Friday, December 4, 2015
Leg 5
Leg 5 is to begin on December 5, 2015 with base camp set up at Cheaha State Park. Stay tuned for future updates.
Pictures from Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Day 4 Leg 4 - Tuesday November 25, 2014
The last day of the leg and we began expecting more
surprises and the opportunity to meet more interesting people. We were not disappointed.
Victor carried us by Jack’s for us to have breakfast with the
locals at the morning roundtable. We met
Carolyn Smith and really got some history of Lineville with this meal. Carolyn is on the city council and it was
very evident that she loved her community.
It was definitely interesting stories around the table even if we didn’t
know the parties being discussed. There
will be a picture posted with the names of the people around the table.
After the breakfast Victor carried us to the starting point
for the day at the police jurisdiction on the south side of Lineville. It was a beautiful clear sunny day and we
were enjoying it to the fullest. We soon
walked into the city limits and as we were approaching downtown in a
residential area we heard someone calling us.
We were walking right in front of Carolyn’s house and Beauty Shop that
she owned.
We traveled on through Lineville going up Highway 49 headed
toward Mt Cheaha. David and I had
determined that in this rural stretch we would have to depend on food in our
packs for lunch. We spotted a farmhouse
ahead on the right hand side of the road and across the road was a gate into a
field with a good grassy area to enjoy our lunch. And about the time we were
getting to the spot Shelton and Victor pulled up on their motorcycles. It was perfect timing for a visit with them while
we ate. We were getting settled being
sure bikes were off the road safely and could stand on the ground. Packs were coming off and breaking bread was
commencing. A guy pulled up in a Jeep
that I had seen back in town and thought he had probably seen us too. However, he had not and was just stopping to
talk. As it turned out we couldn’t come
up with a subject that he wasn’t a resident expert on. He had pulled up and stopped with his Jeep
sitting in the ditch, 2 motorcycles, David and I sitting on the ground eating. I had actually pulled my boots off while
sitting there eating and that is not an uncommon thing for me with a pack off
break. But with this scene for the folks
driving by raised a question in a lady’s mind.
A lady with a teenage girl driving stopped, actually drove by and turned
around. Her question was “Is everyone
ok? I’m just making sure nothing is
wrong.” We assured her all was fine and
thanked her for her hospitality. Not too
many people would do that.
David asked Shelton and Victor to come pick us up that
afternoon and he would treat us all to dinner.
All agreed and the motorcycles rumbled off and David and I quietly
walked on. The climb to Mt Cheaha had
begun and we didn’t know the mileage and where we would get to before
dark.
We crossed Shinbone Valley and was walking along and I had
seen a truck pull out of a dirt road headed up the mountain and it turned
around in a church yard and came back to us.
It was a lady that was headed across the mountain to buy groceries in
Anniston and spotted us. She and her
husband lived up the dirt road near a hiking trail crossing and they had
experienced so many lost hikers and had carried them to Mt Cheaha. She said she couldn’t go on without checking
to make sure we didn’t need something.
She did have some interesting stories of some of the hikers. We thanked her and it’s not very often you
will find that type of hospitality.
We called it a completed day of the walk and a finish to Leg
4 at the point that Hiway 49 ends into Hiway 281. This puts us about 3 miles from Cheaha State
Park and the peak of Mt. Cheaha. We traveled
19 miles today, attaining a total of 54 miles for Leg 4.
Here at the end of this leg we have walked a total of 359
miles.
Pictures from Monday November 24, 2014
Day 3 Leg 4 - Monday November 24, 2014
Finally we are starting a day without rain, it was cool and
overcast but predicted to burn off soon.
As you will see from some of the pictures for the day, it did turn out
to be a sunny and beautiful day. The
route for this day was through the rural area of Randolph and Clay Counties,
therefore, not a lot of stories to print.
However, the story opportunities changed as we got closer to
Lineville Alabama. At the intersection
just south of Lineville that Hiways 49 to Lineville and 77 to Ashland split was
a convenient/gas store. It was an old
establishment but had just been re-opened, and was a great place to take a good
pack off break. If I have my information
correct, Mrs. Nell Miller is the owner of the property with Felton and Leigh
Ann Mask were the operators of the store.
Leigh Ann was also attempting to get a small restaurant established
across the road but it was not open yet.
When she discovered we were looking for something to eat, she offered to
go over and cook us some bacon and eggs.
Although it sounded good, we thanked her and bought snacks in the
store. Mrs. Miller and some other folks
were sitting and hanging around out front of the store and we started visiting
and talking with everyone. There was an
older gentleman sitting there and Austin started chatting with him. The man’s
name is Charles Young but most people never knew his first name because he
always was known as Bunk Young. Austin
Wimberly is David’s friend that lives in Birmingham and has walked several days
of a couple of legs with us. How it came
about I didn’t hear but Bunk Young had worked as a younger man with Austin’s
maternal grandfather Hubert Claybrook.
