[at-l] Conversation with Squeaky...

[Slyatpct at aol.com (Slyatpct@aol.com)]

Lifted off the cdt-l

From: Robert Ellinwood [mailto:rellinwood@worldnet.att.net] 
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 10:50 AM
To: Robert Ellinwood
Subject: Conversation with Squeaky (very long)

David Horton and I had planned on trying to make contact with Squeaky (Mat
Hazley) when he came by on the AT in our area of Virginia.? Weathercarrot's
excellent report on Squeaky, as he passed Blackburn Trail Center, was a
reminder to get out our Data Books and figure where we could intercept him.
Like many of you, I had met Squeaky on the PCT this summer, as he breezed
by.? First, David and a friend, Josh Yoeman, met Squeaky coming down off
Three Ridges and made plans for us to meet him, with pizza, that night at
Saltlog Gap (north) and take him to David's house in Lynchburg. The next
morning, David and Josh hiked with him over Tar Jacket, Cold Mountain, and
Bald Knob while I drove around and waited for them at Rt 60.? Watching them
stride off from Saltlog Gap, I was struck by Squeaky's fast, choppy,
piston-like strides, which I hadn't noticed in May.? David Horton later
said: "Squeaky was walking so fast it was very hard keeping up with him on
the uphills.? Going downhill, I couldn't keep up with his walking speed and
it was easier for me to keep up by running."? ? That night, we then met
Squeaky at Petite's Gap on the south side of the James (with more pizza) and
he spent the night at my house in Bedford.? He was meeting lots of bear
hunters and their dogs on the trail and I gave him some blaze orange to
wear.? In PA, he had heard shots "every 3 to 5 minutes.? The bullets had to
be going somewhere. It sounded like a firing range."? The next night, after
calling me from Buchanan where he had digressed to make a series of phone
calls, Squeaky again spent the night at my house and in the morning got
going again from Bearwallow Gap.? He is very careful about connecting with
his own snowy footprints from the previous day.? He is still trying to keep
up a 14 hr per day, 4 mph pace, as snow/ice allows.? Here in December, he's
hiking almost 2 hrs in both morning and evening, using headlamp.? During all
the car rides, I kept a tape recorder going, with Squeaky's permission.? To
me, he seems straightforward, very bright, tenacious, incredibly focused,
possessing a really practical and realistic perspective about himself and
his project, and a naturally gifted hiker.?? Being familiar with all 3
trails, I was particularly struck by Squeaky's incredible recall of place
names and mileage numbers, after having compressed 7,000-plus miles into
such a short period.? It quickly became apparent that he cared deeply about
doing this calendar Triple Crown the hard way, starting May 4th with the PCT
in a bad snow year (rather than the AT in early spring), hiking each trail
continuously without break, and challenging himself by trying to finish by
Christmas, in less than 8 months, and with hiking... no running.? Aged 25,
this is his 3rd year of long-distance hiking.? His base pack weight is 12.5
lbs and today (Dec 7th) his pack weighed? 25 lbs (with Power Bars, Pop
Tarts, and Frito-Lay Munchies) .? The following represents less than a
quarter of the taping.

Dr Bob:? Where does "Squeaky" come from?

S: "When I did the AT in '03, I had a cup held on the back of my pack with a
carabiner and as it swung from side to side it made an annoying a squeaky
sound which got on the nerves of others." 

David Horton had brought him some ice cream as Squeaky came down off Three
Ridges.

S: "I was nearly hallucinating going up The Priest after eating that ice
cream. I started rushing up the hill and started having all these mad sugar
rushes."

Dr Bob:?? Ever run out of food?

S:? "In the Sierra, I had to ration.? I didn't take enough from Kennedy
Meadows and by the time I got to V V R, I was losing 2 pounds of body weight
a day at least. I lost about a stone in weight, about 14 lbs. When I started
at Campo, I weighed 160 and the lowest I got down to was at V V R at 135.? I
should have been eating about 6,500 calories a day through there, with the
postholing through snow, and I was eating between 3000 and 3500 calories.
Also, I lost a day on Forester Pass.? It would have taken me 7 days to get
the 175 miles to V V R.? I saw no one for those 8 days." 

Dr Bob: Were you an athlete in High School?

