August 20, 2004

After a great breakfast this morning prepared by 11 year-old, Katrina, I said my goodbyes and thank you's to the Lamarre family for their wonderful and kind hospitality at their cabin on Lake Armington.  I began my day's hike picking blackberries along the trail for 30 to 45 minutes, eating some and stashing some for later.  My hike took me over Mt. Mist where I perched myself on an overlook to enjoy the view.

At the completion of my planned miles, I hiked two tenths of a mile east to the Hiker's Welcome hostel where I had the opportunity to shower, launder my clothes, down some sodas, and interact with other thru-hikers.  Bear, Shagbark, a veterinarian-scientist from Maine, and I took a shuttle ride into Warren, New Hampshire to enjoy a dinner in a local restaurant.  I ate a garlic cheeseburger with garlic mayonnaise, a large basket of onion rings, and some of Bear's garlic cloves.  I loaded up on the garlic to ward off the mosquitoes for tomorrow's hike.  I'm sure that I probably gave up any chance of hiking with another thru-hiker.  Bear, Shagbark, and I toasted each other with Long Trail Ale for our accomplishment, hiking nearly 1800 miles of the A.T.!

"I have learned that love does not end, not even with death;

it continues to express itself in ways ever new." -James E. Miller