Date: 2016-07-03
From: Sidney Tappan Campsite

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0

It was a little windy during the night, but no rain. My hips and feet are pretty sore so I find that I roll around a lot I my sleeping bag during the night when the ach wakes me up. I find that I wake up with the morning light which is about 4:30 and stay in my bag for another 1/2 hour or so. I had my bag and pad packed up and breakfast just about down when the swimming girls rolled out of their tent. They are fun to talk to, and ended up leaving camp a good 1/2 hour later than I planned. I had a 19 mile day planned that started out pretty easy, a 7 mile down hill to a river ford. Weather was nice, trail pretty good and that first segment went great. Before I got to the river I passed a stream with a beautiful waterfall and started to pass a lot of day hikers. Turns out that this little stretch is a popular day hike and it is the 4th of July weekend. I put in my water shoes and crossed the river, thought about pulling water since the next 12 miles were a long climb over three peaks - Chairback, Third, and Forth. Looked at the map and it showed multiple springs along the way as well as a lean-to site (which always has water). Started the uphill and the day was starting to get warm. Fortunately the black flys and mosquitos were not a problem. I've been trying to lay off the deet, the stuff works on bugs but is gross. Came to the first spring - dry, 45 minutes later the second spring - dry. Starting to get worried since I only had about a quart left and started to meter my intake. The upcoming shelter should have water - it didn't. Ok, my map shows that there is a stream that supplies a pond 3-4 miles from my destination, but that's after going over Chairback, Third and Forth peaks. I was mostly up cChairback at this point, so no issue there. Third wasn't a bad clime, but it was getting on in the afternoon and it was hot. Forth was a bear, steep, rocky and difficult. I was running out of energy and didn't want to eat anything since I didn't have enough water to wash it down. I pushed on and finally, the stream, a good strong downhill flow of water that was cold. I filled up my water containers and ate a snack. There was another couple there at the same time going north. On to Cloud Pond. 1 1/2 miles from the lean-to I came across a Nobo camped on the side of the trail. He said that he stopped by Cloud Pond and it was taken over by two youth groups hiking the 100 mile wilderness. No room for a tent or in the lean-to. My heart sank, I was ending what was a very long and hard day and might not have a place to sleep. It was getting into the early evening now and decided to go to Cloud Pond anyway. The pond is 1/4 mile off the AT down a rocky and marshy path. Got there and the place was packed. Walked up to the shelter and asked, got room in there for one more guys? The leader of the group said, make room for this hiker guys and they all moved over to give me a spot at the end of the lean-to. Set up my pad and bag, got more water to make dinner and ate sitting on my bag wearing my headlamp since it was now dark. Brushed my teeth, got in my bag and listened to the 12 year old, two kids over coughing into the misty cool air of the shelter. Hips and feet even more sore due to a long hard walk made for a lousy night sleep and every time I woke up, the kid was coughing. Great.