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[at-l] Solophile Journal Entries [Jun02-09]

Sorry for the long delay, but I just moved to Atlanta and the journal
entries took a while to get forwarded in the mail.  I've got a HUGE
stash now and these are the first set!  I promise things will get
more regular now that Solophile has my new address!

I do have a favor, though.  If anyone who recieves this has the last
journal entry I sent, I need to get the e-mail addresses of those
that I sent it to.  I had added a bunch of people to the list as time
went on and I lost it in the move!  I would REALLY appreciate it!

Thanks and enjoy!


June 2 - Day 84
5.9 mi to Hog Camp Gap - 786.7 mi cum

I was definitely anxious to get back on the trail.  Gus and I were in the car
by 7am and pulled in to Buena Vista by 10:30.  I was meeting FireBall at the
motel and was bringing him his new pack and some other things.

There were a bunch of other hikers at the motel and I got to meet Aquaholic,
Puff, and the Swiss Family.  FireBall was thrilled with the new packs we were
switching to and we soon loaded up our gear and had Gus drop us at the trail
by noon.

The previous day there had been torrential rains in the area.  The trail was
in surprisingly good condition and it looked like it would rain any minute,
but it held off long enough for us to hike 6 miles and set up camp.

Both FireBall and I had packed in goodies for our first day back on the trail.
FireBall packed in a bottle of wine and homemade brownies.  I had brought a
half dozen bagels and two strawberry-cheese danishes.

We decided to set up camp early.  My left leg was really bothering me and
FireBall was breaking in some new boots and his feet were bothering him.  We
got our water at the spring and had our tents set up when a truck pulled up
on the adjacent forest road.  It was Aubrey Taylor, a well-known trail angel.
He brought us some Pepsis and we spent some time talking.  He's been doing
trail magic for years and he also maintains the camping area at Hog Camp Gap
(which means a lot of mowing).

Just after Aubrey left, the weather broke and the rains began again.  This
time there was thunder and lightening to add to the show.  I love being snug
and dry in my tent during rainstorms.


June 3 - Day 85
14.7 mi to Priest Shelter - 801.4 mi cum

An unexpectedly cool day with temps ni the 40's!  It was threatening rain
all day, but luckily held off until we made shelter.  It was too cold to
stop and take breaks today, so I pretty much just hiked straight through from
9am-3pm.

My left leg is really bothering me now.  The last few miles of the day were
very painful and tiring.  I'm back to taking Ibuprofen every few hours.  I
have the radio going or play my flute to get my mind off the pain and that
seems to help.  It hurts most on downhills, so tomorrow should be a real test
with a 3000 foot descent to the Tye River.  I'm just going to go to bed early,
take my time hiking, and hope for the best.

5 of us in the shelter tonight and two latecomers are tenting.  Pockets,
Walkie Talkie, and a section-hiker are sharing the shelter with FireBall
and me.

It's raining again, but reports are calling for it to began to clear by
tomorrow afternoon and for temps to rise into the 60's tomorrow.

Flowers today:  Speckled Wood Lily, Southern Meadow Parsnip, Yellow Lady's
Slipper, Jack in the Pulpit, and lots of Sweet Cicely.


June 4 - Day 86
13.7 to Maupin Field Shelter - 815.1 mi cum

Today was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for me.  This whole thing with
the pain in my leg is really getting me down.  It's been a long time since
I've been able to walk without pain, and it's tiring me out both physically
and mentally.  The weather's not helping any either.  It's been cold and
rainy for days, and lack of sun can really get me down after just a few days.
I'm tired of being cold, I'm tired of being wet, and I'm especially tired of
hurting.

Since I got back on the trail after my trip to Florida, I've really been
wandering if I'm going to be able to finish.  I had 3 full days off and a
very low mileage week before that, and yet my leg is no better.  It is
really starting to concern me.

At one point today I stopped at a shelter for a break and just sat for an
hour hunched over with my head on my knees and my arms wrapped around myself.
I just didn't know if I could continue, and it took me that long to work up
the strength to just stand up and start putting one foot in front of the
other again.

An hour later I reached a beautiful overlook by Chimney Rocks.  I sat out on
a stone outcrop and a wonderful thing happened - the sun broke through the
clouds and touched my cold, wet skin with her warmth.  It was like an embrace
of strength, and I sat out on that rock for as long as the sun shown through
the clouds, just drinking in the sun through ever pore of my skin.  As the
clouds closed back in, I shouldered my pack once again, but this time with a
lighter heart and deeper resolve to complete my journey.

I don't know exactly how or why, but the next hour of hiking was pure joy -
very little discomfort at all!  I completed my day's hike beaming, for even
though the pain returned, I had been given a brief reminder of why I hike
and what the trail can hold for me if I can persevere through the bad times.


