Date: 2004-09-09
From: Leeman Brook Lean-to

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to 
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: moderate rain

It is 9:30pm and I am drinking ice tea w/ vodka. I had a rough day. It is still raining like it has been ALL DAY. We woke to rain and go to bed to raindrops on the shelter roof. My hike just sucked today. We had to cross some rivers today. At Little Wilson Stream no problem. The water was a little high due to the rain, but I made it across with my boots on and stayed dry. Big Wilson was another story. The water was higher so I took off my boots and put on my crocs to wade across. The bottom of the stream was covered with large slippery rocks. It was very precarious. Uncle Ben got there first. He crossed, left his pack, and came back across to help Grass. He put on her pack and they waded in. I elected to try a spot downstream that looked like it may be shallower. I had not gone far when I slipped on some rocks and instinctively reached out with my hand to steady myself on a rock. Unfortunately I had a hiking pole in that hand. I watched helplessly as it was instantly swept i! nto the current. The cork handle floats, but the shaft sinks. I was hoping it would get caught up on the rocks, but noooooo.... I had on a heavy pack and was walking on unseen slippery rocks up to my butt so I couldn't run after it! It was moving away mostly under water so it was hard to see. I made it back to the shore as fast as I could, dumped my pack and boots and ran downstream, hoping to get a glimps of it, but no luck. I went past where I last saw it bobbing away. I lost sight of it when I made for the shore and that was that. Maybe it's floating down the river still, making its way out to sea...Damn. (Dumb-ass move #1) Well, after that things didn't get any better. My intestinal distress decided it was a good time to return. Not fun in the pouring rain trying to deal with river fords. Also since my shorts were soaking wet all day, I developed some nasty chaffing on the usual male parts where you really don't want that kind of thing. Things were not going my way. I picked up a stick to replace the missing hiking pole and so I had two when I got to Wilson Valley Lean-to for a quick lunch. John was there with a father and son out for a section. They had made a pot of coffee and offered a cup and some homemade beef jerky which I accepted. Thanks guys!I continued after lunch hoping that Grass and Uncle Ben, who did not stop for lunch, would stop at the next shelter instead of the one after. We hoped to get 16 miles done today, but now I was hoping to stop at 12. The trail has been full of rocks, bog bridges, roots and mud, very slow going. I just wanted to get this day over with. I still had some miles to go and more stream crossings though. I made it over Wilber Brook and came to Vaughn Stream. It was roaring over a waterfall to my right and was pretty high. I decided the try and cross to my right above the falls with my boots on. I made it almost all the way across balancing on rocks and just at the end my foot slipped and went in up to the knee. I reached out instictively to catch myself... sound familiar? Yup, dropped the other pole. Not the stick, of course, the expensive pole. I had forgoten to use the wrist strap. Bone-head move, I know. I had regained my balance and had a moment to act. I swung my stick to catch t! he pole before it got swept out of reach and "snap!" it broke in two and they both went into the raging stream leaving me standing in the water with wet boots holding a foot-long piece of wood. The stick floats and went over the waterfall, I found it at the bottom. I never did see where the pole ended up. I suspect it was under the huge raging rapid just before the water plunges over the cliff. When the water is down someone will just walk over and pick it up, I'm sure. But with the water like it is now I would surely be blasted out over the cliff to my death if I went in after it. I went down to the bottom of the falls and looked around in case it went over and got hung up, but I didn't see it. Damn! Damn! (Dumbass move #2.)Not my day. I poured the water out of my boots and rung out my socks and continued on to try and catch Grass & Ben. I came to another very fast river looked around for a way to cross without getting wet. I decided I may as well just cross with my boots on because there was no good place to cross. I plowed through and the water got as high as my thighs and tried to sweep me of my feet. The current was strong. I made it across and just kept walking hoping the shelter would appear soon. It got dark on me, but I finaly made it. I was happy to see that Grass and Ben had stayed here. I squeezed in the shelter with them, "Mushroom", and a couple of section hikers. I dried off and made dinner. It is pouring again and I'm going to bed. I hope things are better in the morning, I don't need another day like today.