Date: 2007-08-29
To: Happy Hill Shelter
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: clear sky

mi. 5.8sleep hammockdest. Happy Hill Shelter day 48 Well I'm sick. Luckily yesterday I picked up some CVS dayquil and some thoart spray, I took some before I went to sleep and woke up and took some more, and went back to sleep. I woke up feeling pretty bad. I got up around 9am and packed up. Barbraossa and firework were already packed and headed to town. I packed up and met them at the co-op. The plan was bagels for breakfest, then town chores, then head south. Hanover has a great bagel breakfest. Then I headed to the P.O. I mailed home my 3.5L underquilt, my homemade hammock, and my mittens. I used my pad as my bottem insulation and it~ working pretty good. I'm not too worried about the temp dropping below freezing for awhile. I think I could make it below that with what I am carrying. I am still feeling pretty bad. I stopped by the CVS and picked up some NyQuil, dayquil, and a half gallon of OJ. I was going to get some Ben and Jerrys, but the store was closed. This place even has the store, but it was closed when I walked by. I walked over to the Dartmoth green and did something I have been wanting to do forawhile. I spread a bunch of my crap out on the green, laid down, and drank a bunch of OJ. I took a couple picks doing this. It was great. People were stairing and I was loving it. I headed south feeling like crap and drinking OJ. There is a long road walk out of town. It was around noon and 90 degrees and along the road. It was freakin hot and sunny. I got to where the trail ran off just sweating and feeling like crap. The first shelter was only 3.5 away. That was far enough. The walk there was way tougher than it needed to be. I got to the shelter around 2 or 3pm. This was far enough for me today. I sat down. I saw a couple books there. One was the one that firework was carrying that I wanted to read. He mailed it home just before he saw me so his mom could read it. I hope you enjoy it Karen. I thought there was no wy I was going to happen across a good funny book, so i bought one at the book store earlier today. What are the odds. I read the first chapter of "Me Talk Pretty One Day." It was funny. I almost left the book I bought there and packed that one out, but I figured I bought it so I wanted to get my money out of it. After back 45 minutes I figured I better see if there was any water at this shelter. Nope stream was dry. I went back and read the shelter Registry. It said that there was if you walked up a ways. I went back, still no go. At this point I knew that there was no way I had enough water for dinner and the rest of the night. I figured the trail must cross this stream bed just south of the shelter. If it was dry I would hike on and stealth next to the next good water. Luckily it was only 5 minutes hike south. As I got there a section hiker pulled up. H read i the next shelter there was water there.                                                                  I sat and talked to him while I made dinner and journaled. A nice older man. He is worried that he will have to slack pack the rest of the trail in sections if he can't lighten his pack. He is ending a few days early because he is not feeling good. I talked about gear and choices a little. My pack is only a little lighter than his. I really am going to try for that 15 lbs base weight pack when I get back. Although I would still end up with about the same. I would just fill it with food or some other entertainment. I am trying to hold out as long as I can, but at some point I want top carry a small radio. Something with a little speaker. Someone had a small hand crank one that I thought was a good idea. Way lighter than one with batteries. I took some Green Death Nyquil and got into my hammock around 6pm. I really needed some rest. Dennis Leary has a great bit about NyQuil. Paraphrased it's. NyQuil. Big N, little y, and big freakin Q. Other cough sirups are getting a berry or grape flavor. Not NyQuil, they still have the same green death flavor. You take the NyQuil, then boom your in the coma. Well I almost went into the coma. I was laying in the hammock when I felt a big fever come on. You know the feeling. When your head hurts and you get the I'm on pain killers feeling. I'm so glad my first aid kit has extra strength Tyenol. I carry them, advil, and Aleeve. Without that to break my fever, I could have been in a little jam. i was thinking about this very thing when I put it in my first aid kit before I left. I am so glad I did. I woke up a couple times thoughout the night. I reupped the NyQuil at some point. It is going to make for a late start, but my body needs it. I should have zeroed in Hanover when I felt this coming on. Side note. I know I said I wanted to start dstaying away from shelters. But when I'm feeling this bad I think it is the best thing to do. This way if I get in a bad spot, someone will either be close or find me at some point. If I was a ways off the trail, who knows. I was ok tonight, but if I didn't have some tyenol to break my fever, then who knows. Luckily I didn't have to find out. Today I also crossed over in stated number 3. I am now offically in Vermont. I'll put my thoughts on H.N. and the Whites together at somepoit and post them. Unfortantly there wasn't a cool sign or anything. Just a long road bridge over some water to go across.