Date: 2006-05-24
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Island Pond Outlet
Miles today: 11.6

Leaving the shelter at the crack of noon I headed north to Fitzgerald Falls. That is an awesome area with several good water pools both below and above the falls. Had it only been a little warmer so I could take a swimm! The trail was beautiful with lots of ups and downs. One bad downhill right before the New York State Thruway is even named "Agony Grind". I made it down without falling and on the other side of the road were Una Mas and Suds. A black Pick-up truck was parked right next to them. Dodger and I went to say hello. The guy in the black truck was an old frind of Dodger's - Patty O'. he had trail magic for us - Gatorade! I was out of water and so thirsty and here was a cold Gatorade. Can a mirage occur elsewhere but in the dessert? It was real enough - Ahh, that Gatorade was so good. Patty O' also gave us some cookies and a compact handtowel. With a beer in our hands he sent us off on the trail again. Dodger took to the road while I did the last mile for the day on the trail. We had picked a wonderful campsite on a grassy hill overlooking the pond. Several Canadian geese were swimming around and a couple of boats with fishers were out on the water too. There was, however, a but to this idyllic scene it was called mosquitoes, gnats, and noseeums! The bugs were so bad that we ended up with extra protein in the pot in the short amount of time it took for me to run from the "kitchen area" to our tents. Two full campers crawled out from the mosquito free tents to do dishes. But what was that? A critter with two reflective eyes, a bushy striped tail, and a ziplock bag in the little black paws was starring at me. The eyes were saying "Oops got caught in the act of stealing a little food". It was a racoon. It took me a second to process what was going on but then I jumped into action. "YOU RASCAL bring back my lunch YOU LITTLE THIEF HEY COME BACK THAT IS MY LUNCH, YOU YOU ... YOU LITTLE BANDIT!" All the while I was chasing after the racoon who finally dropped the bag and crawled to safety up in a tree. Before it crawled all the way up it had the nerve to stop at my headlevel and just laugh at me. I reached my lunch bag and did a survey of the damage, trail mix OK, Sunscreen OK, One bite missing of a sesame bar, but my last slice of good German bread was completely missing!!! That was it - I was fuming now. The little rascal must have sensed the "slight" change in my mood for as I ran toward him, he quickly scurried up higher in the tree.While cleaning the dishes Dodger talked rather loudly to the noseeums while I talked rater loudly to the racoon sitting up high in the neighboring tree. Well, just let it go, get a good night of sleep and everything will be OK tomorrow. WRONG! A little after midnight Snif, Snif, Snif. I woke up as the racoon was trying to locate my food bag inside my tent (I had put it there as the racoon would have gotten it with certainty had I hung it up on a bear rope). I hit the tent wall and it ran away. 15 minuttes later I heard it again. This time I both growled and sneered at the racoon "GO AWAY." Now I was totally awake and went outside maybe that would deter him from trying again. Didn't see the coon no where so I went back in bed. SLAM!!! the racoon jumped at my tent. I had had enough. I got up and double bagged my entire food bag and moved it down to the side of the tent right next to my utmost stinky socks. That did it, I heard no more sniffinf around my tent - instead I now heard Dodger banging on his tent wall!!! This was going to be a loooong night.