Date: 2010-09-17
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Carlo Col Shelter, 5.2   Sometime after 9 pm last night four hikers came to the shelter. I did not know who they were because it was dark. They tried to be quite but we all know that is almost impossible in the dark.   The two hikers that came in around 8:30 last night were Patch and Bluegrass. The second two hikers that came in around 9:00 last night were Eastwind and Loon.    The rain did come in last night right before we went to bed and it did rain throughout the night.   We did not run into any rain all day today, which was great. Everything was wet though. All the trees were wet and when ever you brushed against the brush on the side of the trail you could not avoid getting wet. I did not bother putting rain pants on because I would have only started sweating in then after about 20 minutes and been drenched in sweat and would have been wet in that manner. I just wore my shorts.   It seemed like it took forever to get to the summit of Mount Success. It was not over hard but it just seem to go on and on. It might have been the fact that the trail we were hiking up was literaly a stream of water coming down. At one point I stepped on one of the bog bridges and the bridge sank over a foot into the water, I stepped out of it a quick as I could but my feet still got a little wet.    Coming down off Mount Success was almost disaserous for Hopper and litterally scared the crap out of me. Hopper was walking down some very large and steep bolders. I watch he slip and it turned into a head first plunge down a 20 bolder, she disapeared out of site. When I yelled and asked if she was Ok she did not answer. I dropped my pack as quick as I could and litterally ran as fast as I could. When I got to her she was laying on her right side in the fettle position and saying he left sholder hurt. I help her out of her pack and she laid there in pain for a little bit until the pain subsided. She finally got up and nothing seemed broken. She still had some pain in her shoulder. I could see the pain was not subsiding. When we reach the top of the area just before we desended into the col for the shelter side trail I took out my cell phone and call The Cabin. I talked to Bear who is one of the owners and a friend. I told him what had happened to Hopper and asked if he could pick us up on Surplus Pond road. He said he would meet us there. I told him we are going to stay at the shelter tonight and if he could meet us there tomorrow that would be great. He told us to pick a time, I told him 10 am. He said he would be there waiting. Bear is such a great guy, he would give you the shirt off his back.   I think it is nice to see thru hiking couples out here hiking on the trail. I wish I could have my significant other out here hiking with me. It was not in my destiny for that to happen. I am hiking with Hopper who at times can be a real pain in my ass. At other times she can be a friend. There is nothing more than that between us and I wish for nothing more. I just wish my life partner could be sharing all this with me, to see all the wonders, highs and lows. I could have used some morale support through the lows. I think at times if I had had some support through the lows that I would have been done by now. Even though I am in no hurry to be done in some ways I am ready for this to be over with. I am tired. There are days now when I go five miles and just don't feel like I have the energy to go any futher.   Here tonight are, Crafy, Mandog, Rocket, Gummy Bear, Lasher, Hopper, Thin Mint, Ziggy Stardust, T Bone.   Last time I saw T Bone was at RPH shelter.