Date: 2004-06-09
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to

To: Logan Brook
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 5 - 100 mile wildernessI decided to go for 11.7 miles because of the simple fact that I was sore from the past few days. My Achilles tendon was 5 times the size they originally were and still swelling...Not good! If I do a short day today it puts me half way up White Cap Mountain (3,650 ft) The shelter was at 2,480 feet and I needed all the help I could get getting up this thing. This would be my first major mountain; from here I could see where I had come from and where I was going for miles upon miles.I can tell my body is starting to get a little more used to this "walking thing" on my first part of the ascent. I had gotten a late start and much needed rest-I left at 11:30 and past David up 2 miles in and made it to Logan Brook. I decided to break within 50 feet of the shelter, not knowing I was almost there....When you are walking long distances your mind has this way of playing crazy pranks on you, you get this walkers high from all of the extra adrenaline and kind of stumble around and can't think straight and all you do is eat uncontrollably and drink quarts of water.After a half hour break I walked 50 feet to the shelter-around the corner. I strolled in upon a man and his dog..."holy S**t you scared the s**t out of me" he said. I apologized and introduced myself, Otto was very nice and his dog's name was Raven. Raven was a German Shepard that had over 5,000 miles on her paws-Almost all of them A.T. miles. Raven was the most well behaved dog I have ever met.Otto had tried to get a fire going for about an hour. Nothing, nothing and still nothing would work. I tried for a half hour but it went out shortly because all of the wood was wet from a couple of nights before. Otto and I traded many stories and laughed for hours. Later Seamster strolled into camp about 9:00. Seamster showed Otto his gear while I tried to make pancakes (without butter I might add-not something you should do) in a stainless steal pot...You have a mess you will be cleaning for weeks but brought a lot of humor to the camp. I moved the pancakes to a piece of foil and set it on hot ashes - that didn't work either but it was funny! I ate the doughy cake anyway along with 2 extra meals. I have a ferocious appetite and it won't go away. Otto says that I eat like a Tape Worm. I asked him how he got his trail name and the answer was clear after he told me he drives a school bus...he got his name from the Simpsons(he even kind of looks like Otto). He said when he got the name he didn't know what the Simpsons were, he stopped at the next town, paid the Hostel owner 50 cents an episode to find what Otto was all about. He watched the Simpson all night!Otto also told me the benefits of "slack-packing" and also the legend of Seiko. I would meet Seiko tomorrow (if I wanted to)at the Hermitage.Otto shared his jerky and made the 3 of us raspberry tea - UNBELIEVABLE! The next morning we awoke and Otto said "Your name shall be Tape Worm" "Do you like it?" he asked. "I guess" was all I could say, so Tape Worm it was and now I have my identity out here, and everyone will know who I am in the registers.