Date: 2003-06-03
From: Blackrock Hut 2,645

To: Pinefield Hut 2,430
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: moderate rain

Holy Cow! Three of us were run out of the shelter last night by the biggest mouse I have ever seen, except for the ones at Disneyworld! It was huge! Rufus set up his tent because he read about a shelter rat in the shelter register. The rest of us didn't believe it. We laid down, turned off all the headlamps, and two minutes later I hear All Right say, "Oh God."I asked him what was wrong and he said he saw the rat. He got up and moved outside with no tent, no nothing. Then Lemming who was in a top bunk near me turned on his light and we saw it! It was less than two feet from each of us and it was a huge mouse. It was the size of at least six of the little shelter mice we've been seeing. We got up, set up my two man tent, hung our packs, and moved! As far as I can tell there are no mice in this shelter, at least none on steroids.Easy hiking day today, but it was cold and rainy. Lemming and I didn't get started until 9:00 because we knew it was a short day. I don't think it got above 55 degrees today and we hiked until about 1:00 in a drizzle and fog. Then we skipped about two miles of trail and took a short cut to the Wayside Restaurant in the Loft Mountain Campground in the Shenandoah's. It was warm and dry in there! I had a cheeseburger, fries, Pepsi, and a cappucino. It was all good. Then I bought five truffles and ate them all while walking around the gift shop. I almost bought a fleece blanket because it would fit in my pack and I could use it with my summer bag. I didn't. Lemming and I waited in the restaurant for the worst of the rain to pass. We stayed three hours probably. Then we left for the shelter only 4 miles away. It rained a bit, but not enough to soak us. It is raining a bit right now. I am in the shelter with Lemming, Rufus, Do It and 50, Amble and Ultreya have caught up to me again and are here, two section hikers from NYC and two section hikers from Ohio. I was so glad to see Amble and Ultreya. Ultreya did 28 miles today! He is no spring chicken either! Lemming and I talked a lot about motivation today. I realized that I, quite honestly, am more motivated by the feeling I will have when I climb Katahdin than by having fun on the trail. Some days, most days for me, are honestly about putting the miles behind me, especially if the weather is bad. On good days when there are views, I rest and take them in, but I don't stay all day. I don't sit around contemplating the state of our world or becoming one with nature. I never intended to do that out here. My greatest enjoyment out here comes from the people I meet. I am curious about them and their motivation for hiking the trail. I never get tired of hearing their stories or asking them questions or joking around with them. Today we missed some great views because of this awful weather but I had good company in Lemming and thoroughly enjoyed lunch and dessert! Camping tonight has been so fun talking to all these new people and seeing familiar faces I haven't seen in a while. I'm sure some would say my reasons for thru hiking are shallow or selfish but I don't care. I've made it farther than most and will continue. I want to know if I can do it or not. The only way to know is to continue bcause a part of me knows I can do it. I will make the most of sunny, warm days but will just put the miles behind me on cold wet ones. I refuse to pretend to like them. Enough of my soapbox.Goodnight Oscar.