Date: 2012-09-29
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I encounter creepy cows and have a remarkably interesting day) -Currently sitting at a picnic table in the shelter-Today was about as interesting as a 20 mile walk in the woods can be. It started as most days have recently, early but comfortably warm. Things got a little crazy at the next trail reroute (once again a Hurricane Irene problem) where I managed to take another 30 minute detour in the wrong direction. This time it was my fault though... I must have been sleep walking because I missed the double blaze in front of me. Whether its the fault of bad directions or my own, these trail reroutes are killing me - I'm 0 for 2!Later in the morning I passed a field of cows. They all stopped grazing to watch the thru hiker go by - it was so odd to have the attention of all of them that I snapped the picture above. Things got really weird when every cow in the field decided to walk over to the fence and look right at me. It got creepy (see picture Bovine 3). The kind of creepy you might feel if a dozen small, parentless children stood prone in a field and silently stared at you without movement or sound. I quickly moved on...Early in the afternoon I turned a bend in the trail and spooked about a dozen turkey. In a great flurry of swooping wings and shaking branches this great, stinky horde of poultry scattered about. I stood there watching and thought a turkey sandwich would be good. It'll have to wait until Manchester.I made it to the shelter at about 5 (rough ups and downs today) and I met a fella named Sunroof who finished the AT northbound this summer. When I told him when I started he got excited. I started on August 19th and he finished on August 21st. We passed each other a month and a half ago and it took a few minutes, but we both recalled the exact moment at about the same time. I passed two guys and a girl about 0.2 miles before the Abol Bridge store on August 20th. One of the two guys (not Sunroof) had asked me if I was going thru and when I said yes, I remember him saying congratulations - I returned the sentiment considering that they were about to finish. Sunroof told me today that after that encounter (it was brief - neither party stopped moving during the exchange of congrats) they all agreed that that guy was going to make it. They eyed my GoLite pack and apparently they thought it looked like I knew what I was doing. I still have a ways to go, but I'll take the vote of confidence from a crew of 2,000 milers.This one is my favorite. The shelter caretaker (we've re-entered another stretch of AMC maintained territory) came over to collect the $5 fee that there happens to be for this site and he eyed my Wisconsin rain jacket. The conversation inevitably ended up with mention that the pole vault is kinda my thing, and he asks me if I know Jeff Coover. Well of course I know Coover! JP is the caretaker and apparently he knew Jeff because they both went to Indiana Univerity (Jeff competed there while I was competing for Virginia Tech and coaching for Wisconsin). Jeff is a great vaulter and a good friend of mine. We chatted about it for quite a while and it just made the World seem very small. He collected the fee, but told me that if I stay at Stratton Pond shelter to tell the caretaker there that JP said I was paid for... awesome.Today's post was brought to you by the unexpected. Whether its creepy cows, a family of turkey or a friend-friend connection spanning Indiana, Wisconsin and Vermont, there's rarely a dull moment on the Appalachian Trail.