Hello friends,
I was sitting here sipping a cup of black coffee, checking my mail, and trying to get my head around the things I would like to/need to get done today. So... that started out being an easy one! I would like to get a hike in today!
Then, of course, there is always the "need to" list. I have a bunch of things on that list! ...and they all need consideration, or I will never get to pick from my "like to" list.
On the top of both lists is "complete the Long Green Tunnel"! That doesn't sound too conflicted, does it? No! The problem I am facing is that the "Long Green Tunnel" on my "like to" list is the Appalachian Trail... and it looks like I won't be able to finish it in one day!
The "Long Green Tunnel" on the "need to" list is, of course, my lawn, which is in dire need of a good mowing. I'm not sure that I will be able to finish that in a day either!
I thought I had the lawn under control. Last time I mowed it we were having a good hot spell, nice and dry, and I cut the grass very short. I had hoped to kill it! I guess it must be good grass, as it grew back with a vengeance. In fact, I'm a little scared to go out there and walk on it, let alone mow it!
I guess I don't have many options, and mowing the grass will be good for me... as I exercise I can let my mind explore the places of the A.T. that I have been fortunate enough to walk upon, and imagine what is still ahead of me! I'm hoping that todays' hike of the "Long Green Tunnel" will be exceptional and unforgettable. Perhaps I will even get to see a moose or bear!
May God Bless the steps of your journey today, even if it is a difficult trail.
Stickman
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Hiker dies on Appalachian Trail
Hey folks,
Some sad news up here in Maine... a hiker died yesterday on the Appalachian Trail. I don't have a lot of details, other than the following... suspected cause of death is head injury, caused by falling and striking head on a rock. Hiker was probably from New York. He was apparantly hiking solo, and was found by a couple of other hikers, about a mile off of the Long Falls Dam Road, on the stretch of trail near Flagstaff Lake, leading towards the Bigelow Range.
Whenever I have a lumber delivery up that way (not often enough), I make it a point to stop on Long Falls Dam Road at the Trail crossing, if only for a few minutes. It is the "unofficial" 2000 mile mark for all of the NOBO (Northbound) Thruhikers, and is thus marked, in the center of the road. I am always in hope of spotting a hiker or two, have a brief chat and offer up encouragement and a cold drink.
Yesterday, I was fortunate to have an early morning delivery up to Spring Lake... At the Trail crossing, I stopped for a couple of minutes, and looked up and down trail. I saw nobody. On my return trip, I once again made a quick stop. This time I stepped out onto the Trail. I didn't venture very far, as I only had a couple of minutes of "break time" left before I needed to get back on the work clock. I again saw no one. I did, however, think that I was out of shape, and certainly not used to navigating such rooty, rocky, mucky, slippery terrain... I considered that I would be in a fine mess if I should take a tumble...
The timing of my stop happened to be just about the same time that the hiker was found, and a 911 call went out... I believe I may have missed meeting him by such a short time...
I would ask you all to take a moment to offer up a bit of prayer. I am sure this will be shocking news and difficult times for the hikers' friends and family. Also, for the hikers who came upon him... I am sure this was a stressful situation for them.
For all of you out hiking, please be extra careful around the rocks, roots, and mud, especially if you are alone. In 2007, when I was out on the A.T., I sometimes found myself stumbling 10 or 12 times a day... and I thought I was doing great!
Pray you are all well... God Bless!
Stickman
Some sad news up here in Maine... a hiker died yesterday on the Appalachian Trail. I don't have a lot of details, other than the following... suspected cause of death is head injury, caused by falling and striking head on a rock. Hiker was probably from New York. He was apparantly hiking solo, and was found by a couple of other hikers, about a mile off of the Long Falls Dam Road, on the stretch of trail near Flagstaff Lake, leading towards the Bigelow Range.
Whenever I have a lumber delivery up that way (not often enough), I make it a point to stop on Long Falls Dam Road at the Trail crossing, if only for a few minutes. It is the "unofficial" 2000 mile mark for all of the NOBO (Northbound) Thruhikers, and is thus marked, in the center of the road. I am always in hope of spotting a hiker or two, have a brief chat and offer up encouragement and a cold drink.
