Monday, November 23, 2015

Day 107: Taking a Turn for the Worse

June 22: When I woke up, I wasn't feeling so great. I'd been up much the night battling the persistent slugs. The mosquitoes had finally called it a night by 11:00, but they were back at the first hint of morning. And as a whole, I just felt awful. I didn't feel sick--just tired and worn down with a complete lack of appetite. I hoped I wasn't getting sick.

I packed up camp and headed out after eating only half my breakfast. The first five miles was exquisitely easy--nearly completely and totally flat. After that, a bit more rugged and muddy. At one point, I slipped off a bog bridge and landed in knee-deep mud. *grumbling* At the next creek, I deliberately walked through the water to clean off the mud rather than use the bridge across it.

After cutting off the shoelace I had knotted the day before, I strung in the new lace. I have to say, I was a little shocked at how white those laces were! Quite a contrast with my shoe! But those laces won't stay white for long...

I arrived at the next shelter after about 10 miles, where I met TJ and Slingshot who seemed pretty excited about meeting me, and I felt a little guilty that I had absolutely no idea of who they were. Of course, they'd been behind me for most of the hike so they'd seen my register entries while I never saw theirs so it makes sense, but I still felt a little bad about not knowing who they were. One of them described me as, "The man, the myth, the legend!" which made me laugh. I liked how it sounded it, though. I'm a legend! But does someone have to become a myth before he becomes a legend? We had a quick conversation about that before they hit the trail again.

I tried to eat some snacks, but I just wasn't feeling hungry. At all. I nibbled on a couple of cookies but that was it. Then I continued onward, because what else was there to do?

Late in the afternoon, I arrived at the Mt Wilcox South Shelters, where I took an hour long nap. I don't normally take naps in the day, but I was just feeling so tired and lethargic I couldn't help myself. It was tempting just to crash there for the night, but after that hour-long nap, I felt a little better and picked myself up, ate a single cookie and moved on.

I didn't have far to go to reach the Mt. Wilcox North Shelter which is where I stopped for the night. Despite eating almost nothing the entire day, I still didn't feel hungry and skipped dinner. I knew I needed the calories, but I just couldn't make myself eat.

When I arrived at the shelter, nobody was there as of yet. Not surprising since it wasn't especially late when I arrived, but as time marched on and nobody showed up, I started thinking that maybe... just maybe... I'd have the shelter completely to myself. If I did, it would be the first time on this hike I had an entire shelter area to myself. By 7:15, that evening, nobody else had arrived, and I wrote in my journal wondering if I'd have the shelter to myself. The next day, I'd write next to my ponderings in a blue pen to contrast with the black ink I used earlier, YES!

Nobody ever did show up at the shelter and I'd have the whole shelter area completely to myself. It was kind of nice. =) I didn't know it then, but it would be the only shelter this entire hike I'd have completely to myself. (Even during my 2003 thru-hike, I only had two shelters completely to myself. It's a rare event to be treasured!)

A lot of flat, easy walking for the first 5 miles of the day!



This monument marks the last battle of Shays Rebellion which occurred on Feb 27, 1787. We do walk through a lot of historical areas along this trail!




See the grasshopper on this flower? He's easy to miss since he blends in so well with the grass!





You just hate to see something like that happen! On the other hand, those laces are no longer such a shocking white!



This pond is the work of a beaver who created this dam!


1 comment:

Karolina said...

With those different shoelaces your shoes look so stylish! :P