Mystery... Center Hill... and Home Prices ;-)

Mystery Mountain ledge
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 After a quick trip to camp to do this-n-that, Bailey and I headed up to Mystery for a quick hike. These days, he's refused a few afternoon walks. I'm not sure if it's the humidity or sore legs or just hoping for treats. It's a bit frightening, but at the same time, he's his own dog. Mystery Mountain is such a fun, quick hike. Mystery-Plus adds an extra 2+- miles. Our Monday hike was on the abbreviated trail. 

A friend sent me a headline article from the Bangor Daily News business section about housing prices in Rumford. I'm just not surprised as more and more outdoorsy folks are eyeing life in the mountains of western Maine. Some are second homes--others provide a home base for work from home opportunities followed by skiing and hiking, canoeing or kayaking. 

And on Tuesday, I did a quick hike and coffee chat with my long-time friend, Mary Hart. Mary and I met in the early 1980s in Weld where her family has a lakeside cabin and we shared a common friend, JoAnne Zywna. We also shared my home in Rumford for several years. In two hours walking the trails of Center Hill and enjoying coffee on her porch, we talked all things life. 

From Mystery Mountain looking west

Mystery Mountain ledge

Bangor Daily News article

Byron Notch from Center Hill, Weld

Tumbledown and Big Jackson from Center Hill, Weld

Trevor's Return & Welcome, Brooke!

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Ten years ago, I met Trevor Pyke, a southbound AT thru hiker from Tennessee and two of his trail friends. Trevor's online AT journal, narrated and framed up by his dad, captured my interest as a researcher who studies athletes' writing. Over these past 10 years, Trevor, known as Crunch has logged over 14,000 miles of long-distance hiking. Here's my post from 2013: AT Boys. 

Trevor and his delightful fiancé Brooke have spent the past two nights with us during yet another storm with heavy rain. We enjoyed leisurely meals, a tour of the local area, and many games of pinball. Trevor's trying like crazy to land top score before heading off this morning.  

You can follow Brooke and Trevor on their Insta site, TinyHouseHikers. Here are their stories: 

Here's to Brooke and Trevor... safe travels and a wonderful life together.     

Andover Maine Covered Bridge

Brooke and Bailey 

Pinball wizard 

"Have a happy life!" xo Bailey Tuckerman

"HYOH, always." Rich & Bailey

Back to the trail

At the Route 4 crossing near Rangeley

Off to the woods

Off to the woods

The water we faced: Sent from Trevor at Little Swift River Pond. 

Bonus 2013 photo: 

Simon (Denmark), Rich, and Trevor

Whitecap & Hiker Down

Emergency Vehicles at the trail head
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July 30th was a hair hot on Whitecap with small patches on mud here and there. Still, the hike was enjoyable. Bailey met a slew of new admirers while I watched on as my dog got all the attention. Near the peak of the Yellow Trail, we ran into 20+ hikers who were with an injured hiker. The woman, about 65 - 70 years old, looks to have have fallen on her face and banged her head. An attending nurse said he thought she might have a concussion. By the time we finished our hike, a half dozen first responders were at the trailhead of Whitecap and the hiker was still at the mountain's trailhead.  I spoke to a friend about the number of people responding to the injured hiker. He said he was sure "It's Blue Light fever," i.e., first responders love a car wreck, accidents, or other emergencies. Fair enough. I like baseball. 

  

Mystery Plus

We ran into a Rumford High School student from c. 1981 who's currently a professor of physics at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Fun to chat with Roy and to recall those other students and athletes that we have in common. Bailey did a good job on the hike. I gave him some medication to help with hip and joint pain before the hike, and I'm thinking it helped him. Who knows. He doesn't say much these days.   

Bailey looks like he needs sunglasses

Toward the White Mountains. 

Androscoggin River heading west.