Paralympic Flashback

My post for August 6th in the White Mountains was titled More Of Same. Here's the whole post, reproduced for you:

Not much to note today really, except that I dodged two rainfalls by hanging out in huts where I met lots of nice families. Unfortunately, I left my map at the last one so I'm now mapless until Hanover.

That's it. I didn't get into any details, even though, in many ways, this was one of the most interesting days on the trail.

I think I was just too tired to get into details.

But today, a year and a half later, I'm going to fill one of those details in.

What I didn't mention is that one of the families I met and chatted with at length at one of the huts was Dannelle Umstead's. Her kids were wearing Australia green and gold caps, and when I asked about it they explained that it's because their mom travels a lot.

She travels a lot because she's a visually impaired Paralympic skier. She skied for the US Paralympic Team in Vancouver and Sochi and has three paralympic medals to show for it.

And today, she skis again representing the US at the Pyeongchang Paralympic Winter Games.

So I've decided to revisit that blog post just to say how cool it is that I met a paralympian. As much as I love the Olympics, I find the Paralympics about 10 times more inspiring. All olympic and paralympic athletes achieve levels of athleticism that most of us can only dream of - but paralympic athletes do it toiling in relative obscurity and with a tiny fraction of the financial support that other olympians get.

So I'll be watching the Paralympics again this year, and though I'll obviously be cheering for the Canadian athletes first - I'm also looking forward to seeing Danelle at work.

And just because I didn't include a photo last time, here's one I took that day:

Old Camera and Old Friends

This post is a bit delayed, since the trip took place shortly before I had to pack up my life and move it around the world again. Now that I'm settled in, I have a few minutes to recap it.

The trip

Some of you will recall that around a year ago I had some friends visit me on the AT and take me to NYC. Well those same friends are also fans of the camping life, so while I was in Canada for the summer we decided to squeeze a four day canoe trip on Lake Opeongo in Algonquin Park into our schedules. (My schedule was easily squeezed - the others have jobs.)

The plan was to canoe 10-12kms out to a campsite on an island, set up there, camp/paddle and eat for a few days before paddling back to the cars. A little like creating our own version of Upper Goose Pond in Massachusetts.

The best part was that only half of us were paddling to the campsite - the rest were taking an outfitter's ferry. Such luxuries meant that we could bring a lot more gear and food, and have a bit more of a glamping experience. Which we did. In spades.

Day 1 - Getting to camp

Maple paddles like a champ.

Maple was new to backcountry canoeing, so we headed off to learn a little about shoulder strength. It was a fun, challenging paddle, including a moment when we discovered that we'd set off without a map of the lake, so had to rely on my memory for navigation.

I'm not really great at navigation with a compass and a map in hand, let alone having both of those things only in my brain. Fortunately for us, my memory worked really well when assisted (read, supplanted) by the Google maps I'd downloaded to my phone, so we still found our way to the campsite. On the way we were harassed by a large group of seagulls who thought we were being a bit cheeky paddling so close to their chicks in the water. In our defense, we didn't even notice the chicks until we were practically on top of them. The seagulls did not seem particularly interested in our excuses.

We arrived just in time to make camp, and begin what ended up as an epic multi-course meal prepped by Mike and Nettie. There really are some times when glamping is the way to go.

Day 2 - Goodnight sweet prints.

Friday morning it was clear that the forecasted rains were not going to pass us by. Most of the crew decided this was a perfect excuse to do not much of anything at all except sit at camp, read, nap, and otherwise just be happy not to be at the office.

Yours truly is not that wise.

I decided I'd grab a canoe and go for a paddle. Bundled up in waterproof wear I headed off into the light mist on a serene lake to enjoy the quiet (not many make their way out in this weather), and generally just be glad to be on a lake again. I took a few shots, some of which even turned out reasonably nicely and was feeling pretty good about myself.

Then I happened on an island where the water was so calm and still that it made for a nearly perfect mirror so I decided to find a good spot to turn the canoe sideways and take a picture that in my head would end up something like this:

Just as I turned myself into position to take the shot, and without any warning, I found myself in the lake frantically trying to get back to the surface.  I'm still not sure exactly how it happened - I mean, in the image to the right, you can see how glassy and calm the water is. It's unlikely that a sudden swell pushed me over. 