Austin’s grandfather Claybrook had died before Austin was born so he
never knew him. So he and Bunk sat there
with Bunk telling him all about his grandfather. Claybrook and Young worked together at
Avondale Mill. It was very interesting hearing all this and what an awesome
event of a “small world” for Austin.
After having a good break and visiting with new found
friends, we traveled on toward Lineville.
Today was the last day that Austin could be with us so we were enjoying
the beautiful day and the fellowship together.
We were not sure of the mileage on into Lineville but that was where we
wanted to end the day. Walking along the
way with farm houses intermingled in the scenery we had definitely hit
civilization again. A man and his
grandson rode their golf cart out to the road with interest of what 3 guys
hiking up the highway with backpacks was all about. His name was Lynn Paterson and shared about
the industry in the area, history of the local furniture plants and local
schools, etc. He invited us to meet
several locals the next morning as there was generally a group that met at
Jack’s for breakfast and round table discussions (sometimes called liar’s
table). Long story short, David and I
went to Jack’s for breakfast the next morning and Lynn didn’t make it.
After the visit with Lynn, we walked on and Victor picked us
up at the police jurisdiction of Lineville.
David and I had one more day to walk but this brought Austin’s trek for
this leg to an end. We walked 15 miles
today for a total with Austin of 35 miles over the three days he was with us. This had been our first pretty clear day so
Shelton and Victor got in some good motorcycle riding in. They found us on a ride by and it was a good
time for us to all take a break and share stories of our experiences.
When we got back to camp, Austin loaded up and headed back
home. Shelton had cooked dinner for him
and Victor. David has said “Bobe, we
will go into Lineville and I will buy you dinner!” I didn’t stutter saying “Great,
we will for sure!” That way he couldn’t
change his mind. We ended up going to a
Mexican Restaurant and actually I think that might even be the name of it!
We meet some interesting people when eating the local restaurants
and tonight was no different. There was
a couple near us with their granddaughter and we ask them a few questions about
the local area and struck up a good conversation. They were Ronnie and Patti Suddath the owner
and manager of the local Piggly Wiggly.
I was about to ask them if they knew John and Phyllis Brock and they
found out I was from Evergreen so they beat me to the question. Mutual friends having dinner together during
Walk Up Alabama. While we were eating
and talking another couple came and the lady was the teacher of the little
granddaughter of the Suddath’s. The
teacher was Martha Davis Griffin and her husband Buddy. The Suddath’s completed their meal and
left. We continued talking with the
Griffin’s as we were winding down our meal.
The world got smaller again as we learned that Martha is a lifelong
friend of Peggy Brown, wife of my good friend Bro. Herbert Brown. We finished our meal and started telling the
Griffin’s bye, David asked for our check and the hostess said you are good to
go, it has been taken care of. Big Thank
you to the Suddath’s for such hospitality.
However, I told David he still owed me dinner, since that meal was taken
care of by someone else.
More pictures from Sunday afternoon
Pictures from Sunday November 23, 2014
Day 2 of Leg 4 - Sunday November 23, 2014
Walking or hiking in the rain is not new to David or I. However, this Sunday was wet all day!! It was a constant steady rain and sometimes
heavy rain all day long. Wet is one
thing but cold and wet makes it kinda miserable. In the midst of inclement weather we overcame
with a great day feeling the love of many people met along the way.
Victor and I met David and Austin back in Wadley as we had
planned, but due to the inclement weather we were a little later meeting to get
our day started. With our first
estimation for the meeting time allowed time to arrive in the Abanda community
by church time.
Due to a later start time we really pushed on the morning
walk to try to get to Abanda by 11:00 for church services. Heavy rain and rural area without any covered
areas such as store fronts took away the opportunity for taking any pack off
breaks. Therefore, we were making up
lost time trying to get to Church.
Scouting our route had revealed there was a Baptist Church
and a Methodist Church in Abanda on the same side of the road only a few feet
of parking lot between them. Also, we
had identified a potential café where we could have a warm lunch after
Church. As we approached Abanda
calculating we would get to the churches by 11:15 we felt good about making it
to church. David said “Bobe, what you
think about us splitting up since there are two churches? Someone, might invite us to lunch or one of
them may be having a fellowship lunch.
And if an invitation comes along we will say yes but I have a cousin at
the other church and he will have to join us!!”
I agreed as I thought David had a good plan. Then David ask me which church I wanted to
attend and I told him the first one! I was tired of walking in the rain and
ready for a dry spot. Actually then I
said I couldn’t remember which one was first so I chose to visit the Baptist
Church. David said that was fine with
him and he would visit the Methodist Church and Austin then had a choice of
church and wouldn’t have to be alone.
Austin chose the Methodist to attend with David.
