An Unexpected Angel

Leaving Upper Goose Pond Cabin we walked in the rain to the October mountain shelter. Drenched and cold, our plan of making it to Dalton was thrown out and our only driving force was the chill that had crept into our bones and the desire to be dry. Snuggled in our sleeping bags in the loft of the shelter we listened to the rain hit the tin roof as the hours passed. Once warm and dry our spirits lifted some and we reevaluated our decision to stop prematurely. In a flurry we packed our bags and headed back out into the storm. The trail followed a ridge line to Dalton but heavy use and even heavier rain had reduced the small path to a mud pit that in places, turned into a creek. Racing the daylight, we were practically running once we made it to the rim of the valley. A close encounter with a bear in the growing twilight spooked us a little, but we were close to town and stopping for nothing. When we shot out of the woods and onto the street it was almost dark. Hustling down the sidewalk we made it to Tom Levardi's house, where we knew we could tent. Upon meeting him we found out that we could actually stay inside. One surprise led to another and before we knew it we were showered, in dry clothes and eating a home cooked meal. The magic didn't stop there, he made us delicious ice cream sundaes and offered to wash all of our nasty clothes. Mr. Levardi has been offering his house as a refuge to hikers for 35 years; some nights he accommodates as many as 30 people. He won't let you leave before offering you several meals, a comfortable place to sleep and a ride to resupply. After a day in the deluge we couldn't have been more relieved to run into this amazing trail magic. With our spirits lifted and clothes dry we left in the morning sunlight, happy and well rested.