Date: 2014-07-16
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: broken clouds

In the wee hours of the morning, I was awakened out of a sound sleep by a loud thud. As I came to my senses, I looked across the bunk room and saw a body lying on the floor and a second person rushing to the victim's assistance. I wasn't sure whether the person on the ground had fallen out of his bunk or had tripped while walking. Several hours later, I found out the answer. Apparently a sixty-something section hiker woke up to pee, walked through the bunk room, and tripped on the cord tied to one of the hikers' dogs. Now he was back to exact revenge on the dog's owner, whom he woke up, told he didn't want make feel bad, and then launched into a lecture that would have made all but the most callous individual feel horrible. It rained the entire night, four inches I would find out later, and was still coming down at 5:30 when my alarm went off. As I slipped my damp socks on, I was resigned to the fact that this would be the driest my feet would be all day. After packing up my backpack, I was one of the first hikers downstairs for the breakfast provided by the caretaker, David. Two cups of coffee and twice that many pancakes later, I set off at 8:00 in the rain.The trail conditions were as wet and sloppy as I've ever experienced. I spent the first hour carefully avoiding the water that was streaming down long stretches of the trail. Finally, I realized it was hopeless, channeled my inner child, and began stomping through ankle deep water. Almost immediately I realized the absurdity of the situation and began laughing uncontrollably.Around noon I passed two SOBOs, who informed me there was trail magic up ahead at the next road crossing. When I arrived there I immediately recognized Casper, the white van of Rob Bird, who ran a hostel, the Bird Cage, in Dalton, MA for 12 years before retiring to Tennessee. I first met Rob and Casper on May 6th, just before Roan Mountain, when he gave trail magic to One and me at Iron Mountain Gap. During the thru-hiking season, Rob migrates north along with the NOBO bubble so he can continue to dispense trail magic. I sat in the same chair today and enjoyed a soda, pastry, and an apple, just as I had two months and 1200 miles ago. Thanks again, Rob!Rob also pointed me to the house of the Cookie Lady, a stone's throw from where Casper was parked. The Cookie Lady, AKA Marilyn, and her husband, Roy, have been treating thru-hikers to homemade cookies for the past 30 years. In addition, they sell soda, eggs, and ice cream to hikers at cost. When I arrived, Marilyn was out shuttling hikers, so I bought two hard-boiled eggs and a Klondike bar from Roy, and we talked while I ate that plus several cookies.When I arrived in Dalton, I found the home of Tom Levardi, who is listed in the Awol guide as allowing thru-hikers to tent in his back yard. Tom recited the rules to me, which combined amount to, "be a good citizen so future thru-hikers can continue to enjoy this privilege." I then went to the Mill Town Tavern for a beer and hamburger dinner where I met Celtic, a thru-hiker from Scotland. After that, I started walking down Main Street on my way to the youth center where Tom had told me thru-hikers can get a free shower. Before I'd gone far, who should I see but Rob Bird driving Casper. He motioned me into his van to save me some wear and tear on my legs on the way to my shower.