Date: 2010-08-29
From: home

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Miles today: 0.0

It's officially official. The end has drawn near. I have had a fantastic time meeting friends (old and new), eating food (good and bad), and duscussing things(interesting and not). The Griswalds (who I hiked with from Dalton, MA to Katahdin and became great friends with) will continue to drift through my thoughts. I intend to follow them as much as possible as they continue their journey from Harper's Ferry south to Springer Mt, sending care packages filled with goodies and surprises. I came to know them quite well in the nearly two months that we spent hiking, swimming, cooking, hitching-hiking, bathing, petting Otis (their dog), and talking. I feel lucky to have been able to spend that much time with them and send my best wishes and love to them. On the flip side, I rarely met a hiker I didn't like. The few I chose not to stay near were those who felt that it was necessary for them to comment on Everything. So, no harm done, I left them to their talking and moved on.As for food... I've heard stuffing, canned chicken, and dehydrated apples make a tasty meal (although I never tried it), however sandwiches made of stuffing, sweaty meunster cheese, and rye bread do not. Honey Bunches of Oats (whichever flavor you like. I prefer peach when available) makes a great breakfast, but oatmeal... well... not so much. I managed to stear clear of all hot cereals over the course of my hike. I'm not sure I'll ever eat instant oat meal again after a few tramatizing breakfasts on past hiking trips. Veggie sausage makes for a great protein-filled vegetarian option, whie tofu pups are (quite frankly) vomit-inducing. Cous cous is versatile, quick to cook, and easy to clean up. You can make breakfast cous cous with a wee lil bit of dried milk, sugar, and cinnamon along with your favorite dehydrated fruits (mine- dried blueberry/candied ginger) is quite good. Or you can add a packet of spring vegetables (easily found in the grocery store). Tortellini is good with an alfredo packet. However, Kraft mac & cheese is pretty gross. Ramen is also versatile. You can add peanut butter and dehydrated veggies to oriental flavored ramen. Or instant mashed potatos and veggies to chicken ramen. However, I don't recommend putting chicken rament in with a can of pineapple to make some sort of oriental chicken/pineapple noodle dish. It's gross. Instant mashed potatoes can be used to thicken or add calories to just about anything. Idahoan taters can even be eaten right out of the pack! No mess! However, I don't recommend making wannabe grape nut loaf with grape nuts and cheap potatoes (just remember. go for the powder, not the flakes). And lastly, never ever pre-make tortillas with skippy peanut butter and orange marmalade. It makes a mess and is straight up gross. Be creative. Watch what other people eat. Experiment, and have fun. And always remember- eating is a plasure, not a chore.Oh my. Conversation. I have discussed singers (mainly Marty Robins, Elivis Presly, and Buddy Holly), condiments (as well as what makes a condiment and condiment), occasionally bad-mouthed people only because there is nothing else to badmouth and later felt foolish for it, family (because everybody has one), spanish, trail coniditions, weather, desire(s), exhaustion/pain, medical conditions, and many other things (stimulating and otherwise).All in all it was a fantastic 5 months on the trail, and an even better month and a half with Summer, Dan, and Otis. I loved it, I miss it, and (for those of you who know me well, you will understand this) I want a bigger challenge. I am halfway hoping to ski the Catamount trail end to end sometime soon. I have not skiied since I was about eight, have only a minute amount of experience with winter camping, and have even less of the gear I would need. That sounds like a great challenge and a new goal.For anyone who wishes: I will talk gear. I will talk trail. I will talk solo hiking as a female. Or as a minority in general. I will talk meeting with friends/family. And hiking with friends/family. I will talk anything you want me to talk... happily!So. To end my last trailjournal entry. I would like to leave you all with poem I memorized over the course of my hike (thank you Molly).Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. SeussCongratulations!Today is your day.You're off to Great Places!You're off and away!You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes.You can steer yourself any direction you choose.You're on your own. And you know what you know.And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.And you may not find anyyou'll want to go down.In that case, of course,you'll head straight out of town.It's opener therein the wide open air.Out there things can happenand frequently doto people as brainyand footsy as you.And then things start to happen,don't worry. Don't stew.Just go right along.You'll start happening too.OH!THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!You'll be on y our way up!You'll be seeing great sights!You'll join the high flierswho soar to high heights.You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.Except when you don't.Because, sometimes, you won't.I'm sorry to say sobut, sadly, it's truethat Bang-upsand Hang-upscan happen to you.You can get all hung upin a prickle-ly perch.And your gang will fly on.You'll be left in a Lurch.You'll come down from the Lurchwith an unpleasant bump.And the chances are, then,that you'll be in a Slump.And when you're in a Slump,you're not in for much fun.Un-slumping yourselfis not easily done.You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?How much can you lose? How much can you win?And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?Or go around back and sneak in from behind?Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.You can get so confusedthat you'll start in to racedown long wiggled roads at a break-necking paceand grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.The Waiting Place......for people just waiting.Waiting for a train to goor a bus to come, or a plane to goor the mail to come, or the rain to goor the phone to ring, or the snow to snowor the waiting around for a Yes or Noor waiting for their hair to grow.Everyone is just waiting.Waiting for the fish to biteor waiting for the wind to fly a kiteor waiting around for Friday nightor waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jakeor a pot to boil, or a Better Breakor a string of pearls, or a pair of pantsor a wig with curls, or Another Chance.Everyone is just waiting.NO!That's not for you!Somehow you'll escapeall that waiting and stayingYou'll find the bright placeswhere Boom Bands are playing.With banner flip-flapping,once more you'll ride high!Ready for anything under the sky.Ready because you're that kind of a guy!Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.And the magical things you can do with that ballwill make you the winning-est winner of all.Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be,with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.Except when they don'tBecause, sometimes they won't.I'm afraid that some timesyou'll play lonely games too.Games you can't win'cause you'll play against you.All Alone!Whether you like it or not,Alone will be somethingyou'll be quite a lot.And when you're alone, there's a very good chanceyou'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.There are some, down the road between hither and yon,that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.But on you will gothough the weather be foul.On you will gothough your enemies prowl.On you will gothough the Hakken-Kraks howl.Onward up manya frightening creek,though your arms may get soreand your sneakers may leak.On and on you will hike,And I know you'll hike farand face up to your problemswhatever they are.You'll get mixed up, of course,as you already know.You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.So be sure when you step.Step with care and great tactand remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act.Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.And never mix up your right foot with your left.And will you succeed?Yes! You will, indeed!(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Brayor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,You're off the Great Places!Today is your day!Your mountain is waiting.So...get on your way!