Let's see, where was I?

I'm sure there's a good metaphor about trying to blog your life that mirrors how there are periods of great intensity and then blank spaces and then another period of intensity. Maybe the train of life going from station to station (event to event) and the time between, just listening to the wheels on the tracks and the scenery rushing by. 

Can I really be turning 66 next month? Oy. 

Well, I'm not intending to catch you up (who are 'you', anyway?) but you should know that this last year I was invited to hike across the Grand Canyon and the 100 Mile Wilderness and up/down Mt Katahdin. I did both and survived - no, enjoyed  both. So much so that I'm planning another hike this coming summer. Covid willing. 

Tour du Mont Blanc. 170km around, 10km up/down. From Les Houches France to Italy to Switzerland and back to Les Houches. 

I'm in the planning/reservations phase just now. Here's what I have so far: from  non-rev from Philadelphia to Dublin on/about June25th to a hostel downtown until 29JUN when I fly revenue from DUB thru London Heathrow to Geneva and then bus to Camonix/Les Houches and a hotel until the 1st of July. 

I'm following  the traditional route CCW (Anti-clockwise) from Les Houches - taking 11 days, most of which I'll be camping and some in refuges. 

Finishing on the 11th I'll get back to the same hotel as before for one night, and on 12JUL unwind by bus to GVA, British Airways GVA thru LHR to DUB, to a different hostel for a night or two, and then start trying to get back DUB to PHL non-rev. 

The big block at the beginning in DUB is not only because I love DUB, but as my ticket on BA is the stake in the sand and the flight on AA is at the whim of passenger loads, I want to give myself several tries to get going. If it looks really rough I may even go earlier! 

So I'm training already, doing 1+15 on the treadmill (it IS January in the NE right now) wearing 10# pack and carrying 3# in each hand watching TMB YouTube videos. I'll up my game with mountain specific strength and stretching exercises while I pick up a few more goodies, light weight goodies, for my pack. 

Wish me luck!