8/22/03 We got to Cowles Cove Shelter at 1pm and picked out a nice tent site, the same one Rough and Marty tented at on their hike last year. Coyote stopped by for lunch. Later two guys from CT drifted in and slung their hammocks from nearby trees. A barefoot hiker and his girlfriend arrived and set up their tent and were followed by three guys who stayed in the shelter. Yup, a barefoot hiker. He's from CA and has been walking barefoot for about a year. He says he likes rocks better than concrete so his girlfriend invited him to hike Burnt Rock and the Allens. Well, he'll get his taste of rocks tomorrow because the trail to Burnt Rock is really rocky, as is the summit. The mosquitoes and flies were biting and Rough picked up a few new welts in and around the shelter.