Yesterday, I was fortunate to have an early morning delivery up to Spring Lake... At the Trail crossing, I stopped for a couple of minutes, and looked up and down trail. I saw nobody. On my return trip, I once again made a quick stop. This time I stepped out onto the Trail. I didn't venture very far, as I only had a couple of minutes of "break time" left before I needed to get back on the work clock. I again saw no one. I did, however, think that I was out of shape, and certainly not used to navigating such rooty, rocky, mucky, slippery terrain... I considered that I would be in a fine mess if I should take a tumble...
The timing of my stop happened to be just about the same time that the hiker was found, and a 911 call went out... I believe I may have missed meeting him by such a short time...
I would ask you all to take a moment to offer up a bit of prayer. I am sure this will be shocking news and difficult times for the hikers' friends and family. Also, for the hikers who came upon him... I am sure this was a stressful situation for them.
For all of you out hiking, please be extra careful around the rocks, roots, and mud, especially if you are alone. In 2007, when I was out on the A.T., I sometimes found myself stumbling 10 or 12 times a day... and I thought I was doing great!
Pray you are all well... God Bless!
Stickman
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
"Taking a ZERO day!"
Hello all,
Thought I would take time to do a little blogging, and say "hello", before getting back to the hard work of taking a ZERO day.
Hikers sometimes take a ZERO when out on trail, not putting in any miles for the day. It gives them an opportunity to heal, rest, do a few necessary town chores, or lay around the tent/hammock/shelter reading a good book. ...and, quite often, just enjoy the sounds of the falling rain.
Today happens to be my second day off from work... it is raining steadily, I have some "corn on the cobb" cooking, that will soon supply me with some warm comfort food, and I have few desires to make any foreward progress.
There certainly are some things I need to get done, but not before eating some delicious corn! My goal for the day is to sand up at least ten ScriptureStick hiking stick blanks, getting them ready for an application of scripture. The New Portland Fair is coming right up, and I am in need of some more ScriptureSticks for that event. That little fair, co-ordinated by the Lions Club, is the premier "small town" fair in our area, where everyone is sure to see all the friends and neighbors that have not been seen since last fair. Suprisingly, we have also had encounters with many hikers at that fair, and that is always a treat!
Work has been going well lately, and has been a bit more enjoyable with my being able to deliver a few loads of lumber to my favorite places... places that cross the Appalachian Trail! I've had a couple of runs to Jackman, which takes me through Caratunk, where the trail crosses the Kennebec River. The official means of crossing the Kennebec on the A.T. is via the Kennebec Ferry. It is a canoe, and I believe Dave Corrigan is the current, and colorful, ferryman. I've also had a couple of runs up to Spring Lake. That run takes me up Long Falls Dam Road, up past the Bigelows and Flagstaff Lake. I cross the Appalachian Trail at the trails' "2000 mile mark", and always look up and down trail to see if I might spot a thruhiker.
Hmmm... and mmmm! My corn is ready, and I must go! Sorry to run, but I promise to come back soon!
God Bless you all!
Stickman
Thought I would take time to do a little blogging, and say "hello", before getting back to the hard work of taking a ZERO day.
Hikers sometimes take a ZERO when out on trail, not putting in any miles for the day. It gives them an opportunity to heal, rest, do a few necessary town chores, or lay around the tent/hammock/shelter reading a good book. ...and, quite often, just enjoy the sounds of the falling rain.
Today happens to be my second day off from work... it is raining steadily, I have some "corn on the cobb" cooking, that will soon supply me with some warm comfort food, and I have few desires to make any foreward progress.
There certainly are some things I need to get done, but not before eating some delicious corn! My goal for the day is to sand up at least ten ScriptureStick hiking stick blanks, getting them ready for an application of scripture. The New Portland Fair is coming right up, and I am in need of some more ScriptureSticks for that event. That little fair, co-ordinated by the Lions Club, is the premier "small town" fair in our area, where everyone is sure to see all the friends and neighbors that have not been seen since last fair. Suprisingly, we have also had encounters with many hikers at that fair, and that is always a treat!
