the Maine Train

[maxNcathy]

Anyone know how Matt and Nicole and Shane and Christine doing? I met these great young folks in Va in April. I heard that Matt and Shane got sick and were forced to get off the Trail. Did they recover? Was Nicole/Blistah the only one to finish so far?

[6's and 7's]

this is granite, i summited w/blistah on aug 15th with rocket man(added to the maine train in the shenendoahs) and dudley (an original maine train member) who actually summited on the 2nd w/give me a hug but suprised us earlythat morning and hiked with us. then shane (mufasa) and christine (lotus) summited on the 18th. shane got a bacterial infection in his calf and was forced off the trail around mt.washington for a week, lotus stayed w/him. matt (hot rod) got lyme disease and half his face became paralyzed, and he became too tired and miserable to hike anymore, but he made it to rangely. that was really sad. Ive been in contact with them and everyone seems pretty good right now. rocket man has lyme disease now though. yup, thats about all.

[maxNcathy]

THANK you very much,granite for your report.I am glad that most finished their super hike...and Matt will too when he feels well and has time.

Congratulations to You too. I read about you in some of the journals and admired you for your strength and determination to do the whole hike.I hope things are going great for you these days.

Max/Sandalwood 07

[maxNcathy]

Hey Granite,

I looked for you in trailjournals...after so many weeks you guys still had so much spunk. Congratulations to You and all your friends.

I hope you don't mind my quoting you:

I hope you don't mind my showing what you wrote then:


i summitted katahdin yesterday. I didnt expect the emotions tht came with it. The night before i couldnt sleep, i felt like it was christmas eve and i was 4. Dudley showed up around 5am and suprised us, so she got to summit with us,which was about the greatest suprise i could have had that day. Rocket man blistah dudley and i took off around 7 and i couldnt hold myself back- i started flying up the mountain, it was all cloudy so i couldnt see much, when i got to the top i was all by myself, and the second i saw the sign through the fog out of nowhere all these intense emotions came pouring out. i walked up and touched the sign and started bauling. I had no idea i would react that way but the whole way up i was thinking about all the things that had happened on the way, all the people and the adventures and touching that sign was the end of this incredible journey. Crazy times all over VA with kurley and swansons, white water rafting with Riff Raff, lazy wonderful days with tofurky, all the time i spent with Yeti, starting when we got stuck in gatlinburg,thumper singing journey and let me see your grill, TEAM POON,doogie making me tea at rustys, bad decisions and bowling with ramble houdini casino and treefingers,grizzly dancing in his dress,snake and overflows plans and then changing of plans, their wonderful company, the first 200 miles with guinness, not having any idea what i was doing, hiking with the maine train, our volleyball game at the boy scout camp-so so so many people and moments that are in my heart and part of my soul for the rest of my life. the mountains are always going to be there, i love them, but i dont miss them like i miss the people, and the feeling of being in the middle of an incredible intense and amazing journey. Its only the day after, i know that life is an incredible journey, but it is really hard to end my thru-hike. Its been about as wonderful as life can be. I love you.
-Granite

i summitted katahdin yesterday. I didnt expect the emotions tht came with it. The night before i couldnt sleep, i felt like it was christmas eve and i was 4. Dudley showed up around 5am and suprised us, so she got to summit with us,which was about the greatest suprise i could have had that day. Rocket man blistah dudley and i took off around 7 and i couldnt hold myself back- i started flying up the mountain, it was all cloudy so i couldnt see much, when i got to the top i was all by myself, and the second i saw the sign through the fog out of nowhere all these intense emotions came pouring out. i walked up and touched the sign and started bauling. I had no idea i would react that way but the whole way up i was thinking about all the things that had happened on the way, all the people and the adventures and touching that sign was the end of this incredible journey. Crazy times all over VA with kurley and swansons, white water rafting with Riff Raff, lazy wonderful days with tofurky, all the time i spent with Yeti, starting when we got stuck in gatlinburg,thumper singing journey and let me see your grill, TEAM POON,doogie making me tea at rustys, bad decisions and bowling with ramble houdini casino and treefingers,grizzly dancing in his dress,snake and overflows plans and then changing of plans, their wonderful company, the first 200 miles with guinness, not having any idea what i was doing, hiking with the maine train, our volleyball game at the boy scout camp-so so so many people and moments that are in my heart and part of my soul for the rest of my life. the mountains are always going to be there, i love them, but i dont miss them like i miss the people, and the feeling of being in the middle of an incredible intense and amazing journey. Its only the day after, i know that life is an incredible journey, but it is really hard to end my thru-hike. Its been about as wonderful as life can be. I love you.
-Granite

