Date: 2014-08-21
From: Hexacuba

To: Hiker's Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

In which the mountains now dictate my daily mileage.Moose poop, bear scat and loons...oh my! That was my day today and it's been great despite a sleep little night related to the Harvard student's out backpacking for their orientation. They had no concept of hiker etiquette and spacial awareness of others. They also were very entertaining with their sharing time together which was held under their tarp which also coincidentally was set up directly across the path from my tent. I felt like I was sleeping in the middle of their group session. Akward. The last time I remember checking my watch was midnight. Then I dozed on and off until 0600.I went about my normal routine packing up and eating this morning. The Harvard bunch were all fast asleep under their tarp. I chuckled as I walked by. Hey Everybody, RW, Shoes and I were greeted with a good climb up Mt. Cube. There was a beautiful view from atop with the clouds rolling through below. We all took some pictures and eventually hiked on.The hike was a little roller coaster today. Many ups and downs were trudged through. The forest was a mix of conifers and hard woods. Plenty of moose poop littered the trail particularly in the upper elevations. Some bear scat was on the side of the trail lower down and the best part of today was hearing the call of the loons from a mountain lake down below. Later I got a sneak preview of Mt. Mousilauke and heard two or three more loons calling out through the forest. They are just so beautiful, haunting, eeiry and pure. I absolutely love them and can't help but smile listening to their beautiful songs. They remind me of my childhood camping days in the Adirondacks on Rollins Pond. All wonderful memories that make me radiate joy and fill my heart with gratitude that I get to be out here experiencing this incredible gift every day.I may complain and have some tough mental days out here, but ultimately I am so grateful for every single day I get to live life in the woods. I get to smell the pine needles with their aroma of Christmas; to hear the loons, bard owls, birds, chipmunks, and squirrels; I get to spook a moose and watch a baby bear scamper down a tree and run off into the woods. I get to listen to the roaring of the water falls, the babbling of the brooks and flowing streams. I'm grateful for the beautiful, black mud which means that the water is probably flowing well at my next water source. I'm grateful I don't have to think about what clothes to put on in the morning because I only have one set of hiking clothes to wear. I am forever grateful that I get to live this simple, beautiful, uncomplicated, challenging and rewarding life. I get to do what many people cannot or will not be able to do. I'm grateful for the colorful people I meet in my daily life and for the friendships I've made for life! I could ramble on for hours.....Tonight I am grateful to be fed, watered, showered and safely tucked away inside my warm down quilt in a bed. My clothes are clean, I got a bonus piece of pizza to eat, called my parents and got to pee in a real potty. Life is good! Tomorrow there are more mountains to climb. So even though the difficulty factor of each climb has increased and the mileage decreased the pay off of some awesome views has exponentially increased. Good night!