Date: 2007-09-12
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Miles today: 0.0

Wednesday, September 12, 2007At 6:10AM I leave Syracuse for The Cabin in Andover, Maine. I¢m nervous about stopping both PT and working out on the machines for as long as 2 weeks. Finding a gym in Maine seems unlikely. I made sure to do a double dose yesterday, and that took time.It took the rest of the day to get the house ready for a 2-week absence and me packed up for the variety of moisture, temperature and wind conditions we might encounter in Maine.I¢m really looking forward to reunion first with good friends Wisconsin Dave, Honey and Bear, then Memere and Gray Feathers.By 11 AM, on Rte 91 in VT, I¢m feeling so sleepy I need to pull off and nap. Wonderful Rte 91 has plenty of rest areas, more than most highways. It feels good to snuggle into the soft down of pillows and sleeping bag in the back of the Element. I sleep for about 45 minutes. Back en route, the phone rings. It¢s Mrs Smoke. She¢s calling from her son¢s house in Gorham. Wisconsin Dave stayed with them last night. She hands Dave the phone. Hello, Dave!!! Can¢t wait to meet you at The Cabin. I need to stop and shop for food, so I won¢t be getting there until late afternoon.Just a little short of a year ago, Dave was in a terrible logging accident that nearly cost him his life. He¢s made an incredible comeback. Dave is one of the toughest people I know.In Gorham, I shop and organize the food in the back of the Element. Plenty of juices, Canada Dry gingerale, nuts, crackers, olive bread, ham, tomatoes, lettuce, apples, pears, gingersnaps, butter, sour cream, cream, yogurt, and something unusual, sauerkraut pierogies. On the way through Gorham I stop and see Pipesmoke, hard at work on his son¢s house (what else is new?) and Mrs Smoke, and meet 2 engaging grandchildren.About 5:30 I reach Andover. Out back, the grill and kettles are fired up. What¢s on the menu? Lobstah and steak, corn on the cob, squash from the garden, all the fixin¢s!!! I¢ve brought a box of Pennsylvania ¢Encore¢ peaches to contribute to the feast, and a box of cans of coca cola.Mala tends the steaks. Wisconsin Dave, Just a Few Steps, Tortoise, Honey¢s sister and niece are there, plus Bob and Lida, and several other friends of Honey and Bear, 18 people in all. Honey and Bear are unfazed. Having 18 people to dinner, which would throw most people into a tizzy, is merely ¢business as usual¢ for Honey and Bear.I¢d thought about hiking the AT north, from the road crossing over steep 3600¢foot Old Blue to the juncture with a now-closed trail and the AT where Purple Rose and Zig Zag and I went in last year to hike over Bemis and out to Rte 17. Dave is toying with the idea of hiking this with me. Bob and Lida have another idea. How about hiking 2.2 miles to the summit of Whitecap (and 2.2 miles back), reaching the area successfully purchased several months ago by the Mahoosuc Land Trust, thanks to many supporters, including Wisconsin Dave.Neither Dave nor I is in the shape we were in in 2004, but we¢re still upright. We can hike as slow as we want.Dave, in 2004 I missed my chance to hike with you on the PCT. I don¢t want to miss another chance. This hike seems perfect. Shall we?Yes, we¢ll hike up and down Whitecap tomorrow.Boy, oh boy!