I left the trailhead on Trail 69 heading generally W.   This trail was very good hiking - really a road, wide, gentle slopes.  It would make a good ski or snowshoe.  On the drive up I called Bob for the weather forecast, to see if I should pack my rain gear.  He said there was no sign of any rain on the radar.  But in the parking lot, it looked threatening, so I took it along.  Less than a mile from the car, it began to thunder, and I donned the rain jacket and pack cover just as it began to rain.  It didn't rain hard or long, but I was soaked from sweat by the time I took the jacket off.  Probably would have been drier without it. 

After about 5 miles, I turned left on the yellow-marked Middle Branch Lake Trail (72).  After 0.7 miles I reached the junction with the red-marked side trail to the R (W), which descended 0.2 miles past a glacial boulder and ending at the Middle Branch Lake lean-to.  This was 5.8 miles, and I spent Friday night here.

  Middle Branch Lake from in front of the lean-to.

I took some photos, filled my water bottles and pans for dinner (later) and went into the lake in my clothes.  They were soaked anyway, and I thought I might wash the salt out of them.  Then I hung them up and went skinny-dipping for a swim.  After that, I got dressed, put up the bear bag ropes, and called home.  A woman hailed me from the shore, and asked if I minded if she camped near the lean-to.  I said that was fine, and she could share the lean-to if she wanted, but she didn't.  She put up her tent and went in for a swim.  I cooked and ate my dinner.  After dinner, the thunder started again, and it began to rain pretty hard.  It didn't last very long, though.

During the thunderstorm after dinner.

After eating, it was getting dark, so I went to hang the garbage bag up with the bear bag.  Around the corner of the lean-to I met two large dogs, a boxer and a Great Dane, and a big guy and a woman.  They were hiking in wearing headlamps.  They said not to worry, the dogs were friendly.  I hung up my bag and went back to the lean-to to move my gear to one side.  The dogs were into the lake, and then shaking.  The Dane didn't like me much, and kept growling.

These folks were from Ithaca, the guy is a PhD candidate and his wife just finished her bachelor's degree.  The boxer was 4 years old and the Dane 3.  They began to spread out and cook dinner as the bugs began to step up activity.  I decided to erect my Bughut and get away from the bugs, so I set it up in the corner.  It was dark now.  They mentioned that another couple was driving up from Ithaca, but later.  They said they talked about hiking in in the dark, but maybe they'd sleep in the car and hike in in the morning.  Anyway, I laid down and could sleep.  After they had dinner and fed the dogs, they began to lay down.  The dogs were whining.  The boxer was in the lean-to, the Dane pacing.  Then they tried bringing the Dane in the lean-to.  Then the Dane jumped back out.  Then they took the dogs to the tent they had set up behind the lean-to.  Then they came back.  Then they went back to the tent.  I wasn't sleeping much.

Then about 11:30 I heard some more voices, and their friends had arrived.  There was much back and forth.  I didn't see the friends.  Eventually, about 1:30, they all decided to sleep in their tents, and I went to sleep in the lean-to.

About 3:15 I woke up to the thunder and lightening.  It rained hard for most of an hour.  The lightening was pretty impressive.  There was one really close blast.  I woke up sometime later and the sky was clear, because I could see the nearly full moon setting.  I went back to sleep.  I was hoping to sleep in and get some rest.  After all, the whole idea was to de-stress.

Here's the rest of the story.