The bees' knees

Today I did not wuss out. I climbed the Beehive Trail, which is the sort of trail you look up at from below and say, "My God, what sort of idiot would go up there?" and then you do. Exposed cliff faces, narrow ledges, iron rungs, gorgeous views — it was actually quite a lot of fun, once I got up into the crags, and I think my hiking partners (carpenter, psocoptera, and crystalpyramid) also had a good time. Once over the top, a more gentle slope leads down to the Bowl, a mountain lake in which you can swim or dip your feet, provided you do not mind the occasional leech ribboning by.

When I got back down, I met others (adfamiliares, tapas, creed_of_hubris, and elysdir) at Thunder Hole (which did not), then hiked with 3/4 of them up Gorham, which is a hike we remember fondly from our minimoon. Legs now want a day off. Other highlights since last I posted: a fabulous skate dinner at Café This Way (five of our friends had the same idea at the same time, ha!); friend-made Cincinnati-style chili followed by three kinds of pie; a scenic bike ride around the Eagle Lake loop, with lunch beside a froggy marsh; lying on my back on a choppy raft, looking up at the zillion stars while rowboats banged against their moorings on either side of me; and a trip to the quiet side of the island for a butterfly garden (butterflies: 1, hummingbirds: 2), specialty pizza, and a steep hike to the fire tower atop Beech Mountain.

Tomorrow is whale watchin' day, and I am tempted to do the Beehive again on Friday (if I can convince my wifely wife to brave the ladder trail). Terrific vacation so far, if I do say so myself.