Date: 2017-06-26
From: Dalton, MA

To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

Interesting happenings today! Last night Beaker and I stayed in a hotel in town. Rob Bird, a trail angel, gave us a ride to dinner and then back to the hotel. Upon our return, we learned that Squire and his sons, Stretch and Remix, had arrived, and were just two doors down from us. Since we hadn't been able to do our laundry last night, Squire asked me to let him know in the morning when we were through with the washer so they could get their stuff in.At about 7 am, I walked down to their room to let them know the washer free and Squire told me there was a family emergency and they were leaving the trail for a few days to drive back to Tennessee. I told Beaker about the emergency and he decided to offer to be a second driver and take the opportunity to spend a few days with his wife. He lives just a short distance from Squire's family. My wife and son will be in the area visiting family (and me) for a week starting on the 1st. I plan to take a couple of ¢Zero¢ days to visit them. I also plan to see a doctor about a sore on my right foot that refuses to heal and keeps getting infected. I¢ve been using a topical antibiotic and soaking it in Epsom Salt on my zero days but it continues to plague me. Hopefully, a prescription strength oral antibiotic will help. I also plan on slack packing while she is here.Right now, I plan to hike some slightly shorter days in the hope of aiding my foot to heal. That, and the Zeros I intend to take, should allow Beaker to catch up to me within two or three weeks after coming back. We hope to climb Katahdin together.So, by about 10:30 this morning, I was back on the trail by myself. This, and the fact that most of my day was uphill, made for a short day. I only managed about 14.5 miles. I considered pressing on but a rain shower started just as I arrived at a nearby shelter which quickly helped me to change my mind.I also saw my third bear today. Unlike the first two, this one was in no hurry to leave the trail. It was also much bigger (and closer) than the other two, and it actually took a couple of steps towards me.  I yelled as loud as I could, "Get out of here, bear!" and it turned and slowly lumbered off the trail. I stood there until it was out of sight and then moved along a little quicker than I had before. I'm not sure what it would have done if I hadn't yelled, or continued towards it...or ran. Who knew yelling would work! Okay, I think I've now seen enough bears for this trip.Tomorrow, I will enter Vermont but first I need to get over this mountain. I'm currently about 2/3 of the way up but it will be another 3 1/2 miles before I reach the top.Several people have sent me emails asking about my pack. I'm carrying an Osprey 58. My profile states I'm using an REI pack but I switched at the last moment and never updated the information. I'm sorry for any confusion it caused. I carried the Osprey during my two warm-up hikes but felt it was two small when I added my winter gear. So, I bought the REI pack because it was larger, figuring I would change back to the Osprey when I got rid of my winter gear. But the REI pack also weighed a pound more and I finally decided I just needed to either get rid of some stuff or make it all fit in the lighter pack. I ended up doing both. Overall, I've been pretty satisfied with the Osprey. It wasn't the lightest pack available, or the cheapest, or the most comfortable, or the most durable. But when you consider all these factors together, it was, in my opinion, the all-around best. Probably, because of this, it is also the most common pack on the AT.  At this point in my hike, the wear and tear is beginning to show. Mine, and most of the others I have seen, including Beaker's, has multiple holes in the mesh on the back and the sides. I've replaced three buckles on mine, but Beaker hasn't had to replace any yet. My shoulder straps won't remain tight and I have to adjust them at least a dozen times each day, but Beaker's never slip. I believe my pack will last the rest of the hike but I won¢t be able to use it on another long hike. I might buy the same pack again but would also like to consider other options.My picture tonight is just a pretty little pond on the trail...right before I saw the bear.Although it is still raining and the temperature has dropped to around 50, tonight I'm safe, warm, and dry in a shelter. Although my foot is sore, I'm still excited about what tomorrow might bring. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.