Date: 2007-07-19
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-To

To: Logan Brook Lean-To
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

mi. 11.5dest. Logan Brook Lean tosleep hammockDay 7I found a great stop to hang next to the cascading waterfalls. The spothammockers look for, somewhere you couldn't sleep on the ground at. I think itdid a lot of good for me to be alone last night. I was getting attached tohiking with the same people that I knew were going to get off of the trailsometime soon.I slept most of the night but woke up in a big sweat with my fleece on. I triedsleeping shirtless, but lets just say the smell and filth was a little more thanI could handle.I wanted originally to start turning up the miles a little bit. But I got tothe shelter just before whitecap mtn and decided that was far enough.I think I am getting my routine down. I get up and pack up with just eating aceral bar. After about an hour I stop and cook some coffee and eat a littlemore. I stopped at a great plae today on the edge of a pond. I found that ifyou stop away from the trees enough and sit for awhile, the mosquitos will stopcoming after you. And you can kill the ones around you and sit in peace.The break was great I was close to swimming and probibly should of, but didn't. The trail was really good. There was one stretch that I really liked. It wasrelatively flat, it was a overcast sky, a little foggy, pine trees, rocks thesize of small trucks randomly, thick moss on everything, and the trail wascovered in pine needles and small decomposing pine. Great hiking.Today I also saw my second moose. It was at a lot safer distance than the firstone. That still makes me wonder. I was hiking and heard some splashing andstick breaking about 40 yds from me. I looked over tnrough the trees to see amoose get out of a small pound and climb up the other side. I tried to get intoa good spot to take a pic, but he was gone pretty fast. Oh well, hopefully nexttime. I have been seeing a lot of moose poo on the trail, so I know they areout here.I got to the shelter tonight to find a boys group there. I talked to them alittle bit and they tell me about a chipmonk they killed from they last shelterand brought to this one. I thought that was funny and moved on.I found a really good spot to hang tonight close to the shelter. The only issueis that the wind is going underneath my tarp. I think tonight is going to be mycoldest night yet. Probibly into the 40's.I also lucked out and found a bar of soap at the shelter. I was able to wash upand wash out my hiking clothes. They were getting pretty bad.I cooked dinner and split some coffee with their adult leader. Pretty cool guywho goes to school in Arizona. I gave him my email address in case he hadhammock questions since he was admiring my setup. Also so that I could send himsome pics of the following story.As I was making and eating dinner, btw peanut butter is great added to pasta,One kid proceeded to start to skin the chipmonk. They wanted to save the skinfor a plack for their camp and eat the meat. Something about a you kill it, youeat it rule. The issue was they did not knowe how to skin it. Well luckily itso happened that I was a fur trapper in a past life. I told him how and helpedhim through a couple of the tough spots. It came out pretty good. I have somefunny pics of him skinning it and gutting it. Now the funny part. They decided to roast him on a stick. I helped them withputting it on so it wouldn't fall off. It was pretty entertainingg to see themtake off the head and the fur left at the trail. They best part is they made amarinate for it and soaked it in it. I think it had brown sugar, peanut butter,curry powder, tabasco sauce.It actually didn't take long to cook. Believe it or not it tasted really good. Like a really good barbeque. I got great shot of me eating it. I wonderwhat's next. First it was clams, now chipmonk. I seem to be moving up theaminal scale though.This was probibly a solid 3 hours of entertainment. During this I got a goodtalk in with a northbounder by the name of salamander. He was finishing up in 4days. His mom already made plans to be there and he had to make it in time.It seems to me that most of the people I am seeing now are the fast and big mileguys. I think it will be a few weeks until I start seeing people who hike moremy style. He also said that there are a couple southbounders a day ahead ofme. So I will catch up to someone eventually.Well 4 or 5 more days to monson. I did get the good advice to take the firstroad I see in and hitch rather than take the second. Now off to the sounds ofanother waterfall. We'll see if I stay warm or end up moving soming.