i summitted katahdin yesterday. I didnt expect the emotions tht came with it. The night before i couldnt sleep, i felt like it was christmas eve and i was 4. Dudley showed up around 5am and suprised us, so she got to summit with us,which was about the greatest suprise i could have had that day. Rocket man blistah dudley and i took off around 7 and i couldnt hold myself back- i started flying up the mountain, it was all cloudy so i couldnt see much, when i got to the top i was all by myself, and the second i saw the sign through the fog out of nowhere all these intense emotions came pouring out. i walked up and touched the sign and started bauling. I had no idea i would react that way but the whole way up i was thinking about all the things that had happened on the way, all the people and the adventures and touching that sign was the end of this incredible journey. Crazy times all over VA with kurley and swansons, white water rafting with Riff Raff, lazy wonderful days with tofurky, all the time i spent with Yeti, starting when we got stuck in gatlinburg,thumper singing journey and let me see your grill, TEAM POON,doogie making me tea at rustys, bad decisions and bowling with ramble houdini casino and treefingers,grizzly dancing in his dress,snake and overflows plans and then changing of plans, their wonderful company, the first 200 miles with guinness, not having any idea what i was doing, hiking with the maine train, our volleyball game at the boy scout camp-so so so many people and moments that are in my heart and part of my soul for the rest of my life. the mountains are always going to be there, i love them, but i dont miss them like i miss the people, and the feeling of being in the middle of an incredible intense and amazing journey. Its only the day after, i know that life is an incredible journey, but it is really hard to end my thru-hike. Its been about as wonderful as life can be. I love you.
-Granite

i summitted katahdin yesterday. I didnt expect the emotions tht came with it. The night before i couldnt sleep, i felt like it was christmas eve and i was 4. Dudley showed up around 5am and suprised us, so she got to summit with us,which was about the greatest suprise i could have had that day. Rocket man blistah dudley and i took off around 7 and i couldnt hold myself back- i started flying up the mountain, it was all cloudy so i couldnt see much, when i got to the top i was all by myself, and the second i saw the sign through the fog out of nowhere all these intense emotions came pouring out. i walked up and touched the sign and started bauling. I had no idea i would react that way but the whole way up i was thinking about all the things that had happened on the way, all the people and the adventures and touching that sign was the end of this incredible journey. Crazy times all over VA with kurley and swansons, white water rafting with Riff Raff, lazy wonderful days with tofurky, all the time i spent with Yeti, starting when we got stuck in gatlinburg,thumper singing journey and let me see your grill, TEAM POON,doogie making me tea at rustys, bad decisions and bowling with ramble houdini casino and treefingers,grizzly dancing in his dress,snake and overflows plans and then changing of plans, their wonderful company, the first 200 miles with guinness, not having any idea what i was doing, hiking with the maine train, our volleyball game at the boy scout camp-so so so many people and moments that are in my heart and part of my soul for the rest of my life. the mountains are always going to be there, i love them, but i dont miss them like i miss the people, and the feeling of being in the middle of an incredible intense and amazing journey. Its only the day after, i know that life is an incredible journey, but it is really hard to end my thru-hike. Its been about as wonderful as life can be. I love you.
-Granite

i summitted katahdin yesterday. I didnt expect the emotions tht came with it. The night before i couldnt sleep, i felt like it was christmas eve and i was 4. Dudley showed up around 5am and suprised us, so she got to summit with us,which was about the greatest suprise i could have had that day. Rocket man blistah dudley and i took off around 7 and i couldnt hold myself back- i started flying up the mountain, it was all cloudy so i couldnt see much, when i got to the top i was all by myself, and the second i saw the sign through the fog out of nowhere all these intense emotions came pouring out. i walked up and touched the sign and started bauling. I had no idea i would react that way but the whole way up i was thinking about all the things that had happened on the way, all the people and the adventures and touching that sign was the end of this incredible journey. Crazy times all over VA with kurley and swansons, white water rafting with Riff Raff, lazy wonderful days with tofurky, all the time i spent with Yeti, starting when we got stuck in gatlinburg,thumper singing journey and let me see your grill, TEAM POON,doogie making me tea at rustys, bad decisions and bowling with ramble houdini casino and treefingers,grizzly dancing in his dress,snake and overflows plans and then changing of plans, their wonderful company, the first 200 miles with guinness, not having any idea what i was doing, hiking with the maine train, our volleyball game at the boy scout camp-so so so many people and moments that are in my heart and part of my soul for the rest of my life. the mountains are always going to be there, i love them, but i dont miss them like i miss the people, and the feeling of being in the middle of an incredible intense and amazing journey. Its only the day after, i know that life is an incredible journey, but it is really hard to end my thru-hike. Its been about as wonderful as life can be. I love you.
-Granite

