“I was challenged to find “the hidden pond”. Obviously, I found it. But not so fast. What a confusing confluence of trails, and mixed messages. My initial exploratory forays into this territory were a bit fraught. Is the private terrain “camera-ed up”? Are the public trails mixed use? Do VAST & the Catamount Trail co-exist comfortably here? I’ll have to watch for signs. I’ve done my map reading, but being in the field is a whole different matter. What about parking? This is a constant sore spot for me, where to stow my truck, safely, while I ski. Google & AI can’t tell you everything, to make the understatement of the year. Which is why, in warmer weather, I’d followed my nose, and a trail, that followed a stream. This was all it was, in the beginning. I got to a camp, under construction, way up the mountain. I went past it, until the path petered out. I knew basically, this was not far from the Long Trail, but yet, a wild part of its underbelly. I turned back. My friend Logan had told me to watch out for guns. I do, now. I’m a fraction less cavalier. I went back to my map study. Sometimes people own things, but live far away. You can make an educated guess, as far as that goes. I call this educated sleuthing. I mean no disrespect. I remember that in much of Europe, scenic, open land is considered a commons, for all to use. So I’m not far off the mark, by some standards. Next round, we took the opposite side of the brook, in springtime. I have a funny video to prove it, and despite everything, we got a little wet. However, we didn’t go as far as we could have. We crossed back to investigate a new clear cut, near the camp. It was a remarkable transformation. I hardly recognized the place. A warming shed for the loggers was in place, and huge swathes of the forest were gone, all in the frame of a season. I went home. I did more map study. Well, winter rolls around this year, & I’m ready to go further up the same drainage. I’m more informed, right? I can’t see that I’m going to bother anyone. Katey mentions that last summer, she stumbled onto a lost pond up there. She describes it to me, and I’m sure it’s the same. A hidden gem - I can see it clearly on my topo. Not far from where I’ve already been, but still, to me, it’s a mystery. Today, I’ll push through. My hypothermia fears are low, as temps soar, into the twenties. It’s not like this is always fun. But, the parts that aren’t fun, seem to fade, as long as I make some kind of effort. I can always stop, give up, and no one will know. What is it all about, this fear of judgment? With no one watching, I can rule my kingdom, with a relaxed, confident demeanor. And know that I’m accomplishing personal milestones that require no praise, comment or even notice. I do these things to make myself feel more alive. So that I can know the measure of what I am today, and adjust my expectations, to make tomorrow a more amazing, fulfilling, and underwhelming, if need be ... day in my life.”
