Rangeley or Bust

Well, the goal of 500 just got a little closer this evening. After a very eventful and slippery weekend spent in Rangeley, Team MudCup pushed mud to the 440. And I'll tell you what, I wish we had been doing a 440 relay... I easily could have held the first baton and passed it on to three other much more adventursome souls. I strongly believe everyone should know their own limits. I often think I know mine... but then.This time the but then was "Well we're almost to the top." "How can you tell?" The clues say its only a 45 minute hike to the top." 'Okay - well, we've been hiking for over an hour, so we must be close. Besides, we've made it this far we might as well go to the top."All things being equal, my idea of a 45 minute hike and that of this planters are more than slightly freakin' different. Can you scream out "Extremely different!!!" Our 45 minute stroll to the top of this little peak - which upon a cross check has geocaches saying its a 1000' climb to the top - and on topography maps the summit is at 2220' at the top. Who in their right mind can climb up the slippery, rock and root infested, slug squishing, scaling session to a 2220' peak in 45 minutes? I truely want to meet this boxer so I can check out their.... brain and brawn. But that's besides the point. Back to point, I thought I knew my limits - I was just oxygen deprived and caffeine deprived enough that I forgot how to VOICE my limits. Luckily - the 45 minute climb to the top of Purgetory Hill took slightly (1 hour longer) longer - long enough for the mornings fog to burn off enough to see the water from the top of the fire tower. The one hour+ descent was almost as bad as the climb... at least a quarter of which I did in reverse! I hugged many trees, squished many slugs (orange stained palms to prove it) and slipped and slided down, around, and through roots and puddles, taking at least 1 pound of mud along for the trip to the bottom. For this my washing machine truely hates me.Another point to remember - must bring water - especially on those short hikes that should only take 45 minutes. Must drink copious amounts of coffee so I'll be awake enough to find the slugs before my hand does, and must eat enough fuel factor food so my body doesn't quiver when I'm done : )So while we started out on a treacherously sttep climb to a beautiful view without a box... we ended our day in another location without a box, and firmly entrenched our feet in enough muck and mire that I've dubbed Rangeley as the town that boasts the most deceptive perceptions known to boxers. Along the way we did pick up some wonderful boxes, found two incredibly scenic overlooks (read clues as well as the maps before you zoom past the first box.) Did a meet and great at Height of the Land and cautioned a family to avoid a fruitless climb and directed them to a close location with 7 wonderful boxes and a beautiful rest area. The ATV riders were very friendly and cautious in the area. Picked up a little trinket to squirrel away for Christmas... oh yeah - picked up a squirrel too.While we didn't see any moose - the wildlife was around. We scared a flock of geese into the lake when we missed our turn. Startled some turkey's when we were sloshing to the end of the trail and closer to the car (You bet - I started to look for bear!) Visited with a couple treefrogs taking shelter in the base of one VERY large spruce tree and saw many a 'White-Butt-Bird' of which tea is seeking its proper name.We did visit a few cemetaries - a Team MudCup favorite location. One which easily deserves a most honorable mention - but alas - its a Mystery - we climbed into a most unusually large crack until we reached the second to find the box (for which we were properly poured upon.) Tea decided talking and navigating are not a good mixture as we missed more than a couple roads due to mud's lack of navigational timelyness. "By the way Tea - the road we needed was a ways back and now we are in Norridgewock." All in all - reaching 440 was a remarkable destination. But the Journey was more than half the fun. And a journey it was. By the way Tea, my health coach thanks you. : )Next big adventure is in the plans... and I'm hoping, that by the end of it - I will push closer to the 500 count, and Tea can scratch just a few more off her list. All I ask "Please, no more plants. I can't keep up with Tea as it is!"Time for bed!a less muddy mud