As I floated at the surface trying to don my PFD, I thought I must have leaned out too far to take the picture. That made a lot of sense until I realised that my camera was still in my zipped pocket which meant I hadn't gotten anywhere near that point in the process. Fortunately it also meant that I hadn't dropped the camera to the bottom of the lake, so I might still salvage photos from the memory card - though the camera was clearly now an ex-camera.

I didn't have a lot of time to think about these things though, while floating alone in the middle of a large lake. My thoughts turned to getting back into the canoe somehow. It was a long two-person canoe, so self-rescuing was going to be a tall task. Instead of burning a lot of energy that way, I swam it to the shore of the island. There a couple of young guys camping took time out of updating their instagram accounts with photos of this idiot who'd tipped his canoe on the calmest day in history to help me right the canoe and set out again.

In the background of this shot of our accompanying pupper (taken by Chantelle), you can see me returning to our camp as a drowned rat.

Hershey looks at the camera, probably wondering why I'm so wet.

Day 3 - Short excursion

Day 3 was relatively uneventful. Maple and I took a canoe ride out a few kms to a trailhead, hiked in to find the small deer pond that definitely wasn't worth the mosquitoes, and then headed back for camp. The rest of the day was just chilling out at the campsite now that the rains had passed.

Day 4 - Hershey starts to make sense.

Immediately on Day 1, Colin and Chantelle's dog had developed a couple of peculiar behaviours at the campsite. The first was a desperate dislike of the area near the fire pit. Hershey hated this place so much that when playing fetch she would run across the tent-flies around the outside of it rather than through the wide open space. Even if we placed the ball in the area, and tried to entice her with food, she'd look at us like we must be insane to be standing in what was so clearly the world's most terrifying 3 m².

She would also get uncharacteristically upset if anyone left the campsite, particularly as it got darker. And particularly if that person was Maple, who happened to be the smallest of the party.

On Day 4, Mike figured out why. While using the thunder box early in the morning, he saw something like a large cat scurry up a tree. He didn't get enough of a look to identify it (lynx or bobcat?), but now we reckon that it had sprayed near the fire and that Hershey could hear it going about at night so knew that the forest held dangers of which we were unaware.

The lesson here is, when your accompanying dog tells you a place is unsafe, don't ignore the pupper.

Luckily for us, this was our departure day allowing us to escape without any more dangerous big cat encounters. Maple had decided that she was done with canoeing so Colin agreed to paddle back with me while Maple would ride with Dave and Rebecca as a third in their canoe.

Epilogue

If I summarize the trip for people, I say "we accidentally camped on a lynx's home turf, and I lost my camera in a near drowning incident. So it was a pretty awesome weekend."

And on the way home I had an email confirming that my Australian work visa had come through, so it was now official: Wallaby was going home.

Day 92 - Shhh. Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits. (1/10/2016)

It's hunting season! The whole day was punctuated by gunshots in the distance. Like, a lot of gunshots. I've decided it's time to put away my deer impressions and wear orange.

SC and Pancake had planned to head to Hamburg for dinner, then find a stealth site near the road. I decided to join them, and we also met with Shakespeare (who I hadn't seen since Maine) and Flatland.

By the time Pancake finished her laundry, and we got Shakespeare and Flatland back to their shelter, it was 9 pm. That's around midnight HST (Hiker Standard Time). SC dropped Pancake and I off at the trailhead and started for home, while we night-hiked in the rain over rocky ground to find a stealth site.

So after three months, I've done just under 1,000 miles (987.7). Phew.

Start: Port Clinton
End: stealth near PA183
Distance: 14.7 miles

Day 90 - Home is where the bunks are (29/9/2016)

Rain. A lot of it. Then mist.

Pouch hangs out outside of Eckville.

