Thank you....

This entry is dedicated to those along the way who have been our recent trail angels ...:)

Nurse Carol in Manchester Center who we met while leaving EMS. She asked if we needed a ride to the trailhead. We ended up tenting in her yard and spending the evening sitting around the fire sharing stories. She had foreign exchange students and we had to pretend to be old friends so they didn't freak out. We took her to breakfast in the morning at her favorite spot and then she dropped us at the trail. Another witty nurse in VT-.... she reminded us alot of Nurse Betty :)

Then there was Billy, who we met at a little outside pub. He and I were in the parking lot (Nick ran in to see if they allowed furry friends) talking about his car and he asked questions about my pack and we started talking about the trail. We went in (pets allowed!), had a few beers with him and some eggplant fries, yum. When we told him ee were headed to the hostel,  he insisted we pitch in his yard. He took us to his beautiful house on the lake,introduced us to his wife,Jean and Nick grilled some fish for us all. We sat  out by the fire and watched the sun fall into the water. The next morning he is dropped us off in Dalton and we were back on trail, heading south.

Then along trail we meet three gentleman,  a lawyer, a pastor and an ex-Army ranger. The pastor had hiked the A.T. 8 times! The other two gentleman had hiked just a few years ago together and just recently published Avalanche and Gorilla Jim which I will be reading shortly! We exchanged stories and I told them of how we were stalling in the woods, waiting for our drop box to arrive. The pastor was insistent we head into town and advised us of a pet friendly motel and then displayed a random act of trail magic and we took their"advice" and headed to town;).  

There was Steve in Bennington that despite Bailey barking like a crazy dog took us from the trailhead to town and even gave us a tour. We proceeded to bump into him at the gas station and he drove us to the post office and then dropped us off at the laundry.

We met Mike while trying to hitch to Kent, CT to get a drop box. He had two employees with him in the front pf the truck and Nick didn't think he would stop, but he did. We hopped in the back, he offered us a few beers and proceeded to drive well out if his way to get us to the post office and within 5 minutes of them closing! We thanked him with a 12 pack for him and his workers. We exchanged FB info and said goodbye to Mike from CT.

Whilst examining my foot and debating to gather water from a source we discovered to be downstream from a cattle farm(ick), we were approached by a woman who asked if we were thru-hiking and said her daughter (who was waving from the car) insisted she stop and take us back to their house. She said she was on her way to the market but we would be back in a couple of hours. Needless to say,  we were a bit puzzled. When she returned she explained that her husband, Bill,  had hiked the trail in 99 and since then bought a house right next to the trail and has been taking in hikers ever since. Amy offered a fews beers , a shower, laundry and for dinner she made us shrimp and walnuts over blue cheese alfredo pasta....whaaaaat?!? We told them our looong story over dinner and turned in for the night. In the morning,  despite her morning routine, she made us coffee and waffles. We said our goodbyes and headed up and over the mountain.

Most recently as we prepared to cross the Hudson we were greeted by a group if day hikers who offered us some water and then told us about Oktoberfest that was being held right on the A.T. at the base of Bear Mountain.  Nick walked through the trailside museum and zoo and I waited at the end of the tunnel (no dogs allowed). The afternoon was spent consuming lots of good beer, peopleand  watching and listening to polka music. The afternoon gave way to us sitting by the lake, becoming evermore lazy. While contemplating another beer, we were greeted by 2couples on the bench who had seen us that morning crossing the bridge.  We told them our story and they said they had just finished up some hiking themselves. They "shangaid"us and drove us to their home (40miles away). They stuffed us with sushi and ample amounts of libations, they offered a warm bed and a much needed shower. In the morning they made us breakfast, stopped at the grocery and then drove us all the way back to the trail. So to Joe &Heather, thank you for an unexpected evening and your hospitality.
Last but certainly not least....thank you Mom. Without this amazing woman this journey would not be at all possible.Not only is she our support staff and mails all our drops boxes,  extra requests for gear, food and meds we have in storage, she has been sitting our kitties through part 1 and 2 of this journey. We also have our boat,  canoe and my truck stored in her yard...whew. So, to the biggest angel of all, thank you again. I probably do not say it enough for all you do and put up with. We will be done soon! ;)

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Our great drive across the north....

