Date: 2016-05-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 50.0
Weather: light rain

Back at it after a weekend off the trail with Mary Jo. She picked me up near Burke's Garden after providing a trail magic picnic lunch on top of the mountain for Portuguese and me. While Portuguese walked off alone without me, I spent 3 relaxing days with my wife who I haven't seen in 7 weeks. We had a great time and I managed to restock my calorie deficit in these 3 days. I have lost 25 pounds- too much, too fast- so was happy to eat well. She brought me back to Mile 574 on Monday and I walked on without my trail buddy. I am sad about this as he was a great walking partner. I need to get used to traveling alone again. I did manage to get to a campsite on Monday where I saw Nick, a familiar face from sometime back who took time off to heal a knee injury.   Since the bubble of hikers that I have come to know is ahead of me now, I will need to make some new acquaintance out here. It will be fine.    Mary Jo brought a new pair of hiking boots for me. The feet take the brunt in this journey and my old pair was giving way at the seams already. My feet are in pretty good shape. I still have the nails that I thought I may lose but no blisters. I take care to get out of my boots at the end of the hiking day, put on the Crocs around camp, and air them out at night. I am hoping for a smooth transition with the new boots. So far, so good, but I haven't walked enough in them yet to know for sure.   As I've said in other blogs, everything that you need out here you have to either carry on your back, make, improvise or do without. Like when your TP roll is running low- you begin to look at leaves in a whole new way. (Which species of trees....) But I've learned that the trail provides what you need in amazing ways. For instance, I was a few days from town and was running low on TP and Ibuprofen. I walked past an 1894 School House that said "hikers welcome". Inside was a cabinet and when I opened the door, there were TP rolls in individual plastic baggies and also a jar of Advil! I have seen other hikers find exactly what they need when they need it. Whether its from Trail Angels or left behind from other hikers, they have found warmer sleeping bags, air mattresses, bear rope. It always seems to be the hiker that needs it most who is the one that finds it. So appreciate the folks that support the hikers up here.   But I have learned one thing about the trail. It has its own ideas and you need to learn to take what the trail gives you. For instance, my plan was to resume my hike and walk 12-17 miles per day, which I have been able to manage on good days. I have had other days where I made good time and planned for similar the next day. But the land changed, and the mountains got steeper, or higher, or had more rocks or angles, and the distance just couldn't be done. This time, it was the weather. Heavy storms kept me to 9 miles/day the first 2 days back out here. My tent was wet so when the weather did clear, I stopped to dry it out in the sunshine. Hated to spend the pleasant weather not walking (never sure how long it will last), but a better choice to have a dry tent and sleeping bag for the coming night.   The trail has its own idea of what my daily walk will be and I've decided its best to work with what it offers.    Wondering- If Portuguese is safe and if I will see him again....