S:? "No, no... I started hiking in '03 on the AT, never having hiked before.
I was over here with a friend, the Flying Scotsman, staying with his aunt in
CT and we decided to come and hike the AT.? It was something he had wanted
to do for years and I was up for a good adventure, so I decided to tag
along.? I lasted only 50 miles and my knee blew out and I had to go home. I
then came back to do it."

Dr Bob: You've spent an awful lot of time alone.? Does it ever get to you?

S:? "No, except for those 8 days in the Sierra when I saw no one, you always
pass people...? you're always next to a road, always hearing things... in
and out of town.? When I was a kid? (laughing) I was always made to sit
alone in class, 'cause I was always messin' around, getting in trouble. I
learned at an early age how to do things on my own."

Dr Bob:? What made you think you could do this?

S:? "I like to answer...What makes you think I can't?? I just got it in my
mind last October that I'd like to do the Triple Crown and came out in May
and just went for it.? I had done the AT and the PCT before.? The first PCT
was 'recreational'... 100 days, which included about 2 weeks of zeros.? I
didn't know what I was doing.? About halfway through I decided to go for the
speed record, so started averaging 40 miles a day.? Then I got sick at
Crater Lake from something I ate and started hanging out with other hikers."

Dr Bob:? If you had done the AT and PCT before, then there were few
surprises for you on those two trails?

S: "There were a lot of surprises... the snow in the Sierra... and the
Nor'easter that hit me in Maine and NH.?? I should be nearly finished by
now.? I went from needing to do 28 mpd to finish to needing to do 35, just
from one snow storm.? I lost 2 weeks up there.? After that storm, I'm not
even taking the time for my log or to take pictures, which is a real shame
because some of the mountains up in Maine and NH, and the views of Mt
Washington, were spectacular with all the snow on them."

Dr Bob:?? How much snow was there when you went through Mahoosuc Notch?

S: "About a foot.? All through there all the trees had leaves still on them
and they were all - and the pine trees - weighed down with such wet, heavy
snow overhanging the trail.? There were places where it had accumulated,
like in the saddle between the two Baldpates, before I got snowshoes, where
I was dropping in up to my chest.? In the trees, at around 4000 ft, there
was 3-4 feet of new snow.? I got the snowshoes in Andover.? After the
Nor'easter hit, I got 4 days of warm weather and I didn't need snowshoes
after Mt Washington, which was awesome. I lost a day waiting at Osgood Ridge
tentsite (between Pinkham and Mt Madison) for the wind to drop on Mt
Washington...it was sustained 60-plus mph winds, with gusts over 100 mph.
Across the top of Washington it was solid ice. There were 2 ft of rime ice
horizontally off the back of the Mt Washington summit sign. On the Crawford
Path in the Southern Presidentials there was no visibility."

Dr Bob:? Need any gear right now?

S:? "No.? I bought a new Black Diamond tent and I'm not happy with it.? It's
made from Epic fabric, supposedly highly breathable, but I was sleeping in a
blanket of frost from a lot of condensation.? I nearly froze... my sleeping
bag froze.? I'm getting my WM Flight Jacket and stove in Pearisburg.? What I
really need is a winter jacket.? I'll get one of those in Damascus."

Dr Bob:? What kind of sleeping bag do you have?

S: " It's a zero degree from Feathered Friends, 2 lbs 14 oz.? It's
expensive, but it's worth the money."

Dr Bob:? Your pad?

S:? "A full-length Thermarest, a Prolite 3.? It's all about the comfort... I

won't compromise on my sleep, no way. There are times I get only 6-7 hours
sleep, so I need to be comfortable and get quality sleep."

Dr Bob:? I see you're using a Kelty Redwing pack.

S:? "Yes, I started with a Golite Speed and will change back to that at
Pearisburg... a little more room.? I used a Granite Gear pack for about
4,000 miles.? I started the AT with a Gregory Z pack, which was horrible.
The strap adjustments on it... it was really badly balanced... the pack
wasn't organized - you couldn't get to anything without taking the pack
off."

Dr Bob:? On a typical day now, how many hours are you going?

S: "About 15.? My average for the whole trip has been 14 hours. I'm going
through a lot of batteries...I just spent $10 on Lithium batteries."? 

Dr Bob:?? Are you cooking at night or eating all cold food?

