8/2/03 We gained 2,500 feet elevation from Clarendon up to the Cooper Lodge, a stone structure at 3,850 feet, the highest shelter on the Long Trail. We arrived shortly after 5pm and met Adam the GMC Ridgerunner, Drew who works at Whole Foods in Rochester, MI and his brother Kyle. Katus, an inspiring dentist whose trail name is a kind of trout fly, came in later. Tumble set up the "mouse" net while a cute little mouse entertained everyone with his scamperings. Rough returned from purifying water and reported that the swarm of bugs around the water source was so thick he could hardly see. He had to just "take it." Definitely worth mentioning is the super Cooper's Pooper, the nicest and best cared for composting privy on the Long Trail. After dinner Ridgerunner invited everyone to climb to Killington Peak to watch the sunset, but overcast skies obscured the event. Off to bed expecting more rain during the night.