You Hike it, You Write it!

I've gotten a few requests for a guest blog entry from dad.  Dad knocked out 18 miles of the SHT for me while I lay around in my tent all day resting, so we both thought this would be the perfect opportunity for him to tell his side of the story.

Enjoy!

Matt

Dad setting out on the SHT!

First of all, it is a real honor to be offered a hiking slot on Team Flege.  Matt has turned away a lot of applicants so I jumped at the chance.  Of course I wanted to impress everyone, so I hiked 18 miles today.  Now I'm sitting in the camp chair in a semi-comatose state, sipping the rum punch that Matt so thoughtfully served.

I had a nice hike today.  Matt advised me that I didn't need to take a lot of spur trails because there's always a lot of great scenery right on the trail.  He was right.  I saw three rivers, Lake Superior vistas, waterfalls, beaver ponds, and a wildflower riot.  The Temperance River was very spectacular, and the trail took me right to the edge of the foaming gorges and waterfalls.  All in all, it was a great hike even if I was dragging by the end.

Temperance River

Now a serious word about humor.  Matt has always been cheerful, even through three days of rain.  The irony, awful puns, and Minnesota cultural commentary delivered in a Sarah Palin\faux-Scandinavian accent has kept me laughing even when I wanted to curl up in my soggy tent.

Yeah, there's no one I'd rather do a hiking challenge with than Matt.  It's been a real bonding experience.  But I could have done without the "wet hiking socks" air freshener on the dashboard of the car!

Dave