Got
up at 7 so we could get out at a decent hour. Planned to have breakfast
at the Dam Diner. Chuck especially got a kick out of the name.
I ordered raspberry chocolate chip walnut pancakes. Big stack; looked better than they tasted. Starting to tire of all the comments about how much we’re eating.
Got to the trail around 10:30. Had to choke back a few tears on the way up Stratton Mountain. Wondered whether I should have caught a ride home. Not feeling psyched to be in the woods, as I usually do after a town stop. Bumped into Longway on the way up. Good to see him. Seems like everyone passed us when we were off trail. That’s OK. But I would like to see Murph again soon.
Not a bad climb at all to the top of Stratton. Very dark sky, then it started drizzling. Hold the minivan! Good but not great view from the firetower on top. Got to Stratton Pond on the other side of the mountain and was surprised by how beautiful and peaceful it was. Just sat and watched the clouds roll in and out, listened to the loons. No sandy beach, no masses out for a summer Sunday.
I ordered raspberry chocolate chip walnut pancakes. Big stack; looked better than they tasted. Starting to tire of all the comments about how much we’re eating.
Got to the trail around 10:30. Had to choke back a few tears on the way up Stratton Mountain. Wondered whether I should have caught a ride home. Not feeling psyched to be in the woods, as I usually do after a town stop. Bumped into Longway on the way up. Good to see him. Seems like everyone passed us when we were off trail. That’s OK. But I would like to see Murph again soon.
Not a bad climb at all to the top of Stratton. Very dark sky, then it started drizzling. Hold the minivan! Good but not great view from the firetower on top. Got to Stratton Pond on the other side of the mountain and was surprised by how beautiful and peaceful it was. Just sat and watched the clouds roll in and out, listened to the loons. No sandy beach, no masses out for a summer Sunday.
Met
and talked with caretaker Jungle Jim for more than a few hours. Cool
guy. I started to get antsy, but could tell that Dave was not. Oh no --
not again. Procrastinated for quite a while. Then we made our move.
It was getting late, and we were going to have to really push to do the eight miles -- likely finishing after dark. And I just didn’t feel like setting up camp and cooking late. So after some more debate in the middle of the trail, we turned around and headed back a bit to a campsite.
All in all, I’m glad we did. But the tenting area didn’t have a view of the pond, so we could have been just about anywhere. The loons were still in earshot, which was nice -- although a little on the eery side.
It was getting late, and we were going to have to really push to do the eight miles -- likely finishing after dark. And I just didn’t feel like setting up camp and cooking late. So after some more debate in the middle of the trail, we turned around and headed back a bit to a campsite.
All in all, I’m glad we did. But the tenting area didn’t have a view of the pond, so we could have been just about anywhere. The loons were still in earshot, which was nice -- although a little on the eery side.
Oh,
I gave Dave total control of our schedule. He’s making all the
decisions. This way, I won’t be disappointed/frustrated when we don’t go
as far as we had “planned”. And I won’t care if going slow for a day
means finishing a day later. I’m going to take this thing one day at a
time -- sort of like a recovering alcoholic.
I missed you too :)
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