We had a great hike in 2011, join us in 2012! Below and in the link at right, get two hiker's views of the 2011 BLAST! hike.
One of Us Dropped Before we Hiked...
by : Joel Bates,
2011 Director (sort of) for BLAST!
What do a makeshift BLAST director, 21 hiking
enthusiasts and a deranged surgical outpatient have in
common? They were all present at the opening ceremonies of
this years BLAST hike-a-thon.
For weeks I had been briefing the staff, prepping
supplies, emailing hikers and calling sponsors, in an effort
to make this years BLAST even better than the last. The
nervous energy was building as the big hike day approached,
and with pledges finalized the hikers began to show up a day
or two ahead of time. Thursday as I nestled into bed early
to prepare for the grueling 24 hours ahead, my tummy
startled rumbling. That rumbling grew through the night into
a churning caldron of pain that resulted in landing me in
the emergency room just hours before the hike was to start.
The DM staff scrambled to cover my absence as director of
BLAST. My chagrin and a signature was my only response to
the anxious medical staff as they urged me to go under the
knife to remove a pesky appendix.
At 17:45 hours Leah began the orientation to announce
the start of BLAST. That’s right about the time I was
coming-to after my surgery. I don’t remember asking for a
phone, but I dialed Leah’s number and interrupted her speech
to give a slurred, albeit cheery, charge to the hiker mob. I
hung up the phone, and they hit the trail both resolute to
persevere over the coming day.
Many hikers were surprised to see me standing at the
BLAST headquarters that evening at 22:00 hours, cheering the
weary travelers. They boasted of great miles they had
covered in the dead of night, I showed off my new abdominal
wounds. As the 24 hour hike ensued, I found myself puttering
around the headquarters watching and getting in the way. I
soon realized that the DM team was capably handling every
detail of BLAST with the panache I have seen many times.
Hikers moved out with stoic jaws set to their task. Our
staff at headquarters welcomed each hiker with hugs, smiles
and a bowl of hot soup. And when the miles had deteriorated
too much resolve, there was Jennifer, our wonderful massage
therapist, donating her services with joy to many a weary
traveler. She mended enough muscles to be credited with over
a hundred extra collective miles of our group.
All-in-all BLAST was just plain enjoyable for everyone.
And this adrenaline junky, sidelined by surgery and the
divine hand of God, sat down among the hubbub of hiking and
was glad to be a part of something so wonderful. I invite
you to the fun next year.
