Date: 2007-06-18
From: Tom Leonard Shelter

To: Mount Wilcox North Lean-to
Miles today: 7.1

It's Monday morning, 4 a.m., right on the nose, and I can't sleep, which is really unusual for me out here. It's really, really quiet. I'm in my new silk sleeping bag liner, which is pretty luxurious. I just don't expect to feel silk out here. Getting in and out of it is a little strange. It's brown, and open on one end, so getting into it is kind of like putting a bottle of wine into a paper bag. I don't know if I described my tent before, but its a two-person Stephenson. Somebody, I think it was Jeff, dubbed it "The Condo", which has stuck in my mind. My sleeping bag I call "The Cadillac". Its also a Stephenson with a built-in air mattress. Its ridiculously comfortable, especially for backpacking. I do pay the price a little in terms of weight. I was going to leave the top of the sleeping bag (which zips out) at home for this leg, but the nights got a little bit cooler than they had been so I brought it. I needed it just a little bit tonight. Well, I'm going to try to sleep again.4:45 a.m. It got light out and the birds started up early this morning - about 4:30 a.m. which is about an hour earlier than it was down south. I only slept about 4 hours. At least I brought instant coffee with me this time. Too bad they don't make "Instant Sleep". It could be sold on the grocery store shelves right next to the dehydrated water.Yesteday I came out onto the edge of a field and flushed a female turkey. It had a nest in the underbrush. I could hear the chicks. She ran back and forth in front of me several times. I took her picture, then moved on.9:30 a.m. I got out of the tent this morning and its an absolutely gorgeous morning out here. I went to get my bear bag and noticed that right near where I hung it there was fire smoldering. I had smelled it last night and looked at it, but it was getting dusky out and I didn't think it was still alive. This morning it was obvious that it was still burning. I called Steve and asked him to report it so someone could come up here and put it out. I went down to the creek again, about a quarter of a mile straight down, and hauled up water in every container I have, which is about 4 liters. I dumped it on the fire, but I'm not 100 percent sure it's out. I left a note in the shelter log and put the rake from the privy by the spot to mark it. Hopefully someone will come up here and check to make sure its out. It was burning under the surface in the packed-down duff. So I still have to pack up and get out of here. It shouldn't be a problem - I've got lots of options of where to stop today. I could go anywhere from 6 to 11 miles and have places to stop. I feel good and I'm looking forward to another beautiful day out on the trail.4 p.m. It's been a great day so far. I got out of the Tom Leonard shelter sometime between 10:30 and 11 a.m. Shortly after I left I came across two firefighters coming up to take care of the fire. I checked it before I left and it looked like it was out, but I was glad they were going to dig it up around the edges and dump some more water on it. I stopped for a break around noon at a stream, and another break around 2:30 at Benedict Pond, which was gorgeous. Then I walked up over the ledges, which was a little bit steep getting up it, but very pretty all along the top. Now I'm almost to the Mount Wilcox South lean-to. I stopped at what I think is the water source before I get to it. I filled up my platypus and my filter bottle. The filter bottle is great because I can drink right after I get the water out of the stream, when its still cold. You've got to really work at it to get the water out of it, though. I've gotten to where I just tip it up and kind of let it dribble off and lick the water of the end. I feel like a gerbil.I feel good. I don't think I'm going to stop at the Mt. Wilcox South lean-to. There's another one 2 miles beyond that, the Mt. Wilcox North lean-to, and then another 4 miles beyond that is the Shaker Campsite. I'll probably at least make it to the North lean-to before I stop. I'm having fun with my new little toy (a digital voice recorder). Its probably going to mean that these journal entries get longer and longer.7:30 p.m. I got into the Mt. Wilcox North lean-to at about 6 p.m. Now its about 7:30. I set up my tent, ate supper, did a little bit of laundry. Now I'm getting ready to climb into the sleeping bag and do some knitting for a little while. The last couple of miles were really nice. The weather today was gorgeous all day, in the 70's and sunny. The last bit I went by a big beaver pond and saw a huge beaver swimming around.I met a couple of thru-hikers who were heading to the Shaker Campsite tonight. The woman's trail name was Dirty Blonde. They started in Georgia the first week in March. And I met another thru-hiker, a very nice guy, named Mal Cameron. He was heading all the way to Upper Goose Pond Cabin tonight, where there's a pancake breakfast in the morning.