Date: 2013-07-09
From: Clarks Ferry Shelter

To: Just before PA 325
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

day 109Indigo's new entry says day 110??My shoes and socks were still wet so my feet were not happy. I apssed through a gravel parking lot and there was a note that said trail magic but there was none. It was very disappointing. Within a few more miles my feet were screaming at me. My wet socks had caused the skin on my heels to just become raw and it was all sorts of painful. I stopped at Peters Mt Shelter to tape them up Slow N steady was there and did get to see her friend in the morning. Her friend gave her some water and a pair of dry socks. She left as I tried to tape my heels as best I could. It's pretty difficult to tape raw skin. I Hobbled on passing different trails and wincing with each step. Slow n Steady and I hadn't picked an exact camping spot so I prayed I'd find her set up before the next big uphill. Within an hour I met her checking out a spring and tenet sites. We were far enough from the road and water source so it was even a legal spot to camp.. There were all sorts of rules about camping close to the AT but but far from roads and water. It was just late afternoon so we took our time setting up and getting water. I took a half bath splashing off the sweaty sticky grime that had accumulated on my legs arms and face. I made dinner quickly because the mosquitoes were making an all you can eat buffet out of me! Slow n Steady gave me her new pair of dry socks so my feet wouldn't be so miserable. We hoped the couple from last night wouldn't come here. As I got ready to get in my tent for the evening S;ow n Steady shared a few golden oreos with me. WOW! those were really tasty. I brushed my teeth and got in bed early because of the bugs. After an hour I could count 11 mosquito's waiting on my mesh tent wall. Aha they couldn't get me!! I smiled as I snuggled down as I was safe from those pesky buzzers. We both wanted to get up early to beat the heat but as I got up and got ready Slow n Steady hadn't even stirred. As I started taking down my tent I could see movement but it wasn't till she called out my name in a sickly voice that I realized something was wrong. She'd been sick all night and wasn't going to be able to hike. There was no cell service so she couldn't call anyone. She gave me her friends phone number that she'd seen that morning and told me to call her for help. I was torn between leaving her here alone and going on. I wanted to stay to make sure she was alright but there was no way I could, she needed a ride out to a doctor somewhere and me staying wouldn't help that. She had plenty of food and water so that made me feel a tiny bit better as I left my hiking buddy alone sick in the woods. I tried to get cell service at the road but there was none. That meant I had to hike up the mtn several miles before trying again. As I stopped at a trail intersection 4 miles , 2hours up it began to rain. I couldn't use my phone in the rain so I shoved it back in my pack and raced to find a hemlock tree. I'd seen several on my way up so I knew there were around. Sure enough I saw a nice big one with a flat dry bed of needles. I sat nice and dry as I called Slow n Steady's friend, but I got voice mail so I left a message. I snacked as I figured I'd try the # again in a few more miles. I got to Yellow Springs Campsite tried again and left another voice mail. This tenting area had been my original goal yesterday and I'm glad I didn't make it here. The area was really buggy and not so nice. the rain had cleared up the trail was fairly nice so it was shaping up to be a fairly okay day. I decided I was just going to Raush Gap shelter because my feet hurt, I didn't want to tent alone or get to far ahead of Slow n Steady. I came upon a real nice camping area and large spring right before the shelter. The water looked so cool and refreshing and it was so hot out. I'd been a personnel goal of mine to skinny dip for the first time on this journey. So I ventured upstream a little made sure no one was around, took my clothes off and waded in. The water was much colder that I expected it to be so I didn't stay in long. I dunked in up to my neck and got out and redressed and sat with just my feet in for a few more minutes. When my feet were numb from the icy spring - .