In my last post I mentioned we were on our way off trail to rent a car. 2 weeks later we returned said car. Find a comfy chair and a map and follow along with our great trip across the north that took us 2500 miles and 5 states. Had I thought of it, I would have used the Spot to check in at all of our locations, drawing a nice little map, criss-crossing our lovely path, but I didn't:/.


 Our trip began in White River Junction, VT, from there we travelled to Newport, RI to visit with our friend Jeff, Natalie and their spunky daughter, Jocelyn. We left RI and headed to the wedding of our friends Chris and Ally in Big Indian, NY. With some time to spare we drove to Camden,ME where surprised my daughter once again. ( I LOVE dropping in and surprising my family!) While in Camden, Nick decides he really wants to visit his parents ( who live in the Keys ) who are vacationing in Thousand Islands Park,NY. We add another week to the rental and head west :) Since we are already in the vicinity ( not really, but at least the same state...?), we decide to drive down to Niagara Falls, NY. From the falls we head east to White River Junction and returned the car. Whew...


Okay, with the overview of the trip taken care of, now I can talk about the FUN we had catching up with our loved ones.

First up...Jeff, Natalie & Jocelyn... First off, what an amazing family! We always have such a great time with them and their hospitality is quite gracious.  Nick went to high school with the two of them and I never tire of the stories the three share.  We met them at the water where Jeff was racing their International 14, which is a frightening vessel, with an enormous amount of sail that flies across the water in no wind and that two men can lift. We spent the next couple of days exploring Newport with them, sailing aboard the Schooner Aquidneck and lots of time consuming homebrews and grilling in the backyard.  Our visit came to an end and we headed west for the wedding.

Back to the story....After our ridiculous corn consumption, I told Nick I wanted to surprise Simone again. This began our drive to Camden, ME. Yippeee!!! We arrived just before dark and I tried to sneak along the dock to surprise her, I believe Bailey gave us away. We spent the next few days with her sailing aboard her home and place of employment the Schooner Appledore. I never grow tired of Camden and of course never grow tired of catching up with my girlie, trying to limit our time apart. During this visit I finally got to see her aloft, I am so proud of her. She is growing up and our relationship evolves and with each conversation....;).We always cook a meal for the crew when we stay to show our appreciation for their hospitality while aboard, it was a chilly night and a huge pot of chili it was. Our many thanks to the crew, once again. We bid farewell to my girlie and to Camden, it would be our last visit with her this season before they head south the Key West for the winter.  :(




With my family time in, it was time for Nick's. His folks live in the Keys, but were vacationing in Thousand Islands Park, NY at the family "cottage". We arrived in the afternoon, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing and it was perfect weather for  a stroll with his parents and to become acquainted with the island.  We returned and met with the rest of the family and Bailey tried to behave herself with the other dogs. Nick had not been to the island since he was 12 and I had never been.  What a beautiful place!  We sat and had dinner and shared stories, the sun began to fall into the water, and it was time to sleep. The next day Nick and I and Bailey packed a lunch and took out the St.Lawrence Skiff.  It was my first experience in a skiff and took some getting used to, I am not very coordinated and you are backwards the entire time.  Fortunately, there is not much to hit out there and Nick is an amazing rower. I finally got the hang of it, I think.  We headed for a shore line, ate lunch, swam ( brrrrr). Nick and Bailey rowed around for a bit, I watched and took pictures. We headed back for the "cottage" and I spent the afternoon lazily on the dock while Nick worked on mending some line and nautical things of the sort :).  That night Nick's parents treated the family to dinner, and I reunited with one of my true loves, prime rib...rare. mmmmmm. Homemade fresh blueberry pancakes in the morning were a welcome surprise, too and prepared us for our trip to Niagara Falls.  Our deepest thanks to the McNaughton family for allowing us share the time with them in their beautiful home. We snapped a few pictures of the family and said our goodbyes and headed south.

