Date: 2008-10-19
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Icewater Spring
Miles today: 28.3
Weather: clear sky

When I woke up this morning there was frost on all of the leaves. My tarp was covered in yellow and red ones that had fallen from trees overnight. My tarp and hammock are already military green and the added leaves on top make my set up chameleon like. I walked 20 miles from Cosby Shelter to Icespring Shelter. My foot was throbbing the whole time. I have learned to walk with it and managed to bang out the 20 miles with minimal complaints. All I could really think about was the foot. Mango and I stayed together behind the rest of the crew and maintained good conversation for the 7 hour trek. Talking helped keep my mind off the pain.I promised myself that I would document just how much I dedicate to alleviating stress and avoiding further damage to my foot. I have been careful to walk with each step on the left side of my left foot. I am developing leather thick skin along the pressure points. When forced to lunge with my left leg I use my heal upon impact and slightly bend my knee to help absorb some of the shock. I use my right leg to compensate for the lack of momentum that I can produce with the injury. My right leg is literally supplying 75% of the power. All of the little stabilizer muscles in both my left and right feet are sore and inflamed. Cubby has supplied me with a large amount of Ibuprofen. This is the first time in 1900 miles that I have broken down and taken an anti-inflammatory.As I mentioned in some previous entries, the hike is always more mental than physical. If I allow this injury to cripple me mentally then it is over. Instead I constantly focus on keeping the pain isolated in only my foot. I have developed a perception that my body is in premium shape otherwise. I feel the pain in each step but only allow it to effect tiny little bones. I am aware of it but it doesn't take over my mind. As soon as I acknowledge the pain it gets worse. I begin to complain to myself and dream about how pleasurable the hike would be with 2 good feet. Then I focus on keeping the pain only in my foot and force my mind to ignore the pain. I think my hike went fast today because in addition to good company my mental battles with pain occupied me. I felt proud to pull it off. I had been dreading this day, it was a long day and the worst to come. Right off the bat today I climbed 1300 ft. and then remained on a 5000 ft. ridge for most of the rest of the day. There were other up's and down's but nothing over 500 ft. The Smoky's are unbelievable. The mountains are all gigantic and they seem to go on forever. At one point just before Charlies Bunion (about 3 miles before camp) I heard talking out in the mountains. I stopped and Mango looked at me like I was nut's. We concentrated to listen closer and indeed heard voices. I cuffed my hands and yelled "hello"! Seconds later we got a hello back. I recognized the voice but couldn't pinpoint if it was Spoon, Philadelphia or Tree Slayer. We then heard Grettles voice and we both started laughing. We had located our crew miles away from echoing our voices in a 5000 ft. valley. Mango cuffed his hands and screamed "Grettle, I love you". Seconds later Grettles voice echoed through the mountains... "Mango, I love you too"! The exchange inspired us for the last hour of hiking.I am at Icewater Spring Shelter at 5920ft. It is freezing once again. I am sleeping in my hammock because I prefer to lately but also because the shelter is filled with nearly 20 people. They are talking an awful lot and I am being a bit antisocial by pitching my hammock out in the woods and writing this entry. I am just not ready to talk to people about my hike before it is over. ~Santana~ "by myself but not alone"