"For with each dawn, she found new hope..."

"...that someday, her dreams of happiness would come true."
-Cinderella

July 21, 2001

I stopped in at N. Woodstock today.  Noble Savage and I got picked up by Rock Dancer, friend of Stuck Tive and Ladder (& Hook) and an AT-L member [this was an AT listserve back in the day where I got all my good advice about how to hike the Trail].  He said he would post a message for me thanking them.  I had a good call home and a good hike up to Lonesome Lake Hut where I got another work-for-stay.  Five: Speck Pond, Carter Notch, Lake of the Clouds, Galehead, Lonesome Lake.  Nice Croo of all girls.

me waving in Lonesome Lake

While I was swimming in this beautiful lake, I looked down and saw some dark shadows zipping around me.  Instinctual terror gripped me while I quickly made my way to shore.

As I got to shore, I noticed a little girl, likely one of those in the picture above, who was holding some such creature, the same kind that I had seen zipping around me.  She approached her parents excitedly to show off her discover.

For those that are squeamish...move on.  To those that aren't, then highlight the area between the arrows that follow to know what the creatures were:

------> they were leeches <------

Fortunately, nobody was harmed.

Franconia Ridge from Lonesome Lake

Meanwhile, all of the tourists and a few of us who were thruhikers enjoyed the sun setting over beautiful Franconia Ridge reflected off of Lonesome Lake.

We headed inside to the Hut.  Now, this being my fifth Hut, I had now memorized the routine of these places.  Before dinner, each group of tourists were subject to hearing the rules of the place.  Carry out all your trash and fold your sheets in the morning.  Several of the Hut "Croos" were creative and had come up with a Cinderella skit to present these rules in an entertaining manner.

Well, I and my fellow hikers had the whole skit memorized.  And, the regular Croo had became rather bored of the whole matter.

So...

....I was nominated to be Cinderella (perhaps it was the beard that helped me get the part?)

That's me in the green mop hair.

It was lots of fun and got lots of laughs!

It would be a great end to my trek through the Hut system of New Hampshire's Whites.

Sleeping tonight by the Lake under the stars.