Date: 2004-08-29
From: Firewarden's Cabin

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.6

Phew! For a less-than-13-mile day, it surely seemed long. We got a great early start (7:15), but we still didn't pull into camp until 4:30. My sleeping under the stars waiting for the full moon to rise above the trees was abbreviated by a rain threat. Turns out it spit just enough to move me inside the cabin, then stopped and remained dry all night. Cygnet and Ursa maintained their positions on the porch and I grabbed the spot just inside the doorway.Rumor has it Cygnet awoke at 3 a.m. and found her way to the top of the firetower to watch the moon set and the sun rise. Rooney indicated he was having a sleepless night anyway and enjoyed the company.Our day's hike started easily enough. Cygnet and I departed camp ahead of Ursa and Blue, expecting they would catch up with us, as we'd be taking necessary stops for the novice hiker. A couple hours later they did just that. We paused at a lovely babbling brook and soaked in the serenity of the space, taking opportunity to filter enough water to sustain us during our climb to the summit of Mt. Cube.It was a very manageable climb; we agreed to take our lunchbreak at the summit. However, it's inevitably difficult to know which boulder pile and awesome view is the actual summit! So Cygnet and I stopped one-half mile shy staring up at a rocky ledge we feared was our destination. Lunch completed, we proceeded northward to find out. Distances and elevations are so deceiving out here. For instance, from Mt. Cube we could see the firetower, which we climbed last evening. It appeared to be a ghastly long distance and impossibly high elevation for us to have traveled less than 24 hours earlier. But amazingly so we did. The Mt. Cube summit appeared to be frighteningly high and distant from our luncheon table at 11:30. However, it was a mild and gentle 15-minute ascent and we chuckled at our groaning over lunch about the assumed nasty climb which would be served up as our dessert.During our brief visits with SOBO's we learned the water source at this shelter was quite poor. Therefore, being the wise experienced hikers we are, we loaded up on the liquid gold at the last known source, miles before the end of our day's walk. I was not to be a happy hiker should we find good water here tonight. A liter of water weighs two pounds. I was about to hump an extra six pounds down and back up 900 feet and over the next four miles. As soon as I resumed I felt the extra weight affecting my ankles and arches. Yowsers!There is water here, but not a great source. Better safe than sorry.Supper consisted of trail magic found 2-1/2 miles prior (thanks Oreo Angel!): apple, pear, Oreos, Sunny Delight, fig newtons, and homemade "veggie chicken" soup. Cygnet topped it off with a couple packages of broccoli cheese soup I snatched from a hiker box in Hanover.I've been savoring the excellent company of One Way, Jewel, and Shy T and hated to excuse myself from the shelter. But I have a journal to keep current and needed the remainder of my evening for writing. Cygnet joined me in the tent and did some journalizing of her own. Now we shall extinguish our headlamps and try to sleep while the thunder continues to roll overhead. This could manifest into a huge storm yet tonight -- or it could be nothing more than a vocal threat. I'll post the results tomorrow. Sweet dreams.