Mile 117.5 - Monson, ME

We've reached our first milestone, completing the 100-mile wilderness! Despite a very muddy trail, we enjoyed good swimming, some amazing views, and a few unique adventures. Yesterday we found ourselves shimmying across a handline (think Army commericals) over a raging river that was otherwise impassable (Emily has the rope burn to prove it). Later in the day, a detour around another water crossing took us 2 miles away from the trail.

Fellow hikers have been both interesting and incredibly friendly. Two northbounders who live near the trail have passed along phone numbers and welcomed us into their homes when we get farther south. On the trail, hikers acquire a trailname, often based on experiences or quirks they may have. David is now "Chomp," a result of his wolf encounter in Alaska and also reflective of his ravenous appetite (yes, already) and Emily has kept "Half Full" from her section hike in 2002, which resulted from an overly optimistic attitude about weather (she swears it is always clearing up).

We are finding our trail legs and creating a routine, one that involves lemonade at each lunch and candy bar each afternoon. This life is quickly becoming the norm and are looking forward to the miles ahead (and BBQ tonight in town!).

Alaskan Adventures

Fresh off the plane from Anchorage, we are relishing photographs of our two weeks in Alaska as we hurridly do laundry and gather gear for our departure on Wednesday. Spending time in the wilds of Alaska reinforced our desire to be on the trail and to spend our days outside and we are eager for the start of our hike. During our vacation, we fished for salmon (and ate Emily's fresh catch), kayaked alongside a calving glacier, hiked on and off trails that provided windows into some of the most beautiful places we have seen, and watched grizzlies, whales, and caribou with awe.

Additionally, David cemented his uncanny talent for attracting wildlife, as we again had an unexpected and unusual encounter. On the final day of our 5-day backpack a lone wolf trotted directly into our camp as we finished oatmeal. Quickly we found ourselves within 30 meters of it as it ignored our shouts and frantically waving arms. As we backed away it basked in our gear, rolling in Emily's raingear with immense satisfaction and chewing away at the back of her pack. With increasing despiration, David began throwing rocks at the wolf, which encouraged its departure and hehas since declared that he's "saved Emily's life yet again." Emily might argue that he is the very cause of such encounters! The incident, which is incredibly rare wolf behavior, fulfilled our desire to see a wolf and also made us excited to return to the northeast where wildlife encounters are usually less dramatic.

You can see the evidence, as well as other pictures from our trip at http://picasaweb.google.com/emily.dolci/Alaska2009#.

Our next post will be from the trail, perhaps two weeks from now as we'll be starting with the most remote section of trail. We hope to have stories to share free of wildlife encounters and raging Maine streams. Keep your fingers crossed for drier weather!