It was my first time at the falls.  I felt bad because Nick wanted to do the "whole tour", you know the boat and all, but we had Bailey with us and although she is allowed in the park, she is not allowed on any of the tours. At times she does limit our activities, which in a way is not always bad, she did save us some $. :)  We had packed a lunch and sat in the grass above the falls, people watched ( which is always fun) and took in the scenery. 

We returned to the trail and a change of terrain and weather in Vermont.  The leaves have a tinge of color on them and some are already beginning to cover the trail. The cooler weather is much welcome and makes hiking quite a bit more pleasant.
My time is up at the library...so much more to add ...:/  Including xome more AMAZING people we have met :)!

Thar she blows!!, why we LOVE hitching and my multifunctional hiking attire....

It seems these days we are spending more time off trail than on:/. It seems we spend more time hitching than hiking :/. This morning my boots, which I have been trying to hang onto, gave way. See, around where the toes bend, the right began splitting,  then the left. Well, the right gave way this morning. Leaving me with a complete opening across the top. I regret now not taking a picture. Needless to say, I hobbled down the trail 1mile to the highway and another
.5 mile to the hostel. I got online and found the nearest outfitter, EMS near Hanover, 3 days by trail or $75 for a shuttle. Not no, but hell no. We shall hitch, we love hitching and here is why .... we have been picked up by soccer moms in mini vans,pick up trucks, lawnmowers( actually he went home to feed his pet deer and pick up his car), vw bugs, UPS trucks, loggers, seniors, nurses, trail maintainers and lastly doctors. This morning was no exception... after thumbing it for half an hour and just about to give up, a Mercedes approached us, we recognized it as a Mercedes and lowered our thumbs. The car veers off on the shoulder( we both thought the guy was going to hit us"dirty bums") . He asked us where we were headed and he told us to hop in, said he would take us up to the intersection.  He didn't even mind Bailey :), leather seats and all. With a stethoscope on the front seat, Nick asks if he is doctor and yes he is, an E.R. doc. This strikes up conversation about my recent experience.  He then mentions his 8  dogs, chickens, horses and cattle. His belted galloways, to be exact.  Hmmm, Nick then mentions that his old boss, The Commodore ( owner of the Appledore), lives in Camden, ME just by a belted galloway farm. The doc is surprised,  that is where he got his cattle. This then brings up discussion about Camden and the Appledore,  he turns around and looks at me and asks, "Did you make me those Bloody Marys with the pickle? "... I smiled proudly, "No sir, that was my daughter, Simone". Wow. He then tells us of a story of confusion with his CC billing on the Appledore and how the Commodore invited him to visit him at his home and another sail when he returns to Camden. The conversation continued on and soon we arrived at our intersection. Dr. John bid us farewell and we stood in awe for a few moments to realize,  yet once again, the world is a small place. Wow.
We crossed the road and raised our thumbs. Ten minutes later,  we were picked up by a young guy with long hair in a Subaru,  with a backpack. Come to find out he is from VA, now attends Dartmouth and is a trail maintainer for the Dartmouth Outing Club.Awesome. He and Nick chatted the entire 40 miles of the hitch, while I searched for pet-friendly establishments and edited our rental car for the upcoming wedding in NY.  Seems we have a change in plans again...
We arrived in White River Junction and settled into the Super 8, touched base with a few friends on the coast and decided to relax by the pool ( the past few establishments did not feature this luxury:). Which brings me to why my hiking attire is the bomb(I am probably too old to say that, but whateva, that too). These 2 simple garments, sleeveless shirt and running shorts provided me with hiking attire, swim wear by the pool, a quick wash in the sink, blowdry with the hair dryer and voila , fancy clothes for dinner at the Chinese buffet (we are fancy and Nick never met a buffet he didn't like). Now these garments are my sleepwear.
On our walk back to the hotel, I played the BeeGees "Inside and Out" ( stuck in my head for days) and danced all the way....
Live simply.
Laugh frequently.
Love out loud.

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A good day to hike ?

