Date: 2016-08-08
From: Monson, ME

To: Cloud Pond Shelter
Miles today: 12.3

Day 10312.3 miles in 11 hours including a two hour trail magic visitLittle Wilson Stream (2081.5) to Cloud Pond Shelter (2093.8)Weather: Sunny, pleasantDinner: Beef lo meinHikers: Rabbit, Sunbeam and Moonbeam, Jupiter, a few flipflopping SOBOsWell those newlyweds were stealthy, quiet or just plain tired because I never heard a peep from them all night. But after a leisurely breakfast, Justine, TK and Moxie headed back to their car and I continued north. For the first time in weeks, I was alone again and thinking how I should have spent more time planning the next few days with Spirit. But my lack of foresight didn't last too long.Rumored trail magic appeared at a road crossing around noon. A sign directed hikers down a muddy road to a camp (or as we call them in Wisconsin, cabins) where ¢Scout¢ had cold beer and soda and a grilled warmed up ready to serve up burgers, hotdogs and corn on the cob. These were not options. We got all of that. Scout¢s trail magic was in honor of his son, ¢Yogi Bear,¢ who had hiked the AT in the 90s, but died of a heart attack (post-hike) at the pre-mature age of only 47. Yogi Bear¢s birthday is August 9th and Scout has been cooking up trail magic in the years since during the week of his birthday. His ashes were spread on the Barren Mountain Ledges that framed the camp¢s vista. While I was visiting¢and feasting¢Jupiter arrived. Jupiter is a fellow Appalachian Trials blogger from Florida. And because of the times in which we live, we've been Facebook friends, but had never met in person. This is due to the fact that a) he lives in Florida and b) he started his hike¢900 miles ago up in Quebec¢hiking the International Trail and is hiking south. And c) he is hiking ultralight¢a mere seven pound base weight that helps him hike thirty mile days. I'd been following his progress and expected to see him speeding by me somewhere in the 100 mile wilderness. Instead he shows up a quarter mile off trail at the Trail Magic. And¢I didn't recognize him at all until he introduced himself. Facebook didn't do very well showing his 6¢2¢ height. Spirit also showed up during my second beer. She had put in the seven miles I had hiked the day prior. That same morning. And so we continued on together¢heading toward the Cloud Pond Shelter. The trail passed by streams and waterfalls and we climbed Barren Mountain late in the afternoon arriving at the very crowded shelter area even later. I still managed to get in a weedy swim before the sun set. The only available tenting space (that I trusted) was along a side trail leading to the pond. This was a very overused designated shelter/camping area and the trail news reported that there were several left ¢traces¢ of former visitors, meaning unburied poop. In fact, one guy did step in a pile. Besides the bane of a different sort of trail magic, the whole place felt claustrophobic. In general, kinda, sorta, not worth the extra .4 mile walk¢except for the swimming part. We've been meeting a steady flow of SOBOs, and it suddenly occurred to me they aren't just starting out. It's getting to be too late. So my question now has changed from ¢when did you start?¢ to ¢where did you flip from?¢ Some began their NOBO hikes too late from Georgia in the first place, some have escaped the heat of the mid-Atlantic states, and others have just socialized too much during the first half and realize they are running out of time. Is it wrong for me to feel resentment that they are competing for the campsites? It's almost the reverse of beginning in Georgia with the hordes. Well, not quite as bad as that, but still. This non-traditional flip flopper is feeling oddly territorial.