S:? "The only time I cooked was in the Sierra.? I was actually looking
forward to cooking a Lipton as I hiked all day through the first day of the
Nor'easter in Maine.? As I got up nearly to the summit of East Baldpate, I
had to turn back as I didn't have enough time.? But I got back to the
shelter and just got in my sleeping bag, ate a bag of munchies and went to
sleep. Generally, if I'm cooking, I'm not hiking or sleeping.? I'd rather be
sleeping than cooking."

Dr Bob:? Where are you getting your calories?

S:? "3 packages of Pop Tarts in the morning (6 Pop Tarts) which is 1200
calories.? Today I ate 15 Powerbars, usually I've been eating 12 a day.
I've done that since May. That's 3000 calories.? Then a bag of Frito-Lay
Munchies, which is 1120.? I found them to be really good when it was hot,
because there's a lot of salt in them.? I eat them about 2/3 of the way
through the day.? All they are is complex carbohydrates, salt, and dietary
fat. Then Protein Power Bars for dinner, for recovery." 

Dr Bob:? If I may, how are you financing your hike?

S:? "I was working as a hod carrier at building sites (carrying bricks up
and down ladders) to save up for the trip. While it strengthened my legs and
back, I injured my back trying to do too much.? This year was too important
to me, so I decided to take a loan out instead and spent 3 months training
before coming out here."

Dr Bob:? How did you train?? I notice on the very 1st day on the PCT this
year you wrote: "wasn't really trying to push myself. kept going all morning
without stopping only to get some powerbars out of my pack, carried on and
reached 'Lake Moreno', I thought that I was going at an easy pace but when I
looked at my watch I had arrived at 'Lake Moreno in 5 hours which means I
kept up a 4 mile an hour pace all morning."

S: "I did a lot of running inside on a track with a 27 lb backpack. It was
awkward, bouncing around.? 25k was my longest, taking me about 2 hours.? One
day while I was working, I loaded out about 4,000 bricks and 2,000
cinderblocks and then came home and ran 30k.? That was insane.?? I also did
lots of fast training walks with my Mum, who's a good walker. Without a
pack, we would do 25 miles in 4 ? hours."? 

Dr Bob:? How did the daily mileage the 1st time you did the AT compare to
what you're doing now?

S:? "I never took a zero day.? My shortest day was 0.7 and my longest day
was 72 miles in the Smokies in 22 hours.? I wanted to prove I could hike it
- not run it - in one day with a full pack.?? (David Horton:? "Good
gracious.")? The reason I decided to do the Smokies in a day is that my 2nd
day hiking the first northbounder came charging up to the shelter and he was
all full of himself and was carrying on that he had just done 48 miles.
That's all the southbounders would talk about was this guy who'd done 48
miles.? I said, 'Right, I'm going to do the Smokies in a day,' and everyone
said I was full of s---? and that it was impossible.? I said, 'No, you mark
my words, once I get down to the Smokies I'm going to hike them in a day.? I
got to Clingman's Dome, about 39 miles from Davenport Gap, in 11 hours with
a full pack."

Dr Bob:? Did altitude bother you much?

S: "Even at 13,000 ft I was able to maintain my pace on the climbs, as long
as the trail was well-graded. As soon as I started stepping over rocks and
it became almost like climbing, then I could start to notice it."

Dr Bob:? With this snow and ice on all the rocks and sticks here now in
upper 20's temps, I worry about a twisted knee or something slowing you
down.? How to hike defensively, but still make 40-plus miles a day...?

S: "Oh, I've done it the whole trip.? I've been cautious over everything
like that."

Dr Bob:? I heard Brian Robinson give a talk on how to hike 30 miles a day,
with some very interesting pointers.? Do I correctly understand that you've
been hiking 40 mpd throughout this whole Triple Crown?

S:? "When I'm not going to town and the trail is clear, if I'm not hiking 40
miles a day I'm disappointed.? I said to Weathercarrot the other day that
hiking 40 miles a day now is like walking to the shops. It's gotten to the
point where 40 mpd has just become routine."

Dr Bob:? So what would you say to someone: "If you want to hike 40 mpd, this
is what you should do?"