Per last night's plan, I set out to do 18-20 miles to get close enough to Hamburg to resupply in the morning. On the way, I popped into the Eckville Shelter because a) it was supposed to be really nice with power, a shower, and real porcelain toilets, and b) because it shared a name with the town of my birth. It really was worth the visit, with padded bunks and a fully enclosed bunk house. Far and away the most luxurious shelter I've seen. I took a quick nap, then headed back on the trail only to run into Trout arriving. He offered to spot me some lunch for the next day so that I could stay at Eckville, which I did. Pancake joined us and we had another good evening followed.

Here's hoping the rain backs off soon, though it is nice to see running streams again.

Start: New Tripoli Campsite
End: Eckville Shelter
Distance: 13.8 miles

Day 89 - and then there was one... (28/9/2016)

North Side Trail

Tim made us all an amazing Mexican breakfast of eggs, refried beans and tortillas then dropped us back at the trail. The three of us (Pancake, Trout, and me) met up at the next shelter, where Trout and Pancake were both feeling pretty down (Trout for illness, Pancake for fatigue and a general malaise). I took a side trail Tim had recommended, and had some beautiful views to carry me through to the next shelter where Pancake and Trout decided to call it a day. I took care of some phone stuff while I had a signal. I had to overcome the draw of a warm fire and Pancake and Trout's campaign to keep me there to get going, but it felt wrong to call it so early without Pancake and Trout's reasons.

Rain and rocky terrain made it slow going, so I only did a few more miles before finding a campsite for the night. At dinner I discovered that I only had one more day of food left... which means a big day tomorrow to make it to Hamburg for a resupply. :(

Start: PA 284
End: New Tripoli Campsite
Distance: 12 miles

Day 87 - Rain. Rain! (26/9/2016)

I needed fuel today, so I popped in to Wind Gap for a brief resupply and battery recharge. Pancake and Trout continued on, and I was hoping to catch up to them. Sadly darkness arrived to early, and the rocky terrain makes night hiking tricky so I camped down. The forecast is for a lot of rain tonight, and over the next few days - which is bittersweet: on the one hand, it means wet camping and walking, on the other it means cooler temperatures and better water sources.

Start: Mt Minski Peak
End: near Hahn's Lookout
Distance: 12.8 miles

Day 72 - Kent (11/9/2016)

This morning started with a thunderstorm and a short walk into Kent, CT. I ended up there for a long time, so it's now late. Here are the bullet points:

• Walked two miles into Kent, the richest town I've ever seen. I walked past Kent School whose tuition is probably more than I've ever earned in a year.
• Rich kids are everywhere.
• I bought new socks and a pair of Crocs!
• I found Eskimo!!!! He's back on trail after a short, giardia-induced break
• There were some beautiful views of sunsets.
• I camped on a beach after a few hours of night hiking!

Start: Skiff Mtn Rd.

End: Ten Mile River

Distance: 11.5 miles

Day 56 - The Brown Carpet State (26/8/2016)

Vermont went from being a beautiful carpet of red pine needles, to a messy bog of mud on the trail. Admittedly, it just rained, but it seems that southern Vermont is very different from northern Vermont.

Since I've been so focussed on miles lately, there haven't been a lot of great interactions. Either that, or the great interactions are beginning to feel commonplace. In any case, I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell the apple story.

Way back in the 100 Mile Wilderness, most of us were craving some real food pretty badly. Being a week from any chance at a hamburger will do that to a person. Most people craved burgers, pizza, that sort of thing. Not me. Me, I craved a tomato. Or an orange, or something fresh, fruity, and juicy.

So on this day, I was walking in the rain and generally just thinking about tomatoes. I came upon a sandy beach, and went and looked out over a pond on a misty, rainy day. It was really very serene. Glancing up the beach to my left, I noticed something round and yellowish red at the edge of the water. "Taipan," I said to myself (since I was still going as Taipan then), "that appears to be an apple."

I looked at it for a long, long time. I eventually decided that I should at least go and throw it in the bushes so that it didn't sully the wilderness feel of the beach. I wandered over and picked it up. In my hand was the most perfect apple I had ever seen. It had a small bruise less than the size of my thumbnail, and only lightly brown. This imperfection only highlighted how perfect a piece of fruit my eyes were gazing upon. I looked at it for a long, long time again. "Taipan", I said to myself, "this is a perfectly good apple that someone has just accidentally dropped, probably moments ago." And then "Are you really going to throw this away?"

