6/28/99 David Lesser Memorial Shelter   Miles Today : 11.2 Miles to Katahdin : 1171.4

Yea, I know a short day! I wanted to hike more today, but as I will explain, it would have gained me nothing. My suspicions will be confirmed tomorrow, but I think Drive-By is a full day behind me, not a few mere miles as I had thought.

As I said, the day started off sunny and hot. Since I nearly passed out yesterday, I stopped often and kept drinking as much water as I could. The scenery today was nice and a special treat: the trail was lined with blueberries and blackberries!

It never got quite as hot as yesterday and actually rained a little bit, but unfortunately would stop before any real downpouring.

Anyway, after a pretty good hike, I arrived to this shelter just before 3 and out of water. First off, let me say that this is a great little camping spot. There is a shelter that holds 10 with a porch, a bench and a wooden couch. There is also a cooking table, stove/fireplace and a swing. As I rested and filled my water, all the hikers from the Bears Dens slowly showed up and moved onto Harper's Ferry about 8 miles away. Unless you want to stay at a hotel, however, H. Ferry is not a good place to stay i.e. nothing cheap.

So I opted to hang out here hoping that DB would show up in a few hours. Since that hasn't happened, I can only assume that he is a full day behind me which makes me in even less of a rush.

But right now, I have this entire place to myself. It's weird how just a few hours ago I was content chatting with the various hikers going by, sitting on the swing. Now, I am terribly alone even though I know there is a town 8 miles away and I can hear airplanes overhead. It's tough to describe how completely removed from everything I feel sitting here in the woods with just the animals and my thoughts.

Sure, I know what you're saying, how could I be out here for almost 600 miles without being alone. Well, that's not quite it. You don't notice being alone if you are busy hiking, cooking, etc... It's when you have a few hours to do nothing but listen to the birds talk to each other or watch the squirrels chase each other for a scrap of food, and of course to be alone with your thoughts.

HIKER WORKSHOP: Just so you all don't think that I am crazy, find a nice piece of woods away from any sight of civilization and preferably away from any sounds as well. Choose a nice day, weatherwise (no need to suffer). Bring only a pen, paper, a chair (optional) and possibly some snacks. Sit as quietly as possible and pay attention to everything around you and you will be amazed at how much you have missed. If inclined, write down your thoughts. You will be surprised by them later, as I often am. If you really want to do the whole experiment, pay attention to how much time you spend thinking about 1. Trivial things (TV, movies, music, ads, etc.) 2. Almost trivial things (sports, personal discomfort, gossipy news, etc.) 3. Real issues ( how to be a better person, non-monetary goals, social issues, etc.) The percentage will most likely startle you.

Well, sorry for going on so long, and sounding like a big freak, but I honestly do believe that being out here helps you simplify and focus on what is truly important. Tomorrow, I head to Harper's Ferry for the night to resupply, take the tours, and wait for DB. This BBQ almost isn't worth it anymore! That's all for now.

-Chomp

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