Date: 2004-04-03
From: justice creek

To: woods hole shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

I fumbled out of bed, eyed a tree, got out of the bag clumsily, peed, grabbed my bag and pad, and hustled over to the tree. I tossed my pad against the tree, got back in my bag, lit a smoke.   Not bad. I enjoyed brekfast from this spot, watching the sunlight inch towards the lovely creek with groggy eyes. Loon, a 62 year old and a chipper one, was skipping around the site, making conversation. He points his camera and says ¢milo, you are a classic.¢ I manage to laugh in my sleepy state, munching on some chocolate covered espresso beans. Yesterday Loon was saying that he was keeping his partner waiting, since he had been dilly-dallying a bit. The man never misses a conversation. He said he also took a swim. I thought he was being funny. No, the man took a swim. A baptism at long creek falls, with the temperature a balmy 35 degrees. What a guy. Hes hiked the trail 5 times.The first part of the day was a pleasant mozy. I have been trying to move away from the athletic mindstate and resist sprinting and pushing myself. I have been trying to listen to my body, and walk at a smooth and comfortable pace. It is very pleasant, and I don¢t think I lose much if any time doing it. It turned out to be a blessing of a day. I followed each perfect contour of the trail in shorts and a t-shirt.I found an outcropping with a sweeping vista and I sprawled out on it, warm warm warm. Took lunch at woody gap. Three strapping young lads, baby blue and t-dot from minisota and cliff from ky, soon caught up. These guys are green. Big packs, and wide eyse that waver from complete delight to ¢man this is huge¢ and back again in 2 seconds. Baby blue is carrying a french press and a brick of esspresso. Love it. The four of us loitered at the picnic tables talking about phil collins and other pressing topics and watched the girls go by. Ok, a girl. And she was 60. On the AT, you take what you can get. A couple day hikers emerged from the woods about 35 feet away and cliff and I exclaim simultaneously: ¢they smell good!¢ if our sense of smell is already so keen to perfumes, we must already have the funk. Gotta have the funk. I also had the pleasure of telling the newbies how to yogi. I said they had a gold mine on there hands here with this parking lot on a Saturday night. When people ask about their trip say something like: ¢well, its great, but I really miss BEER and GOOD FOOD.¢ Pouty eyes, boys, pouty eyes. I left them there to put it to practice themselves.I have been feeling good, putting in miles. These last six were a challenge though with three pretty grueling ups and downs in a row. I was ready for camp when I got to woods hole, a small town of a shelter, population 35 or more. An enthusiastic and energetic blessing of a 15 year old was completely comitted to a nice campfire. I would be enjoying the warmth, exhausted while the boy is romping around the side of the hill picking up sticks. Hed charge on back, break them over his knee, and go off again. He is jesus, I am convinced. Great fire.Not even room to pitch my tarp here, so I am sleeping out under this big full moon.