Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
More Maine
The one redeemingthing in Abdover, ME. The Little Red Hen Restaurant. Such good food!
The Maine Conservation Corps rocks! They were out building stone steps up the mountain as I passed by. Hurray for well maintained trail!
Views from yesterday
I walked 2 miles this morning before I got to this beautiful spot. I swam and then sat and journaled for an hour before I could peel myself away. It was one of those rare moments where I was completely content to be exactly where I was.
Quail..or...grouse...or something else?Either way it had chicks with it. Super cute.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Hike Your Own Hike
It's a pretty common phrase on the Trail. In fact it even gets it's own acronym out here- HYOH. You'll hear people say it to one another when someone gets on their high horse about their hike.
People say it, but few people actually abide by it. There are a thousand ways to hike this trail. Some people have to see every white blaze and hike every inch of trail (we call them purists), others often take blue blazes (side trails) to see waterfalls or for better trail. Some people yellow blaze (skipping trail miles in a car).
Early on I was a little annoyed with people yellow blazing. It seemed like cheating. In retrospect, I wish I had been more gentle to those folks. The Trail is hard. More so than most people can understand. And for some it is considerably harder than others. Some folks flew to a foreign country to do this and have no support nearby. Others are hiking with medical issues or disabilities. For some folks the miles come easy, but for some it is constant struggle.
And everyone has different reasons for being here. For some it's the physical challenge, others it's the adventure, others it's a way to find themselves, and for a few it is a chance to grieve a loss.
With a thousand different reasons for being out here and so many different challenges each person faces, it's not fair to expect everyone to hike the same way.
That's really true of life too tho. You don't know everyone's struggles, so be gentle with them.
New Hampshire and now the Maine attraction!
Whelp, I survived the Whites. It was beautiful and hard. The first 3 days it rained. At one point I was ready to bail and wait out the rain, but my crew convinced me to suck it up and keep on trucking. It finally let up that afternoon and was beautiful for my summit over Mt. Washington and the following 2 days. 
(Please note how tiny my new pack is!)
My last day I did a 21 mile slackpack out of The Whites into Gorham.
I was super proud of myself for doing that big of miles through such tough terrain, but definitely was feeling and paying for it 2 days later as I went through Mahoosuc Notch (the so-called hardest mile of the Trail) and was a good bit more achey than normal. The Mahoosuc Notch was actually a lot of fun, despite the effort and soreness. Lots of bouldering and crawling under things. It's nice to have sore arms for a change.
Oh yeah, I'm now in Maine! 13 states down, one to go!
And some more pictures just for funsies.
Nude Hampshire (WARNING: not a typo)
Friday, July 11, 2014
Back in the Game
The last 50 or so miles of Pennsylvania all the way through New Jersey and New York kicked my butt. It was rocky, there was a ton of pointless ups and downs, my feet hurt constantly, and I was frustrated that I couldn't do the 20 miles a day I was use to pounding out. Connecticut and Massachusetts were better as far as terrain and trail goes, but I was still wiped. I think part of it might have been poor nutrition, but regardless, it felt harder than it should have. I loved Vermont, but it too felt as if my body was breaking down. The last 30 or so miles in Vermont kicked my butt. I did one 19 mile day into West Hartford and felt completely wrecked the next day.
I knew I was approaching the Whites in NH quickly and wasn't feeling confident about them at all. The weather can get fierce up there and the elevation gain and loss is brutal, more so than any of the trail thus far.
But the last 4 days has been a huge confidence booster. I resupplied at a co-op in Hanover with a lot of fresh food and other healthier options, plus bought some new multivitamins. That combined with my new shoes (pair 4) has been a game changer. The last 4 days of hiking has been over some rugged and hilly terrain and I've felt strong. Today I hiked over Mt Moosilauke, which is suppose to be one of the harder climbs of the Trail and felt great. I'm now excited to be starting The Whites tomorrow feeling capable and confident.
View from Mt Moosilauke <3
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Only 2 states left!
One of our last views in Vermont of the Green Mountains.
Trail Magic. I LOVE Vermont.
The Tramily <3
New Hampshire trail magic courtesy of Bill. Super rad!
New Hampshire. We've made it to Glencliff, NH. The Whites start soon, eek!
It's starting to look a bit more rugged...
Fire tower view of NH.
Gratitude
People are amazing. Folks talk about all the bad in the world, and I know full well of it, but I'm convinced there is more good than bad. If you received as much kindness as I have in the last 4 months you might be as well.
Rides into town, beers left in streams, coolers with soda, free pizza and ice cream, people opening their homes up, trail maintenance. The list goes on and on. And my cup runneth over.
Two people in Hanover, NH fed 4 of us dinner and breakfast, helped us slackpack, and put us up for two nights. Simply because they wanted to help. Thanks Linda and Mike!
A friend of a former running buddy sent me his GoLite pack to borrow and a neoair sleeping pad. Both items I couldn't afford to buy, but am so ridiculously thankful to get to use. They both look brand new. My pack went from 25.5 lbs to just over 20. The difference in how 5 lbs less on my back is going to feel is slightly miraculous.
Thank you James!!!!!!!!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Vermont Adventures
My life currently consists of people I adore and ridiculous adventures. I'm so grateful for this life.
Bennington Moose
Canoeing at Camp Greenwood with Baby Bean and Dino
Swimming at Stratton Pond
Chicken Church?!
Board games can get a bit fierce with this crew...
Mural in Rutland, Vt
Fire tower!
My mom came and visited for several days. We road tripped, kayaked, rock climbed, ate really good food, celebrated Bean Dips Bday, and hotel hopped. I also came to the realization that my mum is far cooler than I am.
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