August 31

From Goose Pond Road to South Jacob's Brook (still going North)
Miles Hiked: 12.5
Hours Hiked: 10

I camped last night with Glassman and No Name at an unofficial campsite at a stream last night. When you camp anywhere that is not marked as a shelter or campsite it is referred to as 'stealth camping'.  This was only my second time at a stealth camp.  We had breakfast together and hiked together most of the day.  No Name is faster than Glassman and I (he should be, he started 5 months ago in Georgia) and so he was at camp before we were.

It feels good to hike with someone during the day, and these two guys especially were a lot of fun.  We spent a lot of today laughing and telling stories.  Glassman is so named because he blows glass.  No Name is called Peaceful Warrior by everyone but me, but the morning he met me he was embarrassed to tell me his name, so I have renamed him No Name.  No Name is from Mishawaka.

Midway through the day we reached Bill Ackerly's house.  Bill is an 84 year old man who owns a house across the street from the trail.  He opens his porch and yard to thru-hikers.  When he is home he offers ice-cream, and all the time he offers water, Mountain Dew, and croquet.  He used to be a professor at Harvard and he keeps a detailed list of all the hikers who visit him each year.  When we arrived at his home he wasn't there and we spent too long waiting, hoping to be able to meet him.  Eventually the rain threatened and we had to move on before he was home.  In addition to his amenities he has a scales on his porch.  Glassman, No Name and I all have 39-41 pound packs.  We are carrying way too much food for this section of trail.  One woman there (Butch) had a 26 pound pack and we were all jealous of her light weight.  Oh, well.

We camped by a big brook tonight and enjoyed a campfire with a few other hikers before getting in our tents to listen to the rain. The flat space in the woods was so small that we pitched our tents very close together, so we could still talk.  After we were each in our individual tents Glassman told us a bedtime story and then No Name led a meditation to help us sleep.  It was like being a kid at camp again.

View

No Name and Glassman

Bill Ackerly's croquet

Butch, Sundance, TK, Glassman and No Name hanging out

Back on the Trail.

Another view from the Trail.