Wednesday, September 24: Lyle arrived in Appleton at 3:30 p.m. on the Greyhound. 48 hours with no real sleep. When they say "come see the country on Greyhound" they mean it! I hardly recognized Lyle with a full beard. He says he is going to keep it until after deer hunting so I guess I'll get used to it! He wanted a hot meal, a hot bath and sleep! It is so good to have him back safe and sound. He has many stories to tell but they can wait until he is recovered. I'm so glad you joined us for this portion of the trail. It's not over yet...pictures will be posted in the next few weeks. That's all for now....
Trail Widow 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
On The Bus
Monday, September 22: Lyle is on the Greyhound heading home. He picked up the bus in Waterville which was closer than Augusta. As it turns out the man who picked him up had been to the bus depot so he went right there. He arrived 10 minutes before the bus left. However, the ticket agent messed up and his ticket was issued for Tuesday, not Monday. The driver said he could get on but he might get stopped somewhere along the way.
Later: Well, he is pulling out of Boston. It looks like the stopping point will be New York so we're not sure when he will get out of New York. He is going to call me in the morning as he won't get to his stop in New York until after midnight ET. So, he was going to rest and see what the morning brings. Tired but happy to be heading home. We are so glad he is heading back as well!
Later: Well, he is pulling out of Boston. It looks like the stopping point will be New York so we're not sure when he will get out of New York. He is going to call me in the morning as he won't get to his stop in New York until after midnight ET. So, he was going to rest and see what the morning brings. Tired but happy to be heading home. We are so glad he is heading back as well!
What a Weekend!
Sunday, September 21: Well Lyle has called several times during the weekend so my notes are going to be posted together.
He called throughout the two days when he was on top of peaks. He had 3 very long, difficult 12 hour days but did manage to make it to the resort/hostel he wanted to get to. When I spoke with him a few minutes before kickoff Sunday evening he had polished off a steak dinner and was looking forward to another dark beer. He was the only person checked into the campground and had a nice bunk to sleep in for the evening. There were enough folks at the bar/restaurant to talk with so he was in a good mood. And the good news was that he would be able to see the first half of the Packer game before the bar closed. Life is good!
However, he mentioned he had completely walked out of his boots, in fact he has been hiking on insoles and duct tape since Monson. Earlier in the morning he was facing a 2400 foot climb straight down on virtually no support. All he would say is that is wasn't any fun and the duct tape wasn't lasting more than a few hours. He will be very glad to be off the rugged trail. I guess that is why so many hikers send extra boots ahead on the trail.
But he mastered all of the ups and downs although he sounded exhausted. He has paper to make a sign to Augusta so he hopes to get to the post office early in the morning to get the box he had waiting for him. Then if all works out well, he would get picked up and into Augusta early enough to purchase a Greyhound bus ticket. If he had been able to go in this evening, the waitress and her husband (the bartender) could have given him a ride to Augusta but he is going to have to take his chances in the morning.
He called throughout the two days when he was on top of peaks. He had 3 very long, difficult 12 hour days but did manage to make it to the resort/hostel he wanted to get to. When I spoke with him a few minutes before kickoff Sunday evening he had polished off a steak dinner and was looking forward to another dark beer. He was the only person checked into the campground and had a nice bunk to sleep in for the evening. There were enough folks at the bar/restaurant to talk with so he was in a good mood. And the good news was that he would be able to see the first half of the Packer game before the bar closed. Life is good!
However, he mentioned he had completely walked out of his boots, in fact he has been hiking on insoles and duct tape since Monson. Earlier in the morning he was facing a 2400 foot climb straight down on virtually no support. All he would say is that is wasn't any fun and the duct tape wasn't lasting more than a few hours. He will be very glad to be off the rugged trail. I guess that is why so many hikers send extra boots ahead on the trail.