S: "Just don't limit yourself mentally. The worst thing people do is limit
their mind as to what their body can do.? If you can free your mind, then
your body is capable of extreme achievements.? Because I haven't done any
long-distance endurance before this, the hardest thing I've found was
learning how far I could push myself and having to limit myself each day
until I learned.? I'm still learning how far I can push myself.? I feel now,
even though I'm cruising 40-plus miles days on the AT, I'm not fulfilling my
potential.?? But I don't want to risk finding my limit now with so much at
stake.?? So, I'm finding that I'm hiking 40-plus miles a day and it doesn't
feel enough, but I've got to limit myself because I know it's enough to get
me there.?? Then next year, I'll maybe build and see how far I can take it.
I don't stop... I eat while I walk. The thing is, people limit themselves...
Just go and enjoy yourself. Much depends on what frame of mind you're in as
you approach things.? Makes a huge difference."

Dr Bob:? Are you going to write a book?

S: " I'd love to, but I've gotta get finished first (laughing).? Nobody's
going to want to hear about the guy who finished January 2nd."

Dr Bob:? But it would still be within 12 months.

S: "It doesn't matter to me. It has to be within the calendar year.? It's
what I set out to do."

Dr Bob:? You started so late (May 4th).

S: "Yeah, the reason I started with the PCT - Freebird asked me why I
started with the PCT when I could have had the AT done already - doing the
AT first is the easy way out. It's the easiest way to do the Triple Crown in
the calendar year.? I didn't think it was challenging enough, so I started
on the PCT to limit my time... to make me have to push.? If you start the AT
on Jan 1st and cruise up until May 15th gives you 4 ? months when you're not
pushing and it didn't seem like a challenge.? You're only pushing yourself
on 2 of the 3 trails, rather than on all 3.? I personally did not want to
jump around from trail to trail to avoid snow.? I wanted to take on the
seasons and the challenges the trails throw at you.? It sounds stupid, but I
tried to minimize my chances of success.? Starting when I did... and ending
in winter.? I didn't want to find the easy way to do it.? When I reached the
end of the PCT and my Mum said I should be proud of having beat the speed
record in spite of the snow, I said it's not what I set out to do this year.
So, until I complete all three trails, then I can be proud of what I've
done, but until I get to Springer I haven't achieved anything.?? I can't
afford to get complacent.?? But I know now when I succeed that it couldn't
have been any tougher and I did it."

Dr Bob:? You got to Kennedy Meadows on May 24th?? So you didn't have to deal
with the snow-melt as much as those later?

S: "Actually, I think I had it easier than David and Michelle (Toms) who
came through a week later.? They would have had more rotten snow and the
streams were apparently terrible."? 

Dr Bob:? Tell me about the chute at Forester Pass.? Were the switchbacks on
the rock face totally snowed in?

S: "There were 2 clear at the top.? I had to climb up to them on rocks,
using my ice axe to reach handholds I couldn't reach.? It was pretty scary.
I got up there onto the 2 exposed switchbacks, which took me to the snow
chute.? I started trying to traverse across and I looked straight up and
thought, "I can do that," and climbed straight up to within 20 feet below
the pass, where it really started to get steep.? This was the day I only did
2 miles.?? It got so hot that the snow on the other side got so soft that I
got to a point where I couldn't go on.? My digital thermometer was saying
85?."

Dr Bob:? Why did you take the washed-out west side of Glacier Peak - the
permanent PCT - instead of the temporary relo?

S:? "Last year on my first PCT, my partner, Trauma, and I... our eyes lit up
when we heard how dangerous it was supposed to be and we loved a challenge.
Everyone says things are impossible, but it's best to go in and try for
yourself.? You never know.? You can always turn back.? This year, at the
White Chuck River where the bridge is washed out, I went downstream and
there were bunches of trees everywhere to cross.? At the Suiattle, I went
downstream and there was a huge tree that I could cross on.? It was a
morning crossing when the water was down about a foot.? Last year, Trauma
and I went upstream to a fallen tree and there were boulders going past
underneath us in the water and it sounded like thunder.? We ended up having
to camp on the island overnight to let the water drop."

Dr Bob: Was there anything about the CDT that surprised you?

S:? "Not pre-hiking that one was my biggest mistake, because I lost - at the
very least - a week just getting lost with navigation problems.? Where? The
whole trail in general.? But I saw that as an extra challenge.? Not
difficult, just time-consuming.? To be honest, my time on the CDT was slow,
'cause the navigation problems made a huge difference.? I would have done
the trail faster and then missed that Nor'easter in Maine and NH.? I
followed Jonathan Ley's maps, apart from where there were cut-offs.? I
decided to do the trail as fully as possible."

Dr Bob:? Since you had done the PCT before, you had no navigation problems
there?

