5 month Review

5 month Review
Mile 1658-
This was a pivotal month for us. We started out counting miles down to the tenths decimal and stressing over staying with our plan to finish by September 24th. The month ended with us putting our priorities back in order and treating this trip of a lifetime like a vacation and not a job. Our change in attitudes seem to have no change in our production of miles. We ended up hiking 402 miles which is our biggest month yet.
There was a log entry from a hiker named Long Time that we found interesting. Before bed one night he wrote that 1,500 miles was enough hiking for him and that if the trail ended there, he would call it a success. The next morning he entered that maybe there is a reason for the trail to be 2,181 miles. Maybe there is more to learn about himself and others. Shadow and I found the thought appealing .
After 5 months out here I still say the same thing. Time passes differently. Days are like weeks and weeks are like days.
In last 400 miles many surroundings have changed. We haven't had a rattlesnake sighting since Connecticut. Now the snakes are small Garters. Our cute chipmunks that yell as we pass are rarely seen. Red squirrels are more popular here. We have heard that Moose poop will continue to get worse on the trail. Plenty of beaver dams, but no sightings yet. Parts of the Vermont trail are on elevated wooden planks due to mud. As you walk on them some look as though Jaws has taken a bite, but it's not. It's a porcupine.
For those of you that are curious, we finally caught up with Flute Walker. She is doing much better and is heading out this week for a local camping trip with her dogs. She plans to finish where she left of next June.
When we arrived in Manchester Center, after our Micky D's fix, we found a scale at the Inn. Shadow weights 160lbs! That makes his total weight loss so far at 32lbs. I'm 134, down from 150. Needless to say, Shadow will be in kid size clothes if this keeps up.



Country Mouse and Shadow still NOBO (North Bound)