Is it Maine, or ME?

Greetings from Rangeley, Maine. Apparently, Maine is a great place to find homemade pie, much to my delight. Just a few more towns/pie opportunities to go. One of the local restaurants has a dish just for dogs, and Miss Gracie will be getting her very own town treat tonight, a great followup to the Moose-shaped dog cookie I got her at the outfitter yesterday. Thanks, Michael, for helping support our town food habit! I decided to take a day off here to work through the rest of the cold symptoms (which are much improved already) and realign my hiking schedule with the post office hours in Caratunk, ME. Have been enjoying the trail A LOT these past few days. Had a wonderful night camping with Willow, who I hadn't seen since Virginia, then a great solo night at a pond-side campsite where I saw my first moose, the stars and firewood were abundant, and Gracie joined me for a quiet sunrise canoe ride around the pond. As we get closer to Katahdin, the need to enjoy each moment for what it is grows stronger, and the need to summit Katahdin diminishes. I know today that it will be great to reach the peak, because it will bring closure to the journey, but not absolutely necessary. My life won't change for having climbed that one mountain, it is just another part of the path, and while it is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, it is not the end. There will be other challenges ahead, some of my choosing, some not. I've gained so much from this experience already, and one of the best things I'm experiencing at times these days is a real comfort and peace as I walk. As the old hymn goes, "...it is well, it is well, with my soul"
May all be well with you, my friends.
Peace
Kel

Another ride on the rollercoaster

Another crazy week on the AT for us. When we got to Glencliff, Journey told me it was time for her to go home. I was really sad, and already anxious about New Hampshire, so felt like I was starting all over again when Gracie and I hiked out on our own the next day. Still, I have so much respect for Journey, who continued to hike with one broken and one sprained finger, and had the courage to honor that voice that said it was time to go home. It is hard to part ways with trail family, but I know I have a friend for life and am grateful for the time we spent on the trail together.
Our second day out of Glencliff, we hiked up Little Haystack, on our way to Franconia Ridge. Over halfway up the tough, tree-lined climb, I was near tears and wondering why I was still doing this. Had I really hiked over 1800 miles for yet another tough climb, with nothing to see but rocks and trees? Full of frustration, I kept climbing, and soon, we were above treeline, and I was crying again, awestruck by the view. Yes, I walked 1800 miles for this! Franconia Ridge is now my favorite view on the AT. Gracie and I stayed on the ridgeline for awhile, and caught up to Luke and his father, Matthew on Mt. Lafayette. We ended up hiking together all the way to Pinkham Notch, then I hiked on while they went into Gorham to rest.
Before we reached Pinkham Notch, we all summitted Mt. Washington, highest peak in New Hampshire. The highlight of Mt. Washington was running into fellow Austinite Carrie Williams on the summit. Crazy coincidence and a total delight!
The next night, we did a work for stay at Carter Notch Hut, and were reunited with The Saint and Aquafresh, and a host of other fellow northbounders. Good times. Now we're resting up in Gorham, with probably three to three and a half weeks left until Katahdin. The New Hampshire rocks have been so rough that Gracie is wearing her booties, and quite happily. Everyone seems to have converged in Gorham. It's like a hiker family reunion. I still miss Journey, but have not lacked for companions on the trail. We've also been blessed with some surprise care packages. Mucho thanks to Denali & Gorgonzola's friend Dave for letting me use his laptop for an update. Internet is hard to come by here. Thanks for all the good wishes and support! Onward to Maine!
Kel & Gracie

a rare photo

I do wish I had the time to upload more photos from the trip, but tending to a dog and myself takes more effort than I anticipated. Until I get back home, here's a photo from our stay at the Green Mountain House in Manchester Center, Vermont. This was a great hostel, and exceptionally well run by former thru-hiker Jeff. He took this photo after he dropped us at the trailhead. Gracie actually rode in the cab of the pickup, not the bed. She looks pretty stout in this picture. It's amazing how muscular she's become. She'll be wearing her pack again for the Whites. She has lots of extra energy in the evenings, thanks to the cooler weather and being pack-free for such a long time. Manchester Center was the first time we hitched a ride into town. Gracie & I didn't have much luck. We stood at the road for 20-40 minutes. Checkpoint joined us about 15 minutes before it started to rain, and we soon had a ride into town. I'm not too fond of hitchhiking, even though it's easier/safer around trail towns than elsewhere. We'll have to hitch a few more times before this is all over, though. Headed to another hostel near Hanover, New Hampshire for the night. Tomorrow we begin our approach to the White Mountains.

