Date: 2006-02-15
From: Jones Meadow

To: Flint Mt Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

Flint Mt Shelter Boot to knee-high snow, sunny 30-60F waking up I sat in my sleeping bag while fixing lunch: a bagel, crackers, cheese, and chocolate. For breakfast I had only a little cheese. Then it was off to find the trail. Started by the good old back tracking to find last known blaze. Came to find out I had actually camped right on the trail - good thing the traffic is so sparse right now or I might have been trambled by some night hikers! Took me a while to get to Jerry's Cabin - Had to tell myself it is all mental - and so it really is. Sometimes you think you have gauged what your speed is but I was way off - by almost an hour to the wrong side. The snow had not melted much up here at Jerry's Cabin and the water source had run dry, which was kinda bad news for someone who only had about 10 oz left! Well, it is all mental!!! Saw fresh bear tracks right before reaching Shelton Grave. The bear had crossed the trail. Stopped to take a few photos and decided to drop pack for a few minutes, bear or no bear - A hiker needs food!At this point the balls of my feet and my calves were starting to get really tired and sore (and today was a relatively "easy" day - at least in comparison with what the next two days should bring). I started thinking about Squiky, who is going to attempt hiking 55 mi/day for 40 days!!! to break the standing record of 47 days (I am not positively sure if that is the correct number). Phew, and I think 11 mi in snow is tough! I do not even think I tried to schedule a 30 mi day on the entire hike - of course, as the schedule has been thrown away anything can happen I was happy to see Flint Mt Shelter as it meant water, rest, and food (and preferably in that very order).The shelter is nice with a little table inside dividing the shelter into to sections. For dinner I cooked "Darn tootin' black bean chili" With the food bag out and the rice cooking I decided to go ahead and get tomorrows lunch ready. It was soo nice to get something to eat. Packed up and crawled in the bag. Sitting with my head lamp on I am all engrossed in a So Duko puzzle as I suddenly hear some animal scrambling around on the floor with a ziploc bag! I shine my light in the direction of the sound and two round reflective yellow eyes are just starring back at me. The animal started turning and as it did I saw the white stripes down the back - it was a SKUNK - and it had somehow gotten a bag of mine!!! Slowly ever so carefully I started getting up (no sudden movements on my parts) and moved toward the skunk. Concentrated I studied every move the skunk made as I could just visualize it turning its back lifting up the tail and let out a good anti-hiker, -bear, -dog, -anything kinda spray!!! To my good fortune it decided to crawl underneath the floor instead. I grabbed the bag and saw it was old food from some other previous visitor - I threw the bag outside as i had already hug my food bag and the scrambling around with plastic was really annoying. Maybe now I could have some quiet and peace? Two minutes later the skunk returned, it ran back and forth frantically searching for the bag, while it shot me some rather accusing glances saying "I know you did it, I know you took my bag, I ought to spray you!" Finally it found the bag outside, at least it did not drag the bag inside again. I turned off my head lamp and tried to go to sleep after a long day, but apparently nature was of another mind! Sniffing could be heard on the backside of the shelter, great! I had just seen bear tracks. I yelled as loud as I could "Go Home, Go Away". Gosh all I needed now along with the howling dogs whose echoes were bouncing of the mountain walls would be a couple of hooting owls and barking coyotes. Instead I heard more sniffing this time there were two animals - I had to find out what it was so armed with my hiking stick I turned on my head lamp and there they were: four eyes, eight legs, and two tails - both with orange collars on - they were two hunting dogs. I started sweating, knowing there were a resident skunk in the shelter along with all my stuff and here came another three dogs. I desperately defended the poor skunks life (and out went all dignity) just so my stuff and I would not get sprayed. The dogs kept circling the shelter but did not try to get too close to me, whether it was my karate moves with hiking poles or just the fact that I haven't had a shower for several days I don't know? Finally the dogs decided to go someplace else and with great pride I crawled back in bed saying a little prayer "Now I down me lay, hoping and praying the skunk won't spray"!