Date: 2003-07-21
From: VT100 (1690') 

To: Stony Brook Shelter (1380') 
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: overcast clouds

"Rain drops keep falling on my head!"   Aloha! Wow! Did you hear that? No? Ohhh... what about that one? You had to have heard it. Really, you didn't? Well then obviously you're not sitting here in this shelter watching the torrential downpour and listening to the crashing thunder. I love thunder and lightening storms - from my front porch with a cocktail or the entry of a shelter with a cup of coffee. Life is good. It's sometimes better with company though. Ahhh... here come three wet and happy campers now.   It looks like the drug worked. After chatting with the home front and packing up last night I snuggled down and went immediately to sleep and slept like a baby until 6a. Since breakfast wasn't served until 7:30 I didn't even bother getting up until 7a. Medication, a good night's sleep and a hot shower make all the difference in the world in starting a day off right. (Did you hear that one? No?)   Breakfast was spent being entertained by Stephanie, the fun and funny waitress who makes me feel almost like part of the staff (time to go), and Capt'n Crunch, a southbound Long Trail thru-hiker. Capt'n Crunch and I spent the breakfast discussing the book he's currently reading and loves and I read shortly before departing home and hated - Moby Dick. (How much does a person really need to know about the whaling industry of the 1800s?) Hell of a book to take on a 260-mile hike. Heavy in more ways than one! Those two were the perfect additional umph for starting my day. (How about that one? Hear it?) With a hotel bus voucher in hand I said my alohas to the owner and staff and got The Bus for the ride back to where I left the trail yesterday. I was standing at Kent Pond by 1000a. And what a lovely pond it is! I can see why it's packed during the "leaf season". I may just have to add this to my "drive back home" trip list. (Ok, I know you heard that crasher. No?) The beginning of the hike was a gentle couple of miles pretty much flat followed by a short couple hundred-foot descent. That's, of course, where the easy stuff ended. From there it was UP 1300' in a little less than a mile. The map profile makes this portion of the trail look almost vertical but it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked. Yes, I huffed and puffed and stopped along the way but it still wasn't terrible. I'm thinking my huffing and puffing was more from four days of fattening up at the Inn than because of the terrain. You would have thought I had been there for four months vice days. Anyway, I was UP, across, and down 1300' to here much earlier than I had anticipate. (Dang! You had to have heard that one! Really?)   While munching on an apple I debated much on going on or staying. This had been my original planned stop but since it was so early it seemed I should continue north. I had had another four days off after all. While sitting, debating and munching though, the sprinkling rains I had been walking through most of the morning slowly increased in intensity. Just enough to make you wonder if it was really beginning to rain or coming off the trees a little more. Do I stay or do I go? Go, I think. (Ok, you HAD to have heard that one! Unbelievable!)   Upon my arrival to the shelter I found two partly new-to-me northbound thru-hikers Stewball and Inga already here also debating going or staying. They're partly new-to-me because we spoke briefly yesterday at the Inn but not enough to know which trail they were hiking or anything else. While I was researching distances and available food they decided to stay and pitched their tent out back. They are much better campers than I for sure. There was no way I was going to pitch my tent in the rain. That was the reason for the debate. Go on 10 miles to the next shelter or stay dry in this one. It's been hours now and they're still comfy cozy in their tent and I in the shelter. (Oh my! There is no way you didn't hear that one! No way!)   Obviously I decided to remain here and I'm certainly glad I did. What convinced me was the increasing rain, the acceptable mileages I would have to do to make-up for the short day and the fact that I'm feeling much better but not quite 100%. Something more like 93% - 5% more in health and 2% because there's always room for improvement. So that's why I stayed and it turns out to be the driest of decisions! (Need I even ask about that one?)   As I said early on, I've been joined by three wet but happy campers - Bliss and Chunky (northbound thru-hikers) and their visiting friend from New Jersey whom I'm calling the Jersey Guy. All college kids. The Jersey Guy has been cooking up a storm since they arrived and the aroma of onions is divine! They've sweetly offered me dinner but I've declined (hard to do). Since they're devouring it they're obviously hungry and I have a pack to lighten myself. Sweet of them though. (Wow! Oh, never mind.)   Those saut©ed onions have made me hungry. I don't have any but I believe the Chicken Stew (one of two snatched from the hiker box last night) will have a few freeze-dried ones in it. Sure hope so anyway. Humm... guess I should go find out. Either that or rip the onions right out of their hands! Chicken Stew seems the friendlier way to go. (Last chance to hear the booms. They're dying away. That one?)   Before going, may I suggest you sit a spell on the front porch, with your cocktail or drink of choice, during the next lightening and thunder storm and just enjoy. Mother Nature is an awesome and powerful woman. Her sky shows prove it. Just a suggestion. (The thunder rolls.)BSandTs: went so slow on the UP that there was barely a glimmer on the lip.AandPs: still a slight pain with the left foot above the arch. Getting better but still there enough to notice.MandGs: don't think soCritter count: 1x tiny toad, 1x squirrel