“wilderness” fun

I am away from my blog this April because I am employed! as a backcountry caretaker.  The hut is located eight miles from a road and on the edge of a NH wilderness area, and nobody comes to visit this time of year.  I switch caretaking duties with Julia Simons, but we don’t actually see each other and so communicate solely through the caretaker log. It really is my only source of human interaction…

Dispatches from Zealand Falls Hut:

(…Dave and Beth are the caretakers who preceded me and Julia.  Beth did the AT in like, a day. I believe she fueled up on pine cones)

Yes, there is a crazy moose on the loose! He has been charging people, and nearly stepped on one young girl and “tree-d” another couple. I asked a couple folks about his behavior, and was told repeatedly “oh you know, young males!” Actually, I don’t really know any “young males” who behave like that…curious.

(The moose is territorial about the trails because they are open and packed, thus easier for a huge moose to navigate in the depths of winter.)

PS:  Here you can check out former caretaker Christian McNeil’s article about urban and suburban relationships to wilderness mythology, and living conscientiously wherever you are.  He also keeps a great urban geography blog called The Vigorous North.