Date: 2004-09-18
To: Rest & Recovery in Rangely, ME
Miles today: 0.0

I have taken two days to rest and recover from the illness that has been weakening me. On the first day, Dave and Mary picked me up at the motel and we ate breakfast at a diner. My stomach was still unsettled but I ate a full meal. I wanted to take advantage of this time off and gain back some weight. When I get too thin, my stamina ebbs.We drove nine miles back to the trailhead. There, Dave, Mary, and the boys set out on a short hike. Before leaving, they placed soft drinks in a stream beside the trail. The beverages were being left there for thirsty hikers. I told Mary that she was an official "trail angel."During the Walsh's hike, they lent me the keys to their van. I shuttled into town hikers Chef, Regular Brian, Hans, and Boat. I visited a market, a pharmacy, and the Post Office. At an outfitter, I purchased chemicals to disinfect water. This purchase was necessary because my reserve supply of chemicals was stored in that drift box which the U.S. Postal Service had misplaced. Hiker Baltimore Jack, a repeat thru hiker, was shopping in the market. I asked him for suggestions regarding resupply options further up the trail. He was generous with his advice. I met two thru hikers I knew who needed a lift back to the hostel. I drove them over. I paid a quick visit inside the hostel, wondering if I might stay there on my final night in town, assuming that I felt better. Those two hikers and I were the only people inside the premises. We were greeted by two friendly dogs. I climbed the stairs and stepped into the largest of several bunk rooms. The owner had placed mints on each pillow; a nice touch. Then I happened to look down on the carpet. One of the dogs¢and they were big canines¢had crapped in the middle of the carpet. In fairness to the owner of the hostel, his place seemed otherwise okay. I am assuming that the doggy doo was a rare occurrence.Later on, I booked a last night at the motel.I shuttled Hans and Regular Brian back to the trailhead. There, Hans took out his chess board and we played a match while I waited for the return of Dave, Mary, and the children. Shortly thereafter, they arrived. Back in town, I ran some more errands and went out for supper with Dave. I was feeling better.On the second day, the symptoms of the illness had gone away. I ran a few more errands and visited a barber.I asked him if other hikers patronize his establishment. He said they do, but ever since the supermarket was relocated from Main Street to the outskirts of town, fewer hikers show up. He also made a humorous reference to the smell of sweaty hikers. He said there are times when he walks by a group of hikers congregated at the Post office."Sometimes it makes me want to toss my cookies," he said.He shared an insight into the character of the community. The people who are natives of the area are proud of this distinction. Any one else who lives here, regardless of how long, will always have the stigma of being an outsider. He told me about a theater review in the local newspaper. One of the performers was described as a twenty year resident.In the evening, we drove sixteen miles to Stratton, Maine to attend mass at a Catholic Church. Lots of hikers were staying in this small town. I expect to hike into this community in three days. One of the hikers in that town was a young woman named Seraphim. I had last seen her back in Virginia. She had temporarily left the trail to work and obtain some cash. It is always a great feeling to reunite with hikers from the earlier phase of this journey, like her, Sardine, and Wipeout.On the drive at night back to Rangely, a bull moose with a rack of antlers stood beside the road, staring at our approaching van. The animal looked spooky as its eyes glowed red from the illumination of the van's light beams. Hanging out with Dave and Mary, long time friends, has been a great way to rejuvenate my mental state of mind. We talked about common friends and happenings back home. I needed to give myself a break from constantly thinking about and expressing matters related to the trail.I also ended my five month avoidance of television, newspapers and other forms of media. I turned on the TV in the motel room. I read a newspaper during breakfast. I have learned that I feel stupefied without some exposure to reading and other forms of media. I have been hiking hour after hour, week after week, with only my own thoughts, and conversations with other hikers, to stimulate my intellect. My brain craves other sources of stimuli.That said, the television did not provide me with much in the way of intellectual stimulation or even basic entertainment. I turned it on when I woke up early on Saturday morning. I flipped through one infomercial after another and several programs with little creative direction; it almost made me want to again segregate my mind from the media.Tomorrow the journey resumes with hikes up some mountains with steep grades. I hope my two day rest will have restored my stamina.