S: "Only past Tuolumne Meadows when the trail was in the trees. It was still
snow-covered and you could get no visual reference between the trees.? I was
pretty much living by the GPS through there. From there to Sonora, there
were places in there that were so steep with snow, I had to slide down on my
bum and use my ice-axe as a brake.? It was the only way I could get down
those hills."

Dr Bob:? Talk about your transitions from trail to trail.? 

S:? "Well, for one thing I gained 10 lbs eating multiple meals at once as I
went from the PCT to the CDT.? My first dinner, I ate 3 meals and for
breakfast the next morning I ate 4 breakfasts.? Each meal, I'd order 3 or 4
meals.? I had knee trouble for the last 900 miles of the PCT - lots of
ibuprofen - and the 4 days between trails gave me time to rest it. Been fine
ever since.? Also, it's quite a shock to go from 80?, jeep trails, and roads
in New Mexico to Maine in October and in the 100-mile Wilderness - no, the
100-mile ford - wade through ice cold water all day long.? Due to all that
rain, the trail was about 70 miles under water.? Some of the AT stream
crossings in Maine were like Class 3 rapids.? Then came the climate shock
with that Nor'easter and all that fresh snow in the northeast."

Dr Bob:? Which trail have you enjoyed the most, and what were your favorite
spots?

S:? "The Pacific Crest.? It's just an incredible, magnificent trail.? It's
mind-blowing from start to finish. It goes through just about every type of
climate and ecosystem in the country. The scenery just seems to get better
and it's so diverse.? You're standing on 10' of snow looking at the Mojave
Desert.? Favorites?? The JMT, the Goat Rocks, Glacier Peak, the Trinity
Alps, the Marbles, the Sisters.? In the Cascades, you could see the next
white-capped mountain in the distance and it was a buzz to get to the next
one that same day, 'cause they were about 40 miles apart.? I think Shasta is
the most spectacular mountain I've ever seen anywhere."

Dr Bob:? In 1985, I saw 2 mountain lions at once on the PCT in S CA.? I
notice on your website that you did also.? 

S:? "In Oregon, I was coming around Mt Jefferson and at a stream crossing
with steep sides, I found myself 100 feet away from the 2 mountain lions,
sitting right in the trail at the edge of the stream.? They could have
gotten to me in about 3 seconds.? The big male was huge.? It leapt across
the stream from one boulder to the next, effortlessly gliding, arcing,
across an 8 ft gap.? You could see all its muscles through its fur.? The
other one followed it.? The big one looked up and I made eye contact.? They
calmly trotted off up the mountain behind me.? I tied my hiking poles up
over the back of my rucksack and picked up 2 rocks that were heavy enough to
use as weapons.? But nothing came of it." 

Dr Bob:? Were you scared?

S:? "No, I think if you get scared in those situations you don't think
properly. I was certainly pumped up with adrenaline, but I was thinking
clearly.? I got stalked in '04 just coming out of Mojave at nighttime, just
before the climb.? This year I was walking along, daydreaming, just before
Seiad Valley and there was a? bear coming along, daydreaming, and we nearly
walked into each other.? It was funny.? I didn't see any grizzlies in
Glacier... nor have I seen any rattlesnakes at all on all 3 trails!? None!
The moose I saw on the CDT seemed smaller, by 50%, not much bigger than elk,
than the moose I saw in Maine."? 

Dr Bob:? Did you ever bear-bag?

S: "I started to up north, then I decided to just sleep with my food, except
in Glacier.? I saw 8-10 bears on the PCT and just saw 3 in Shenandoah.
Can't remember any bears on the CDT, but south of Yellowstone, every soft
piece of ground or mud on the trail had a grizzly footprint in it.?? In Goat
Rocks, I saw a distant white object that was moving like a bear.? I bumped
into Freebird later and he said he saw an albino bear, as well."

Dr Bob:? What has evolved for you, what changed for you, what are you doing
significantly differently now as opposed to when you started at Campo this
year?

S:? "I haven't really made any great changes.? I probably could have gone
lighter at the beginning.? I wouldn't call myself an ultralight backpacker,
by any means.? I always take what I think is going to be necessary.? I've
tried to stick to a routine of doing 14 hours a day.? I've stuck with
Powerbars the whole time.? To be honest, I need them.? I used to eat candy
bars, but the sugar carbs just burn straight through you and by the end of
the day you'd start to feel woozy. I don't get that with the more complex
carbs of the Powerbars.? I eat at least 12 a day. They also have more
protein."