June 5 - Day 87
18.1 mi to Waynesboro - 833.1 cum

Vitamin I to the rescue!  In a futile attempt to recapture yesterday's all
too brief pain-free hour of hiking, I started my day off with 4 Ibuprofens.
The weather was helpingmy spirits, as we woke to blue skies and were on our
way by 8:15.  Follow-up dosages were taken every 3 hours and I managed about
14 miles feeling pretty darn good for a change.  After that, the pain
returned and I just decided to deal with it for the last 4 miles.

I made really good time today since I wanted to try and get to the Waynesboro
post office before it closed at 5.  We hit the road to town by 3:30 and were
able to get a ride within about 20 minutes.  I got my maildrop, some letters,
and then checked in at the Comfort Inn.  We raced through showers, laundry,
and dinner so that we could partake of some very non-trail-related
entertainment: FireBall and I went to the 7 o'clock showing of Lost World at
the local theater.  It was fun to "veg" out for a while, but T-Rex definitely
did not have to eat the dog!  If you've seen the movie, you know what I mean.

Here's a little poem to leave you with.  It was written by JZero, another
thru-hiker, after some of the Trail Days festivities had ended.  The subject
of the poem is Dancing Fool, a hiker from Maine who likes to hike in a kilt.
It's the story of what happened in the annual hiker parade down the main
street of Damascus.

There once was a fool who was dancing
In his skirt, he went spinning and prancing,
Then along came the wind,
And the cops hauled him in,
For wearing his skirt without panties!


June 6 - Day 88
6.9 to Calf Mtn Shelter - 840 cum

We were in no rush to leave town today since we only had 7 miles planned.  We
had a leisurely morning in town and walked the mile out of town to visit the
outfitters.  FireBall was switching to a summer weight sleeping bag and this
outfitter had the one he wanted.

We had a great breakfast with some really good fresh-squeezed orange juice.
That can be pretty hard to come by out here on the trail.  I also stopped by
a vet's office to get a weight check on Micah.  I was happy to find that he'd
gained back 2 of the 4 pounds he'd lost and he's weighing in at a healthy 61
pounds.

We managed to get a ride back to the trail from a guy I approached at the
Kroger parking lot.  He said he had to run an errand or two first but that
he'd come back for us and before dropping us off, he even asked how our money
situation was and said he had $20 he could give us if we needed it.  We very
thankfully declined his offer and told him to save it for someone that might
really need it.  What a nice gesture it was of him!

It was an easy 7 to the shelter.  The hardest part of the hike was filling out
the self-registration forms and trying to understand all the rules and
regulations they have printed everywhere for Shenandoah Natl Park.  Micah will
have to be on a leash at all times this week.  That will be a first for both
of us, but I'm sure we'll manage.

My left felt better today.  The low mileage probably had a lot to do with it,
but I'm hoping that it's finally getting better.  It sure would be nice to
hike pain-free again.

The shelter we're at is supposed to have a resident rat, not just mice, but a
full size rat.  The register is filled with dire reports of its size and
aggressiveness.  I'll be keeping Micah as close as possible all night.  The
others are on their own.  Seeker and Sage Sister opted to tent rather than
face the beast.  FireBall, Spider, me, Micah and a section-hiker named
Jonathan are all going to fight the good fight.  We're hoping the rat goes
for the weakest one, wich would be Uncle Charlie, who is passed out from
imbibing a quart of some god-awful Vodka/lemonade concoction that he packed
in from town. :^)

Flowers:  Bittersweet Nightshade and Yellow Goatsbeard on the descent
from Bear's Den Mtn.


June 7 - Day 89
13 mi to Blackrock Hut - 853 cum

OK, I've got a personal hangup that's really bothering me today.  Why is it
that if a male and female are perceived as a "couple" or as "partners", all
questions are directed at the male?  Here I sit at the shelter, one female
among 11 males, and because FireBall and I are thought of as partners, all
questions and comments concerning thru-hiking are directed at him!

There are TWO thru-hikers in this shelter and maybe it's my own insecurity,
but this kind of stuff eats me up!  I haven't shown FireBall everything he
knows about backpacking by a longshot, but I've definitely shown him a lot
about gear, and I think it says a lot that in the past month he's gone out
and switched most of his gear to the same exact make and model as mine.  And
yet, every single question about gear is directed at him!  I know this is
petty, but this was one of the reasons I wanted to hike alone.  It seems
that any time a woman is perceived as part of a male/female team, she
becomes the minor part, almost an invisible non-entity.  I've been told in
the past that I'm overly sensitive to this stuff, but I can't help it!

On a brighter note, my leg felt great today for the first time in weeks;  I
saw 3 deer, a turtle, and a snake today; the trail through the Shenandoah's
is wonderfully maintained; and 2 day-hikers gave me some fresh fruit salad.


