Monthly Archives: July 2013
We snuck up to the top of the ridge for a glimpse of the full moon…
A Notch in the Belt
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Goodbye, Maine… You were beautiful.
We’ve completed 298 miles of the trail, and hiked at least 312 miles including side trails and accidental wrong turns. We’ve also finished four milestones. 1) Katahadin – the largest peak in Maine and one of the most revered of the trail; 2) The 100 mile wilderness – the longest stretch of trail without towns and resupply points; 3) Southern Maine in general – a notorious maze of huge boulders and rocks and roots and climbing up and down old, crumbling mountains; 4) Mahoosuc Notch – the “most difficult mile on the trail” because it’s a climb over and under and around an enormous boulder field. We found it more like a giant adult playground…
Maine presented a beautiful and magical landscape… We hear New Hampshire is also rigorous with a lot of climbing ahead of us the next 7-10 days… it also holds our next (and last two milestones)… 5) The Whites in general (a lot of climbing and high mountains); and 6) Mount Washington specifically – the highest peak in the NE.
After that, and these next 100 miles, things are supposed to get “easier”… we’ll see…
Unpacking a Clown Car
A notice to our constituents regarding our recent performance – we’ve inherited new identities; Harpo & Groucho. Perhaps you’ve heard of us…
Shoulder Your Duds
Although we’re not hyped on carrying 9 days of food, we managed to keep out pack weight at 26 & 27 lbs, which is light by many standards. Any standard, in fact. After a little trimming in Stratton our base weights are below 12 lbs, so the rest is all snacks – and we can’t wait to lighten our loads! Now if only get these wooden Sherpas off our backs…
Whitman Sez #2
“And I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own,
And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own,
And that all the men ever born are also my brothers, and the
women my sisters and lovers,
And that a kelson of the creation is love
And limitless are leaves stiff or drooping in the fields,”
-Walt Whitman
Quote from the Trail: #3
My underpants are made from pine scented sunshine, cedar bough infused mountain mist, and encrusted with pure morning rainbow waterfalls… – Harpo
We met Passing Traveller, a fellow hiker from Munich, as we pulled into Maine on the bus. We ran into him here as he and Maverick were leaving Stratton and we were rolling up. He keeps crushing miles and setting records, and we keep chasing him…
Trail Recipe #2: Sugarloaf Trail Crepe
Dedicated to our two favorite former crepe ladies: Kate Ryan & Miss Lily Luv. The recipe is simple save one qualifier – it can only be eaten atop Sugarloaf mountain, a .5 mile detour from the AT in Maine….
Ingredients:
– 1 large flour tortilla
– two Oreo cookies
– 1 handful home dehydrated blueberries (thanks Sandy & Gerry!)
– 2 tbsp dark chocolate peanut butter
Spread the peanut butter on the tortilla, add blueberries and Oreos. I would say crush the Oreos but they’ll probably be pretty well crushed by the time you get up the mountain. Fold crepe style… Or jellyroll if you prefer. Enjoy!
Whitman sez #1
“Have you reckon’d a thousand acres much? have you reckon’d
the earth much?
Have you practis’d so long to learn to read?
Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems? Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin
of all poems,
You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are millions
of suns left,)
You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look
through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in
books, You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,
You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self.”
the earth much?
Have you practis’d so long to learn to read?
Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems? Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin
of all poems,
You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are millions
of suns left,)
You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look
through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in
books, You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,
You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self.”
Wrong Way Gang 