Work has been going well lately, and has been a bit more enjoyable with my being able to deliver a few loads of lumber to my favorite places... places that cross the Appalachian Trail! I've had a couple of runs to Jackman, which takes me through Caratunk, where the trail crosses the Kennebec River. The official means of crossing the Kennebec on the A.T. is via the Kennebec Ferry. It is a canoe, and I believe Dave Corrigan is the current, and colorful, ferryman. I've also had a couple of runs up to Spring Lake. That run takes me up Long Falls Dam Road, up past the Bigelows and Flagstaff Lake. I cross the Appalachian Trail at the trails' "2000 mile mark", and always look up and down trail to see if I might spot a thruhiker.
Hmmm... and mmmm! My corn is ready, and I must go! Sorry to run, but I promise to come back soon!
God Bless you all!
Stickman
Sunday, July 24, 2011
ScriptureStick to-it-ive-ness!
Is ScriptureStick to-it-ive-ness a real word? ...It is now!
I was giving a bit of thought tonight, as to the effectiveness of our ScriptureStick Ministry. IS it effective!? Are we reaching anybody with the Good News?!? It seems like a lot of work sometimes, with little tangible evidence of desired results...
...but, after a little prayer, and a bit of thoughtful consideration of the results that I DO see, we can't quit now! I was drawn to look into some scripture, finding the following...
"But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. 2 Timothy 4:5"
...I need to keep a clear mind, proper perspective, and not be afraid. Not be afraid of failure, hard work, or suffering of any kind. I need to continue to WORK at telling others the Good News!... and FULLY carry out the ministry God has given me!
Wow! If any of you don't know what it is that we do, please visit our ScriptureSticks site. In a nutshell, we make hiking sticks. Each ScriptureStick has a verse of scripture routed and burned into it. Our goal is to encourage through scripture, one verse and one stick at a time... and prayerfully have that scripture touch the reader in such a way that he or she will want to read MORE scripture, eventually, and ultimately, seeking Christ! (Go to our site!)
So... it is clear to me that the only "problem" with our ministry is that I need to stop doubting... and work harder! ...and YOU might be able to help! Please pray for me/us, and that God's Word will be read! Please partner with us, and make me work harder! The more ScriptureSticks I have to make up, the happier I am!
Thanks for letting me have this little chat, you're a great listener! I'll get back to you all later, give an update, but have to call it quits for the night. 'Til then...
...God Bless!
Stickman
I was giving a bit of thought tonight, as to the effectiveness of our ScriptureStick Ministry. IS it effective!? Are we reaching anybody with the Good News?!? It seems like a lot of work sometimes, with little tangible evidence of desired results...
...but, after a little prayer, and a bit of thoughtful consideration of the results that I DO see, we can't quit now! I was drawn to look into some scripture, finding the following...
"But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. 2 Timothy 4:5"
...I need to keep a clear mind, proper perspective, and not be afraid. Not be afraid of failure, hard work, or suffering of any kind. I need to continue to WORK at telling others the Good News!... and FULLY carry out the ministry God has given me!
Wow! If any of you don't know what it is that we do, please visit our ScriptureSticks site. In a nutshell, we make hiking sticks. Each ScriptureStick has a verse of scripture routed and burned into it. Our goal is to encourage through scripture, one verse and one stick at a time... and prayerfully have that scripture touch the reader in such a way that he or she will want to read MORE scripture, eventually, and ultimately, seeking Christ! (Go to our site!)
So... it is clear to me that the only "problem" with our ministry is that I need to stop doubting... and work harder! ...and YOU might be able to help! Please pray for me/us, and that God's Word will be read! Please partner with us, and make me work harder! The more ScriptureSticks I have to make up, the happier I am!
Thanks for letting me have this little chat, you're a great listener! I'll get back to you all later, give an update, but have to call it quits for the night. 'Til then...
...God Bless!
Stickman
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Too hot for hiking!?!
Hey All,
Thought I would take a quick minute to tap out an update...