But he mastered all of the ups and downs although he sounded exhausted. He has paper to make a sign to Augusta so he hopes to get to the post office early in the morning to get the box he had waiting for him. Then if all works out well, he would get picked up and into Augusta early enough to purchase a Greyhound bus ticket. If he had been able to go in this evening, the waitress and her husband (the bartender) could have given him a ride to Augusta but he is going to have to take his chances in the morning.
Friday, September 19, 2008
What a Great Night!
Friday, September 19: Lyle calls after he has had another fabulous hot breakfast and great night's sleep. He and two other hikers got a ride back to the trail. Two were heading north and Lyle was heading south. He expects to get about 10 miles done today so he expects to get to Caratunk sometime late Monday or early Tuesday. That is the next town where he can get a hot shower, hot meal and a soft bed. I may not hear from him until then because other hikers mentioned cell service was really spotty. Lyle sounded much better and he credited getting a good night's sleep and several substantial hot meals. Clean clothes and a shower help too! It was 27 degrees this morning and their driver had to scrape the windshield. It will probably be colder in the mountains so that motel room waiting for Lyle sounds really good to him. I'm sure he really appreciates his clean dry clothes, especially when he crawls into a sleeping bag tonight.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Refreshed!
Thursday, September 18: Lyle made it into Monson about 8:30 in the morning. He did get a ride into town...bless those good samaritans! He arrived at the "famous" breakfast place after the griddle had been shut down but there were two other hikers that showed up shortly after Lyle so the cooks opened back up for them. Boy did he eat! They serve you all you want but the rule is you have to clean your plate. He had pancakes, eggs, hash browns and on and on. Then it was off to check into a hotel, shower and get laundry done. He had eaten supper by the time we spoke this evening. He sounded so much stronger but ready for a good night's sleep. He was looking forward to a bed to sleep in and warmth. He plans to eat at the same place in the morning and get a ride back to the trail. Apparently they feed the hikers in waves and when one group is done they all get a ride back to the trail. It sounds like the town really caters to hikers. He enjoyed having other hikers to visit with...I guess there are quite a few in town with him. They are all heading north into the 100 mile wilderness so they are buying supplies and getting their last good meals for awhile. So, he'll catch a ride back to the trail and head on to the crossing at the interstate toward Bangor. It's 34 miles so he thinks it will be about 4-5 days at his current pace. But the northbounders said it's not so many ups and downs so maybe it will go faster. And he has decided that at that crossroad will be where he leaves the trail on this trip. It has been more rugged than he expected and the weather is fickle in the mountains. So he will return to Wisconsin and plan for his next section. He hopes to be able to call me tomorrow from a high point south of Monson.
That's Not My Alarm...
Thursday, September 18: 5:40 a.m. my phone is ringing. I finally realize what I'm hearing is not my alarm and grab the phone. Lyle got up early and started into town. He slept well but decided since he was awake why wait? In fact it was still dark when he headed out down the trail. He has no "breakfast" food left so he is really looking forward to a hot breakfast in town! It's three miles to the road and another three miles into Monson. He is hoping someone will take pity on him and give him a ride into town. Comfort is within reach! I look at the mountain in this picture and wonder how anyone can drag themselves out into the cold and wilderness to hike the trail! They are all working from a different place in life than I am!
Long Day!
Wednesday evening, September 17: Wednesday was a very long and miserable day for Lyle. I believe he used the word frustrating several times. This is a 180 degree turn from this morning when he was in a good mood enjoying the sun. He hiked for 12 hours and only made 14 miles. This translates to a very slow pace. It was all up and down. 300 feet up and then 300 feet back down with no flat place in between to rest. He hiked to the shelter three miles outside of Monson but was really hoping to get into town. It was dark and he just couldn't go any farther. He is the only person in the shelter so as he said, he can spread out and get comfortable. He sounds exhausted! We are lucky that he can get a signal to call out! But to conserve it's a very short conversation. He will get into Monson some time tomorrow.
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