June 8 - Day 90
13.1 mi to Pinefield Hut - 866.1 cum

An absolutely great hike today!  My leg is feeling much better and the trail
is a dream.  We had time today to stop at Loft Mtn Campground and grab
showers and wash clothes.  Then it was another 1.5 mi to the Wayside
restaurant for a late lunch and some ice cream followed by an hour long
nap on the lawn.  After that it was a leisurely 5.5 to the shelter.

Here's an excerpt from the Data Book's trail description for today's section
of trail:  Mile 0.0 - On left deer, Mile 0.1 - On right deer, Mile 0.2 - On
left and right 2 deer, Mile 0.3 - Trail switchback and deer with fawn on
right.

It really was incredible the amount of wildlife we saw.  Literally dozens of
deer, turkey, rabbits, snakes, but alas, no bears yet.  A lot of other hikers
are reporting sightings, but we haven't been so lucky yet.  It's been fun to
watch Micah's reactions to all these animals.  I'm very glad he's been on a
leash the whole time - therre are just too many temptations to expect him to
resist if he were on his own.

Here's something First Knight copied into the Pinefield Hut register for
everyone to enjoy:

The Philosophy of John Murr:  Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds
will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while
cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

It's a peaceful night at the shelter.  Only 4 of us herre with 2 dogs.
Maverick and Jaffy and their black labs, Callie, are sharing the shelter
with FireBall, Micah, and me.  There's a creek nearby to lull us to sleep
and a whipporwill is giving its call off in the distance.


June 9 - Day 91
18 mi to Pocosin Cabin - 885.1 cum

Today had some unexpected and unwelcome excitement.  We had planned a long
day of somewhere between 18 and 21 miles.  On long days, I like to try and
get most of the mileage behind me before I take a long break.  So, at about
2:30 in the afternoon I pulled off on a side trail to a picnic area with 14
miles done.  I wasn't there very long before FireBall showed up and we both
kindof spread out on the grass to kick back, relax, and eat a little
something before the final push of the day.  Micah lay nearby happily
chewing on some sticks.  I had give him a cup of food and he seemed happy
to take a break too.

After about half an hour, we decided to start packing up.  FireBall headed
for the bathroom and I started pulling my gear together.  I heard a loud
gaggling noise as I was bent over my pack and looked up to find Micah hunched
up and coughing.  I thought at first it was just his normal little choking
cough to clear his throat, but in a second he became more frantic.  His back
was arched high, head down, and he was throwing his head from side to side!
I immediately thought "Oh my God, he's choking to death in front of me!"
Then I saw blood spewing from his mouth and he started to lunge and buck, all
the while his front legs were frantically scrabbling at his face with every
other step.  I had images of a stick having pierced his throat.

I lunged at Micah to try and grab him.  He was absolutely wild and I couldn't
hold him still.  Blood was flying from his mouth and I tried to hold his head
down.  I started screaming for FireBall and finally he came racing up the
hill.  I was able to get FireBall to hold Micah's body and head and then I
grabbed a bandana and used it to pull Micah's lower jaw down to open his
mouth.  I knew that Micah was so crazy with pain and scared that he could
bite me and this seemed the safest thing to do.

As I opened his mouth, I could see it.  There was a short length of stick
jammed into the roof of his mouth back between the last teeth.  It had
punctured the gums.  I was able to pull it loose with a little prying and
then I just completely collapsed in a fit of nerves.  Micah took a few
swallows, licked his chops a time or two, and then gave me a big wet kiss
with tail wagging.  He was fine.  I on the other hand was a mess.  I just
kneeled on the ground and shook as I burst into tears.  I had really
thought he might die.

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but Micah has been a very huge part
of my hike.  From the very beginning I always felt that I absolutely needed
him with me to make it to Maine.  He is my best friend uot here and I count
on him for a lot of emotional support.  He's my protector and official
cheering squad and makes me laugh every day.  The thought of losing my
"partner" is just devastating.

So, in a tribute to Micah, I hereby present: The Top 10 Reasons I Like
Hiking With My Dog:

10. Doesn't mind eating the same thing day after day

9. He's a great yogi-ing assistant ("Yogi-ing" is the art of getting food
from others without asking - ala Yogi Bear)

8. No more packing out leftovers

7. I never have to clean my cook pot

6. He's a great foot warmer

5. Mice/rats/and other vermin stay clear of us in shelters

4. He takes up less room in the tent/shelter than your standard hiking partner

3. He NEVER complains

2. I get to make all the decisions

1. Micah thinks all my decisions are great ones



--
Andy Markham
amarkham@rkinc.com
Director, Product Development
RelevantKnowledge Inc. (www.relevantknowledge.com)


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