what we have here is a failure to communicate

April, I must say, was a wonderful month. I had so many fine adventures, and the weather was glorious.

I don’t think I mentioned my epic tramp around the Park Loop Road about two weeks ago – 20 miles or so, and 6 hours worth of walking. An excellent warm-up for the Avon Walk, and a fitting farewell to my second pair of Solomon shoes, which pretty much breathed their last about 18 miles into it! My boyfriend rode his bike beside me for the duration, going achingly slow, but practicing balancing his full trailer and panniers (in preparation for his own next great venture). It was a pretty Sunday, but it turned a little grey on us towards Otter Cliffs, and clouded right over around Fabbri. Sore feet and cold hands aside, it was a pleasing adventure.

The weekend after that found me trekking down the path to the beach at Donnell’s Pond, with a full pack on my back, and lugging a deliciously heavy cooler. This was my last camping trip with that same rascal of a boyfriend before he takes off for the West Coast on his bicycle. I spent the afternoon laying in the sun on the beach, half dressed (in April!!!), and the evening tending a grand fire and chomping down on burnt hamburgers. I can’t imagine a better time. Sleeping in a tent where your sleeping bag is wonderfully warm and the air is just a tad chilly is one of my favorite things.

Next morning (afternoon) we went to Jordan’s Snack Shop on the way back to the Island, and a giant ridiculously pink strawberry milkshake is really the perfect way to end a fine adventure!

Working, and an epic trip to Bangor for thrift shopping filled this week, and so April ended, still sunny, still moderately warm. Perhaps the best Maine April EVER! 🙂

May is promising to be a pretty decent month as well. It’s gotten off to a good start, witnessing me dashing about yesterday in shorts and a T-shirt, hiking for 5 hours and 12 miles. The ice is officially gone off the mountains, and so I booted up two or three of them – Champlain and Dorr, and some nobbins in between. Even with all the walking I’ve done this winter/spring, coming up the brow of Champlain on the Beechcroft trail was a giant kick in my ass. I had forgotten once again, or perhaps happily whited out in my brain the knowledge of just how hard it is to get up the classic slabs of rounded pink granite that adorn so much of my beloved Island. Blahhh…..! Yowzer! My legs ached last night for the first time in a couple of months, but I loved it. Come on – ragged breathing combined with steep up-hills and fresh air, not to mention the beautiful vistas surrounding on all sides.

Awesome.