Date: 2003-07-30
From: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to

To: Limestone Spring Lean-to
Miles today: 12.3

I froze last night when the temperature went down in the 50s. I already sleep in long underwear and socks because the fleece bag just doesn't do it for me. Around 2am I pulled my rain jacket over me which usually warms me up, but that didn't work, so I tossed and turned for a few hours.Jollies alarm went off at 5:30 this morning and buzzed 12 times before he awakened and turned it off.He and Leapyear headed out by 6am. Jollies is trying to catch a very fast thru-hiker named Anishnabe that was attempting to get through the 53 miles in Connecticut in one day. Leapyear was trying to get back on schedule after hiking with me for 2 days.Green Turtle and I awakened for good at 7 and laid in our bags and talked for a little while. We weren't in any hurry this morning; I was only going 12.3 miles today and Green Turtle was going 5 miles and meeting his girlfriend.I left the shelter at 8:20 and headed out into a beautiful sunny, cool morning. As I hiked along I thought about the people I've met and the fun I've had with them.Off in the distance I saw Sean O. hiking toward me and wondered why he was doing a southbound hike with a full pack. "Oh, hi Journey", he said, "Are you doing a flip flop"? For the first time since I started my hike, I had walked out the shelter trail and turned south instead of north! Thank goodness Sean came along when he did. I had only walked a mile south, but then I had to walk the mile north to get back to the shelter and start again. I would have bet the ranch that I had turned left into the shelter last night!A very short time later Sean O passed a rattler that he didn't hear and I jumped back about 5 feet and called to him to come back. It was the 1st rattlesnake he had seen on the entire trail. It's body was the size of my forearm and it had to be 4' long. It was definitely the biggest snake that I've seen out here.We stopped for a break at 9:30 and were joined by Wanderer, who had tented at the same shelter last night. He hiked with us for the rest of the day.Around noon we took the Mohawk trail into Falls Village and had lunch at the Mountainside Cafe. It was pricey, but we are in New England now and are seeing a big difference in the price of food and lodging. The sandwiches were large and very good. I drank 2 large ice teas with my lunch. We killed the better part of the afternoon sitting at the outside table, eating and using the phone. I sent some journals to transcriber Bob and called Jack to let him know that I was alive and had not yet chopped off my feet with my Leatherman Micra. Yet. It may still happen.The 5 miles after lunch were tough! A full stomach, a full pack and little willpower make Journey a slow hiker. We arrived at the shelter, a full 1/2 mile off the trail, mostly downhill by 5pm. Kyle, the ridge runner for the area was already here and eager for company. The piped spring is ice cold and delicious, the best spring we've had in days! I'll have to remember that great spring when I'm walking back UP that hill to the trail in the morning.My feet got through another day; some discomfort, no pains until tonight. I will keep heading north on them despite their protesting.