Arrived Alive

Did you miss me?

Back from rain, trail food, and heavy walking.

More to follow at home on my own computer in a couple days.

Okay, maybe four days.

Movin' On

This morning I am at the library printing my boarding pass for Colorado.

Not as pretty a picture as the Little Cimarron River, but probably cooler than noon outside in the high dry mountains. Today I will organize my bags again, putter indoors, and read in an easy chair.

Rose of Cimarron

This is Porphyry Creek, a photo my brother took on one of his hikes, close to where we will be hiking for a week.  I'll be back here by Bastille Day. Stay cool.

Packin'

I like a blog called "The No Meat Athlete". In it I learned that oreo cookies are vegan; no milk, no eggs, no honey, no animal products. Of course they are not organic and they contain high fructose corn syrup. In the interest of fair experimentation, a half dozen were sampled.

Then I baked my own cookies; lime-coconut shortbread cookies, double chocolate chunk cookies, and spiced chocolate chip kiss cookies. A half dozen of those were also eaten.

I speak the words that our neighbor, the not-quite-right-in-the-head-after-electric-shock Eddie, says when he emerges from the woods, "I'm packin'".

Counting Down

Yesterday Jim drove us to the lake in lightning, thunder and a downpour. One thousand one, one thousand...BOOM!

By the time we arrived he had a headache, relieved by a biggocuppawhoopass coffee, and the discovery that his peas have arrived. Well, his pea had arrived.

Today it is time to fill up those countless starved and shrunken cells with sugar. Today it is cookie baking day! Three dozen at least.

Christmas in June

Every year the debate is the same; comfortable sleeping vs heavy load. Should I take the luxury sleeping mat that weighs nearly 4 pounds, or carry the 3/4 mat weighing 1.6 pounds? Do I risk having cold feet and sore hips from hard ground, or sore hips from carrying too heavy a load, but warm feet at night?

The preliminary pack weight is 37 pounds with water, but there is no food or fuel. No cookies. No cake. No board games. This is getting to feel like deprivation. Well, duh.

Summer Activities

Launching of the USS Minnow,

Coffee with neighbors,

Airplane coming in,

Kayak going out.

Tour

Earlier in the day it was hot, still, and hazy.

We took an air tour off the lake, past kayakers,

up to Oxford and the Plains Speedway,

past the new casino, 

and quiet ball fields.

We landed at home and then it rained.

Ow, Ow, Owl's Head

Owl's Head, 4025 feet, 12 hrs, 3 min

The first mile

The ninth mile

The eighteenth mile

Nearly cured of hiking

Owly

Today is the attempt on Owl's Head, 4025 feet, 18 miles without a bushwhack, 15.4 miles with a bushwhack from Black Pond Trail. The new GPS is on the carabiner in the mesh pocket of the backpack. After spending hours trying to load the trail map onto the card and into the GPS, and then access it, I gave up. It will act as a heavy compass instead.

This has got to be good for a hiker. I'll take two, please.

Twenty Years (To Life)

This is the man I married.

When I introduce him, it is as my first husband. 'Til death do us part or something better comes along. And here we are 20 years later.

Handyman, small engine repairman, cheese head, master electrician, genius with knots, able to talk to a wall, his natural state is happy, the only thing he wants is to "have a nickel more than I need".

Getting Ready

It took one whole day to dehydrate organic vegetables for two whole hiking meals. But I bet they will be worth it! Just look at these attractive and nummy little bags of fuel.

Just add water, and the optional bouillon and Butterbuds for Souper Soup and Squash Soup. The hiking partners can add their bacon and pork sausage.

Tuckerman Ravine

 

A Word of Advice
 

The thin air of Tuckerman,

The rifleshot of subzero steps in the snow;

A cascade of ice melting

Into the grace of paired swans;

Silver green olive branches at the boundary waters,

The softness of late spring; 

Hold to that which brings you peace.

Two Tripyramids

N. Tripyramid, 4180 feet and Mid. Tripyramid, 4140 feet

11.4 miles, 7 hours

This was a hike with long cool leafy stretches

interrupted by 7 Sabbaday Brook crossings,

and a very rocky climb beginning in the middle.

On the way up I was so intent on the rocky ground that I missed seeing this tree. It bonked me so hard on the crown of the head that my upper teeth hurt for the rest of the hike.

The summits of both peaks were in the trees and buggy but I managed to look at leisure.

One viewpoint showed the Waterville Valley ski area.

Peaks Number 37 and 38, 1 tree head-bonk, 0 wet feet.

Rickenbacker

Our neighbor, who we usually buzz in the airplane, surprised us the other day. He appeared like a dogfighter right behind us before we could get to his place to buzz him.

"Where are you?"

"Four o'clock, above you."

He kept us company for awhile, then sped ahead, dropped down, turned towards the mountains and finally disappeared.