My first convertible

pants, that is, and other things I never thought I'd do or wear on this trip...

• Get convertible pants. My first pair of hiking pants were great, but although my weight has stayed pretty consistent, I've got more leg muscle, as is typical for women hiking the trail, so they were getting a little snug in the legs and not comfortable for hiking. I picked up a pair of convertible hiking pants (zip off legs to convert to shorts) at my most recent town stop and love them!
• Eat as much ice cream as I have. MediumRare was right! Almost every town stop includes at least one serving of ice cream. Some hostels have pints of Ben & Jerry's on hand, and that's always a factor in choosing a place to stay. While waiting for the bus after grocery shopping in Dalton, Journey & I shared a pint of Ben & Jerry's in the parking lot. Awesome.
• Wear crocs. Fake ones, that is. The Smokies taught me that I needed a pair of camp shoes to give my feet a break from wet, soggy hiking shoes. I tried flip flops in Hot Springs, but my feet kept sliding out of them and it's hard to wear them with socks. So, in Damascus, I relented and got a pair of fake crocs. I've always thought crocs were kinda ugly, and considered them a gateway shoe to Birkenstocks and all they represent. But I am now a convert. Best $5 I've spent on the trail. My "crocs" are incredibly comfortable, awesome camp shoes, and the reality is, I am becoming more of a crunchy granola-eating, Birkenstock-wearing, tree-hugging hippie all the time, I might as well accept it and embrace it.
• Go this long without a haircut. I anticipated cutting my hair somewhere around the halfway point, but I haven't yet, so I might as well wait until the finish.
• Wear shorts over my long underwear. This started in the Smokies in the interest of having something warm and dry to wear in the evening around camp. Comfort and functionality trump looks.
  
• Miss family and friends as much as I have. The biggest of them all. I am so grateful for the community I am a part of, the support and love I receive, and am glad to know I have a home to return to. Not much more I can say about that.
  

There are probably more, but that's all I can think of right now. We'll be hitting New Hampshire in the next week, which means more challenging climbs and weather (as if the relentless rain has not been challenging enough), and probably less internet access at hostel/town stops. I'm getting excited about the terrain ahead, but also realizing that my initial schedule was far too ambitious. I'm officially two weeks behind that schedule, and will probably add at least 5-10 days to that over the next several weeks. And that's ok with me. Gracie is doing great and looking great. She had a good swim at Stratton Pond a few days ago. There were river otters in the pond and one swam within 50 feet of her to check her out. Thankfully Gracie was fully engaged in fetching a stick and didn't see the otter. I'm pretty tired and footsore at the end of each day, but still (mostly) motivated to hike each morning. The morning miles go by pretty fast, and the afternoon miles go slowly. The last two miles always seem to be the longest, no matter how few or many miles I've hiked each day, but some days I'm able to savor them instead of constantly wondering "are we there yet?" Until next time...

insert clever title here

Today is our four month trail-versary, and I made Journey laugh over breakfast when I said I thought it was quite fitting to spend it zero-ing in town! We hiked only three miles to get to Dalton, MA yesterday, then spent the rest of the day dealing with the bus service to get to our maildrops in Cheshire and get more food for Gracie. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I planned to get from Sheffield, MA to Manchester Center, VT in 5 days. Not gonna happen! Twenty mile days are no longer part of my vocabulary. So, yesterday's "rest day" was not so restful and we decided to stay on another day. Lots has happened since Gracie & I left New Jersey.
We stayed at Graymoor Spiritual Life center (run by a bunch of Franciscan monks), camping behind the ballfield backstop. They were having a centennial celebration/reunion weekend for their recovery program, and all the hikers were invited to share in the meals that day, which was a nice treat. Although the stop at Graymoor wasn't the peace and quiet hoped for, just being there brought a sense of calm and serenity, especially when I took Gracie for a walk through the grounds and visited to eclectic shrines and memorials.
The following day, it rained and rained, and when the thunder and lightning started, Gracie and I literally crawled under a rock for a bit to wait out the weather. After we started walking again, I spent the rest of the afternoon cursing the trail and every frustrating thing about it. Being at Graymoor helped me be aware of and feel my anger and frustration, and letting it out was really cathartic. The rain cleared up before I reached the shelter, and by the next morning, I was happy to hike again.
We camped in the backyard of a real estate office (with permission) in Kent, CT and I had a "Kent Mocha" at Kent Coffee & Chocolate before leaving town the next morning. Kent is the kind of place people go to buy things they don't need, but the people were friendly and they had some great public art. I picked out a dark chocolate ginger Buddha at the chocolate shop, and packed it out of town for a trail treat. In Salisbury, CT, we visited the nation's first public library, Journey and Blink shared their ice cream with me on the benches outside the local market, and we all cooked and ate dinner on the lawn of the town square, beneath a statue, before hiking a mile out of town to camp.
We spent a "working zero" at an organic farm near Sheffield, MA, where we spent hours weeding and mulching peppers and eggplants in exchange for a place to tent, showers, laundry, a trip to Great Barrington for shopping (they have a great co-op!), and meals that reminded me of Casa de Luz. Almost everything served was grown on the farm.
We're staying at the house of the nicest guy in Dalton. He's opened his home to hikers for 30 years! Hiking the trail is an amazing opportunity to experience firsthand the kindness and generosity of the human spirit. Trail magic is one of the things I'll remember most about this adventure.

