In Which Maine is a Fairy Tale

I didn’t think up that metaphor myself, but I think it’s perfect. Maine’s perfect. This trail is perfect. The AT saved the best part for last for me. I’m traveling with two awesome people, Pebbles and Redwood, and we’re going to summit Katahdin very soon. Today’s our last night in town, so I’ve had my last pint-of-ice-cream-in-one-sitting for a while. We had dinner together and then went to a weekly bluegrass jam at the general store. Pebbles and I were asked to sing “Wagon Wheel” and “I’ll Fly Away”…and we did! I sang in public! The trail has worked strange and wonderful magic on me.

I am not the woman I was six months ago. I came through Mahoosic Notch, a mile-long boulder scramble–more climbing than hiking–on a rainy, humid day a couple of weeks ago, and realized how I’ve changed. I’m real with myself and the hikers around me, fearless and direct, and I like it. This kid, Truckin’, insisted I remkng him greatly od the girl in “True Grit” (the new one, the Coen brothers version) because I’m direct and assertive. Other hikers agreed, and I was ceremonially renamed True Grit atop Mt. Washington, and I like it. The name is more comfortable than my old trail name ever was, and I’ll carry it onto other trails. And there will be other trails.

I know I haven’t blogged for a while. Turns out one baggie isn’t enough to keep out ambient moisture for 6 months on the AT, and my phone battery died. My awesome parental support team got my phone fixed pronto and I just got it back. Truthfully, I didn’t feel much like getting online anyway, even when holed up in Gorham, NH during Irene. There’s too much living to do!

I could say so much more but it’s past midnighht and breakfast’s served at 7…and then miles to go. I can feel Katahdin’s pull growing stronger daily, but it’s still a lot of work to get there!