I was just sitting here in the sweltering heat tonight, thinking about the hikers out on trail, and just how difficult it must be. I pray for their safety, and that they go slow, stay hydrated, and enjoy every stream pond and lake they come across.
4Iron called me the other night to invite me along on a two day hike, from Caratunk to Flagstaff/Bigelow. I couldn't make it, but also pray that they had a great time!
David "Faithful" Barnes successfully completed his hikeof the Long Trail, which traverses Vermont, from Massachusetts to Canada. I haven't had opportunity to speak with him, but know that he made it OK!
A couple of weeks ago, Cari and I went along on a canoe/kayak/camping/cooking excursion to the Upper West Branch of the Penobscot River. Her brother Tim put it all together, and did a great job! There were 12 of us, including Tim's wife Robin, their two teens, Zach and Garret, Cari's cousin, Cherie, and husband Keith, plus their children. What a crew! It was a lot of flat water paddling from Roll Dam down to Chesuncook, then Southerly on big ol' Chesuncook Lake, to the take out. Things weren't always flat calm though... We started our paddle in the pouring rain, and then all pulled together late in the day to get a fire started and gather loads of wood. Things always look better when warming up around a fire! The trip was full of eagle sightings, and, for a couple in the group, moose sightings!
On the next to last day we stayed at Mouser Island, and a tremendous storm came up. Across the lake was a group of paddlers from Camp Modin of Belgrade, Maine. When it hit, it hit hard, swamping and flipping the young girls out of their canoes. As soon as the storm cleared enough to see, Tim and I jumped into kayaks, heading out into the rough water. A lot of praying was going on, for Tim, myself, and the poor campers. High winds, tall waves, and a lot of lightning made it frightening, but we pushed on. We managed to rescue kids, canoes, and gear,(must have had a dozen teenaged girls drying out in Keith and Cherie's big "family tent") and Zach, Garret, and Keith got a call out to the warden service for much needed help. Two of their boats arrived on scene, helping to get everyone and their canoes/gear back to the other side of the lake. It all ended well, with many thanks to all involved, and special thanks for God's protection!
Next day... paddled out in high winds/water, and headed to Baxter State Park. After a good nights sleep, we all made the big climb up Mt. Katahdin (Highest elvation in Maine)! Cari was the only one who didn't attempt it... she had taken a bad fall a couple of days before the paddle started, and was pretty bruised. She closed up the campsite, then assisted in getting a couple of hikers some help with their disabled vehicle. The Day was "perfect" for hiking, and a good hike was had by all!
...I am still in "recovery"!
God Bless you all, stay out of that hot sun!
Stickman
Thought I would take a quick minute to tap out an update...
I was just sitting here in the sweltering heat tonight, thinking about the hikers out on trail, and just how difficult it must be. I pray for their safety, and that they go slow, stay hydrated, and enjoy every stream pond and lake they come across.
4Iron called me the other night to invite me along on a two day hike, from Caratunk to Flagstaff/Bigelow. I couldn't make it, but also pray that they had a great time!
David "Faithful" Barnes successfully completed his hikeof the Long Trail, which traverses Vermont, from Massachusetts to Canada. I haven't had opportunity to speak with him, but know that he made it OK!
A couple of weeks ago, Cari and I went along on a canoe/kayak/camping/cooking excursion to the Upper West Branch of the Penobscot River. Her brother Tim put it all together, and did a great job! There were 12 of us, including Tim's wife Robin, their two teens, Zach and Garret, Cari's cousin, Cherie, and husband Keith, plus their children. What a crew! It was a lot of flat water paddling from Roll Dam down to Chesuncook, then Southerly on big ol' Chesuncook Lake, to the take out. Things weren't always flat calm though... We started our paddle in the pouring rain, and then all pulled together late in the day to get a fire started and gather loads of wood. Things always look better when warming up around a fire! The trip was full of eagle sightings, and, for a couple in the group, moose sightings!
