Date: 2014-07-08
From: VT 11

To: little rock pond
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I got things pretty well dried out last night bit my boots are still a little wet. I got packed up and ready to go but there was nobody around to shuttle me back to the trail, sad. I figured this was a good time to get good at hitching a ride. I set off down the road for worst case, a 2.5 mile road walk. I stuck my cute thumb out to every car that went by, all the cars went by. I dont know what it is about me but people dont seem to be enticed to pick me up. I got back where i should be at 10:30 and headed north. I crossed a bridge first thing to discover trail magic. I packed a soda for later on. People said trail magic doesnt happen in the north, thats nonsense, we have had our fair share. It was a good steady uphill to the top of bromley mt. I knew it was gonna be steep when i saw it follows a ski slope for a bit, it was steep. At the top i met pooh bear, a thru hiker i had not met. We talked for a bit but i moved on while he ate lunch. I had a late start so i would take a late lunch to split up the walking. Just as i started downhill i met the second sobo (south bound) thru hiker, spoons. Did i mention i met toey yesterday? I told both of them they were going the wrong way. They both laughed. This section of the AT is also the Long trail so there are a lot of people, some section hikers, long trailers, and AT hikers. I have seen a lot of people but very few of my At hikers. I must be in a thin spot. I planned on getting water from a pump at mad tom notch but held little hope as i have had some bad luck with the hand pumps, this one was dead but i had water to get to the next spring. I went over Styles peak and Peru peak before the long, mostly downhill to little rock pond. Griffith lake was nice, looked like there were a lot of beaver there at one point but i didnt see any new chewings. Ive said it before and will say again that this looks just like the adirondacks, my favorite. Then i went up Baker peak. Baker was awesome. Its bare rock thats pretty slick to climb up but the view is great and on this day there was a storm moving in. I sat on a rock to eat a snack and watch to see how this storm would play out. It moved in but to the north with a very defined line of rain, happy it was missing me. 2 miles later it was not missing me, it was anything but missing me. Soaked again. It rained on me for about an hour and a half but stopped just before i got to camp. Its always a bonus when you can set up your tent while its not raining so i set up quick. Then i rinsed off in the pond. It was a beauty with a nice rocky bottom, no gross mud to sink in. Then i did dinner and hung my pack and food bag. I snugged in for the night but woke up in a couple hours to flashing lights and thunder. I scooted out to grab my pack and anything else that shouldnt get siaked, then it hit the fan. The winds picked up and the rain came in at an angle. My tent got battered but she held tough. So when youre laying there in a tent and you hear a tree break off and come crashing down, what do you think of? I thought about the odds of a tree squishing me. Slim i thought. When youre laying there and you hear another snap off you think about the ripstop nylon the tent is made of. At least my tent wouldnt be ripped to shreds with my carcass inside. Both trees missed but on evaluation in the morning they were both no more than fifty feet from me. Most of my stuff was dry except my boots and tent were soaked, well my clothes were still wet too. The rain stopped by morning so i had plenty to be grateful for. Not being splattered and clear sky, for now.