We decided to set back out on trail today...40% chance of thunderstorms ...lovely.
We left Nurse Betty's and she drove us the 40 miles to the trailhead. There was a light mist and the mountains were covered with fog, it broke briefly and we got a glimpse of Mt. Moosilauke. Impressive, you get roughly around a 3000ft elevation gain in 3 miles.
It's 2pm. We said our goodbyes to Nurse Betty :( and set off. We cross a few swollen streams and Nick finds some nice camping spots. This is typical, when we get a late start back on trail, Nick likes to just set up camp and then get an early start the next day. In hindsight that might have been the best idea. But I decided we should push on at least to the shelter, it is only .7 miles in but the sign said 1.5 ?? Hmm? We have been off trail a long time and we have 48miles in 5 days to get to the wedding(that is another story! )
We begin our ascent,  I quickly shed my rain gear. It isn't raining and I am burning up! We leave our pack covers on( good idea).
The climb (literally) is beautiful.  We are climbing just feet away from the waterfall the entire time. It begins to drizzle. I stop to take as many pictures as possible.  Thank goodness for these rebar handholds.
The rain picks up. I get a few shots of Nick climbing the wooden steps attached to the rockface. The rain is now actually rain. We should be getting close? Cue the thunder. No time for raingear, besides there is nowhere to stop. No more pictures for me. Just climbing, climbing behind Nick trying to lift Bailey from the spots she is trying to burrow in. I use alot of babytalk to advance her up the trail, but she hates thunder, maybe as much as Nick. The thunder continues and the rain is almost painful. We haven't walked in rain like this since Hurricane Irene last year in Maine. Soaked would not even begin to describe us.We pass a couple of northbounders who say the shelter is another 1/4 mile or so. Ugh. We continue on....it isn't pretty.
We finally reach the shelter and decide to dry out a bit inside, get our raingear on and then set up camp. THAT isn't happening. The shelter has a few dayhikers in it, complete with Subway and tarps hanging. Nick greets them, no response. We are aliens, wet aliens with a wet alien furry animal. And we are not getting into their shelter. Nice!
This sparks a few comments from Nick as we search for the best muddy hole, I mean tent pad, to pitch. We set up camp, change into dry clothes and embrace the warmth and wet dog smell that is home. :)
It is 430 now and time for dinner. Should be in bed by 6pm. I love it out here. It is good to be back. I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds! ;)
P.s. ... I admit to Nick that I got my mileage wrong, it really was 1.5 to the shelter...his response, " yeah, I know!". We both have a little chuckle...oops.

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Mountaintops, Hospitals and Amazing People...