On the next to last day we stayed at Mouser Island, and a tremendous storm came up. Across the lake was a group of paddlers from Camp Modin of Belgrade, Maine. When it hit, it hit hard, swamping and flipping the young girls out of their canoes. As soon as the storm cleared enough to see, Tim and I jumped into kayaks, heading out into the rough water. A lot of praying was going on, for Tim, myself, and the poor campers. High winds, tall waves, and a lot of lightning made it frightening, but we pushed on. We managed to rescue kids, canoes, and gear,(must have had a dozen teenaged girls drying out in Keith and Cherie's big "family tent") and Zach, Garret, and Keith got a call out to the warden service for much needed help. Two of their boats arrived on scene, helping to get everyone and their canoes/gear back to the other side of the lake. It all ended well, with many thanks to all involved, and special thanks for God's protection!
Next day... paddled out in high winds/water, and headed to Baxter State Park. After a good nights sleep, we all made the big climb up Mt. Katahdin (Highest elvation in Maine)! Cari was the only one who didn't attempt it... she had taken a bad fall a couple of days before the paddle started, and was pretty bruised. She closed up the campsite, then assisted in getting a couple of hikers some help with their disabled vehicle. The Day was "perfect" for hiking, and a good hike was had by all!
...I am still in "recovery"!
God Bless you all, stay out of that hot sun!
Stickman
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Faithful hiking "Long Trail"
Hello, hello!
Thought I would give you all a little update on David "Faithful" Barnes, and ask you to keep him in your prayers.
Faithful was my hiking partner on the Appalachian Trail Mission Hike in 2007. The picture of him, above, is from that wonderful hike. While I came off trail in New York, Dave was well on his way SOBO. He hiked into the Fall, came off trail, then went back on trail in the Spring, completing the whole A.T. within a year!
I recieved an e-mail from his mom, Lillian the other day, with news that Faithful was going back on trail... this time he hikes the "Long Trail"! The plan was that he would start on trail sometime yesterday.
The Long Trail is in Vermont... in fact, it runs 272 miles along the length of the State of Vermont, from the Vermont/Massachusetts border, near Williamstown, MA, to the Vermont/Canada border, near North Troy, Vermont. The trail is the oldest in the U.S., built between 1910 and 1930, by the Green Mountain Club, and pretty much follows the ridge of the Green Mountains! Faithful should be able to enjoy some of Vermont's highest peaks, and it's most beautiful hiking!
The start of the Trail should be very familiar to Faithful, as the first 100 miles of the Long Trail is also part of the Appalachian Trail... but ALL of the hike will be a new adventure! Faithful should be able to complete the hike in about four weeks, but... just to make the hike more enjoyable, safer, and successful... let's all make an effort to include Faithful in our daily prayers! I know that your prayers will be greatly appreciated by Faithful and family, and thank you for them.
I must sign off for now, but will let you know if I hear more news about Faithful.
Hope all of you are being Blessed greatly!
Stickman
Thought I would give you all a little update on David "Faithful" Barnes, and ask you to keep him in your prayers.
Faithful was my hiking partner on the Appalachian Trail Mission Hike in 2007. The picture of him, above, is from that wonderful hike. While I came off trail in New York, Dave was well on his way SOBO. He hiked into the Fall, came off trail, then went back on trail in the Spring, completing the whole A.T. within a year!
I recieved an e-mail from his mom, Lillian the other day, with news that Faithful was going back on trail... this time he hikes the "Long Trail"! The plan was that he would start on trail sometime yesterday.
The Long Trail is in Vermont... in fact, it runs 272 miles along the length of the State of Vermont, from the Vermont/Massachusetts border, near Williamstown, MA, to the Vermont/Canada border, near North Troy, Vermont. The trail is the oldest in the U.S., built between 1910 and 1930, by the Green Mountain Club, and pretty much follows the ridge of the Green Mountains! Faithful should be able to enjoy some of Vermont's highest peaks, and it's most beautiful hiking!
The start of the Trail should be very familiar to Faithful, as the first 100 miles of the Long Trail is also part of the Appalachian Trail... but ALL of the hike will be a new adventure! Faithful should be able to complete the hike in about four weeks, but... just to make the hike more enjoyable, safer, and successful... let's all make an effort to include Faithful in our daily prayers! I know that your prayers will be greatly appreciated by Faithful and family, and thank you for them.
