Bear Alert!

This post is an update to let you know how the progress is coming along.

I've been really pushing the leg a little more than I would push other people.  But I feel like it is paying off.  For the past few days I have been in Maine visiting a friend and taking some "day hikes."  Mt. Battie is a small (approximately 1000 foot) mountain along the coast of Maine.  I thought that would be a good trial run.  

What made this hike more eventful than the other day hikes I've been taking closer to home... is that this is the first time I put the pack back on.  So I made it up and back down without incident and the leg still feels pretty good.  I was hoping to do two days in a row but that did not happen.  

My plan was to go to my old stomping grounds to hike Mt Monadnock (which would be more of a challenge at 3000 feet.)  Unfortunately, the campground was closed due to the ice storms that hit NH this past December.  So I am off to find another spot.  I'll do two days in a row... with the pack.  Then I will be ready to hit the Trail for real.

As a side note, I have been following along on the Trail websites and found this update at www.appalachiantrail.org :

Neals Gap to Tesnatee Gap --  Due to recent bear activity, the U.S. Forest Service has closed this 5.5 mile section to camping.  Camping ban will remain in effect until the end of April.  (Posted on 4/08/09.)

This stretch is in the Georgia section of the Trail... so I could potentially have been hiking through at the time of the ban.  

Also at that same website is a pretty good interactive map of the Appalachian Trail.  It may be powered by Google Maps.  It has similar satellite and hybrid capabilities.  

When I finish the next two hikes, I'll post some photos.  On the upside, I have been spending a lot more time outside than I have in the past.  It really feels good to be a part of "nature."  I think everybody should spend more time outside.

OK, I'm headed back "into the woods..."  (a little pun for all my theater buddies!)

Peace and Love,

------Nick

New York City...

Here are some photos of my NYC trip...

Starting with a few landmarks-- First St. Patrick's Cathedral (which is under construction right now) viewed through the sculpture of Atlas.  

Next-- How do you get to Radio City Music Hall?  Practice, practice, practice....

And the Prometheus statue at Rockefeller Center, sculpted by Paul Manship (a local Rockport, MA artist.)  Of course, the huge Christmas tree is gone but they still have ice skating until today (April 19th.)  Just a little Nick Repoli history...  Somewhere there are pictures of me (as a teenager) performing under the Prometheus sculpture while on tour with the American Children's Theater.  That was a long time ago.

Another fun stop was the Apple Store!  For any Mac fans, it's a must see.  This place is huge.  Most Apple Stores have three or four seats in front of the "Genius Bar" but this location has a whole wall of Geniuses!  It's a crazy place.

The photo of the boardwalk was a side trip to New Jersey.   I went to the Garden State Film Festival with my friend Paula who does some work in the film industry.  One of the films that she worked on was being Premiered while I was there.  I was very impressed.  And I sort of felt bad about all the times I said mean things about NJ.  This one little spot on the shore was actually quite nice.  

I heard a rumor that the horse and buggies may soon be a thing of the past, so I tried to get a bunch of shots of the different styles.  The first shot is a photo of a passenger taking a picture of me taking their picture.  Lots of folks wave as they ride by.  

And, as you can see in the second shot, talking on the cell phone is not limited to drivers of cars.  

There are some great spots to kick back and enjoy nature in Central Park.  The trick to enjoying them is to not look up!   It's an interesting contrast to have all this "nature" and then look up to see the skyscrapers.  

There are not only great sculptures and art in the Park, but some very interesting arches and architecture spread throughout...

You can't really see it from the picture but the sculpture on the right is actually a water fountain that has no water in it.  It seems funny because there was no water in the "Reflecting Pool" between the Lincoln Monument and the Washington Monument in D.C.

One of my favorite things about the City is the variety of street performers.  

The Statue of Liberty was taking too long to do anything so I didn't wait to see if he did anything more than just stand there.  But... All of the street musicians were awesome.  

The first musician played what appeared to be a home made multi-level xylophone.  

The next guy with the flute also played an ancient one string instrument (that you see on his lap.)  He played both equally well.  So well, that I bought two of his CD's (for $10!!)  I will use them as massage music.  

And the sax player was the best of all.  If he had any CD's, I definitely would have bought one.  Of course, he had the benefit of the acoustics of the archway.  He really knows how to pick a spot.  I think he picked this spot for his own enjoyment.  The sound was great but the traffic was not.  He was not making a lot of money on this day... but he was really enjoying himself.  

There are plenty of other pics but don't want to take up too much space here.  One of these days I'm going to learn how to do the Picasa thing or maybe Snapfish so I can link to more pictures.  

The update on the leg is that in general it's pretty good, but I have to admit that after a few days of walking the City streets... I was feeling like I was pushing a little too hard.  So I am thinking about another side trip.  I am checking airline prices for a flight to sunny Florida.  Maybe the warm weather will help with the stretching...  I know it will help with my mental well being.  

I will continue to keep you up to date on where I am and how the leg is recovering.  Thanks for all of your concern and support.

Peace and Love,

-----Nick