Date: 2009-04-17
From: Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 13.6

April 17 -- Tenting here at Max Patch Summit, 4629', not my first choice, setting up in the dark. My map had shown water sources along the way that I couldnt find, so I kept going and ended up here, and up is the word. The summit had been cleared for cattle grazing way back when and "they" keep it cleared as a grassy bald, with 360 degree view and tonight crystal clear skies. I took a lazy start from the Standing Bear hostel. I was on the $1/15 minute internet for 42 minutes and then bought an 8oz block of cheddar and a can of herring fillets. Miss Janet greeted me in the morning and asked where I had slept and we small talked a while, and I told her what I just ate and I noticed her eyebrows were raised, but then realized that they're always raised, like her smile. Most folks grab a 14" frozen pizza, loaded with black olives and whatever, I couldn't see through the plastic wrapping, and slug down a beer with it. I finally headed out about 13:00, 74 degrees, big mistake, it was ~4m and based on 2m/hr, the basic rate for estimates, but in reality vary all over, like today when I met a guy coming down and in conversation told me he was feeling weak, dizzy and sick to his stomach and hadn't eaten today or since yesterday lunch because he'd been so nauseas. He said he'd prepared for the trip by taking vitamins and thought that might his problem, asked me if there was water at the bottom of the hill so he could soak his shirt. 0k, gotta go. A short time later, two boy scouts came by and asked if I had seen a guy who wasn't feeling well. Now I had expected somebody because the sick guy had told that "the rest of my party will be along soon." It's funny that he said that because usually someone would say that when meeting a suspicious type that you don't want to think that you are alone, so you make up this thing about "your friends will meet you" somewhere. I didnt think that I looked that threatening or bad, however, maybe I did slightly resemble AquaLung somewhat, hunched, scraggly hair and beard, looking out of it, "Snot is running down his nose". Anyway, the kids were concerned about him, one was his son, funny looking scout shirts, they looked more like service station attendant shirts than the old olive dress from the old days. They left, then two more scouts and an adult came by, and too wanted to know did I see the guy, yes, he'll be by the river, and then this guy wants to know all about the campground, goodbye! Finally, a solo adult approaches asking the same stuff, enough! and then tells me from Snowbird Mtn you can see this mtn, that mtn and "the whole AT trail", and "funny how you think you're in shape when you do this" as we moved on. So much for the 2m/hr.Now, there are things called Trail Angels and Trail Magic. My impression is that Trail Angels do good deeds for thru-hikers, planned. Trail Magic is accidental, unplanned, like running into a weekend hiker group with tons of extra food. Today I stumbled into a minor Trail Magic episode. During the long climb I was taking frequent breaks and whining about my pack fit. Looking for a comfortable place to drop the pack, the tree I chose to lean the pack against had very thin lines of poison ivy vines ready to sprout their leaves. Nope. The next spot, a log I would sit upon, had the little three leafed devils waiting for me to rub against four inches high. Uh-uh. Finally, I found a clear spot, a log with a thick blanket of old oak leaves surrounding it. Perfect. As I went to sit, I noticed a small, faded, printed page, what I took as newsprint, and thought, what a funny place for it, but picking it up, it was three dimentional, and turning it over was a bright blue label of a chocolate chip Cliff Bar, expiration date 28NOV09, still sealed! Opening the foiled wrap, I found that it was slightly gooey, but intact, it was delicious.