[at-l] re: Small World

[winchester@unnet.com (Ron Winchester)]

Subject:
          Re: [at-l] Small AT World
      Date:
          Wed, 16 Jan 2002 19:26:34 -0800
     From:
          Ron Winchester <winchester@unnet.com>
       To:
          Jim and/or Ginny Owen <spiriteagle99@hotmail.com>,
"AT-L@mailman.backcountry.net" <AT-L@mailman.backcountry.net>
 References:
          1




Section hiking contiguously year after year, following the trail in one
direction can certainly offer some unusual coincidences.  Last year I
camped at
West Carry Pond, (remember the big leeches-?), and was hoping for a
little
privacy, when I heard a person meandering down the trail at about dark.
She was
a reeeeaaal slow hiker,  as I'd passed her about noon that day, and I'd
been set
up for about 2 hours before dark.  At any rate, I at first told her
there wasn't
any space left to camp -- LIAR, then my conscience got the best of me
and I
asked her to set up.  She was quite the non-stop conversationalist, but
after
dinner I noticed something very familiar about her.  I asked her if
she'd hiked
the Wilderness the previous year, and if she'd been left behind by her
friends,(Idon't remember where at the moment, and I don't remember her
name, but
I have it in my journal), had sat on the trail, and opened a can of
sardines to
munch on?
She replied, " that woulda been me!"
Mind you I didn't really stop to talk to her on our first meeting the
year
before, but I didn't forget her either.
She camped right next to me at West Carry Pond and snored very loudly
all night
long.  I was up before dawn and on the trial, but I never regretted
meeting her
again.

This September I spent my first night at Imp Shelter when who appears
but Brad
Voles, aka Sourball.  I stayed with him at Carlo Col shelter my last
night on
the trail last year.  Brad is a memorable character, and I'd stayed with
him at
Pine Ellis last year, too.  He wrote a story for the Bangor
Times-News-whatever,
about hiking the Mahoosuc Range and sent me a copy.  Small world.

Ron