Date: 2010-07-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So i'm not sure exactly how to update my journal. However I want I suppose. My journal that I keep in the woods has more specific information about the actual hiking. Shelter to shelter, mountain to mountain. I figured I would use this journal to document the general experience and my stream of conciousness, if thats possible. I'm sure some are wondering what that experience is like. To actually be in the woods and mountains instead of looking at them on post cards. My impressions so far...... The birds sing to you. They really do. The earlier you leave the more amazing the music. There are all types, I dont know what any of them are called. I wish I did. One day I was laying on top of a mountain under some trees when a curious blue bird flew from branch to branch peering down at me. Its as if they are chirping about you; letting eachother know you are not a threat to them.The chipmunks are on crack. Or steroids. Probally both. They are ninja chipmunks. When startled, they run two feet up a tree and do three back flips. They than stare you down. I swear at any time the trees could start raining little chipmunks wielding nunchucks. We havent seen any moose yet, but we will keep trying. The bugs.....oh the bugs. There are these pesty things called deer flies and moose flies and whatever else flies. They enjoy swarming around your head as you hike. All day. I'm beginning to enjoy the bug genocide that has become my head as I slap them into my scalp all day. But those suckers are pesky. You gotta here a nice crunch to make sure they are dead. If you just slap, you can bet your bottom dollar they will fall two feet before gaining control of their wings again and promptly flying back to youtr head. Nope, you need to hear the little crunching sound of exo skeleton guts. It feels so good to get one. Than you got a decision to make. Do you brush him off your head, or leave that sucker to rot up there as an example to his little fly friends. I dont know what it is on my head that they are interested in. I dont keep food there, or poop for that matter. Perhaps they are attracted to the sodium pooring our in my sweat.Sweat. All day we are drenched. Not drenched like a V shaped seat pattern on a gym shirt, drenched in the sense that it is no different than if I had jumped in a pool. All day, there is no way around it. Every once in a while you get a good wiff of yourself and feel a little embarrassed. On a couple of occassions we passed by a couple of day hikers smelling lovely. I nod a friendly hello and await the chuckle of laughs that are sure to follow. I stink. We all stink. Luckily among eachother nobody notices.The hiking is hard. Especially this early on. With legs and feet still confused at what they are being asked to do, it is difficult. There are often long climbs up mountains. Like the 4 mile long kind that gain 4000 feet in elevation and often have steep rock scrambles. The decsents on the other side of the mountain are equally as bad, and way more dangerous. Maine doesnt let you stay on top of a mountain and hike a ridgline like the south does. Oh no, once you climb that sucker you just go right on down the other side. On several occassions i could have cried when staring down a steep climb I feel I already have done according to the data book. But the blazes are there...I follup them. I've become more indifferent now, my attitude is just neutral. Its just walking...up, down, sideways....whatever. Now I just look up and think...."whatever". Its not like these mountains conspired to piss me off by miracleing their way to my living room. I chose to be here. When you climb mountains you get views. Spectacular ones you could never imagine unless you climbed a mountain.I had a pleasant surprise in the 100 mile wildreness. My friend Karen from work has a friend out here doing it for his vacation. I met him on a mountain and he said he had been hoping to run into me. Ironically he was with a guy named Kelly that I met at REI the week before. They had waaaay heavy packs. I mean waaaay heavy. Im not sure, but one of them may have had a bazooka. Kelly had a rambo knife. Bad ass. However, theses guys are a bunch of ripped dudes so I guess they can get away with carrying whatever they want. During our brief interaction it was a laughing point that they had to get rid of some really nice stuff to drop weight. After they left, I slapped myself for not getting a picture. Well enough for now......Churchill