Attending Abanda Baptist Church really touched my heart with
a witness of how we as churches and individuals should accept strangers. Pictures are posted with us in our rain gear
for so you can see how we looked arriving at church. As stated earlier it was about 11:15 when I
opened the church door to go in. I was
soaking wet and water was dripping from my rain suit, and I was really hoping
to see a folding metal chair to sit in.
I opened the door and the vestibule was carpeted and had two nice cloth
covered chairs. As I walked in door were
open all the way into sanctuary and I was looking eye to eye to the Pastor as
he was making announcements. I quietly
stopped and starting taking off backpack, hat and rain jacket. There was no way to get the rain pants
off. As I started this dismantling, the
Pastor said “Let’s wait just a minute until our guest gets his jacket off and
is in here.” I walked on in and stopped
at the back and he said “come on in and have a seat!” A couple started moving over asking me to sit
with them and I asked if someone could get me a folding chair I would just sit
back here since I was dripping wet. The
gentleman that was offering for me to sit with them got up and went to the back
and got a chair and a towel. As we
started singing the offertory hymn someone handed me a book and hands were
wet. The chair and towel arrived and I
got my hands, arms, and face dry and placed towel in chair (it was a cloth
padded folding chair.) While we were
singing another gentleman on the other side of the church saw I was wet and
cold and came back and ask me if I would like for him to go in the back and
make me some coffee. I thanked him and
declined. While the offering was being
taken the Pastor came out of the pulpit and I really didn’t pay that much
attention to what he was doing cause I trying to get some wet money out of wet
pockets. I looked up and there he was,
he had come around the side of the pews and had a blanket in his hands and said
“Sir, I didn’t realize you were so wet and cold. Wrap up in this!” I was warm, partially dry and the service
continued and the Pastor’s message was as good as their witness in action! At the end of the service I had the
opportunity to speak with many of the people there being near the back. Plus it was still pouring rain outside and no
one wanted to make a break to their car.
I had someone make a picture of me with the people that had been so good
to me. As the folks were talking to me
as they were leaving someone said “We hate you were not here last Sunday
because we had our Thanksgiving fellowship meal!” and I said “me too.” Immediately another person said “The
Methodist next door are having a meal today, Why don’t you just walk over
there? They are all good folks and will be glad to have you.” I said “Well my cousin is walking with me and
he is over there so I am on my way over there.”
Thank you, Abanda Baptist Church,
for touching my heart. That is what this
Walk Up Alabama is all about. Seeing the
goodness in everyone you meet and taking every opportunity to serve God when he
puts the opportunity in front of you.
As I was walking over to the Methodist Church I met Austin
as he was coming to find me to let me know lunch was served. When I got in the fellowship hall I spotted
Dr. Witt, a personal friend of David’s that lives in Auburn. Dr. Witt was a support person for us on the
last leg when we walked through Auburn.
Dr. Witt and his son and daughter drove up from Auburn in the rain
knowing our route looking for us. When
David and Austin went in the Methodist Church one of them left there backpack
on the front porch and Dr. Witt saw it driving by and said “David Bass is in that
church!” and stopped. So an added bonus
to get to visit with the Witt’s. The
Baptist guy that said the Methodist folks were good folks was exactly
correct. They treated us like royalty
and made us feel at home.
When we had finished eating and was walking around visiting
with folks and sharing about our venture and mainly answering questions. (Almost everyone wants to know why in the
world we would do something like this? David and I have never questioned it and
loved every step of the way!) A gentleman walked up to me and said “I owe you
an apology, I have already apologized to the other two.” I told him that I didn’t think he owed me an
apology. Then he shared with me that as
he and his wife were driving to church they passed us and he told his wife that
he hated not to pick those guys up but the way things are now he was afraid
to. He also told her that they should go
to church somewhere. And then he said “
Y’all came to church and are great guys, so I owe you an apology!” I shared again, accepted but certainly was
not needed!
Oh and by the way, the food!
Wow, Abanda does have great cooks!
David made some pictures of some of the food area.
After a long break from walking with worship and eating we
bundled in rain gear and walked on.
Now the Abanda experience was wonderful but that was not all
of the Christian love we saw this day.
As we were walking through Wadley Alabama later in the afternoon, still
cold and raining, this warm experience took place. We were walking through a residential area
leaving town and a couple drove up and stopped in a side street and got
out. They had 3 tall cups of Hot
Chocolate! There comment was they
spotted us earlier in town and went back and bought the drinks for us. They were a super sweet couple and we enjoyed
a welcomed warm drink. We got a picture
that is posted and I have since learned their names from some folks we met
later in the walk. The couple is Andrew
and Abra Camp.
It was a cold rainy Sunday but the goodness of God really
warmed us and made it a great day. It
was also a great sight later to see Victor pull up to carry us back to
camp. Not a lot of miles that day but a
lot of great experiences to remember the rest of our life. We walked 11 miles this day.
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