Date: 2003-07-22
From: Melville Naumein Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: moderate rain

There was a nice thunderstorm last night, once again making me glad I was in the shelter. I put on my glasses just to see the electical storm better. Some of the rain was being blown into where I was laying, as mist. It wasn't bothersome though and I didn't worry about it.The rain kept us all in our bags until relatively late. I think the first person got up after 7. Most of us were ready to head out around 9am. The trees were dripping on us, but the rain had quit. The trail was kinda sloppy. I'd forgotten how that was, but after a few slips and slides in the mud, the memories returned.The morning's miles went rather quickly. I knew we had mostly uphill walking until the summit of Glastenbury Mountain, where Goddard Shelter is. I felt pretty good this morning, and even the last bit before the summit, the rock steps, didn't wear me out too bad. As I got to the summit, I was confused. There were a lot of people wandering around, a lot talking. I thought maybe there was a parking lot up there, but it was just a camp group at the shelter. The view from the shelter was a good view, but there were a few clouds zooming by. The sun came out and felt great, when it was out, but I was soaking up all that I could. I had lunch there, and met Two Hats, a northbound section hiker. Bree and Hotdog had lunch there as well.After lunch, it was time to move on. My first break after that was 0.3mi, at the actual summit of Glastenbury, which I thought I had already reached. At the summit, was an old firetower, which I climbed to get a good look. I could see 360 degrees, and it was awesome. The clouds were still there, but the view was still great! The pine trees below me, on Glastenbury, looked cool. There were a lot of different shades of green and varying heights of trees, and it just looked awesome!Bree, Hotdog and I moved on, just as the big group showed up. Lucky us. We kept up a good pace, and arrived at Kid Gore Shelter to take a break. As we were sitting there, the rain began to fall, but lightly. There was an awesome view from that shelter, and I will probably never see it again. I didn't mind the rain, as it was only a light rain, and kept me cool for the next uphill climb. After that climb, it stopped raining, but kept dripping from the trees. It made for quick hiking and Bree, Hotdog and I made it to this shelter at 5:40. Three southbound thruhikers (Waldo, Little Moose, and      ), a northbound section hiker (The Hip Chick) were already here, and Two Hats showed up later.About a mile or two before reaching our destination, some animal bounced out of the woods, and onto the trail in front of me. It was dark gray or black, about the size of a house cat, with a tail. It started running north on the trail away from me. I said "What's that??" Then it dawned on me... "It's a cat." It was, indeed, a house cat. I wasn't expecting to see that out here, so it took a moment to register. Thirty seconds after that, a jack rabbit bounced out of the woods on the trail in front of me, facing me. I stopped, with Hotdog right behind me. I said "Look! A rabbit!" No fooling me this time. But it did fool me! It hopped south on the trail right at me, passing within inches of Hotdog and I, as we stood still, in disbelief. Then I wondered what was chasing it that it felt safe coming towards me. We waited for Bree, asking if a rabbit ran her over. She said 'no', but wondered what the black thing that looked like a cat was.I guess I just can't assume anything out here. If it looks like a house cat, it probably is.