Day 8: Cloud Pond Lean-to to Leeman Brook Lean-to

Today was another semi-mountainy day but it was made so much sweeter because I'm going to MONSON tomorrow, which means food, shower, laundry, and food. This will be the first trail town I get to visit, so I'll be living large. But that's for tomorrow's post. Today, I left Cloud Pond at 6 (Mulligan suggested my trail name be "Early") and hiked. Some good views and 3 river fordings later, I find myself at tonight's lean-to, 3 miles from the road into Monson. Also here are Mulligan and the Sobros, as well as people we caught up to: Big Swirl, Pineapple, Houston, and Connor. All nice to talk to as we sat around the fire. Mulligan and I are going to hitch into town together tomorrow then the fun can begin! But today I want to share something very exciting with you: my morning routine. Just how does "Early" get going so fast?? Well let me tell you. I wake up and lay in my bag for five minutes to contemplate life and what I will eat, which is always the same anyways. I climb naked out of my tent (no joke, no one is awake yet) and I quickly grab my hiking clothes and rain jacket for warmth. I shove my sleeping bag in the bottom off my backpack. Then I roll up my sleeping pad and put it in its stuff sack. I put my extra clothes in their stuff sack, put these two sacks on top of my sleeping bag in my pack, and I compress them down rrrrreeeeaaaalllll hard for space. Then I make my breakfast of instant oatmeal and protein powder in cold water, and drink that down. I also eat pop tarts. Then I pour what's left of my water in my food cup/cookpot to get any remaining oatmeal or powder, then I drink it down. I put my snacks for the day in my hip belt pocket of my pack, and I put the food bag in my pack. I put my peanut butter and tortillas in a bag on top so I can get to them. Then I brush my teeth with the last of my water. I break down my tent and that goes on the exterior of the pack under some straps. I hang my extra pair of socks to dry on some other strings, I put my rain jacket back in its pouch, I adjust my one trekking pole from 115 cm (to support my tent) back to 125 cm (to support me) and I'm off! Aren't you glad you read this???