i summitted katahdin yesterday. I didnt expect the emotions tht came with it. The night before i couldnt sleep, i felt like it was christmas eve and i was 4. Dudley showed up around 5am and suprised us, so she got to summit with us,which was about the greatest suprise i could have had that day. Rocket man blistah dudley and i took off around 7 and i couldnt hold myself back- i started flying up the mountain, it was all cloudy so i couldnt see much, when i got to the top i was all by myself, and the second i saw the sign through the fog out of nowhere all these intense emotions came pouring out. i walked up and touched the sign and started bauling. I had no idea i would react that way but the whole way up i was thinking about all the things that had happened on the way, all the people and the adventures and touching that sign was the end of this incredible journey. Crazy times all over VA with kurley and swansons, white water rafting with Riff Raff, lazy wonderful days with tofurky, all the time i spent with Yeti, starting when we got stuck in gatlinburg,thumper singing journey and let me see your grill, TEAM POON,doogie making me tea at rustys, bad decisions and bowling with ramble houdini casino and treefingers,grizzly dancing in his dress,snake and overflows plans and then changing of plans, their wonderful company, the first 200 miles with guinness, not having any idea what i was doing, hiking with the maine train, our volleyball game at the boy scout camp-so so so many people and moments that are in my heart and part of my soul for the rest of my life. the mountains are always going to be there, i love them, but i dont miss them like i miss the people, and the feeling of being in the middle of an incredible intense and amazing journey. Its only the day after, i know that life is an incredible journey, but it is really hard to end my thru-hike. Its been about as wonderful as life can be. I love you.
-Granite

i summitted katahdin yesterday. I didnt expect the emotions tht came with it. The night before i couldnt sleep, i felt like it was christmas eve and i was 4. Dudley showed up around 5am and suprised us, so she got to summit with us,which was about the greatest suprise i could have had that day. Rocket man blistah dudley and i took off around 7 and i couldnt hold myself back- i started flying up the mountain, it was all cloudy so i couldnt see much, when i got to the top i was all by myself, and the second i saw the sign through the fog out of nowhere all these intense emotions came pouring out. i walked up and touched the sign and started bauling. I had no idea i would react that way but the whole way up i was thinking about all the things that had happened on the way, all the people and the adventures and touching that sign was the end of this incredible journey. Crazy times all over VA with kurley and swansons, white water rafting with Riff Raff, lazy wonderful days with tofurky, all the time i spent with Yeti, starting when we got stuck in gatlinburg,thumper singing journey and let me see your grill, TEAM POON,doogie making me tea at rustys, bad decisions and bowling with ramble houdini casino and treefingers,grizzly dancing in his dress,snake and overflows plans and then changing of plans, their wonderful company, the first 200 miles with guinness, not having any idea what i was doing, hiking with the maine train, our volleyball game at the boy scout camp-so so so many people and moments that are in my heart and part of my soul for the rest of my life. the mountains are always going to be there, i love them, but i dont miss them like i miss the people, and the feeling of being in the middle of an incredible intense and amazing journey. Its only the day after, i know that life is an incredible journey, but it is really hard to end my thru-hike. Its been about as wonderful as life can be. I love you.
-Granite

i summitted katahdin yesterday. I didnt expect the emotions tht came with it. The night before i couldnt sleep, i felt like it was christmas eve and i was 4. Dudley showed up around 5am and suprised us, so she got to summit with us,which was about the greatest suprise i could have had that day. Rocket man blistah dudley and i took off around 7 and i couldnt hold myself back- i started flying up the mountain, it was all cloudy so i couldnt see much, when i got to the top i was all by myself, and the second i saw the sign through the fog out of nowhere all these intense emotions came pouring out. i walked up and touched the sign and started bauling. I had no idea i would react that way but the whole way up i was thinking about all the things that had happened on the way, all the people and the adventures and touching that sign was the end of this incredible journey. Crazy times all over VA with kurley and swansons, white water rafting with Riff Raff, lazy wonderful days with tofurky, all the time i spent with Yeti, starting when we got stuck in gatlinburg,thumper singing journey and let me see your grill, TEAM POON,doogie making me tea at rustys, bad decisions and bowling with ramble houdini casino and treefingers,grizzly dancing in his dress,snake and overflows plans and then changing of plans, their wonderful company, the first 200 miles with guinness, not having any idea what i was doing, hiking with the maine train, our volleyball game at the boy scout camp-so so so many people and moments that are in my heart and part of my soul for the rest of my life. the mountains are always going to be there, i love them, but i dont miss them like i miss the people, and the feeling of being in the middle of an incredible intense and amazing journey. Its only the day after, i know

that life is an incredible journey, but it is really hard to end my thru-hike. Its been about as wonderful as life can be. I love you.

-Granite

[maxNcathy]

How did that happen!!!

NO edit button.

[jlb2012]

edit button costs $10

[mweinstone]

please pm me if you know how they finnished. im so looking for them. help! matthewski.

[Hot Rod]

Mufasa, Lotus, Dudley, and Blistah finished the trail. I got off in Rangeley from lyme disease.

Thank you Max and Cathy for your kindness in Virginia. We continued to speak about you throughout our entire journey.

[maxNcathy]

HotRod/Matt

You are very welcome. That was our very FIRST ever backpacking hike and meeting other hikers like You all was a most memorable part of our experience.
Glad to hear that you have recovered and will be finishing your thruhike this coming summer.
Max/Sandalwood and Cathy/Gemstone

[Sly]

The Maine Train. I like that!

[Sly]

edit button costs $10

And well worth it. I go back and correct mistakes constantly, although you'd probably never know it! :o