Date: 2003-07-01
From: Kay Wood Lean-to (1860')

To: Dalton, MA (1200')
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Aloha! {sniff} This will be short and sweet tonight; just like my day. {cough} I'm not actually so sure how sweet the day was but it was definitely short. {wheeze} If you couldn't tell by the 3-mile day, I'm not feeling quite top notch. {sniff, cough, wheeze}   Sleeping last night was quite a challenge for me. If you take away the cheeky little mouse that found a candy bar wrapper somewhere and insisted on opening it all night long, the mosquitoes looking for open skin and my coughing, sniffing and wheezing, I slept like a baby. There was a moment where I awoke thinking that someone else had arrived long after dark only to decide I was either dreaming or hearing the mouse again. Turns out this morning that someone did arrive and set up a tent and hammock away from the shelter. I'm betting they shone their flashlights in and found two people tucked too warmly into sleeping bags with clothing or netting heavily encasing their faces and opted to camp on sloping terrain instead. Don't blame them in the least. Anyway, it wasn't the most restful night's sleep I've had out here. {sniff sniff}   Earl and I were up and on our way to breakfast in Dalton early. It was my original intention to come in for breakfast, pick up my food drop, sort through the stuff, mail ahead what was needed, wash some clothes, take a shower (Laundromat offered a shower and towel for $2), and then hike on out to the first shelter north of town. As always, the "the best laid plans of mice, men" and long distance hikers goes to hell when you don't feel well. I made it to town, had breakfast, said aloha to Earl, and checked into the Shamrock Village Hotel. The head has gone to the chest and hiking the mere three miles, mostly downhill on a gorgeous blue day with temps in the low 60s, brought intense sweating and shortness of breath. Time to find some medication that works.   Shortly after finishing breakfast I ran into Rooster. She's already passed me now. Still not feeling well, she got back on the trail yesterday and ended up doing 21 miles. (She got to stay at the Cookie Lady's and was rewarded with fresh made cookies.) She was headed on moving another 9 miles to her mail drop. It was good to see her back out and going. I plan on following suit shortly myself.   Since being here I have sorted through my mail drop (thanks Char, some really great goodies), mailed stuff off to Hanover and Glencliff, NH, showered, shaved my legs, did my laundry, and found the pharmacy. Dalton turns out not to be the most convenient of towns. A small town spread all over. The laundry and general store are at one end and the pharmacy is at the opposite. I may not be on the trail but I've done enough miles to have made it to my originally planned destination! Now though I'm sitting here trying to talk to you and wondering when the drugs are going to kick in. It better be soon. {SNIFF!}   While I was in the pharmacy I decided to try something different for the ache in and above my arches. I'm pretty much of the belief that my boots have broken down due to having been wet for so long. That includes the inserts that the Orthopedic ordered for me. With little help from the pharmacist, I've chosen some new inserts with the most support I could find. They're 3/4 length so I bought cheap inserts to mess with making them full length. At first try they seem pretty comfortable. My fingers are crossed that this will do the trick for at least the next 100 miles until my new boots arrive. I'll let you know tomorrow night. You may hear the scream from there if they don't work tomorrow. (I do still have my old ones... just in case.)   Okay, though I now have plenty of food, I wasn't planning on eating it in town so I need to go find something to eat. Soup sounds good. Anyone happen to have any tomato or vegetable noodle soup handy? No? Didn't think so; it's supposed to be summer.   You breathe well and freely and I'll see ya tomorrow. In much greater health I'm sure. {SNIFF, COUGH, WHEEZE!}BSandTs: always the sweat; even on what should be sweat free days.AandPs: the arch thing but not as severe this morning.MandGs: sniff, cough, wheeze...waah!Critter count: couldn't even tell you.