Trail Tale for August 19, 2004

August 19, 2004

Magic marked the end of my day's mileage. As I was pondering where to hole up for the evening, I came across a woman who had just finished a jog along the A.T. Laura Lamarre from Denver, CO invited me to her family's cabin on Lake Armington which was two miles from the trail. I accepted the kind offer without giving it a second thought. Laura, her husband, Bob, son Brendan, age 13, and daughter Katrina, age 11 were spending time as a family on the lake as they have done for the past nine years. After taking a very long, warm shower, I was treated to a delicious sloppy-joe and vegetable stir fry dinner. After dinner, Katrina and I took a canoe out on the lake where she showed me the ducks, a dam, and a frog which she and her brother tried to catch. For dessert, I was treated to a cotton candy soft-serve ice cream cone at Fat Bob's in Warren, NH. Fat Bob's is literally located out in the middle of nowhere, but 20 to 30 customers were there enjoying their favorite flavor.

On our drive back to the cabin, I saw my first moose!!! Imagine seeing the monstrous beast cross the road. I was thrilled to see the bull moose as I sat seat belt secure in the front seat of a rental car. Tomorrow, I will hike in that very same area...moose territory. Yikes! It's funny Laura had purchased Bob a carryout...yep, moose tracks flavored ice cream! When we arrived back at the cabin, Brendan started a fire and I did a show 'n tell, of sorts, with my esbit stove, cookpot, M.S.R. battery operated filter and Aqua Mira drops. Katrina filtered some water using the M.S.R. filter.

My hours spent with the Lamarre family were one of my finest family trail magic on my trip. The goodness of this loving family meant much. I thank God everyday for blessing me with such encounters during my hike northward. Tonight, it rained and the wind is blowing, but I am safe from harm and snug in a cabin on Lake Armington with the Lamarre's. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!