Here I sit in a tiny bus station in Bangor, ME. It's 330pm and I've been up since 430am. Flew out of Birmingham at 6 am, changed planes in Charlotte and Philly, took a cab to the bus station, awaiting 630 bus to Medway, ME, then a shuttle to Millinocket...I don't know how long that last piece will take.
I'm excited about starting south bound from Maine, but also a bit nervous as I feel like I'm in a foreign land with strangers. I've tried to think of everything I need and as a result, my pack seems too heavy...even though I weighed it and it's only 34 pounds with 7 days of food (no water)...I think it's that I know I must start out with the most food ever...I already know I'll eat a lot the first few days just to reduce pack weight...the terrain looks flat on the elevation profile, so maybe I can eat a lot and walk a lot....that would work out great!
I've brought (and am wearing) lightweight hiking pants and a long sleeved sun shirt to Minimize the skin I'm exposing to the flesh eating black flies. I called a few hiker hostels yesterday to get a fly update...turns out they're still out and biting, but the numbers should be down drastically by mid July...I'll keep you posted. I've sprayed all my clothing with permethrin and brought deet as a back up. The deet seemed to work great against the ticks, but I hated putting it directly on my skin. I've chosen to cover my skin with (chemically treated) fabric instead of applying the chemicals directly to my skin....
I hope all of you know first hand the wonder of having a great family. I certainly appreciate it more as I age. I'm "wonderful blessed" as the little old lady in that Mississippi nursing home used to say! My family plucked me from the trail in front royal, VA, fed me all my favorite foods, let me bathe, do laundry and sleep, took me to rei...and get this..they were pleasant and engaging and seemed genuinely interested in my adventures! The nephews just keep growing! Many thanks y'all!
The other side of my family and some new friends (we'll call these "the dark side") went to the grand canyon via Las Vegas. Las Vegas is a freak show on steroids...the best people watching EVER. Also the hottest and driest climate EVER.
You know how you hate using the oven in the summer because it makes the kitchen too hot? Well, next time you make a pan of cornbread (450°), when you take out that cast iron skillet that you've preheated, just leave the oven door open and stick your face right down in there....and stay for a minute or two....while your face is melting off your skull, smile and say "welcome to Vegas, baby! Where's Elvis?"
Felt good, didn't it? Next time, just for bonus points, see if you can get your feet in there, too!
We enjoyed some good food, pool time and laughs before heading out to the canyon. Western river expeditions is the way to see the grand canyon....I love hiking, but it's a real time- inefficient method of exploring the canyon. On the J rig boat, I had no worry of the boat flipping as we crashed through the rapids (which is a very efficient cooling mechanism, by the way). We would pull over and hike to the most beautiful places I've ever seen...lovely turquoise creeks and pools, shady places to relax, and the rocks....wow. I have a new fascination for geology...
A few days at home to visit, "get my stuff together" and tackle the "honey-do"list and here I am...headed back out
to the AT. Shutterbug has also flip flopped and is about a week ahead of me..maybe we'll see each other!
Tomorrow I plan to summit Katahdin, spend one last night in a bed, eat one more good meal, then head south on Tuesday....
I look forward to keeping y'all up to date as my crazy adventure continues. Thanks so much for your continued interest and support!
Pics: there's Elvis!; the dark side
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