Miles 12; Elevation gained: 500

Long day, but no rain!  Cliff had a rough night sleep-wise, so we had to stop for an afternoon nap at Lost Pond Shelter. There was a tremendous view from Baker Peak looking down on Dorset and Danby.  We ended up at Little Rock Pond, one of those gorgeous places you can reach only by walking. I took a swim in my boxer briefs. No swim suit or towel – too much room in the pack!  There was a caretaker who took $10 from us – first time we’ve paid a fee. We joked how the thru hikers never stay at pay camps but think nothing of spending $40 at the next bar we reached. 

Speaking of AT’ers, there was a German named Root Ninja at the shelter who regaled us with wacky trail and travel stories like barbecuing dogs by the side of the road in Vietnam.  He had something yellow squished up in a baggy and someone asked what they were. He said McD’s cheeseburgers as he had accepted the “cheeseburger challenge.”  The deal here is to resupply ONLY with said items so that for 5 days, they are all you eat. True to his word, he ate burgers 29 and 30 in the morning. For the record, there is also the “24-24-24” challenge, which is that number applied to beers-miles-hours, and the “honey buns” challenge, which is same as the McD’s one but with those delights. Hikers actually gain weight with that one as each bun is like 1,250 calories.