Date: 2012-05-19
From: James H. Fry shelter

To: Green Mountain Store
Miles today: 1.2

I've still not quite reached the point of toughness or desensitization so that the reality of shelter mice doesn't cause involuntary shutters. Most of the hikers I've asked nonchalantly confirm that yes, they really do crawl over you at night. I've been advised to leave all the pockets and zippers of my backpack open so the mice can have easy access to whatever it is they may want without having to chew holes through the cloth. Still, the night before a young thru-hiker named Bugger tried hard to convince me that the dog's presence inside the shelter would be enough to deter even the bravest of these pests. Bugger was full of all kinds of good news for me, little tidbits of wisdom he'd gleaned during his more than 1000 miles. Wanting to test his theory, I set up camp on the floor of the shelter, midway from either wall and right in front of the open side. My hope was that I'd have a mouse-free night and henceforth sleep comfortably inside the shelter. Later I was joined by Whistler, the only other shelter mate for the night, who agreed with Bugger's advice and my heart soared. I curled up close with Bodhi (it's not like I had much choice as every night is a battle for my little sleeping bag, me inside and him on top of it) and eventually drifted off to sleep. When I awoke and it was nearly 7:00 I was delighted. If there were shelter mice crawling on me they'd been courteous enough not to wake me. But I suspect the seasoned hiking pros were right and Bodhi had kept them away. He becomes more valuable every day! So now, while I really prefer sleeping in my own little space, I do have the option of sleeping in the shelter when I want to. Well, that is when no one else objects to the dog. Since I can now safely report matter of factly that his mere presence will serve to deter rodents, I can't imagine who would object....unless it's someone with whom I have already shared a shelter and knows my deep dark secret....I'm a terrible snorer! Despite the fact that I didn't have to fuss with the tent this morning, no waiting the few minutes for it to dry and then to pack up all the pieces and stuff them first into their sack and then the sack into the pack, we got off to the same late start as always. It's just that it's so pleasant, that time in the morning after the other hikers have made their way back onto the trail. In some ways it feels like the morning minutes after the kids were off to school on the bus and before I began rushing around with preparations for my own day. I can't help but savor those stolen moments in the morning before I don my boots and pack. But this morning the delay wasn't due to even the tent packing or my unwillingness to hit the trail. I'm returning home for a job interview and have to wait for my daughter to let me know what time she can get here from NJ to pick me up so that I can coordinate her arrival with a meeting place near the trail. Wanting to hike at least a few more miles today I knew I couldn't start without confirming plans with her because once I moved, I might not have cell phone service again. In the mountains it's sometimes hit or miss. And so I sat savoring the morning and reflecting on how much I love being on the trail. I tried to think about the good things in going home...I could see my grandchildren and family, get a new pair of Tevas, leave behind some of the things I've realized I don't really need to carry, and go to a yoga class or two. All good things and I am looking forward to them. Still, I feel like I'm leaving something amazing behind and it makes me sad. But I'll be back in a few days and my amazing journey will continue.