And I looked at that apple for a very long time. And I brushed away some small sandy pebbles that the beach had decorated it with.

And that was the most delicious apple I have ever, or will ever eat. I refuse to apologize for eating a dirty beach apple, for it would have been an insult to all of the apple, nay all of the FRUIT, kingdom, had I simply tossed it in the bushes for the worms. That apple ended its existence as nobly as any apple ever has.

And apparently that story has become well enough known that my name is now synonymous with being the "apple guy."

Start: Spruce Peak + 1 mile
End: Story Spring + 1.5 miles
Distance: 19.5 miles

Day 43 - I'm wet! I'm wet and I'm hysterical! (13/8/2016)

The sugar shack was fun, it was nice to be sheltered from the torrential rains that hit in the early evening, and Pete had a pretty cool life story but in the end I probably should have skipped it in favour of some miles. I was (once again) reminded that I don't like shared sleeping arrangements. Late revellers, a couple "caring about each other deeply", and repeated intrusions by people looking for space to set up for the night meant that I didn't get much sleep.

As usual, that meant I was cranky when I woke. A situation not improved by the discovery that both the water and electricity were knocked out by the storms, so there would be no eggs and pancakes for breakfast.

The situation was further not improved by the thunderstorms that came while I was walking. Camping wet probably has some charms, but I have trouble seeing them today. Fortunately I'm not far from Hanover where it will be time for some serious gear shopping - my t-shirt is torn in several places, and my shoes have finally given up.

On a more positive note, the terrain has gotten friendlier making bigger miles easier. Also, the maté tea that my parents sent was amazing! I can't wait to make more.

Start: NH25A (near mile 408.5)
End: Around the 425 mile mark
Distance: 16.5 miles

Day 14 - Trail Magic (15/7/2016)

Luckily the thunderstorms passed me by last night. Just a little rain. Unluckily, I mistakenly used up too much water leaving me with only .5L (16 oz) for the walk over and down the next peak. This was going to mean some serious rationing if the heat picked up.

After tearing down my tent from the tiny plot of land I'd found for it (my fly was pegged around a tree), I set out to get to the nearest water supply around 2 miles away.

2 minutes into my journey, I found a beautiful campsite with several large tent pads and a fire pit.

Today was going to annoy me.

In fact it turned out that I'd already done most of the climbing I had to do, and I summitted about 10 minutes after leaving my camp. The long downward rock scramble I'd assumed was awaiting me, didn't appear at all. It was a bit technical, but nothing that I couldn't have handled easily the night before.

It was easy to laugh it all off though, because I knew that in a few hours I'd be in Caratunk, where there was real food and brew pub waiting for me.

I think my favourite part of the day, though, was the hiker box at the post office where some Trail Angel had left chocolate chip cookies and some bubble gum for hikers to snack on. It also held two full meal packets, which pretty much covered me for dinners until the next town. The hostel hiker box proffered homemade dehydrated chicken noodle soup, and some electrolyte pellets that another SOBO and I shared (Stephanie - no trail name yet*).

A big feed of chickenless-wings (broccoli in batter with wing sauce), a side salad, a burger with fries, and a sampling paddle of beer will keep me going for the next step tomorrow.

The plan is to hit the trail in the morning and do around 12 miles, though I'm hearing a rumour about $9 AYCE pancakes near 3 mile mark, if pancakes are worth a nero. Tough decision.

Start: minutes from the peak of Pleasant Mtn.
End: Caratunk, ME (Sterling Inn - delightful place with an extremely friendly and chatty proprietor and good resupply)
Distance: ~7 Miles (11 km)

* I wanted to call Stephanie "Arya", because "a girl has no name."  She refused the trail name.

Day 13 - The Moose of Optimism (14/7/2016)

So happy I chose this site: I woke up this morning to a moose in my campsite! She bolted as soon as she saw me, but this is the first moose I've seen in the wild, other than while driving.

