couple days on the trail, I was thinking to myself what the hell did I sign up for?

I had a couple of obstacles prior to the trail and on the trail that I had to overcome. I believe I got over one obstacle before we started on the trail. That obstacle was being the only female on this trip. I received help from Stacey Keenan and discussing every health scenario, which helped tremendously.

Although the biggest fear on the trail for me had to be bears. The first couple days when I was leading, I freaked myself out. My brain was telling me that a bear was waiting around the next corner and I would jump inside when I encountered that corner. I realized after the second time I did this, I needed to stop. Otherwise, I would eventually give myself a heart attack and I didn’t think Copenhaver aka “The Good Doctor” wanted to treat a heart attack victim.

Luckily being in a little bit bigger of a group, we didn’t encounter as many bears as a lone thru-hiker did. Although, Carl and I did see a bear’s rump when we were on our way to hang a bear bag on the fourth night. We backed way out of sight of the bear and I sprinted back to camp while Carl ran backwards to camp. Note to those who have never encounter bears, never turn your back to a bear. I know I was in the wrong, but I learned from that experience as well as from our presenters.

Presenters came and joined us for lectures and they had enlightening information about the health of the Shenandoah Valley, which was distressing to hear.

We are infected with invasive species both in plants and animals. Whitetail deer were transported from Arkansas and seedlings in our forest are suffering because of the deer and other animals eating them. Air quality is rated poor in the Shenandoah Valley and in the top 50 places to obtain cancer. This is not healthy nor is the water that runs through the valley.

The Shenandoah River is not fixed and that it moves all the time from weathering and erosion. This movement in conjunction with runoff supplies the water with the mercury set within the banks and soil surrounding the river. Weather and mercury isn’t the only problem. Livestock in the water damage the water quality both from their waste and their hooves crushing the sediment downstream.

I see myself becoming more involved within my community to help preserve our land and water resources. Furthermore, being more environmentally conscious of decisions that I or my family makes in regards to either around the house or around the farm.

I don’t regret being a part of the Shenandoah Ecoventure nor do I regret those tough decisions I made to devote myself to this project. I was looking for change this semester and I found it.

I can’t thank The Downstream Project, Shenandoah University, Pam Patterson, John Stevens, and Stacey Keenan enough for creating this extraordinary opportunity.

My hope is that others can experience the outdoors for what it is and not for what they want it to be, as I have experienced.

Our role with the Shenandoah River

Above: Allan Thomson of The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Dr. John Copenhaver of Shenandoah University

Barriers are broken with the blade of my paddle as it knocks on the Shenandoah River’s door. Her home in the Shenandoah Valley looks quite welcoming and so we continue to wait for her acknowledgment.

She is emotionally unstable from her past relationships with weather, humanity, and agriculture. We hope to help her heal from those abusive relationships.

Our intention is to help her deal with the abuse she has taken from these relationships by creating a healthy friendship and solution options for all the parties involved.

Being a physiatrist in this type of situation is difficult as she loves and hates each past relationship equally. So having a team, Shenandoah Ecoventure, behind me is helpful.

Collectively, we have spent 10 days with weather, humanity, and agriculture to experience what she experienced with those relationships.

We have experienced the weather in the form of rain and we found that intimate relationship healthy when she is clinically depressed and on their sporadic visits.

However, I have discovered that too much interaction can have negative affects on Shenandoah’s health and on her other relationships.

Humanity’s and agriculture’s affair affected Shenandoah’s relationship with weather. Unfortunately humanity is somewhat oblivious to those affects.

Agriculture understands but looks out for it’s best interest for it’s secret relationship with livestock. Shenandoah finds it difficult to tolerate livestock’s habits.

Our team met with Jeff Kelble, the Shenandoah Riverkeeper, Shenandoah’s newest boyfriend. His demeanor and affection for her seemed to mend Shenadoah’s broken heart.

Kelble understood all of Shenandoah’s past relationships with humanity, in terms of corporation, and agriculture, in terms of livestock. He works to keep Shenandoah’s heartache and her pollution disease to a minimum, on a daily basis.

Our team concluded after 10 days of intense studying and investigating that this newly formed relationship with Jeff Kelble is a match made in heaven and the Shenandoah River has benefited from it since their beginning.

As we paddled on her we noticed some of her extremities were suffering because of corporate industries input, livestock wastes and usage as well as poor sewage systems along her banks.

Her image was not clear and you couldn’t see beneath the surface. White frothy foam surrounded her surface and emerald green algae clogged her arteries in those places. The algae bloom was very relevant in most of the miles we paddled and sometimes indicates a serious problem.

With the Shenandoah River, Kelble mentions that it is a sign that this river is very fertile which is a positive and negative sign.

Kelble named more additives to the sickened river and mentioned that a solution is difficult to pinpoint because she is not a bay; she moves at a faster pace.

My hope as the days conclude is that we have helped the Shenandoah River, the Shenandoah Valley, and we have helped the people who are amongst their beauty or who love to experience their beauty realize these places of bliss need our attention. Denial of these pollution problems, outcrop, and other challenges is not an active solution.

Why don’t we, for once, stop being reactionary and think about what type of long term effect we are creating for the environment? Cause and effect.