Hm, how should I start this one? I suppose I should retrace our path back to Gorham... here goes.  Grab a comfy spot, this is a long one...
Ahhhh, the Whites!  Known to be the most rugged of the entire trail. Beautiful endless views over majestic mountain ranges,  the most erratic weather known to man, lots of elevation gain and loss, unforgiving, rocky terrain, limited (free)camping options (due to the terrain and being above treeline ), oh and the huts ( which are only for rich people and don't allow furry friends ), and last but not least no campfires. :(  .  Needless to say, we went into the Whites with a bad taste in our mouths.
After Bailey's recovery and new boots arrived, we waited out yet one more days of storms in Gorham. By day 4 I was "restless" to say the least. I don't relax well and I tend to get bored with doing nothing. The clouds broke and we were finally able to get out of the motel room. We no sooner walked 200 feet from the hotel and a couple pulled over and offered us a ride to the trailhead (3.6miles). Things were looking up!
We took our time along the gradual path that followed the river up the 2 miles to the first (and last free ) shelter. The thunder began rumbling in the distance. We found a spot sown by the river to have a snack, which turned into lunch, which turned into "hey, let's cast a few lines", which turned into us finding a really nice tentsite across the river on a bed of pine needles, which turned into camp, which turned into us bumping into "The Provider" (whom we met our first day on trail back in Andover, briefly). We spend awhile catching up with him, crawl into our tents and plan for a big day when we wake.
The next morning "The Provider" lives up to his name and bluetooths me a list of stealth (aka free) sites through the Whites ... things happen for a reason and again, things are looking better!
We plan to head for a site 10 miles in, over 2 summits and then down into a gap. We scramble over Mt.Moriah and before heading over our next mountain, we need to stop at the shelter for water. We head the .02 miles off trail downhill (which doesn't sound like much, but anything "offtrail" is huge) to the shelter. We fill our water bags and have a snack. The shelter is packed and everyone has questions about Bailey. The usual, "how is she holding up, how much does she carry, does she get tired, how are her feet, where does she sleep, what does she eat, what about bears, what did you do with her in the Smokies,  can she stay in the huts, is she always attached to you, and what kind of dog is she (I am sure I am missing a few:) ".  Bailey always attracts attention and questions,  so our brief trip for water turned into us being there for an hour + , during which time massive thunderheads rolled in. Then the rain began. The big fat, hard kind of rain. We found a platform (that is what you have to use in the Whites, terrain remember? ) and threw on our raingear and managed to get only slightly soaked while we set up the tent ( I won't lie, I always get inside first after the fly is on to get Bailey situated and Nick finishes staking the tent out,  xoxo ;) ).  Unfortunately, the AMC got us for $16 that night, just to pitch our tent...UGGGG! 
When we did get over that next mountain the next day we were glad we were not up there in the storm, above treeline and big slippery rockface. The freezing rain began  and our day was once again cut short. Miserable and unable to get warm,  we set up camp and crawled into our tent, not really caring about the consequences of being caught. 
The next day, we woke to find "The Provider" in his hammock a few trees away. Seems we all had the same idea. That day was beautiful!!! The sun was shining, it was warm and we were motivated. The views promised from the Whites began to deliver.  Carter Dome was amazing and we stopped there for a snack and set all our wet gear out to dry. From there we climbed down the steeeeep backside down to the pond, Nick fished for a bit and we had lunch before tackling the Wildcat Mountain Range.
After summiting the first peak, then the second,  the thunder started. There were 2 more peaks to go over. Not only does Nick hate storms, but so does Bailey and she has discovered a way to put her brakes on , completely stopping him. Then she burrows. Basically,  getting her over the next peak was a challenge. Lots of coaxing and baby talk. When we reached the ski gondola (alien ship) we decided to take it down since we both had never been on one. When we got to the bottom we realized the time and decided to road walk to the visitor center to get our drop box.
We get the usual stares from the dayhikers as we organize our food bags on the picnic table. After which we get back on trail, slide off onto a side trail and find a nice free spot by a stream, free bathing, free laundry, dinner and off to sleep.
The next few days are a blur for me ( the reason is explained later ). We climb the Presidential range and I am feeling drained and lagging behind. We get to the top of Mt. Washington, 50 miles of visibilty and there are hundreds of people.  Nick pops inside the visitor center and comes out with two hotdogs and sodas:) ((I LOVE HOTDOGS!!!))  We take the obligatory summit pic and head across the ridgeline. ((( I am exhausted))) I smile and push on, nowhere to stop here... by the time we finally drop below treeline, I am almost glad to hear voices( meaning there is a camp nearby). We finally hit Mizpah shelter and campsite, I am still insistent on not to pay to pitch and Nick goes in to see if we can do a "work for stay". We are in luck, no caretaker and therefor, no fee. Awesome, I am tired. We set up camp have dinner and off to sleep.
Ugh, the next day.... For those that know me, I am in bed before the sun goes down and up before it. So when Nick wakes me at 8:45am, something is wrong. I am in a ball, freeeezing. I can't move and have no desire to. Not good.  I feel as if my body is filled with ice, yet I am burning up. Oh,  and I am nauseas.  I may just throw up inside my sleeping bag and I don't care. Not good.
Nick is outside talking to a few other hikers and the sounds are bothering me, the light is bothering me. I barely get the zipper open and my head off the platform before the inevitable happens. Nick comes to check on me and offers to make something to eat... no food please, just water, I am so thirsty. I don't think I will be hiking today. But of course there is a storm rolling in, imagine that. Nick wants to get off the mountain and I don't want to assume we will be lucky enough to get another free night, but I cannot move.  Around noon, he wakes me again and I feel "slightly" better and agree to try to get down the mountain.  He packs up camp while I struggle with some Ritz crackers.
Half an hour in,  not so good. He spots a side trail leading straight to the highway (2.6) instead of the 6.7 on the scenic A.T. route , I agree to take it.  Slow, slow, slower and sick.
