The Score So Far (Health & Fitness)

[_Res Ipsa]

Oh, and Doc, just got a look at the forecast for early next week. Heat's gonna be a bitch. Stay hydrated.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Oh, and Doc, just got a look at the forecast for early next week. Heat's gonna be a bitch. Stay hydrated.

Thanks! We can't avoid it, sadly. However, my hiking partner talked me into taking today off to rest and watch the World Cup. NO ARGUMENT FROM ME.

Also, because we changed our approach to hiking we stayed at Our Lady of the Assumption. The paritioners insisted we come in and listen to a concert they we're putting on. It was really, really cool. It was like a Catholic version of Saturday's Warrior (they we're paying homage to various aspects of nature). There was also a barbershop type group there that sang love songs which was endearing because the dudes were like 80 years old and whatnot.









They even had us help put out refreshments and feed us as well. Salt of the earth, man. Such a difference from what I grew up with...

- Doc

Aaaaand we were invited to attend the ceremony designating Cheshire an official Appalachian Trail community! Live music, too! People here are wonderful.






dropbox delete account

[_Jersey Girl]

They let you tent camp right on church grounds? That's so cool. Sounds like the whole experience was cool. Love the wood ceiling in the sanctuary. Reminds me of a local church out here.

See? If you had rushed through the area you wouldn't have had those experiences. You slowed up, and had a great time and made new memories!

:-)

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Yeah, slowing it down has been great. We were hiking an 11.7 today, but I was fussy as “F”. My wife called ahead to Bascom lodge which is atop Greylock mountain. So we did 8.5 (a pure unadulterated bull crap ascent today) instead and are now chilling out at a cool lodge. We got to know a new hiker who is transitioning from teaching school to social work. Really cool dude, and that wouldn't have happened had we not stopped here. The views, of course, are beautiful. Tonight we enjoy live jazz music with dinner. Beats bull crap trail food.

Anyway. I keep sharing because what motivated me to challenge myself is others sharing their adventures. I'm hoping to read other forum members' adventures, too. On a side note, my wife's lifelong friend just posted pics of her hiking.

She's never hiked an inch in her life.

I like to think we're maybe planting some seeds with friends and family...

- Doc

[_Jersey Girl]

Just popping in between "shows", as it were after, seeing your post on my phone while eating my blasted greek yogurt and apple. Back down to 125 so I shouldn't complain. So I searched up Mt. Greylock on wiki and here's a couple of things that were of interest to me.

The elevation. I'm obsessed with elevations and the interactive topo map of the trail. I have no idea why except that I live at very high altitude (7600ft) and never once did I ever think about the elevations back home so I check them.

Mount Greylock is the highest natural point in Massachusetts at 3,489 feet (1,063 m).

The views of 5 states from the summit and nature of the forest biome:

The mountain is known for its expansive views encompassing five states and the only taiga-boreal forest in the state.

And this little tidbit right here caught my interest:

Thoreau:

By the mid-19th century, improved transportation into the region attracted many visitors to Greylock. Among them were writers and artists inspired by the mountain scene: Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Cullen Bryant, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Herman Melville, and Henry David Thoreau.[23]

And material regarding the logging industry clear cutting trees and stripping the land, I won't post that here it's too lengthy.

And this:

Mount Greylock State Reservation was created in 1898 as Massachusetts' first public land for the purpose of forest preservation.

And the wiki talks about the AT, Bascom Lodge and the war memorial tower which I assume you're right there by it.

So yeah, that's what I do when you post about a location that is unfamiliar to me.

Here we have had (put up the list) hail storms that took out parts of my garden and new deck chairs, grasshoppers are now eating what's left of the flowers, the praying mantis I bought (to slaughter the grasshoppers) haven't hatched out yet, the deer are also mooching flowers off us, I've been mostly stuck inside for a three day stretch due to the air quality--ash in the air from wildfires all over the state (I'm allergic to that stuff), so I just want you to know how much I enjoy following your journey here on the thread because of the escapism it provides on a negative attitude day.

And I didn't mention this on the board, but I will say that one of our beloved Pugs (belonged to one of our kids, had her for 16 years, raised our Pug) passed away in May. Broken hearts everywhere! Then a Border Collie Mix puppy came into the picture that died before she was ready to go to our daughter. But she has now rescued a new puppy and she's precious.

So the last few months while you all are on the trail, have had some low points for us and it's been wonderful to read your stories at times when things weren't going so well, and I really appreciate your sharing here.

I'm hoping that Xeno might take off on a journey to share. My only journey will be to the UK (via Jersey) in fall. Maybe I'll write about that since this thread could easily be re-titled-- I feel great/I feel like shit--and this is why.

It remains my favorite thread on the board.

:-)

[_Res Ipsa]

Congrats on the 125!!! And I'm very sorry to hear about your Pug. I'm looking forward to reading about your trip!

[_Jersey Girl]

delete

I was rambling...

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

So. We in Vermont now.



In case you're wondering why your resident fat hiker has his hands on his knees it's because 1.3 miles prior Massachusetts sent us out with this:



I “F” ing hate this trail.

This is what a legit beaver dam looks like:



Sunrise from Greylock Mountain:



We finally saw a black bear today. We took a service road into Bennington, VT and surprised him. Lol, he literally jumped and did a spin in the air. Lol.

Clouds of mosquitoes, gnats, and flies are now a thing. Thank gerds for DEET.

“F” this trail.

- Doc

PS - We talked to Germans yesterday. One grew up in East Germany. Cool.

[_Jersey Girl]

So I pulled out my trusty maps. LOOK how far up the trail you are! AHmazing!

Gosh darn it damn it, what is up with those rocks in Mass? Stop saying you're a fat hiker. You don't look fat to me at all and even if you were, you'd be a fat hiker who is out there. Doing. It. Which is more than I can say for the rest of the nation including all of us who are sitting on our butts reading your posts and viewing your pics from A/C homes (swamp cooler here) surrounded by creature comforts including a car to drive around in. So stop.

But...I join with you in declaring, “F” that damned trail!

But keep going. You guys are doing it. I didn't check the miles yet, but dang you guys are moving up the trail!

Love the pics. Particularly that last series of sunrise at Greylock Mtn.

Sorry about your knees! Hope Mrs. Cam's knee is okay having gone up those rocks post-injury!

(This place is turning into a toxic crap hole. Your updates are the only ones worth reading right now.)

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Oh, I just joke around with the fat thing. I'm back to needing to lose 30 lbs to be 185 lbs now. I've lost a bit over 20 lbs thanks to this bull crap trail. So, I'm fat, but I'm also comfortable knowing that I'm not where I want to be. It's kind of cool looking back on your thread. This thing has been going for a year and a half! I love that we're fighting the good fight.

A quick aside, I got my hair cut this morning and the barber was telling me how he recently lost 50 lbs. He of course told me how much of a difference it has made for him now that he's 70. His biggest piece of advice for me once he learned I was 47 was to lose the rest of my weight and keep it off if I want to age well. He said he wished he would've taken the weight off 20 years ago because he felt like it slowed him down so much.

He overcharged for the haircut, by the way. That sonofabitch.

- Doc