Date: 2007-07-30
From: Mashipacong Shelter

To: Unionville, NY
Miles today: 14.3

July 30, A Little Slice of Trail HeavenI'm pretty fired up to get to Maine right now. You see, I am spending the nightat the home of the mayor of the Village of Unionville, NY and he really lit afire tonight...Melk, Youngle, his brother and I all stayed in Sussex last night and theydropped us off at the trail at 8 a.m. Even though it's for a short time, it wassad to bid farewell to Youngle as he stood there with his crutches. But we didand then we started a new day on the Katahdin Death March (as Tony Tiger callsit).My eye was just about swollen shut from the sting when I woke up this morning.It's a darn good thing I'm already on steroids. I took photos all day to checkon the progress - not pretty. I looked like a actor in a movie where they areallergic to shellfish but, of course, eat it and their head blows up.Melk and I made it to High Point State Park around 10 a.m. where we stopped fora snack, some cold sodas, and a restroom break. It was nice. We headed back outat 11:30 a.m.I stopped at an observation deck where you are supposed to be able to see NYCbut the haze was too thick today. I kept walking north...Melk and I had lunch around 1 p.m. and got back to business fast - I had to getto Unionville by the time the post office closed today to pick up the new shoesEric sent me. We made it to Quarry Road by 4 p.m. and then hiked the half-mileinto town.We had full intentions of heading to the next shelter but our plans soonchanged. To be honest, I thought for sure Melk and I would be tough enough tomove on but we got a deal we couldn't refuse - camping on the mayor's lawn afterhe made us hot dogs. I mean who in their right mind would pass that up?We pondered the offer as we stopped by the general store and then feasted on ourpints of Ben and Jerry's. Butch, the man who works with the mayor and made theoriginal offer, stayed on us. He finally convinced us with the promise ofdinner. He told us there are three rules: 1. act like it's your own house, 2.flush the toilet, 3. don't try to wash the dishes. And payment? A photo now andone on top of Katahdin mailed back. Wow.Butch kept telling us we shouldn't be so impressed but everything just keptgetting better. We could shower, do laundry, eat and sleep!So we got here and did all of that. We met the mayor and he is great, justgreat. He obviously loves inviting hikers to his home. Shared stories and toldus he admired us and thought we were crazy. He's a really funny man and verydown to earth. He told us how the trail up until now has been training and whenwe get to CT, "the shit is really going to hit the fan". He also talked about asong from an opera he uses for motivation - I think it's called "Nation Sleeps"- and the chorus says "I will win. I will win." He played it for us and told usabout the opera and how it's about a Japanese princess and how there are riddlesthat must be solved in order for her to marry a man. This is the song her suitorsings the night before he goes before her to solve the riddles. Apparently theItalian soccer team used the song too when they won the World Cup. He said hehoped the song would inspire us and help us get to Maine. He gave us what hecalled a "sermon" about the song and it wa! s very motivational.Anyway, it fired me up. I am ready to hike. I told him I was going night-hiking.This was definitely one of the best nights on the trail. Even though Melk and Iwere supposed to walk five more miles, it now seems more important that westayed here. I haven't felt so motivated in a while. Butch and the mayor made usfeel right at home and it is definitely the most welcomed I've felt in a townyet. At the risk of running the man to exhaustion, I will say that this isdefinitely a must-stay place on the trail. More than worth the walk.- Sound of lots of insects making noises, a car.Post Trail Thoughts:Here's the thing. A year later, this night still jumps out at me. It was my sole recommendation to my friend, Certain, for her hike this year. Here's the other thing - I was a little bummed to stop hiking before our 19 miles that day. But I say that only because I felt really good - and I knew a nice, long day would help me feel accomplished. But the stop was well worth it and the motivation was something I desperately needed at that point.Mayor Ludwig told us about his late wife and how she always loved the hikers. This is why he invited them into his home. I found that really nice. I am so grateful to have met people like the mayor and Butch along my way to Maine. They are the reason I can't let go of the trail. They are the reason I am motivated to pay it forward.On a different note, that morning at the hotel before Melk and I got dropped off at the trail, Young Eagle kept telling me I looked like a boxer with my big puffy eye and making references to Muhammad Ali. Hehe.