Date: 2009-05-25
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Harpers Ferry!!!
Miles today: 140.6
Weather: clear sky

Back on the trail!Damascus was a good time, but after a few days, I found myself really longing to be hiking again. I think that's a good sign. :-) I got a ride back from a very nice guy named 30-30 who thru-hiked the AT twice and the PCT once and is planning on doing the CDT next year.When I returned, however, I was rather shocked and dismayed to find that no less than 5 of my friends (Zen Master, Honey Do, Granddaddy Longjohns, CRS and Lops) had quit the trail while I was at Trail Days! These were people I had been seeing for hundreds of miles, so they were a bit like my Trail Family and it was a blow to hear they had left.Because of that, and a few other things, this last section has been a tad tough. After I finished Shenandoah, I wasn't feeling too well. I my stomach was constantly upset and I had absolutely no energy - climbs that I could have run up previously turned into huge challenges which left me utterly exhausted. Thinking I was sick with something, I decided to take a few days off at Terrapin Station Hostel. I lazed around, watched TV, read, and slept.I felt better after my stay, and got on the trail again yesterday. However when I got up this morning the lack of energy was back, and the 3 miles to get here were not particularly fun. I'm hoping that I'm just feeling crappy because I did too many miles yesterday (22ish) after sitting around doing nothing and that I'll feel better by the time I make it to Harpers. If not, there's a hospital near there and I might go and get checked out.But to end the entry on a more positive note...At the end of Shenandoah, I was thinking to myself, "Man, I wish I had gotten to see a bear in the park. Ah well." Sure enough, a few minutes later I'm walking along and I see a bear stepping into the woods from the trail. The bear in Shenandoah are much like the deer - they quite simply don't care about humans. Therefore, this one meandered into the woods and sat down about 15 feet from the trail as I approached. I got up to the section of trail right next to it, and it still wasn't moving, so I grabbed my cellphone and started taking video of it. :-) After I recorded for a while, I stopped and tried to get a still picture, but it finally got sacred and ran away before I could snap the picture. Still, being 15 feet away from a good size black bear - so cool!!!Addendum: I recieved a request for a few ramblings on trail footwear, so here 'tis. This section is probably going to be boring for anyone not that into hiking, so feel free to stop reading. :-)I'm currently wearing a pair of Asolo Fugitive GTX boots. I bought them new last summer, broke them in on a few hikes, and then took them out here. So far they've been holding up pretty well - except for a few insignificant little rips in the fabric on the uppers and the tread starting to wear down, they're like new. The breaking in period last summer was a royal pain - they tore penny sized gashes in my heels that didn't heal for weeks. However, when that was done with, they were pretty good. At the start, I definitely got blisters, and still get them on occasion, but for the most part my feet are comfortable.Aside from boots, the main alternative I've seen on the trail are trail runners (essentially running shoes with a reinforced sole and toe box). I'd say the majority of people out here have trail runners, but it's a slim majority. Those who wear them say that they're much more comfortable and cause less blisters than boots, which I fully believe. The advantage to boots however is the ankle support. I've nearly rolled my ankle innumerable times since the start of the trip (often more than once a day) but the boots have kept me from really hurting myself.In addition to the comfort concerns, what happens when they get wet is also an issue. Boots are heavy, and only get heavier when they get soaked in water (which will inevitably happen, waterproofing or no). They also do not dry out particularly quickly. Trail runners on the other hand are light and dry out much faster when wet.Besides the two main options above, there are any number of alternatives. A small contingent of people hike in hiking sandals - again, sandals with a reinforced toe box and sole. Then there are the individuals who hike in regular sandals, Crocs, or even bare feet!Bottom line, if you're looking for footwear, try stuff on and buy your stuff from a place where you can return the shoes if you don't like them (REI I think will do that). There's no WonderBoot that will solve all of your foot problems - it's just a question of tradeoffs between different types of comfort.Off to see the wizard,