Our Questers have been trekking and paddling hard over the past 1.5 weeks that they’ve been on the trail. By the end of July 11, the Long Trail Questers will have put 94 miles (plus a few from wrong turns, I’m sure) on their boots on the Long Trail, while the Classic Questers have paddled and portaged about 30 miles of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
This week, I had the pleasure of of spending two days with both groups and can share that both groups are having a blast.
When the Long Trail Questers reached the top of Stratton Mountain, they decided to have a Silent Meeting on the fire tower that looks out over the surrounding area. The caretaker of Stratton Mountain told us that this fire tower was the one that inspired James Taylor to create the Long Trail because of it’s expansive views. As the Questers looked out over the 360-degree view, it was hard not to be awestruck. We could see where we had been and where we would go over the upcoming days.
The Classic Questers have now finished the canoe portion of their trip and are now hiking along the Appalachian Trail. We took a day to pause between these two sections, however, and did a bit of service work on a family-owned farm in the area. The Questers moved a wagon full of hay into the farm’s loft and had fun doing this task. Throwing bales of hay in an assembly-like fashion made it obvious that this group has come together to work as a team since the beginning of their trip. They compared the experience to the four-mile portage they had accomplished a few days earlier. After working up a sweat, we got a tour of the farm from Elizabeth, one of the owners. She explained that the bulk of the food produced would feed them through the winter. She also compared how their way of life aligned with the Farm & Wilderness value of living simply.
Our groups Quest on as we speak; blisters are healing and camper leaders of the day are becoming more and more proficient in their leading abilities.
There will be more excitement to come!