Lazy days on the Shenandoah River

She is surrounded by an assortment of blues and rays of light, birds swoop down to clench their breakfast from her and she is willing to supply her friends with a hearty fish or two. Her health has been unstable for the past couple decades and algae drenches her once beautiful stature. Being diagnosed with pollution isn’t easy for a river to hear or to accept.

Many people have forgotten her these days, but we are spending some quality time with her before our venture comes to a conclusion. Four days doesn’t seem like much to access the situation of an entire river, but we have studied her micro-invertebrates and canoed with her for many hours.

Allan Thomson of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation joined us for the past three days when we all met the Shenandoah River.

He showed us how to look for pollution in a river and explained the seven indicator species, which show a river’s health.

Above: Allan Thomson of The Chesapeake Bay Foundation

In a short span of two to three hours we found four of the seven indicator species. We concluded that on those days the river was fairly healthy. Water Pennies can’t live in polluted waters, and we found several in one day.

We have witnessed several farms these past couple days where cows were allowed to wonder down to the river.

Cows’ manure and gaseous content can increase the nitrogen levels in the water and cause the river’s health to decline. Once the river’s health declines, those living species’ lives deteriorate.

Water is a resource, which we all use and need in order to survive. Personally, seeing those cows standing almost hip deep levels made me cringe. At what point do you say enough and make it a law to keep your cows off the river.

Being raised a farmers’ daughter, I see and smell the manure all the time. And to think people freely let their cows waste runoff into our drinking water is down right discomforting.

Before we left on our river adventure we met with two colleagues of the South River Science Team in Waynesboro. They explained to us that water out of the Shenandoah is below drinking standards for the public

If the water is below drinking standards to begin with, livestock is just escalating the problem further. I would personally like to test the quality of water before approaching a farmland with free range livestock and the water quality afterward. Just from simple observation canoeing I noticed the water was murkier after passing the livestock in the water.

Above L to R: George Patterson speaks to two representatives of The South River Science Team

Life in the river is peaceful. The Shenandoah River isn’t working against you like the Appalachian Trail. The trail worked you with the strenuous ascends and descends. The river is calmer and tranquil. I don’t know a better way to conclude our Ecoventure by paddling back home.

We have taken on water in our canoes in the past four days and had to bail out a couple of times. The water level of the river is extremely low, but we all are thinking positively as the days come to an end.

As the wind blows and the seasons continue to change, Ecoventurers are learning more ways to doctor our river friend back to health in order to help her as she has helped us.

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Last day on the trail.

Backrow L to R: Tai Rousten, Bill Howard

Frontrow L to R: John Stevens Jr., Carl M. Chapman, and I

The leaves rustle underneath my feet as I walk down the Appalachian Trail for the last time. The sun comes to see us for a bit and the temperature plummeted, but I believe it’s because the mountains are sad to see us go.

I have experienced a taste of what those call the backcountry and backpacking. I have met very interesting people along the way that makes me believe that this was a taste.

Bob Proudman of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, our final presenter on the trail, spoke of his experiences with the wilderness when he was a mountaineer. One climbing trip in particular turned tragic for him as Mother Nature unleashed her fury upon the 6 person crew with 80 mph winds, death defying temperatures, and lighting. Lets just say his story made our complaints of being cold and wet insignificant.

Above: Bob Proudman of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Proudman also spoke of what is being done with the Appalachian Trail and how we could help. Many clubs along the AT are seeking volunteers to help with trail maintenance and restoration. The volunteers are paid with a place to stay and food while they work. I don’t see that as a bad exchange for helping preserve our vein to the heart of Shenandoah Valley.

Our final day on the trail, we awoke to snow on the ground and on our tents. The previous day we had hiked a strenuous 13 miles to Calf Mountain. I now know why they named the mountain Calf Mountain, and it’s not because of the animal.

Above L to R: Carl M. Chapman, myself, and John Stevens, Jr. Above: My tent right after I woke up at Calf Mountain.

The last couple days we had been slogging through fog and rain, so snow was a nice change of scenery for a bit as we came upon our final overlook. The snowflakes clenched to the surrounding forest and trees but not to the trail. I will miss the trail life.

Personally, I loved every minute of the hiking experience even though the 13 miler was brutal, slogging was miserable, and being among the human stench pummeled up as the days went on. There is a Greek Proverb that says, “He who suffers much knows much.” I feel we try to avoid being miserable that we miss out on the experience of misery and suffering.

It’s a crazy concept, but why work so hard on avoiding misery when all you could do is just let life happen? You could spend those countless hours experiencing more important things more dear to you; like your family, friends and the wilderness. Plus side, it’s less stressful.

Lately the trail experience plays over in my mind continuously. The leaves changing, the animals rushing along and the insects scurrying to get prepared for winter. Experiences with the Ecoventure team and presenters, as well as the views will forever be encased within my memory. But, I’m still not completely out of the woods.

Above: Myself, Carl Chapman and John Stevens Jr., posing for George Patterson.

My mind being still on the trail, I can’t stop comparing life to it. We are all on the same trail called life. We may take a side trail or two, but most of us get back on the trail and follow it to the unknown future. No one knows what is around the next bend or what he or she will encounter at the next hut or overlook.

As the river days approach I expect the experience to be similar to the trail. Days will be long, lectures will enlighten, and more interesting stories to share.

We may not know what is around the next bend, but Shenandoah Ecoventurers are ready to keep paddling.