I must sign off for now, but will let you know if I hear more news about Faithful.
Hope all of you are being Blessed greatly!
Stickman
Thursday, June 9, 2011
One moose, two moose, three moose...and no camera!
Hello everyone,
(Yes, Dave E., "everyone" means especially you!) I have to kid a bit, as my friend, Dave, is up home from Florida to work at camp and visit a bit... and I had a chance to catch him there yesterday. He asked why I hadn't been posting to the blog for almost a year, and I was "Honest" with him. I was busy!!! Of course, he will read the previous blog regarding the "prodigal stickman" and see the truth... I squandered my time. So the whole truth is that if you "get busy" you can become complacent about important things, relegating them to the back burner. After a bit you just.... you know what I'm trying to say, and I again ask you all to forgive (not ovelook) my shortcomings.
Shortcomings... brings me back to the subject of the title of this post. If I had just brought a camera I could post up a picture... now I'll have to use up a thousand words! This last Sunday I got up, showered, and readied for Church. Suddenly I realized that I was attending alone. Cari had picked up my "cold" (I'll call it that), and was miserable. Of course, she had only had it for a few days, and I had suffered with it for three weeks... and mine was a MAN-COLD!
When all was said and done, I decided it best not to attend either. No sense in infecting a whole congregation... Alternate plan: attempt a hike up to Little Bigelow!
I changed into hiking garb, grabbed a daypack and a ScriptureStick, and headed to the store. There, I picked up a six-pack to leave at the Little Bigelow Lean-to for other hikers to enjoy. I thought of leaving "Moxie" but picked up "Pepsi" instead.
So, off I went. A very pleasant 33 mile drive from Madison up through Lexington/Highland to the Bigelow Preserve. Hanging a left at "the mailboxes", I was quickly parked at the trailhead. To the Trail! I walked slowly, on easy trail, enjoying the music of the birds which were accompanied by the sounds of the wonderful stream running off to the right of me. Becoming lost in the experience, I was somewhat surprised to realize that there was a big animal just off to my left. Wait! It was a BIG "big animal", and two LITTLE "big animals"! MOOSE!!! Yes, it was a cow moose with two young'uns! They couldn't have been more than 20 - 25 feet away, and I had no camera!!! The babies looked at me a bit nervously, fidgeting just a bit around Mom, looking to her to see what to do. She just gazed at me for a minute or more, then started to slowly walk alongside the trail. We walked together for just a little way, then she angled slightly away from me, taking her children ever deeper into the tree cover, and safety. This is, by far, at the top of my list for animal encounters... and I was totally unprepared, camera-less!
To try to make up for my slip up, I will re-post another "very cool" moose picture, one from the 2007 thru-hike attempt. The picture is NOT mine. Huck Pendolino snapped the shot as the moose peered into his tent!
Thanks, Huck, for letting us post your moose picture! I'm sure it was a harrowing experience hearing her walking around outside your tent, then "checking in on you"!
Sooo... my hike continued. It is only 1.3 miles to the shelter, on fairly easy terrain, but I was huffing and puffing like an old Stanley Steamer by the time I got there, with my lungs not quite right from my recent man-cold, and lack of activity. By the way, the Stanley Steamer was a creation of the twin brothers, F.E. and F.O. Stanley, of Kingfield, Maine, and you can visit the Stanley Museum right there at Kingfield!
Arriving at the shelter, I found the little springhouse destroyed by fallen trees, so I made a bit of a depression in the spring-stream flow, depositing the drinks to cool for any hikers that should come along. I sat at shelter, reading log entries, and was surprised to find only half a dozen entries thus far this year. I added my own entry, while swatting away at the vicious blackflies, then returned to the main trail. I looked uptrail, thinking that I should surely continue another 1.8 miles to the top of Little Bigelow, and take in the view... but my lungs weren't going to get me there, and the weather was changing quickly. I returned to the trailhead, jumped in the truck, and replayed the little hike in my mind over and over again on my way home. It is amazing how Blessed our time can be... if we just take the time!
