Date: 2009-08-07
From: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to

To: Antler's Campsite
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: scattered clouds

III. Report: The general plan for the day was to hike about 10 miles to the Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to for the evening, with Fluffy Bunny and TNT making a side trip to the White House Ferry Landing.   I started out early as usual and was making relatively good time hiking until I came across an extended log trail over the bogs. Here, I pulled two headers full into the bog. The first was right in front of Etchasketch and Infomaniac, and it took both of them to pull me out of the bog. The second fall was just a bit later and Oddjob had just passed me. He came back to check to see if I was alright and offered these words of advice: ¢Tic, watch your step out here.¢ It wasn¢t that I was rushing or in any hurry; but, balance has never been one of my stronger points. I¢ve always admired the little 70 lb pixies that do double back flips and running cartwheels on the balanced beam in gymnastics. However, I¢m sure they would find this situation a challenge as well: the logs are certainly wider than 4 inches, some are like teeter-tooters in that the end you step on sinks into the bog and the other end raises out of the bog, or the logs may a loud creaking sound as you step on them. Then there is the matter of these logs not being flat, certainly not level, often times wet, and usually covered in some green moss or algae. And, try this with a 50 lb backpack you pixies!!I came across a stream fording where I met a group of Venture Scouts. They had completed laying dead tree limbs across the stream to facilitate the crossing and had highly recommended a high water route detour. I took this detour and it was satisfactory for a while, until it turned into the great swamp. I plowed on thru, getting quite muddy and losing a trekking pole basket in the muck.It was shortly after this high water detour that I took a serious fall. It was about a 3 ft drop from the trail to a streambed. My poles were not helpful in this situation and as I was trying to step off the bank, my foot slipped and I fell hard on my right side into the rocky bottom stream. I immediately got up to protect my camera and check my injuries. I had a minor scrape on my forearm and a very sore upper right arm. I was very lucky it wasn¢t more serious.I then came to the White House Ferry tote road. It¢s a 0.9-mile side trail to a pond, where you sound off on an air horn and they come pick you up. The specialty is a 1 lb hamburger, and also features pizzas. Fluffy and TNT were really looking forward to this excursion; while I planned to pick up as much ground as possible thru the 100 mile wilderness.I came to the Lean-to and found a father-son couple. The father had done some roofing work at the White House and was out trying to teach his youngest son to become his backpacking partner, as his two other boys had passed on this option. He was doing it right and making effort to ensure that this son enjoyed the hike.   It was still early in the afternoon, a lot of daylight was still left and another campsite was only 3.5 miles further south. I left message for TNT and Fluffy in the register and headed for Antlers Campsite.This was an excellent choice. The Antlers Campsite was beautiful. The privy was exceptional, side windows, curtains, washstand and its door was hung better than any home. The campsite was on the edge of a large lake. I rinsed out my clothes, built a fire and fixed dinner. I even treated myself to a couple cups of mocha. I had the site pretty much to myself until a couple of NOBO section hikers came in right at dusk. It was a great day, good mileage despite a couple of falls and I felt really good until I laid down for the evening ¢ boy did my chest hurt!                        V. POD: After warm Tucson, we moved to Offutt AFB in Omaha, NE, a.k.a. Awful AFB in Oh-My-Gosh, NE. It was cold there and LL lasted only one blizzard before returning to Tucson. I worked in probably the largest squadron in the AF: about 1500 total including about 400 pilots, 400 navigators, 400 missileers, a couple dozen civilians and junior officer computer geeks, and the remaining were enlisted operators. Our group developed the Allied military nuclear war plan and was heavily involved in computer technology and applications. My particular group had the largest software programs that used all the computing capability at the time. Therefore, we weren¢t allowed to run our jobs until 3rd shift. This allowed much ¢free time¢ during the day, which we used to sharpen our pool shooting skills. Also, we had several semi-annual deliveries, which were always pretty intense times. These were usually followed by office hunting trips to western NE. My group also achieved several remarkable successes. However, I later had a supervisor whom I had ¢failed¢ in an evaluation at Tucson. He remembered this and got his revenge in my last efficiency report there, which subsequently led to me getting a transfer to Los Angeles AFB.POD: Tiger Pawz. I was going to save TP until I got to South Carolina; but then discovered the AT doesn¢t go thru SC. TP is a rabid Clemson graduate (I know this is redundant) and was one of the junior computer experts in the squadron. Clemson and UT had great college baseball teams and often played in the college world series in Omaha. Later, TP and I ended up working in DC area, and retiring from the AF. I do admit to doing a mean thing to TP: Clemson got some NCAA violation and was sent to the big house. So, I took one of his Clemson stuffed tiger mascots and clamped a ball and chain on its leg. We still keep in contact to commiserate the fates of our favorite schools.