APPALACHIAN TRAIL

Those of you that know me well know that I have often talked about what an adventure it would be to hike the almost 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. Well, we all know that will happen only in my dreams, but yesterday I did set foot on the Trail so I can say I have walked ON it, right? We were camped at Shadow of Katahdin Campground in Medway, and we went on a day trip to Baxter State park. What a gem that place is! It's like our Minnesota BWCA, not improved at all, but kept in pristine condition so the generations can enjoy it in it's natural state. The park is huge, with only dirt roads and it is only open to tent camping in selected spots.

We started our adventure by having an early lunch in Millinocket at The Appalachian Trail Cafe. We heard the owner talking with some other customers about her interrupted thru hike because of a broken leg, so when she came by our table to ask if our lunch was okay (the French onion soup I had was absolutely wonderful!) Ernie asked her to sit down and tell us about her adventure. She did, and we asked many questions and listened intently as she answered them and described her adventure which took place over a couple of years because of the broken leg. Then I asked if they had kept an online journal at Trail Journals, and she said they had. She gave me their trail names, Ole Man and Navigator, and said I should look them up and read the journals. I did, and have started reading the first one. She seemed like a very nice woman and we totally enjoyed our visit with her. We asked how they came to own the cafe, she said that they had loved the trail, and loved the hikers, so when they summited Katahdin to complete their thru hike, they decided to stick around this area instead of going back to Florida where they were from. So they bought this cafe and a hiker hostel that were for sale, and since April this year have been living and working in Millinocket. This will be their first winter here! This is one of the better portions of the park road. The trees are very thick, so close together that I cannot believe that a moose could get through them. But they do!Here I am, hiking the Appalachian Trail!

And here is some of the scenery we saw along the trail. Actually, it was probably only 150 feet off the road, but it was along the trail. So my dream is fulfilled. I hiked THE TRAIL!