When we finally reach the highway, we end up right at the visitor center where out next drop is, how convenient. 
We sort our bags and then the rain begins, again. We wait it out under the porch and once again, I have gone from bad to worse. After the rain we try to hitch the entire 3.5 back to the trailhead. No luck, whatsoever.  People smile and wave, give us thumbsup... wth? Really? Nick searched for sites along the road to pitch and I searched for spots to get sick. When I couldn't walk anymore I just laid down,  in the gravel or the grass on the side of the road, shivering. Nick insisted I had to walk and I couldn't sleep on the side of the road, oh yes, yes I could,  he had no idea...;/
We never found a roadside spot and I struggled the entire way back to the trail. We found a spot just by the river and set up camp. With no desire to eat, I went to bed.
Maybe it was the hotdog, maybe I had that virus that is spreading on trail, maybe I caught a bug from one of the tourists atop Washington, maybe Giardia, maybe I was pregnant (lol), maybe I used a dirty leaf??? Whatever it was, it wasn't going anywhere.
The next morning, I slept in again. But felt slightly better. Nick did some fishing and then we packed up. I didn't think I was able to climb out of the notch so we decided to thumb into town (wait a second, this didn't work last time) it took us hour or so and if course I was feeling worse, eventually a day hiker at the trailhead drove us 10 miles to a town. We sat outside at a table at a convenient store for the entire afternoon trying to weigh our options. All of which were rash, hurried, rational and irrational. I was frustrated with myself and the lack of miles. We decided to sleep on it and found a campground.
The next morning, you guessed it...ick. Still unable to shake the fever, Nick spoke with the campground owners and they told us about the hospital and offered to give us a ride there.
We got to the Weeks Medical Center and I went straight to the E.R. I instantly felt better, not medically but mentally. Nick waited outside with Bailey in the shade. My doctor (Dr. LeBlanc) even went out and sat in the grass with Bailey so Nick could come in and visit.;) They ordered the usual tests, blood, urine and the routine questions. It was obvious I was going to be there awhile so Nick decided to go ahead and get a hotel room (for Bailey) so he could stay with me. He brought in my bag and one of the nurses called around town for a pet friendly place and even printed out directions.
Alan, the nurse who was doing my blood work literally tossed him the keys to his Subaru so they didn't have to walk. ;)
The people at the hotel weren't so amazing and $100 later Nick returned and Bailey sat in her hotel room watching Animal Planet.
The first round of tests came back...fever 102°, very low potassium 3.1 (explaining my exhaustion)and high white blood count, not pregnant, some bacteria.  My mother (via texting ) is convinced I have diabetes.  "Nope, my sugar is good", he says, "90". Also, that doesn't explain the pain in my lower abdomen, or the fever. Dr. LeBlanc wants to be sure he isn't missing anything and orders a CT scan. This sounds serious.
Enter Nurse Betty....she loads me up with liters of fluids through my I.V. and this lovely liquid she mixes with Powerade and strict instructions to drink a cup every half hour, for 2 hours.  I am beyond thirsty and it is delicious! Then came the liquid potassium and she was right, it was downright disgusting.
By this point I was up to about 6 blankets and still freezing. We waited for the CT results.
Dr.Leblanc came in and informed me I had an advanced UTI that spread into my kidneys, Pyelonephritis, to be exact. Not ever having a UTI and hearing the symptoms, I wonder how I didn't know I had one? They sound horrible, but I didn't seem to notice anything they mentioned and my kidneys weren't hurting?:/
Lo and behold it was the source of my problem. The doctor advised admitting me for 2 days to ensure I shake the fever, bring up my potassium and begin to tackle the infection. We agreed it would be best.
We also realized there was no way Nick was going to get another hotel room and we joked about him pitching on the lawn of the hospital. Then Nurse Alan comes in and says Nick and Bailey can stay in a bunk at the Fire Department down the road...sweet! Then Nurse Betty enters and tells us she has this log cabin just across the state line in Vermont over looking the Presidential range.  She uses it on HomeAway and the people were leaving. Whaaaaat?;) The cabin is divided with a full 1br house downstairs and she offers it to us for a few days for me to begin my meds and recover. Of course now I am crying and once again amazed by the generosity of people.I get admitted, Nick walks back to the hotel. I stay in the hospital overnight for observation, it is uneventful and the next morning I am running a slight fever but the new doctor says I can go home.
Nurse Betty has shown up for her (so-very-long!) shift and has heard I am being discharged.  She has already arranged a ride for us to the cabin with her son-in-law, a NH State Trooper. I couldn't wait to tell Nick!
Chuck, the Trooper, arrived (in his truck) to drive us to the cabin. He even stopped at the pharmacy and the grocery store for us. When we arrived at the cabin, we were blown away. Everything about it was beautiful! Chuck gave us the tour and  his number in case I had any problems, then left.
We settled in and I rested. Nick picked some veggies from the garden (Betty insisted) and grilled a pork loin for dinner.  Then I rested, again.
The next morning (yesterday) I took my first round of meds and as the label warns, I was nauseas.  I refuse to waste a pill that cost $60 each (UGH!) So I dealt with it. Betty called to check on us and offered to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy for nausea on her way up...wow:)
She arrived and then leant us her car to drive to the store. Now instead of searching the labels for carnal, I was searching for potassium :) Nick grilled a Drunken Chicken for her, with beet slaw and rice pilaf to show our gratitude.  Today he is going to mow the yard. I was ordered to rest, she said :).
So here I sit, feeling better, staring at the mountains. Feeling guilty about not hiking but knowing that if I get back out to soon, I will do more damage than good. The trail seems so far away...
Until then I will rest, relax and recover ( in this pretty damn fine spot ;) and realize, once again, the kindness in humanity. Just when things seem to be on a downward spiral, there is always that one twist that brings you right back out of the dark. There are people who, without knowing,  do much more good for one than they could ever imagine. The staff at Weeks didn't just didn't heal my body,  they healed my spirit and my drive and my faith in humanity and for that, I am forever thankful.

