Date: 2009-07-29
From: Swan Song Shelter - Trail Mile 499.3

To: Churchill Scott Shelter - Trail Mile 489.8
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 39[Watson & Holmes report:"Safe. And drying out at Churchill Scott Shelter... Took a long break at top of Killington Peak - beautiful views for quite a distance. No pics, though - oops!"Her journal entry:]Churchill Scott ShelterBoy was TopO right about eating dinner!! I didn't realize I had skipped a meal, and half counted on the beer and scotch to make up for it. Oops! It was an arduous climb up Pico Peak and the back side of Killington because of it. I won't go into details.Killington Peak (the backside, not the side all the skiers see) has awesome views, though I was more focused on getting to the summit restaurant (open because day hikers and mountain bikers can ride up from town on the gondola). Try their Cuban Sandwich!!After a long lunch break and H-nap, and amidst rumblings about bad weather coming in, we head out. I need time to digest, though, so we stop at Cooper Lodge, a Cabin-style shelter where we had left our packs before the final quarter mile up to the summit, for the rest of our break / nap. A bunch of hikers we know who also ate at the summit restaurant (inside; we ate outside) stop in to wait out the storm. I play cards with Mudd, Sneaks, Shorty, Cyborg, Brown Chicken, and Ewok while H naps in one of the top bunks (from which he can't jump down without aid and so can't get Into trouble!). Soon, though, we check the weather again and realize this storm will last all night. The decision is made to hike on. Pick Camp is closer, but is 0.5 miles off the AT, while Churchill Scott is a bit further, but on trail. Well, once we're out in the rain and soaked to the gills, what does a couple more miles up trail matter? It's amazing how differently hikers look at trail miles and off-trail miles. We'll hike 2,178 miles from GA to ME (or in my case 894.7 miles from PA to ME) for the heck of it, but ask us to hike half a mile off trail into town or a shelter, and it's just not worth it. Oy. We share Churchill Scott Shelter with one other hiker, and deal with mosquitoes and a leaky roof, but manage to warm up, if not exactly dry out. For those of you who are wondering, when it rains, I have a set order of things I need to do as soon as I get to shelter and before I can take off the cold wet clothes. I need to do these things quickly so I can take off the cold wet clothes and get warm myself, so I plan them out in my head as we walk the last couple tenths of a mile to the shelter. They are: get H's leash out and tie him up so he doesn't get other hikers' gear dirty. Dry H with pack towel, wipe mud off paws. Lay out sleeping pad / tent roll and down sleeping bag, let H curl up / warm up. Set out his food and water. Get water from spring for dinner and breakfast (almost every shelter is near a spring). Use the privy / a nearby tree as necessary. Sponge bath / wash at least my lower legs. THEN take off my wet shoes / socks, hang muddy socks on branches in the rain to rinse, put on baselayer bottoms, wash feet, hang packtowel in rain to rinse, put on thickest wool socks, wash underwear with soap, change to baselayer top, hang shorts / shirt / bra / underwear inside shelter (or in frame shelters, on rear wall in gap below roof - body heat from hikers causes warm draft out this space). Finally boil water for dinner, treat the rest. While eating dinner, check weather and email / check in / write journal if enough energy, and sleep.In this case, I was lucky enough to get to chat with DD a bit on the phone before bed -YAY! . Obviously, I slept well!43° 38' 43.19" N 72° 51' 15.44" W, 2562 ftFor HarveysMom by Harvey's GrandPop