Date: 2006-04-07
To: Day full of tears
Miles today: 5.0

Happy 40th birthday Colleen!! I wish you were here to enjoy these beautiful wildflowers as they are all coming into bloom. I could use your botanical knowledge. First cired about 1/2 mile out of Gooch shelter. Missing and mourning what's slipped away between us. Took some pictures to send you. It rained a bit last night, comforting to hear the pitter patter on the tentfly, see how I feel during a deluge! Knee felt ok to start. Hobbled around camp a lot, but Ibuprofen works miracles (so it seemed). I took it at a slow and steady pace - practicing "walking meditation." I don't care what they say, meditation is tough!! :-) One foot in front of the other, heel to toe, left right, left right, and the occasional double step around an obstacle. Trail today is pretty decent, smooth, not too many rocks or roots. Kept up pretty good. Found Rocky and Swamp Fox picnicing on a beautiful overlook and they invited me to join them. Such wonderful people, if only everyone were so nice. Sat ther for a while with boots off and then Librarian appeared and joined us. Soon is was time for me to move on. Left Librarian writing in her beautiful (and heavy) wood bound journal. Not much further, found a beautiful spring flowing down the hill. I was almost out of water, so took another quick break. Those of you back home might not realize this, but out here we get out water from these natural sources, springs and streams. The AT handbook and maps show most of these locations, as hydration is very important. I'm stopping as often as I can for water. Treating your water supply is of paramount importance. All microorganisms need to be filtered or chemically treated. I have a system that does both. I don't want Giardia, also known as "Beaver Fever" as I hear it will wreak havoc on your digestive system, even to the point of forcing you off the trail. Now while that sounds bad, picture this. You go to the store and buy your bottled spring water, I actually get to sit by the babbling brook and get my own. It's so much nicer than grabbing a case at Wal-Mart. At leas I know my water is from a spring and not a tap!I digress---My knee is killing me by now, even though I am resting often and hiking at at a 1.5 mph pace. Today I've made it about 6 miles. I'm writing this from the side of the road at Woody Gap. I had to pull myself off the trail. My right knee is swollen and I can barely lift it. My hiking poles are now crutches. Every time I drag my toes across a rock or root (and that's fairly regularly), pain shoots through my knee. One of the first rules of hiking is "listen to your body" - it's time I do so. I had hiked about 1/2 mile past Woody Gap with the intention of reaching the next shelter, another 6 miles. I stopped, burst into tears, and turned around. As I gimped back down the trail, I met Rocky, Swamp Fox, and Librarian. Our paths had been crossing the last few days and already they've left me with lasting impressions (good ones). They knew the trouble I'd been having and all gave me positive encouragement that I was doing the right thing. Hey, I still have ALL summer, no point killing my hike/dream now by acting foolishly. The great people at www.hikerhostel.com (Josh, Leigh, and Paul) come through Woody Gap every dat at 5:00pm. Right now, the sun is shining, cool breeze blowing, and all is well. I'll go back and rest and ice my knee for a day or so, lighten my pack, and head back out from this point.   daily miles 5.0