Dr Bob:? Any problems with blisters?

S:? "No, just sort of got calluses on the back of my heels now.? When cracks
develop.? I just tape them up and carry on.? I used duct tape, but now am
using Transpore tape.? It's stickier and breathable, more of a mesh.
Doesn't sweat off."

Dr Bob:? What's been the most unusual thing you've seen?

S:? "Seeing you and David at that parking lot!? (Big laugh.)? I couldn't
build my hopes up." 

Dr Bob:? When you've been helped so many times, over the miles, it's a joy
to help out somebody on the trail who appreciates it and can use it.

S:? "And can have the heater on my feet!? (another laugh)? Most unusual?? I
could never figure out why there were 2 ski mountaineers in the Sierra whose
tracks would be in between the passes but there wouldn't be any tracks over
the passes.? Just ski tracks down the valleys."? 

Dr Bob:? You've been so focused on doing what's necessary to get through,
what in particular has given you pleasure in all of this?

S:? "Everything gives me pleasure. Even the worst dire moments, I see as a
challenge.? It's pleasurable to be in that situation and get through it,
especially all the challenges I've never dealt with before.? Just doing it.
Anyway, it's never forever, is it?? You're always going to get through the
bad stuff to the good stuff on the other side.? It just boils down to
determination. "

Dr. Bob:? What do you have in mind for your next challenge?

S:? "Oh, I haven't decided what it will be. I may come back and do the John
Muir Trail next summer with my Mum, maybe in August.?? On my first PCT, just
after Agua Dulce there was a 100-mile endurance horse race going on.? One
plan I've been trying to hatch is to race a horse on the PCT.? ? I think
that hiking, in the long term, is a quicker way to cover distance than
running.? (David Horton: "Warren Doyle always thought the same thing.")?? If
I was hiking with a crew and not carrying any pack,? I could keep a 4 mph
pace up all day.? The fact that my body's so used to doing 14 hr days and
not even feeling tired I'm pretty convinced that on any of these trails I
could average over 60 miles a day, hiking with a crew.? I haven't decided
whether that's the sort of thing I would do, after finishing this.?? I've
even thought about crossing Antarctica, the South Pole, unsupported, pulling
a sled.? One challenge I'm seriously thinking about is going for the
outright AT speed record, but doing it unsupported.?? My longest distance on
the AT this time has been 47 miles and my longest day about 15 hours.? My
longest distance this time on the PCT was 48, which says I've been limiting
myself, keeping to a routine of 14 hours.? I'm feeling fresh by getting
enough sleep and still covering decent miles."

Dr Bob:? What is "enough sleep?"

S:? "I don't know what's an appropriate amount of sleep, as I haven't done
this before and I'm learning as I go, but I find 7 hrs a night is
sufficient.? I've found that if I start dropping it to 6 and feeling tired,
I'm afraid that my body will fatigue and I will pick up an injury.? I don't
want to find that out now.? I only started hiking two years ago so I'm still
finding out.? The thing I like most about my hike is that? a) everyone says
it's impossible and? b) the fact that I've had no experience with anything
that I've faced.? It's just been a learning curve with everything.? I've had
no experience with endurance,? no experience in the snow,? no experience
with crampons, ice-axe, or snowshoes.?? It's just to show people that things
aren't impossible if you're prepared to try.? Doing summer hikes of the AT
and PCT before gave me experience in backpacking, but doing a 450-mile
traverse of the Sierra in the snow was like going to school."

Dr Bob:? What do folks back home in England think about your hike?

S:? "I've kept everything low-key.? The only people that know about it are
by word of mouth and people who use the internet or trail journals.? I
didn't do any press releases or anything like that.? I haven't done any
newspaper interviews.? I haven't wanted anything to interfere with what I
was doing.? I didn't want to approach sponsors.? I just wanted to go and do
it.? I didn't want to rely on anyone for anything.? I have no idea what
response there will be.? When I get home, I might buy myself a Lazy-boy (big
smile)."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Dr Bob:? As of 5:00 a.m. on December 7th, starting over ice in the dark at
Bearwallow Gap in 27?, Squeaky had roughly 730 miles to complete in 18 days,
if he is to meet his folks at Springer on Christmas Eve.? That's 40.5 miles
per day, including re-supply and probable bad weather.?