Date: 2010-04-04
From: Fontana

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

4/4Fontana lodge0 milesIn the morning I got shuttled to Fontana Lodge for a day off while Cody started off into the smokies. She's on a bit of a schedule so she can meet up with various friends. I miss her already and I really hope we can meet up again in a couple weeks so we can hike together more. She's fun to be with, hilarious, helpful, and just generally awesome. Plus she puts up with my quirks (constant nighttime rustling! Burping! Always remembering the details wrong!)So she's off. Me, I really need this day to rest and heal. Depending on the knees I may extend my stay one more day, but I don't think it's very likely. My next day or two of hiking is mostly uphill, which is quite restful for knees.  My knee problems are ( I think) my standard ones- my lower leg bones get forced apart and then everything hurts. My straps help a lot. Extra collagen will help too. I've asked JD to mail me some so I can double up on it for a while. That will help my ligaments tighten up quite a bit. I may also seek out chiropractic care to get the bones whacked back into position if they don't figure things out on their own. So today I'm trying to rest. I walked down to the general store to get a few things and that's as far as I intend to go today.  I'm getting some work done,checking email. Blue Sky should show up from her slackpack at some point to share the room with me.  (when I went to pay for my purchases at the general store, the cashier stared at my choices and said "there's no junk food here. " I explained that my mom had sent me treats. ) ( btw the resupply in Fontana village is now quite good. Serious maildrops and/or trips to Robbinsville are unneccessary IMHO. )  (also they have free wifi at the lodge - an important detail for us nerds. )I kind of wish I had before and after foot pictures. Before, almost completely covered in supportive tape and blisters. After, with just tape at the ball of my left foot supporting my arthritic joint. And if I can figure out how to tape the foam to my insole rather than my foot, I won't have any tape at all!I figured I'd do an early gear report since I have time today. It's only been 160 miles but what the heck. Montbell ultralight superstretch down hugger 30 degree bag:  comfy, stretchy but completely inadequate for late march temps. I've been supplementing it with my liner bag and my jacket, and hand warmers.  JD sent me an additional down liner to use in the smokies.  Thermolite reactor bag: awesome. Stretchy, comfy, notably warm. A keeper. Neoair pad:  not warm enough. I've supplemented it with a light foam pad from gossamer gear and that works. I also put a sit pad under my hips. The weight overrides most other considerations. Like all 20" pads it could stand to be 5" wider.  Good comfort otherwise. Tarptent rainbow: bomber. Huge inside and so far weatherproof.  Love it. May yet swap to something smaller and lighter but at the moment I'm quite happy with it. Pole insertion has gotten easier as promised.  I'm jealous of the changes made to the 2010 model.   Montbell down inner jacket: I wouldn't have made it this far without it. Rockdancer hat: warm, comfy, covers my eyes so it's dark when I sleep. Nice. Gossamer gear mariposa pack:  still love it. New frame is great. Love the pockets. Got two holes in it in one day and started to freak out but it seems okay.Steripen: love/hate. Sometimes works great. Doesn't like being cold. Occasional mystery failures according to its screen. Is definitely a leap of faith.  Will keep using but have iodine as backup. Phew. That's a lot, isnt it?  Read slowly as I probably won't be able to journal for a few days.