Date: 2006-09-22
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: broken clouds

Slept really well last night. Only had to get up once during the night and when I did, I got to see beautiful stars in the sky and hear the owls or the loons (not sure which) calling out to each other across the pond. One of the treats about this cabin is that when there is a caretaker on duty, hikers are served pancakes for breakfast. Now usually, they are blueberry pancakes made with blueberries from the Cookie Lady's farm that sobos hike into the cabin. But since the blueberry season wrapped up early this year (before Labor Day) there were no blueberries for me to carry to the cabin. No worries though, because I had received some apples as trail magic near the MA turnpike and that chopped up and mixed with chocolate chips makes for an excellent pancake batter. I don't know how many pancakes I ate, but it was a lot!By the time I am packed up and ready to go, its about 10. The trail is nice and the weather is beautiful, probably 60ish. I follow along Upper Goose Pond for a while and hear something splash into the water but can't get a glimpse of what it was. Further down the trail, I meet a nobo hiker. It's Gomo who I met on Mt. Cube. She had to get off the trail due to an infection and was back in training when I met her near Glencliff. She then got back on the trail where she had left off and is hoping to make it to Hanover before she has to go back to work. She is excited to see me again and says that she is going to mention me in her presentation to her mother's women's church group. A few hours later, I stop to take a snack break and a hiker comes up behind me. It's Dorito who I met at Osgood Campsite in the Whites. He had gotten off the trail to visit friends and family for a few days.He tells me that there is another sobo couple just ahead of me but they are moving fast. He also mentions some names of hikers who are probaby still behind me, so I'm not out here alone...yet.He hikes on, but we meet again at the road. He has decided to hitch in for a soda and cigarettes. I am hitching in to the PO to pick up my cold weather clothes. We get a ride and I get dropped off 1st. I walk up to the PO and find out that they are closed until 4. It's 2 now. Ughh. I could have gone with Dorito for a soda. I check out the library, but they are only open for two hours each on Tuesdays and Saturdays. So I walk over to the B&B and the inntaker is out. This town is vacant! I sit down in a chair on the porch of the B&B and lsten to the cows moo. I eat some lunch and return some emails while I wait for the PO to open. The sun is really warm as it shines down on me.The innkeeper returns and I purchase a soda from her and then walk over to the PO to pick up my packages and sort through my gear. I don't know how I am ever going to fit all of this stuff in my pack! Somehow, I make it work. It is nice to have some fresh clothes and some treats from mom and dad as well.Its late now, so I quickly hitch a ride back to the trail and start hiking. I make it to Shaker campsite just before dark and Dorito has left me a note that he went on. I set up my hammock and put on warm clothes and then cook dinner and read the register. I learn that there have been bears at this campsite and that the bear cable for hanging your food bag is broken. Great. I do have some cord and set about hanging my food bag the old fashion way. Well, I learn a valuable lesson. When the literature that comes with the cord says that it can not be used for hanging food bags, they mean it. My cord would not heft my food bag off the ground. I do hang my bag, but only about 5' off the ground. I am going to have to rely on prayer that the bear has gone on vacation and doesn't pay me a visit. Note to self: get bear bag cord out of bounce box!Its pretty warm tonight and I crawl in my hammock and read for a while before going to sleep ever carefully listening for the footsteps of a bear.