Date: 2014-05-27
From: Bootens Gap mm 914.9

To: Byrd's Nest #3
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Was woken up by truck entering parking lot at 4:30 am. Laid there until 5 then went down and got bear bag and had breakfast. I packed up my gear and was on the trail by 515. Saw a cub bear in the first half hour up on top of Hazeltop Mountain. He climbed up and tree when he spotted me then quickly shimmed down and took off. I looked around for momma to make sure the coast was clear before moving on. Just before Big Meadows Wayside I saw a sow with 2 cubs. The only problem was that one cub was on the same side of the trail as the mother and the other one was on the other side. I thought there was going to be a problem as the one on the mother's side quickly climbed a tree and momma carefully eyeballed me as if to say "what's your next move"? I stood my ground and as she looked from me, to one cub to the other she finally bolted down hill to the other one. The remaining cub quickly scurried down and followed mom in hot pursuit and the all disappeared out of sight. That was a close encounter that had a happy ended. I only wish I had had the chance to take pictures but I didn't want to provoke momma in any way. Back on the trail I saw a group of Mennoite girls all decked out in hiking clothes with their long skirts and bonnets and all. It was an interesting sight. Went to Big Meadows for breakfast and then got back on the trail with a full belly. The trail was good if not a bit rocky at times throughout the day. As the day progressed it got warmer and stickier and since I did not sleep well the night before I ducked into Rock Spring Shelter for a bite to eat and a quick nap. Just as I finished eating a group of 4 former thru hikers pulled in and were celebrating their 30th year anniversay of their 1984 hike by doing a section hike together. They were nice guys to talk to as we discussed the then and now, i.e. cell phones, credit cards, guide books and restaurants to name a few. Continued on to the next wayside, Skyland which served beer and had a caesar salad with a couple of beers. Man they went down real easy and if they weren't so expensive I would have had a few more. It was that kind of day. But there was miles to make before it rained so I moved on. Stoney Man Mountain was the next challenge and it was just that, STONEY! There were large and small stones strewned all about like debris after a Seaway Festival Parade and it made foot placement real difficult. I got to Pinnacle parking lot and ran into Early Bird and Junco who I last saw when hiking with Wet Dog and Mindy was still with them. There was an outside faucet which I used to fill my water bladder and washed out some of the grime from my t-shirt. It felt really good putting on a cold wet t-shirt on a really hot day. The long climb over Pinnacle was faced by the same bunch of rocks which made slow going. thunder and rain started spitting and it was enough of a motivator to keep me going despite the steepness of the climb. I made it by 515 and it was a real nice shelter. I quickly shedded my wet clothes and was whipping up a batch of ramen noodles and pretzels before you knew it. When Junco and Early Bird showed up they took a look at the register and discussed whether to move on or stay put. They brought me up to date on Minty the dog who was injured when I last saw them and advised me that she was now with a new owner in Boston and doing well. I finished dinner and picked up and settled in and started to journal when the storm that had been brewing all day hit like there was no tomorrow. The rain and wind were heavy at times and blowing sideways, but the hut was not effected as it was coming at it from the side and I stayed dry. With the rain coming down and the wind blowing I became quite sleepy and decided to catch up on the paperwork tomorrow so I laid everything aside and just enjoyed the moment, not something I can ordinarily do. Usually once I start something I have to finish it. This was not to be the case this time. Before I knew it I was asleep and did not wake until Gargoyle came in around 930 and another guy around 10. They got situated and I journaled some more and reviewed my maps for tomorrow. The wind was still blowing a bit and there was a light rain. Putting my stuff away again and got back to sleep.