Date: 2016-07-26
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter 

To: The Notch Hostel 
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: few clouds

I couldn't sleep last night, so I ended up doing something I haven't for a long, long time. I wrote a "poem". Something I haven't done since, possibly, high school or early college. I don't really think it is very good, but the ideas behind it are meaningful to me. It doesn't rhyme, it doesn't have a hard structure, it's convoluted and hard to pick apart. It's personal and probably pretty subpar, but it was nice to focus my creative energies into something for a bit. There isn't a lot of that out here. I am jealous of folks with instruments. Anyway, here is this wildly raw, intimate thing that I'm embarrassed to be sharing. Be gentle, because it's bad.SanctuaryThe shadows grow longAnd I become timid as the world fills with dark, unknowable shapesA world not meant for manI crawl into refuge and waitHeart beating in my chest, yearning, then dreamingStirred by the owl that owns the treesAnd the moon's patterns glide over the thin walls around meThis sanctuary will crumble and dieWill then stand again somewhere over the horizon Historic but aloneI open my eyes as the sky comes aliveThe owl is gone and the world glows with heatBut I see no oneI emerge a different man, heart still flutteringAnd I take another step Away from you, yet toward youUntil the end, when again I will see youIn our sanctuaryFor context, it's about this thruhike experience and how my tent is my physical refuge, but the love my wife and I have for one another is my mental refuge. Basically. That's it! Moving on.I'm pretty sure I'm under 400 miles left as of today. How 'bout it?Well, we did it. We hiked up and over Mt. Moosilauke. It didn't kill us, we didn't die and it wasn't the worst thing I've ever done. The uphill was certainly tough, but for once the downhill was worse. It was far scarier and more painful to the knees. Let me back up a bit first though.We hiked up the steep, rocky incline through the forest, into more old growth higher elevation forest, and eventually out of tree line.On our way up, we passed a sick moose that we had heard about from Southbounders. It was a beautiful, odd creature, but very sad to witness. It's just standing there and has been for days. I don't know if Fish & Game, or whoever is in charge will put it out of its misery, but I wish they would. Rumor is it has Lymes and is likely infested with ticks. Nature is so beautiful and simultaneously so harsh and unrelenting.When we reached the summit, we all took some goofy pictures by the sign. I put my tent footprint around my neck and wore it like a cape. That's maybe the best use of my footprint yet. I had that Superman dream after all...Unfortunately it was cloudy and overcast up there, so we had lunch and played music behind a rock wall. Rocky and Crasher were also there. We waited and hung out for over an hour, and eventually the clouds lifted in places and we all got some incredible views.The downhill was long, arduous and fairly steep. The trail paralleled a waterfall, but as a result the rocks were sometimes wet. At one point I started sliding in a bad place, so I used the last of my traction to jump into a nearby bush. Radar had a good laugh at me, but it was better than breaking bones!Once we were safely at the base of Mt Moosilauke, with shaky legs, we called The Notch hostel. They came and picked us up and took us back. It's a great big house with 3 floors, a hiker living room and kitchen, a camp store and lots of space. The owners, Justin and Serena, are young and very friendly. Justin played guitar with Juan and jammed awhile, while Serena brought in a giant bowl of greens and beans and peppers from their garden for us. This will be a nice place to zero.We all just sat around, ordered pizza and had a good time.I think I've realized that Radar looks like Van Gogh. Ha! Now I can't unsee it. Just have to lop off one ear.I got a look at Juan's Amazon checkout while he was on his phone. A 3 Harmonica pack and a big, black fake beard. He can't grow a beard so he ordered one to summit Katahdin with. Ha!