No rest for the wicked

/ jim fetig

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Everywhere, May 2019 —  No time for a deep breath.  May is just like that.  The list is long.

In all, I flew to my brother’s in Loveland, CO and belatedly celebrated a milestone birthday (50 + shipping and handling), led a Road Scholar hike, attended ridgerunner training, and worked with the Hoodlums trail crew in Shenandoah National Park.

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Walking around the lake at my brother Jack’s.  Rocky Mountain National Park (Long’s Peak) is on the horizon.

Next comes two orientation hikes (OJT), our neighborhood homeowners’ association meeting (with several contentious issues), an appointment with the Social Security Administration (it’s that time: 50 + shipping and handling), and a pre-op physical because I’m having two more Dupeytren’s fingers surgically straightened on the last day of the month.

Oh, my friend Karma, who hiked he AT in 2013 and the Pacific Crest Trail last year, is hiking the AT again.  I’m hoping to meet her on the trail in Shenandoah when I weedwhack my trail just before surgery, but for sure we’re having lunch in Harpers Ferry just like we did in 2013.

Karma was was not only an inspiration for my hike the following year, but in practical terms, she was the person whose wisdom and practicality was worth its weight in gold when I was preparing for my AT thru hike.  Her blog for that hike is the the best AT blog ever, IMHO.  Click here: Karma’s 2013 AT blog

May has been and is going to be a blur.

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Robert, the 2018 northern Virginia ridgerunner, briefs Witt, the incoming.  Witt is a tripple crowner having hiked the At, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.  He also holds the FKT (Fastest Known Time) for the Arizona Trail.  That’s a bunch of hiking.

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Joanne, will be patrolling in Shenandoah again this year for 30 days beginning June 15.

Wilderness First Aid – It also was my year to re-certify.  It’s an excellent course.  Sixteen hours drinking from a fire hose and splinting the hell out of them and so much more.  If you’re ever injured on a trail, you want a WFA to find you.  Click here:  Wilderness Medicine

Caffeine addict alert.

Hoodlums work trip.

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Does it get better than this?  I don’t think so!

Sisu

10 thoughts on “No rest for the wicked”

  1. It looks like a muddy mess. Couldn’t you pick better working conditions? I shouldn’t criticize. We’ve had 3-5” of rain in the past week. Farmers aren’t liking it. I can’t get to my garden.

    Reply

    • I tried to turn over a new flower bed last summer. It’s been too wet since to finish the job. Here’s an excerpt from an email I received from Shenandoah. Just totaling precipitation received in Jan-April since we are still in May, resulted in 17.97 inches in 2018 and 18.72 in in 2019. I was surprised that we have received more rain this year so far! Hopefully we don’t get the same amount in May that we did last year.

      2018
      Jan 4.25 in
      Feb 5.35 in
      Mar 3.04 in
      April 5.33 in
      May 12.59 in

      2019
      Jan 3.40 in
      Feb 3.92 in
      Mar 4.5 in
      April 6.90 in
      May 4.39 in * Month isn’t complete yet and includes data up to 5/14/19 at 1500

      FYI – The annual average is 56.54 inches and last year (2018) there was a new record of 99.61 inches.

      Reply

      • You are off to a wet start again, as are we. Here is a link centered on Iowa City in the light blue. The link should allow you interact if you wish. https://bit.ly/2JRrHd6
        We are between 150-200% of our normal for the past 90 days. All of the light blue is rich farmland. Rivers are running high. The Miss. River is likely to crest again.

  2. It’s wet everywhere. Farmers in IL can’t plant yet either. Just on Saturday and yesterday we had 5 storms go through ! Good luck with your surgery ! I’m out of sling and now get to do 5 months of therapy all over again!

    Reply

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