Date: 2015-05-11
From: Bland, VA

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 26.5
Weather: clear sky

I had to hike through a lot of issues today.The first issue was physical. I woke up at 2:30 a.m. to go to the bathroom and couldn't fall asleep again because I felt sick. So I scrounged around in my food bag for a snack. When we all woke up to pack at 5, Dan asked, "Did I hear a little mouse over there in the middle of the night?"I am so sick of being hungry. I love food but jeez. I ate enough to feed three people this weekend.I didn't sleep that well, my head spinning. I got up late in he night to make a list of things to remember to ask mom to out in my next box in the morning (most important: Auntie Pat's cookies). I couldn't stop thinking about stupid and ridiculous things.I always itch to get back on the trail when I take zeros. But not this time. I enjoyed my laziness and family time.The next issue was emotional. We were maybe three miles from the trail this morning when mom reached behind her in the car to squeeze my leg. Cue the waterworks.They dropped me off with hugs and tears, wishing me luck and waving as I headed north from Route 52. And I cried. I told you that I was a crybaby. I miss my mommy and Dan. This weekend was probably one of the best of my life, I needed the love and contact and real hugs so much. But now I am back on the trail. I have readjusted without dying. I can survive The next problem was physical. I started out in my new trail runners and endured miles of EXCRUCIATING shin pain. My calves were burning as I walked. The bottom halves of my legs were on fire. What the heck?! This problem has come out of nowhere lately. I was dismayed that my new shoes might be the cause. I sadly swapped them out for my camp shoes. I wanted to bawl my eyes out, and call mom and Dan, beg them to turn around and save me from my own shattering legs.But I didn't. I sucked it up. I told myself, just go slow. Even if you only make it a few miles today, it's okay. The trail will be there. I stopped and stretched. I walked half a mile until I felt like I was going to die and stopped again and stretched. I felt like the Tin Man. Instead of rusting in a forest, I had lazed about in hotel rooms. Instead of rusty joints, I had horribly seizing muscles. Instead of walking the yellow brick road, I follow the white-blazed trail.The first THREE HOURS of the morning passed this way as I crawled, limped, and whined my miserable way down and up the trail. Eventually I warmed up and started feeling better. I think I might have pulled a muscle in my left shin area with my vigorous stretching, though. It is quite painful.I know I haven't been stretching as much as I should so I probably deserve to suffer. I made sure to take lots of stretch breaks today. Stretching is actually one of the things on my daily to-do list that I composed during my first weeks on the trail. It includes:-stretch-take vitamins-talk to someone-hike your own hike-take a picture-be thankful for something-stop and look and breathe-think about life and death-get perspectiveI have been mostly successful with these.The next problem was emotional. Or maybe social. Socioemotional?I received messages and/or calls and/or voicemails from four trail friends this weekend.First, Columbo. AT fever has gotten to him. He has been planning to start a last-minute thru-hike, and is less than two weeks from his planned date of departure.Second, Hands. He is about a week behind me now. I had left him a voicemail asking if he would be willing to pick up my packages in Damascus. Then I had to tell him that I had managed to pick them up myself after all, since mom and Dan drove me to Damascus and we walked the trail there together on Saturday. He had left me a message wanting to meet up in Damascus, but we were there Saturday and he arrived there to zero on Sunday.Third, Easy Strider. I had thrown around the idea of hiking with him, Amish, Yeti, and Steam Machine. He sent me texts to check in on where I had gotten off the trail and wanted to know when I was getting back on. Honestly, I liked hiking with them. But I didn't want to rejoin them. Hiking with Chris had been so much nicer... waking up early, stopping fairly early, enjoying some peace and quiet and contemplating the trail.And honestly he texted me too much. It was frustrating. I have no idea if he was romantically interested or just too friendly. I am too introverted, after a while I just wanted him to leave me alone.I passed Yeti and Steam Machine packing up their tents about a mile into my hike. There were several other tents camped around them. I was so frustrated by my leg issues and sad from my family departure, I didn't stop to say Hello. I didn't want to get sucked in. I really like them but didn't want to hike with them and really didn't want to explain that I didn't want to hike with them. So I just waved and called, "You'll catch up to me!" I didn't doubt it would take them long, I was hobbling north so freaking slowly.Lastly, Chris let me know that he was in Pearisburg taking a zero, so he is now a day ahead of me. He told me that he is planning to slow down, and I might be able to catch up to him. Eventually. Somehow. Maybe. If I could hike like 10 extra miles a day. Totally doable, right?So I had a lot to think about in terms of trail friends. Boys. Boys complicating my life. I don't hate the idea of catching up to Chris, though.And then there was the physical. My freaking feet HURT. My trail runners seem pretty good. I am not sure if my squishy insoles fit in them quite right. I walked a lot today, though, trying to outrun Easy Strider et al. The trail was pretty freaking flat but I was so, so slow today. I hope that my splintery legs behave themselves in the morning. I must stretch more.Then there was the thunder. And the rain.It actually wasn't bad, though. After I freaked out, buried my phone and camera in the bowels of Bertha and flung my pack cover over her, Igot to break in my awesome new umbrella. The temperature dropped nicely. My shoes got wet and my toes are still pruney but it was kind of a pleasant afternoon shower. Long, but pleasant. I wandered down the trail like a freakish huge mushroom, with a big blue Bertha stem and a multicolored blue and green umbrella cap.I arrived at Wapiti Shelter a bit after 5 and was ready to call it quits. I used my new stamp to sign the shelter register. I sent mom a text before my phone decided that it didn't have service anymore. I rinsed my nasty hiking clothes (which I get to put back on, damp and cold, in the morning. What joy!) and filled my water bottles.Some friendly overtalkative middle-aged men, Wildslide (who I met at Chestnut Knob Shelter and who is suffering from ankle problems), and another hiker wearing cycling clothes (way too much crotch in my face) are my companions this evening. Conversation mostly is about medical school, which Wildslide will be attending. I can't contribute much.Good news is that Aviary (my other sister... don't worry, that's not actually her name, just what I call her) lives near a Trader Joe's and has offered to buy me one of those delicious cookie butter chocolate bars. I feel bad because I know that Aviary would love to be out here on the trail, but I am the one lucky enough to be ruining my feet hiking towards Katahdin.Seriously, my feet hurt! HahahahahTonight I get to break in my new sleeping bag, in addition to my umbrella this afternoon. And I am wearing my new hiking skirt for pajamas. SO MANY AWESOME NEW THINGS!I am thankful that I had a great weekend with mom and Dan. I could never be here without their support. I am thankful that I got a reminder of how wonderful it is to have a real hug. Also real food I am thankful that I am on the trail. I hope it doesn't ruin my tree trunk legs. Or my sasquatch feet.