Updated Wednesday, May 19. 2010

The 2009 season at WHL can be summed up in one word...WET!

After the rainiest June on record, followed by the 2nd rainiest july on record it was a long stretch of wet feet and sunken spirits on the AT - we ended up taking a large number of SOBOs (south bounders) to the bus station in Medway. Of course, the mosquitoes all had smiles on their faces.

The rain had an impact all up and down the east coast and many NOBOS bailed early as well. So, although the overall numbers were down everywhere, it was still a good season. We met hundreds of wet, hungry hikers who were happy to have a roof over their heads and a wood stove to dry out their gear.

The almanac is calling for a "normal" spring and summer this year. Let's keep our fingers crossed as we look forward to a drier 2010.

On the home front, all is well with the family. Ben turns 13 in July - wow! Pooh Bear turns 10 in August.

Spending the winters working in Florida was a good change for us. We certainly don't miss the cold. Ironically, Florida had its coldest winter in 30+ years. Millions of fish died from the prolonged cold spell with no relief. What a year to start a fishing charter business!

That's right, Bill got his Captain's license last year and in January he started The Damn Yankee Charters. He offers fishing and sightseeing tours here on Anna Maria Island. He's having a great time doing this and enjoys life on the water. We are hoping and praying that this oil spill doesn't poison the Gulf and ruin the multi-million dollar industry here in Florida. Its a worrisome time for everyone involved with life on the Gulf Coast. Time will tell.

We are getting ready to head back to Maine and start the 2010 season. We look forward to seeing the hikers again, as always.

Happy Trails all!

Linda, Bill and Ben