So, I'll get this blog closed up for now, take a little ride up to the lake to see my friend Dave, and enjoy all the Blessings God has in store for me today!
Take time to let God Bless your time too!
Stickman
(Yes, Dave E., "everyone" means especially you!) I have to kid a bit, as my friend, Dave, is up home from Florida to work at camp and visit a bit... and I had a chance to catch him there yesterday. He asked why I hadn't been posting to the blog for almost a year, and I was "Honest" with him. I was busy!!! Of course, he will read the previous blog regarding the "prodigal stickman" and see the truth... I squandered my time. So the whole truth is that if you "get busy" you can become complacent about important things, relegating them to the back burner. After a bit you just.... you know what I'm trying to say, and I again ask you all to forgive (not ovelook) my shortcomings.
Shortcomings... brings me back to the subject of the title of this post. If I had just brought a camera I could post up a picture... now I'll have to use up a thousand words! This last Sunday I got up, showered, and readied for Church. Suddenly I realized that I was attending alone. Cari had picked up my "cold" (I'll call it that), and was miserable. Of course, she had only had it for a few days, and I had suffered with it for three weeks... and mine was a MAN-COLD!
When all was said and done, I decided it best not to attend either. No sense in infecting a whole congregation... Alternate plan: attempt a hike up to Little Bigelow!
I changed into hiking garb, grabbed a daypack and a ScriptureStick, and headed to the store. There, I picked up a six-pack to leave at the Little Bigelow Lean-to for other hikers to enjoy. I thought of leaving "Moxie" but picked up "Pepsi" instead.
So, off I went. A very pleasant 33 mile drive from Madison up through Lexington/Highland to the Bigelow Preserve. Hanging a left at "the mailboxes", I was quickly parked at the trailhead. To the Trail! I walked slowly, on easy trail, enjoying the music of the birds which were accompanied by the sounds of the wonderful stream running off to the right of me. Becoming lost in the experience, I was somewhat surprised to realize that there was a big animal just off to my left. Wait! It was a BIG "big animal", and two LITTLE "big animals"! MOOSE!!! Yes, it was a cow moose with two young'uns! They couldn't have been more than 20 - 25 feet away, and I had no camera!!! The babies looked at me a bit nervously, fidgeting just a bit around Mom, looking to her to see what to do. She just gazed at me for a minute or more, then started to slowly walk alongside the trail. We walked together for just a little way, then she angled slightly away from me, taking her children ever deeper into the tree cover, and safety. This is, by far, at the top of my list for animal encounters... and I was totally unprepared, camera-less!
To try to make up for my slip up, I will re-post another "very cool" moose picture, one from the 2007 thru-hike attempt. The picture is NOT mine. Huck Pendolino snapped the shot as the moose peered into his tent!
Thanks, Huck, for letting us post your moose picture! I'm sure it was a harrowing experience hearing her walking around outside your tent, then "checking in on you"!
Sooo... my hike continued. It is only 1.3 miles to the shelter, on fairly easy terrain, but I was huffing and puffing like an old Stanley Steamer by the time I got there, with my lungs not quite right from my recent man-cold, and lack of activity. By the way, the Stanley Steamer was a creation of the twin brothers, F.E. and F.O. Stanley, of Kingfield, Maine, and you can visit the Stanley Museum right there at Kingfield!
Arriving at the shelter, I found the little springhouse destroyed by fallen trees, so I made a bit of a depression in the spring-stream flow, depositing the drinks to cool for any hikers that should come along. I sat at shelter, reading log entries, and was surprised to find only half a dozen entries thus far this year. I added my own entry, while swatting away at the vicious blackflies, then returned to the main trail. I looked uptrail, thinking that I should surely continue another 1.8 miles to the top of Little Bigelow, and take in the view... but my lungs weren't going to get me there, and the weather was changing quickly. I returned to the trailhead, jumped in the truck, and replayed the little hike in my mind over and over again on my way home. It is amazing how Blessed our time can be... if we just take the time!
So, I'll get this blog closed up for now, take a little ride up to the lake to see my friend Dave, and enjoy all the Blessings God has in store for me today!
Take time to let God Bless your time too!
Stickman
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