I Have My Reservations ...

I'm not talking about whether I'm ready to hike, I made campsite reservations at Baxter State Park. This is one of those logistical thingies that Sobos have to worry about. Nobos can just waltz in and stay at a campsite designated for long-distance hikers. But Sobos have to have reservations or risk being turned away if the sites are all full.

The reservation system at their website has all the information, but it can be complicated depending upon when you want to make your reservations.

A Single Speed Bike?

My Physical Therapist wanted me to start riding a bike midway through my treatment for tendonitis, because he said the cyclic action of pedaling would help rid my knee area of lingering inflammation. So, I pumped some air into the tires on my old Trek 1200, and started riding.

That was about the time I read Gear Junky's "Best Gear of 10 Years!" post.  It put the concept of fixies and single speeds into my psyche, and it took a tenacious hold. The idea of a road bike stripped of derailleurs, shifters, cables, extra chainrings and sprockets - a machine stripped to its most basic essentials, appealed to the minimalist in me. Less friction, less weight, just a chain between two gears. A pure connection between man and machine.  Read more after the break ...

The Sobo Plan

I graduated from physical therapy a few weeks ago, and my knee is feeling great. Since then, I've been either hiking at Saugatuck Dunes State Park, or riding my bike pretty much every day. Getting strong, and I haven't touched an anti-inflammatory in over a month. I'm good to go.

So, I'm planning to depart Michigan right after my niece's wedding, drive a rental car to Maine, spend the night at the AT Lodge, and summit Katahdin on the 4th of July.

Then I'll be hiking south to Springer ...

In the meantime, I'll be upping my game with longer, harder bike rides and hikes, while banging out a honey-do list and reworking my drop-box plan.