Mt. Katahdin ETA: 8/9/08

I'm actually in Kingfield Maine as I write this at the friend of my grandfathers who is kind enough to let me use the interweb. I had planned on visiting David & Ruth in a few days the timetable was bumped up due to various things (including me not wanting to go over saddleback in a T-storm.) I'll get back to it tomorrow at rangely around 7am. 220 miles and 11 days to do it in (the 12 day is to summit). I invite anyone who wants to come to the top or the mountain to do so as I would love to see any of you.

The other hikers tell me 20 mpd cant be done. Of course this makes me want it more and push that much harder. I don't really care that the mud is sometimes knee deep, it kinda reminds me of those years between 3 & 16 when I went claming for a living. And the miles/terrain whatever its home turf. So to those naysayers poo-poo on you. Ill get up at 4:30am and walk until 8:30pm if I have to (and I have had to so far for 3 days) just to prove them wrong. A little sadist satisfaction.

Hopefully the hardest part is over. I did have to climb up a mountainside where there was a rock slide near andover. The rock/mudslide had taken out 3 switchbacks and left a bare/slick ravine that I didn't want to scale. So I went around and climbed up a mossy and rooty mountainside 80ft or so to get over that little inconvenience. The mud has been fun. Singing "I love mud" as well as dancing in the stuff and imitating the bog of eternal stench whenever the sucking sound of pulling my knee/calf/foot arises.

I'm not sure if Ill get another stint on the computer between now and then so if I don't talk to you though this again you'll probably see the scary hippie known as "sir bacon" soon enough. Be well and safe. See you at Katahdin or shortly thereafter.