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[at-l] Walking Small and Carrying a Garcia Pack

#28 in the Parapacker Series

Tuesday Night 10:00 pm

	There were the parapackers, some on the roof and the others 2 deep at the
front of the lean-to watching as Milo Garcia fired up the modified MSR.
No, it was not fondue time as Milo held the MSR full throttle like a torch
moving from pack to pack.  Poor Little Juan had to duck quickly as Milo
would turn to grab a funny little wheel from his outstretched hand.

	Had Milo at last gone over the deep end?  

	There were all of the parapackers mini Kelty Tioga frames lined up in a
row.  Barry White was playing on the Boom box as Milo went from frame to
frame.  "ooooh, oooh, I gotta have your love, ooh baby !" echoed Milo like
some Appalachian Soul Train.

	Suddenly  there were no more wheels, no more frames and no more Barry
White.  "Little Men, I am done!" "Tomorrow we will use our Special Packs !"
 boomed Milo to the group of puzzled parapackers.

Wednesday 2:00pm

	The parapackers were short in stature but quick of foot and had made it to
the summit of the Big Bald in record time.

	Little Enzo was the first to take Milo's instructions and shot off down
the hill at full bore,  After 70 or 80 yards Enzo suddenly leaped off the
ground and with a loud and hollow thump landed flat on his back.  Then one
after another the rest of the parapackers followed Enzo's lead.  

	Enzo by now was screaming down the mountainside, each little hand grasping
firmly on the side of his pack frame as his head remained propped up by the
rolled up sleeping bag.

	"You're now a bunch of Lugers - Trail Lugers!" shouted Milo as the last of
the parapackers headed down the steep slope.

	12 year old Jason Biedleman of Scout Troop 179 would later recall, "Yeah,
I was following John, Mike and Mr. Mooney headed up the Big Bald Trail when
Mr. Mooney starts blowing his willow whistle really really fast."  " The
next thing I hear was this banging, metal like noise getting louder and
louder and Mr. Mooney he shouts - look out!"  "Then I see them, I see these
little guys coming down the hill on their	backs.  They shoot right past us.
 They're all wearing these funny little bomber hats and those mountain type
sunglasses and they all have this big grin on their faces.  One guy he even
gives me the thumbs up as he goes flying by ! !"

	Milo was now almost to the top of the Big Pine as he pressed the Bushnells
tightly to his eyes.  He could clearly make out the line of paralugers as
they approached the cliffs at lookout point.  

	"Yes, Yes!" shouted Milo between puffs on the big Cuban cigar.  Milo
almost fell out of the Big Pine as Enzo shot over precipice.  "Come-on
baby, that's it, Yes"  The sleeping bags were all filling up as the
parapackers slowly descended to the valley below.

	Milo carefully climbed down from the Big Pine and thought to himself:

				Life was Good
				The Trail was Good
				And Yes,
				Milo was Good.

	The parapackers would celebrate as they prepared for Trail Days.

The Bamaman,  AT '81
David S. Severance
The Ossipee Mt. News
<http://www.conknet.com/~d_severance>

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