Date: 2003-07-19
From: The Inn At Long Trail 

To: The Inn At Long Trail (2155') 
Miles today: 0.0

Aloha! I guess you've noticed the low mileage for the day. Yep, still here. At The Inn at Long Trail that is. After much, and I mean much, debate this morning I came to the conclusion during the wee hours of the morning that it was best that I stay another day. Trust me on this one. It really was the wisest of decisions at this point in time.   You know that commercial where there's a juror that runs from the courtroom with "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now" playing in the background? Yeah? Well, I'm that juror. I would think that that should be sufficient detail for you to infer the rest. It seemed the wiser decision to be here than somewhere on the trail when the "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now" theme song started playing. Definitely the wisest decision.   As my luck will have it sometimes, I was offered a suite to share with two other northbound thru-hiking women - Timber and Mouse Bait. Timber you've already met. Such a sweet gal. It really is good to see her again. Mouse Bait is new to us. It goes without saying that she's another sweet gal (23) but I said it anyway. We have a lovely two room suite which surprisingly enough also includes a phone, television and full bathtub. Sometimes you do get what you pay for. In my case I also got two great roommates with it.   After breakfast Timber made arrangements to do a 23-mile slack pack back to the inn and Mouse Bait chose to do little more than relax and make a run into town. I chose a combination of staying close to "home" and "running" into town with Mouse Bait. Another wise decision on my part.   Our trip to town netted us a nice long conversation with the local pharmacist. We've both returned laden with hopeful cures for what ails us. Mouse Bait has bought out the store of blister kits and Advanced Imodium and I have bonded. My understanding is that if this doesn't work then a possible cause of my discomfort may be giardia. Something I don't care to think about at this moment. I've seen some really ill people out here due to giardia. Think I'll pass thank you very much.   Timber is trying to put on the miles in order to make a wedding in the next couple of days and meet her husband returning from the Iraq War on a particular day. I'm excited for her. Since he was called away they've missed each other's birthdays and their first wedding anniversary. Upon meeting I believe they're going to jump forward and hike to and up Katahdin together. Sadly, sort of, he will then return to duty and she will return to finish the portion she skipped completing the whole journey this year. It's a hell of a way to keep yourself busy while your spouse is away but I can certainly think of worse ways. Pretty admirable I think.   Mouse Bait is a gal from Indiana. In between college and either a graduate degree or career she started her Grand AT Adventure last year and is back to complete it. She's doing well and looks to be enjoying herself. Unlike many of the younger hikers out here, she's not all that interested in doing the bigger miles. She prefers the moderate 14 to 17 a day vice the 20 plus. I'm with her. But then again I'm twice her age, think that matters? Anyway, she's an enjoyable gal to have spent the day with. Hopefully I'll get to see her along the way as we continue north.   Just around noon time my true reason for being here suddenly showed her face. Much to my surprise, as I was on the phone to the home front, a woman came bounding around the corner aiming directly toward me, and singing up a storm. M.G.! In the flesh! She was there and inviting me to join her, Tattoogranny and Jason (Tattoogranny's 16 year old grandson) for lunch. What a wonderful surprise! I said before that I expected to see her again and lo' and behold, here she is! Lunch wasn't quite on my agenda at the moment but I did join them for a ginger ale.   Tattoogranny is another familiar name to me. Due to my first journal I've had the opportunity to email back and forth with her off and on for the past several years. Once again, it's great fun to finally get to put a face and name together and actually meet in person. She was just as I expected - great fun and a pleasure to meet. Her grandson was the perfect gentleman and I understand he's been a godsend to both of the ladies during the past week or so. Jason is a Texas A and M wannabe which makes him super in my eyes no matter what else he may be!   I didn't have nearly enough time with the ladies before I had to catch the bus to town for my miracle cure. If things go as I hope I may catch up to either both of them or just M.G. in the near future as she/they continue hiking north. That would be great. I'd love to actually spend some time chatting with them. They seem like awesome women. Hiking this trail at any age is admirable but to do it at more of an advanced age is inspiring. Fingers are crossed that we'll cross paths again soon.   It's 7:30p and Timber has just returned from her 23-mile hike. Pack or no pack, 23 miles over mountains running like a roller coaster is hard. She looks beat. She's up for a shower, dinner and bed. Mouse Bait is in the same mode and I'm right behind them. Time to try some dinner, a shower and another bed. I'm determined to hit the trail tomorrow. I may hear singing in the background but it won't be the first time I've heard voices! Oops, that was a secret!   For now though, guess it's that time - "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now"!   Goodnight!BSandTs: stubbed my toe and it bled some. Does that count?AandPs: stomach stuffMandGs: stomach stuff...waah!Critter count: lots of two-legged pack mules comin' and goin'