Date: 2013-07-01
From: Cloud Pond Shelter

To: Monson
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: light rain

Last night we met Anchor and Numbers, father and son team. Numbers is a thru hiker and Anchor is just doing the 100 mile wilderness with him. They started on Wednesday two days after us...they are booking through. Anyways, they made the plan to hike all the 19 miles to Monson. While Lam, Mapmaker and Doc decided they were going to go to Wilson shelter, 10 miles and then do the last 10 miles to Monson. Lam's pack is falling apart has been duct taped, sewn with dental floss to keep it together. Thank God for Duct Tape! I decided that I wanted out of the rain and mud and would go with Anchor and Numbers. We got up at 4:00 am and started hiking out at 5:20. They were kind enough to heat up water for my breakfast and dinner last night as I am out of fuel. We made it to the first shelter, Long Pond shelter, for a quick snack and the two guys got ahead of me while I stopped to fill up for water. Then I got to my first stream crossing of the day. I could hear the river raging and the group of kids screaming. They were hiking with two dogs and had been the 100 mile for 10 days. This stream had a roped going across. I stood looking at it and started to cry. No way was I getting across. The current was strong and the rapids were horrific. Luckily one of the girls saw my distress and went back across the river, consoled me, put on my pack on her back, and went across. I saw how she did it and began to cross myself while the others cheered me on. I made it. I had to cross with my boots on, so the rest of the hike was with wet boots. How freeing was it to walk through the mud, and bogs and puddles without worrying about getting the feet wet. There were two other stream crossings past this one that were uneventful. I caught up with Anchor and Numbers and we walked together the rest of the day. The next stream crossing was equally scary, but this time Numbers took my pack across for me after crossing himself. I made it across after watching him. The last stream crossing of the day was the most terrifying thing I have ever done in my life. We had been warned about this one from NOBOs. A raging river, no rope, and a log option. I took one look at the river and decided on the log option. I watched as Anchor shimmied across on his butt. I got up on the log and started across and immediately started to cry again as the terror set in. White water rapids below me and every shimmee made the log shake and my balance had to be re-adjusted. I turned around and went back to the river. Numbers again came back for me and my pack. I watched as a NOBO 5 foot tall woman made her way across with a big man right behind her. She was frozen in the middle of the rapids unable to move. I started to cry harder, even more terrified. In fact, I am tearing up now as I am remembering my fear. She made it across finally and encouraged me. I had Numbers in front of me with my pack on and a NOBO behind me as we crossed. At the point of the rapids, I started screaming realizing that I couldn't move. Everyone was shouting and telling me to keep moving sideways. I finally figured out that if I plant my pole firmly in the water and then move baby steps that I could move. I made across and continued on. We realized that we were not going to make it to Monson with 5 miles left and approaching dark. We decided to call Shaws to see if they could got pick Graham and I up at a road 4.2 miles from Route 15. They were happy to do so and we hiked down a washed out road for a mile while Jeff continued on. We got to Shaws about 7:00 and Jeff arrived about an hour later. A hot shower with a good scrubbing was the first thing to be done. Laundry and pizza were next. Now off to bed.