Date: 2018-09-25
From: Pinefield hut

To: Blackrock hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

Well in no way did I get a good night's sleep. The wafting smells of farts and dirty hikers, especially wet socks, only helped to keep my nausea alive all night. I forced down a half portion of white bean chicken chili but the beans weren't quite rehydrated enough and it didn't suit my palate. Twice in the night I scoped out the quick exit so I wouldn't step on Songbird's head if I needed to vomit. Fortunately it never came to that and at 5am I snuck out to pee and then crawled back into bed much relieved to take a nap. Today would be a wet 13 miles to the next shelter but we plan to break it up with breakfast at the wayside in 4 miles. I'm wet and I'm cold and even the inside of my rain coat is wet but I wear it for warmth and pack away my kilt. I ordered 2 eggs over medium with bacon and hash browns, no toast and an orange juice. The eggs are broken and over hard and I'm sure the cook doesn't care. I ate one and 2 of the strips of bacon and the hash browns. Eddyman ate the rest of the bacon. Songbird, Galaxy, Colorado, Insect, Sugar Glider and Pineapple are all there and some of us lingered more than an hour eating multiple breakfasts. It's a shame I can't get just one down. Before leaving I visited the ladies room where Songbird has been using the hand dryer to try to dry her socks and boots to relieve her blistering toes. The stench almost gagged me when I walked in and she was so apologetic. I don't blame her for trying to get relief from the misery but odors are a real trigger for me right now. Determined not to get wetter today I purchased a rain poncho in the gift shop. It covers my upper body and pack. I put it on and we headed out for 9.6 more miles. Sugar Glider and Pineapple decided to walk Skyline Drive instead of the trail in the hopes of staying dryer and making it 26 miles to the Blackrock Hut. Today was probably my most difficult emotional day because of the fatigue and nausea. I worked so hard at pushing my wet stinky self up and down mountains while carrying a 35lb waterlogged backpack. When Eddyman offered to take my food bag to lighten the load I broke down. I explained I'm doing the best I can and he said he knows that and lightening my load may help. Im upset that my body isn't doing what I want. Songbird gave me some ginger capsules for digestive aid. I took 2 and the nausea was better. I was hard on myself for not having a body at this time that will do what I'm asking of it. It made my stomach hurt and I just wanted to get to the shelter and lay down. We arrived around 4:15 and I chose a spot on the floor that would give me easy exit. The floor to one side of me all the way to the wall was wet so no one would likely take it plus the rain stopped a few hours ago and several hikers are tenting. I layed down on my sleeping pad and covered up taking some deep breaths and relaxing before dinner. I then watched Galaxy work on getting a fire going. No easy task and it took him finding some sassafras and one hour of fanning. Finally we had the fire and spread out our socks and shoes near it to dry. But nothing dried. On the other end of the shelter is Pathfinder. She was here when we arrived all wrapped up in an emergency blanket inside her sleeping bag with a hat on. She'd arrived yesterday wet and cold suffering from hypothermia and Insect and Colorado tended to her when they stopped in earlier by making her a hot chocolate and getting water for her. She's been on trail since March 24 and started at Springer Mountain. She skipped the Smokies because she had bronchitis. She fell in GA and required stitches in her head. She confessed to not being able to hang a bear bag or open a bear box. She's 76 and if she were my Mom I'd have gotten her off trail long ago. She's planning on getting off at Harper's Ferry but it'll take her a month to get there at 5 miles a day. Around 6:15 it was feeding time and I was feeling better with the rest. I got my water and cooked up a half portion of cheesy mashed potatoes. I skipped the bacon bits. It was okay and I brushed my teeth and crawled back into bed. Then I received a text from Brian asking me to call. I had to leave the shelter to get enough service and it was nice to talk with him. He just wanted to hear my voice. It made me feel better and it changed my perspective a bit. So tomorrow when I wake up and all day I'm going to give myself positive affirmations and loving kindness just as Rebecca reminds me to in my yoga. I'm going to see if it helps me feel better.