July 31, 2018
- Start: US 2
- End: Appalachian Gap
- Total: 20.6
Another slack pack means another 20.
Today I hiked 20.6 miles. Those 20 did not leave me feeling quite like the rock star I felt like yesterday. I struggled. I listened to Wild by Cheryl Strayed and I struggled. I totally understand why a NOBO hiker we met said he thought the Camel’s Hump was more difficult that Mt. Mansfield. The view was spectacular, if not a bit crowded.
At one point near the middle of my day I met a NOBO thru hiker that went by the name Squidward. She looked much like I felt. I asked if she wanted to take candy from a stranger. We shared some Sour Patch Kids and I felt an instant kinship with her.
Most of the afternoon I spent actively checking Guthook’s guide and worrying about making it to the finish. I guess yesterday really hit me.
True Friend met me at Appalachian Gap with tacos and cookies. First my shoes came off. It revealed blisters the size of quarters just above the ball of my foot near my second and third toes on each foot. Then I inhaled the tacos. I almost choked halfway through because I couldn’t breathe while eating at that pace. Regardless, they were everything I didn’t know I needed, and more.
True Friend waited patiently as I nearly choked on my tacos, even offering the heimlich maneuver. The whole sky was burning with pink and we took off for the White Horse Inn. It was a lovely little place and I hope I get to return for a ski vacation sometime. Unfortunately, I slept terribly. My legs were so overworked that the heat emanating from them could be felt inches away. I tossed, turned, put my feet up a wall, tried sleeping sideways, on my stomach, and in child’s pose. It must have been 3 a.m. by the time I actually fell asleep.