not so fast with that rope...

New Jersey has been pretty awesome. Today is a short day, only 6 miles of hiking, so I'm taking some time to rest and update the blog at the Episcopal church hostel in Vernon. They don't allow dogs inside, so we pitched the tent outside the volunteer firehouse last night. I was blessed with a great sunset and sunrise while in town. In the mountains, the surrounding trees usually obscure the views. Maybe you remember those Pace picante sauce commercials with the cowboys who almost string up the cook because the salsa is made in New Jersey? Well, I don't know what I was expecting from the Garden State, but I have been pleasantly surprised and delighted by the generous people, tasty local peaches, and yes, even a locally made organic salsa that was better than Pace!
The hiking theme for New Jersey is "rocks, mosquitos, and bears, oh my!" The mosquitos are probably the worst part. Three nights ago, I stopped at a shelter intending to get water at the nearby spring, but got attacked by a swarm of mosquitos. I frantically removed my pack, found the deet and doused myself, then got out of there before they could carry Gracie off. The next shelter was a little more hospitable, so I pitched the tent across from the bear box. But it would not be a peaceful night. Around 9pm, the air raid siren sounded at the nearby lake. I've been hearing a lot of those lately; most communities seem to have holdover sirens from years back, and sound them once a day, so I didn't pay it much mind. Less than an hour later, we started to hear some pretty intense thunder. We spent the next couple of hours (although it seemed like longer) cowering in the tent as the most intense storm I've ever experienced passed right through camp. The rain was not that bad, but poor Gracie was shaking and panting as the lightning and thunder crashed around us. At times there was no delay between flash and crash. We stayed dry in the tent, though, and eventually got to sleep after the thunder and lightning passed.
By noon the next day, I was in need of some trail magic. I was feeling bad that Gracie had such a frightening experience with the storm, and had let myself get too hungry. Wanting to get to the mayor's house in Unionville for the night, a 20 mile hike, I hadn't taken enough breaks for water and snacks. I stopped at High Point State Park headquarters for water and lunch. When I staggered out of the visitor center, a guy asked if I was thru-hiking, and said he was grilling out back and I was invited to come eat. I joined Grey Ghost (GA-ME '93), his wife, Ann, Bullet, and West for burgers, hot dogs, sodas, salads, and chips. I left the park at 2:45, a much happier hiker, and still made it to Unionville in time for dinner and the hospitality of "the Mayor." This guy will soon be a trail legend. There were 26 hikers at his house the night Gracie & I were there. He fed all of us supper and breakfast, did our laundry, and offered us some encouragement and inspiration for the rest of our journey. Once again, the kindness and support of others relieved my frustration and worry, restored my confidence in myself and humanity, and sent me back on the trail with enthusiasm. More than ever, I *know* that I am not alone on this journey, or in life.

Feeling like a real hiker

Here's the update Kelli left on Sandra's voicemail Sunday, 7/19, around noon:

I am a couple of days from Delaware Water Gap. A couple of days ago I left Port Clinton, where the burgers are huge and the fries are enormous. And people love their yard ornaments, above-ground pools and fake deer.

I've had one evening of rain but it hasn't been terrible. I've been in the tent for six consecutive nights, so I feel like I'm turning into a real hiker. I actually passed up an opportunity for a shower yesterday.

I have passed the 90-day mark, and have fewer than 900 miles to go to Katahdin, so I feel like the countdown has begun. I had some really awesome views in Pennsylvania. My new shoes are great, and re-supply has been totally, totally awesome.

Gracie's doing great. She's making friends on the trail. She may have picked up giardia again so I'm just kind of keeping an eye on that and looking at getting her in to see a vet in the next couple of days. But she's eating great and her spirits are great, and she is totally a champion of the rocks of Pennsylvania.