Date: 2004-07-29
From: Velvet Rocks Shelter

To: Smarts Mtn Fr Wrdn Cabin
Miles today: 21.9

The morning was gray and misty but it followed a great night¢s sleep. A couple camped near by could be heard from time to time getting their act together. That came as something of a surprise since I hadn't noticed them at all last night. Eventually, they came over to use the dry shelter floor while putting on clean socks and boots. That was nice. We got to talk a bit. The spring for the shelter wasn't exactly near by and they gave me some beta on locating it. That was good. My water bottle was near empty.The trail led on for 0.2 miles before it came to the side trail for the spring. The spring was perhaps another 0.2 miles down slope. It was an interesting spring. It more resembled a shallow dug well with something like a short section of 3 foot diameter culvert pipe for walls. It had a big hunk of plywood or something as a cover. The whole affair caused me some skepticism but the water looked, smelled and tasted good. Anyway, it was nothing a little Steri-Pen action couldn't handle.The weather got better as the day wore on. Just before Moose Mountain South Peak, there was a DOC sign nailed to a tree. It was never hard to recognize a DOC sign because they were all painted orange with black letters. Those must be the Dartmouth colors. This sign was a circle with a slash ¢do not¢ sign. Inside the circle was a unicycle and written on the sign were the words ¢No Unicycles ¢ Or Else!¢ The DOC gang has a great sense of humor. It made me laugh out loud. Thanks, DOC.Twenty minutes later it was nice to see some views from the summit of Moose Mountain South Peak. Ten minutes after that there was a newly cut side trail to a new shelter. I hesitated to check it out because there was no telling how far it was. As it turned out, it wasn't far at all and it was well worth it. This was a beautiful new log shelter. It would have been nice to stay but it was way too early. After a little lunch and journal writing it was time to go at around 1pm.The sky became blue and dotted with white puffy clouds. By about 3:30 the trail brought me to Holts Ledge. This is a protected area for a Peregrine Falcon Rookery. The views were beautiful. The chain link fence was a bit out of place but what can you do, it made the point. There was also a view of a mountain with a fire tower on it. This had to be Smarts Mountain. That would be home for tonight. That was exciting.Shortly the trail crossed the Lyme-Dorchester Road at a fork. A wonderful young woman gave me a ride into Lyme Center. Talking with her was a true delight. She dropped me at a little general store with gas pumps out side. This place was great. I asked them to make me a sandwich. Out on the old wooden porch the pay phone afforded me the chance to call some north country friends to try to arrange rendezvous in the whites. Some of the calls turned into times, dates and places dictated to machines but at least one was to a live person. After eating half the sandwich on the porch it was time for some desert of ice cream of course. A couple of guys offered me a ride to the trail. They were heading out for an overnight on Smarts Mountain. It seems these guys used to go up there when they were kids. They looked to be in their late 20s now and they were heading up to retrieve a buried time capsule. They dropped me at the AT and headed up a different trail themselves. The other route must have been shorter because the other guys beat me to the summit. The tower on the summit was old and rickety but the views were great. The guys dug up their time capsule and brought it up into the old tower. Things were a bit of a mess on the inside despite all the plastic and duct tape. It was fun checking out all the stuff anyway. It was nice to hear them reminiscing too. The sunset was beautiful from the tower but watching the sunset could only mean it was getting late.After a respectable 22.9 mile day with a town hitch it was time to make camp since it was now after 8pm. The old fire wardens cabin seemed a bit dank inside but the porch was plenty friendly for me. Another hiker showed up. The local guys, who actually now lived elsewhere, came in much later or maybe they slept in the tower. It was a good cool night.