Date: 2008-05-16
To: Thru-hike Attempt Aborted
Miles today: 0.0

We had a wonderful time at the wedding in South Bend. It was an amazing weekend, and we so enjoyed catching up with family and friends. Nick and Christy, we wish the very best for the two of you!Sadly, I am writing this entry from home. I hadn't mentioned in the journal (mainly because I didn't want to be a sniveler, but also because I was in denial) that I've been having some serious problems with both feet. I have Morton's Neuroma which causes numbness and burning in the three small toes and the balls of the feet. After about 8 miles, my feet where very painful, and I had to take frequent boots-off breaks to manage the extreme discomfort. I could usually manage about 12 miles a day without tears, but beyond that, all of the joy of hiking was sucked right out of my day. We were concerned because a 12 mile a day average just wasn't going to get us to Maine in time.Before the wedding, we had decided that I would hike to Harpers Ferry WV with Hoover at the best pace I could manage, then he would continue north without me at a faster pace, or, if it was too late to finish a straight N-S hike for him, he could flip-flop (head to Maine and hike south back to Harpers Ferry.) Neither of us was happy with that solution, especially since it meant another three months apart. Apart-ness is not something we do well.During the drive back to the trail Hoover suggested another alternative: we could drive up to New Jersey and pick up where we'd left off in our section hiking and hike north from there together. It meant Hoover giving up on a thru-hike for this year, but it kept us together and increased the likelihood that we could at least finish the trail. We pulled off the interstate and talked about the pros and cons, and then altered our course into West Virginia, with an eye to heading north the next day.Both of us were pretty depressed all afternoon and evening. Hoover was dealing with the idea of giving up on his thru-hike, and both of us had looked at the weather forecast (rain and thunder storms predicted for seven out of the next ten days.) It was Mother's Day and I had been able to talk with our son and three grandkids. One of the seven year olds announced to me proudly: "Grandma, I haven't forgotten you yet!" That just pierced my heart. When we woke the next morning, I told Hoover I wanted to go home. He wasn't ready to hike 1700 miles without me, so we turned our car westward. Before we knew it, we were back in the great state of Arkansas.Did we make the right decision? I firmly believe we did. Within hours of arriving home I was stricken with intestinal distress the likes of which I've never before experienced. (My self-diagnosis is giardia, but that has yet to be confirmed by my doctor - unfair since we carefully treated all of the water we drank, but nothing is 100% effective!) All I know is that I am extremely thankful that I was not in the back country when this hit me - it's been miserable enough with the comforts of home!We had a wonderful time out on the AT this year. We saw some beautiful sights, met some wonderful people, and experienced a measure of togetherness that is hard to duplicate in the hubbub of the everyday world. Once again we failed to finish the AT, but we succeeded in a much loftier goal: we enjoyed the journey.