Last night I committed to trying for 19 miles today (30km). In my moose-inspired optimism, I headed off on that goal. This was not a wise decision. By the time I'd covered 17 or so (including two summits, with another to come and what looks to be a steep descent, which means a long rock scramble), I knew I needed a campsite or I'd be hiking in the dark.

Luckily I found one.

And then, almost immediately after setting up my tent, I heard it.

A rumble.

Distant at first, but the time between flashes of light, and bursts of thunder was getting shorter.

I bedded down hoping that the Moose of Optimism would grace me with a dry night, to make the ascent up to, and descent down from, Pleasant Mountain easier. It was all in her hands now.

Besides the hiking adventures and for a bit of fun, I've started a little reward for other SOBOs who like to read. A friend lent me a light paperback for the trail (thanks DM!). Today I tore off the first chapter and left it at a shelter for another SOBO to find. I'll leave more chapters at upcoming shelters to create a sort of SOBO Serial Novelisation. I hope someone gets to enjoy it.

Start:West Branch Pistataquis River
End: Saddle between Middle and Pleasant Mountains.
Distance: ~17.5 miles (28 kms)

Day 9 - Winged Flight (10/7/2016)

Got up this morning to a day of rain walking... again. Joey (ex military guy now known as Slip 'n Slide) and Trout caught me after about 5 miles and and they were planning to do the full 20 miles into Monson. I didn't think I could handle that, but just before we all set off Slip 'n Slide offered me a caffeine pill.

Holy F---.

It was like someone gave me wings. All the pain in my legs and feet disappeared, and I drove forward like the roots and rocks were there to help not hinder the walking.

I held with them until the hills and descents got the better of Trout and we had to stop. We were well-short of the 20 miles when we stumbled on Cole (young native guy who accidentally ended up with the very un-PC trail name Eskimo) camped down for the night at Little Wilson Falls. We camped down as well and had a nice evening to warm us up for a chill 7 miles in the sun to Monson in the morning. No rain means I'll take it easier and get there when I get there.

Start: Cloud Pond
End: Little Wilson Falls
Distance: 13.7 miles (22 km)

My right hip is getting worse, so I might look into a physio in Monson/Greenville.

Day 8 - Oh deer. (9/7/2016)

After last night's epic meal, I woke up this morning to dry conditions. To steel myself for the coming rains (and we knew they were coming), I decide on a hot breakfast of hot chocolate and oatmeal. While sipping my hot chocolate, Trout nudged me and said "look straight ahead".

A deer was slowly wandering through our site, maybe 10 yards or so from where we sat. We both watched as it placidly made its way through, munching here and there, completely unconcerned about our presence.

The rest of the day was cold, wet climbing. Cloud Pond was very busy so we squeezed 7 into a 6-person shelter, and still there were about the same or more tenting and hammocking. Cloud Pond is a popular location for NOBOs, since it is only 20 miles from the southern entrance to the 100 mile wilderness. (North bounders don't consider 20 miles long.)

Left knee, and now right hip, very, very sore. I'm falling apart, like a Ford hitting it's warranty date. Monson cannot come soon enough.

Start: West Pleasant Branch
End: Cloud Pond
Distance: 15.4 miles

Day 6 - "be out of the rain" (7/7/2016)

"Be in the moment" has given way to "be out of of rain."

All day rainfall has made for fast hiking, low mosquitoes, but cold breaks and night. I could really have done with a warmer fleece. When I get to Monson I think I'll need to swap some of my warmer gear from my bounce boxes sooner than expected.

Camp tonight was a shelter with Trout, Swiss Miss and One-A-Day. Trout and One-A-day have been around a but for a while, but Swiss Miss is a half-hike North bounder (NOBO). She was terrific for chat and advice and we also met a couple of older Canadian guys doing the 100. Overall a good time with some Jack Daniels, dark chocolate and laughs. A nice way to end a cold day.
Rain makes for business-like walking, but I sure hope the weather breaks soon. Right now we're hearing two more days of rain at least. :(

Start: Jo Mary Road
End: Logan Brook Lean-to
Distance: 15 miles (24km)