[at-l] Feet Blew out :-(

[wb4pan at mindspring.com (Chase Davidson)]

Hi Gang,
     I am home from an aborted hike :-( . Thirty years and thousands 
of miles hiked and I never had my feet hurt so bad. I have had 
blisters, especially in the old days of heavy packs and heavy boots. I 
usually just try to ignore them. They hurt for a while then kind of 
numb out after a few miles only to hurt again after you stop. But 
quite manageable.
     I think I must have bruised my feet this time. I drove to DWG and 
parked at the Ramada Inn. Check at the desk and they let hikers park 
there long term. I wanted a room but it was race weekend and rates 
went from $42 yesterday to $139 today wow. I walked 5 miles to the 
backpackers campsite north of the gap. Had just enough time before 
dark to eat and chat with Ryan the resident Ridge Runner. Slept great 
and felt strong blasted to Culvers Gap. Grabbed a cheese burger at 
Gyps Tavern there in sight of the trail. I decided to call the Forest 
Motel 1.8 miles away and see if they would come and pick me up. If 
they wouldn't I would just continue to Gren Anderson 3 miles away (It 
was only 4:00). The motel was clean $40. no tax. My A/C didn't work 
but the fan did. Hey and I had HBO, that's it HBO no other channels 
just that one haha. Walked back to the trail and stopped in Gren 
Anderson for h2o. I thought I was running late it was 9:30 and the 
thru hikers I had met were just rolling out. Carp and Ranger Jan were 
there. Back in DWG I talked to Paperazzi and others I forget their names.
     I stopped at Hight Point shelter cause my feet were hurting. The 
Reverend Klondike Jack, Paperazzi, hmm a young man who turns 21 on the 
12th, cant remember his name he is from Greensboro near me and has a 
Trail Journal, Balou were all their. About dark 12 scouts with two 
semi adult leaders showed up. Instead of camping in the large tent 
area across the creek they set up directly in front of the shelter in 
the tiny unlevel space there. They had fun but were very noisy and 
kept us up till almost 11:00 even though the reverend screamed SHUT UP 
and cursed them a few times. LOL Oh yea Desperado was doing some major 
trail magic. Leaving water at the dry Maichong Shelter and lots of 
cookies, drink mixes etc in the bear boxes at several shelters.
     Klondike gave me some mole skin and I wore two pair of socks. 
Still it hurt to walk. I moved along very carefully at about 1.5 mph. 
I walked 4 or 5 miles and stayed at a friends place in NY with my feet 
propped up. A couple of  south bounders were there, Pisses in the wind 
and Cobalt and another section hiker "almost there" who was filling in 
from an aborted 2001 thru.
     My feet hurt incredible. If I stood for 5 min they pounded but 
even worse when I lifted a foot, and I guess when the blood flowed 
back into the compressed foot pads, then the pain was like someone was 
pounding them with a hammer. Hmm sounds bruised doest it. Both feet 
too. Obviously this was going to take a while to heal. Jim offered to 
take me to Campmore so I could buy new sturdier shoes to replace my 
blown out ones. Instead I opted to come home so he drove me to Port 
Jarvis where I grabbed a cap to DWG $60. and drove home.
     I hope I can do some hiking by next week? What do you think 
resident doctors and experienced comrades of foot?

chase


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