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Bailey's got a new pair of shoes...lol

Bailey's new boots...

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Flip-Floppy ...

The definition if a "flip-flop" in the A.T. is one who hikes north, reaches a certain location and then drives to MTaine and hikes south to the location where they left the trail. We did this last year due to Bailey's heartworms :/ . 
We decided to "FLIP"to Maine again this year based on a few other factors ...
1. 100° + temps were taking their toll on us all.
2. The drought in VA was also unbearable.  We found ourselves hiking 10-15 miles between reliable water sources.
3. My daughter is back in Camden, ME working aboard the Schooner Appledore. (Flipping gave me a reason to surprise visit her:) )
We drove from VA to ME in a day and spent 3days with my girlie on the coast aboard the ship. Nick was able to catch up with many of his sailing friends and one was actually willing to drive us 3hours to the trailhead...many thanks, John!
With our batteries recharged we got back on trail just outside of Andover, ME.  We found cooler temperatures, ample water and big hills to climb. The change has definitely been for the best.  We settled back into the long days and low mileage of New England. These mountains are a completely different game, you don't push for miles an hour here and we are lucky to get 10 miles in a day.
Our bodies are transforming and I no longer dread the uphills, I never thought I would say that! 
On a bit of a lower note Bailey suffered an injury to one if her rear nails in the Mahoosuc Notch :(.  We gauzed and wrapped it with duct tape for two days until we reached town.  She has been on bed rest for 3days and we ordered her a set of boots to protect her from the upcoming rocks.
We are also resting up for the Whites, the toughest the trail has to offer.

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