Gwaahuyuh (Acadia, day 1)

Hiked up a mountain today, all by my lonesome. (Penobscot, 1200 feet.) Big, steep piles of boulders formed into the shape of a mountain, then big slopy rock faces leading up to the top of the mountain, then a beautiful mountain pond with newts and blueberries, then down slippery tumbled streamside rocks, then two more miles lakeside. Was huffing & puffing & sweating a lot; had the shaky-legs near the end. Total distance covered (including another, easier hike): ~8 miles. Yay Camelbak, with 70 oz. of water. Yay Vasque Blur hiking shoes, which give me Spiderman feet and yet weigh nothing. Yay TJ's trail mix with cashews and dried pineapple.

Tragedy at Acadia today: waves from Hurricane Bill injured some people and swept others out to sea, and one of the latter (a 7-year-old girl) drowned. Day was full of conversations with strangers and exaggerated rumors and rerouted buses. Atop Penobscot, it seemed impossibly far away: sunny, breezy, peaceful, alone.