Date: 2006-07-28
From: Tent above Canopus Lake

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter tenting
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: clear sky

Just made it to the shelter as the rains were changing from a sprinkle to a heavy downpour at 4:00pm this afternoon. Two of the younger group the FDOM have been leapfrogging were already here to wait out the rain, and the rest pulled in within a few minutes. The shelter built for 6 was crowded with 11 thruhikers until after 5:00pm when all the leapfroggers left. I got my boots off and everything out of my kilt's pockets. Then I put on my Nothings clogs and went out in the rain for a pleasant shower. Finally, the lightning started striking close by, so I moved back into the shelter. I didn't mind getting my kilt, hiking shirt, and underwear wet, as they were already totally soaked from sweat. Besides, they actually dry better if the salt is washed off. Once the rain was over I found a nice spot that drained well, in case it rains overnight, and set up my tent.We started the hike this morning at 6:45am, and it was already hot. We noticed in our guidebooks the highly-touted MountainTop Deli & Pizzeria, and set out to reach it for lunch, which we did just after noon. On the way, the trail condition was great into the RPH Shelter, where we stopped for water at the pump and for a snack. It is a very nice and well set up shelter with a pump over a well, a porch area and a bunkroom built of concrete block, and enclosed on 3 sides. While we were there, the volunteer that tends to the shelter dropped by and clued us onto the severe thunderstorms predicted for late afternoon/evening. We hoped to be at the shelter by then, so weren't too concerned.When we got to the deli, we weren't disappointed. There was a great hot deli selection as well as a separate pizzeria. Outside was a picnic table for hikers and the leapfrog, younger crowd -- Breeze, Keystone, Shrek, SoulLive, Giggles, and Cheesewhiz, with a new addition, E.D. (for Easily Distracted). They were finished eating, and relocated from their places at the table to a shady spot on the lawn behind the deli, leaving the picnic table to the FDOM. I got a beef&noodles dish with hamburger steak in gravy and a pepsi-free for my first course, and followed it up with a pint of B&J's Butter Pecan, washed down by another Pepsi. I stowed another decaf Pepsi in my pack between the sleeping bag and clothes stuff sacks so it would be well-insulated on the 4.1 mile hike from the deli to the shelter. As the FDOM vegged out from gorging ourselves on big lunches, sodas and ice cream, I got Cheesewhiz to take a picture of us on the bench in front of the deli. No one wanted to be the first to hoist his pack. Then, I went around back and got a pic of the leapfrog group.When the sky started darkening, we hastened to move out to finish the 4 miles remaining so we could wait out the rain under a roof. I was hiking with my raincover on and decided to don my gaiters to keep my boots dry after some widely scattered drops hit me. We made it to the shelter in the nick of time.After setting up my tent, I cooked a 2nd dinner of Mac'nCheese with my chamomile-mint tea. The rain cooled things off and it is breezy enough to ventilate the tent well.Maine Ho!