[at-l] Death of Sam Waddle

[PUDSCRAWLER at aol.com (PUDSCRAWLER@aol.com)]

I'm sure that any of us who had the good fortune to meet Sam Waddle remember 
the encounter well.  Maybe we wrote in our journals about being at Jerry 
Cabin.  I thought perhaps it would be fun to share our entries about our time at 
that shelter in honor of him.
For that reason, I'm including my journal entry.

Actually, the next morning I did get to meet him.  He was on his way up to do 
some maintenance for us/the shelter.  He had with him a young man whom he was 
training to do that work since he was having to pass along the responsibility 
he has assumed.  His health was not what it had been.  We stood and talked a 
while.  I had known he was coming because Earthworm had a prearranged meeting 
with him scheduled at Jerry's Cabin.

What did you experience there?

Tuesday, April 27, 1999 
    
        Destination: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Starting Location: Little Laurel Shelter
    Today's Miles: 6.70
Trip Miles: 238.60  
    

> 4/27 ~ JERRY CABIN SHELTER (milepoint 296.8) JoJo woke me early this 
> morning, "Kinnickinic, it's time." Soon I was on my way up the mountain. In this 
> case, "up" is a very serious word. It was good that it was a morning climb, but 
> still very hard with a five-day supply of food hanging on the back of my 
> pack (no room for all of it in the pack). Finally, about three miles later, I 
> entered an area remembered from last year as serene, with streams running 
> through its relatively flat terrain. There were no streams. There was no water at 
> all, just dry leaves where streams had run last year. This area is too dry. 
> We are finding no water except near shelters, and there the piped streams have 
> small flows. What will it be like this summer? Let it rain--a lot. It is 
> vital to this country and our ability to hike it. Still, the rain, the heavy 
> load--I was crawling. Being alone all the time isn't a picker-upper, either. 
> Maybe I should carry coffee for afternoon boosts. Then exactly one mile from 
> Jerry Cabin Shelter, a gray cloud became prominent with its rumbling. Clearly, a 
> storm was on its way. I looked at my watch. Could I outrun that storm to the 
> shelter? Exactly 26 minutes later I was in the shelter exulting--a better 
> than two-mile-per-hour pace! Fear is a great motivator--and flat or downhill 
> trail is a terrific implementor. When I reached the shelter after the sudden 
> burst of hiker ability, JoJo, Wingnut, Green Mountain Man, and Anonymous Badger 
> were there. A bald ridge had sent Wingnut back because of its exposure. All 
> were quickly gathering wood for the inside fireplace. Even after the rain was 
> pouring, JoJo went for water. Then, when the storm had passed but the rain 
> was continuing, this intrepid quartet hiked on to their intended destination. 
> I was happy to be next to the fireplace and the southern wall, cozy in my 
> sleeping bag. Tonight at the shelter where I am sleeping the fire continues to 
> blaze. Earthworm walked up out of the rain, hiking south. She, Steve, Drifter, 
> and a father and son team from Vermont are tenting at the sites Sam Waddle 
> has made available for overflow from the shelter. She wanted me to move out to 
> the tentsites too, but there was no way that I'd give up my site. In the 
> shelter are Dog Bone, Jam Bone, Ricochet, Eyeball, Michigan Man, Butterfly, and 
> me. Clothes that had been drenched are draped close to the fire. 
> Unfortunately, Dog Bone's favorite white line socks melted into toasted marshmallows. He 
> knows his stuff though. I pulled back from my shirt sleeve in disgust and 
> asked aloud, "Why is it that my shirt still stinks after I have just laundered 
> it?" "Put it through the wash twice," answered Dog Bone from the other end of 
> the shelter. Posted by Sawnie Robertson on May 22, 1999. kinnickinic  
> 
> 
>