Date: 2003-06-30
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a bit of a bummer for me...at least the first part of it. I woke up early and checked out my feet...I discovered, while massaging them last night, that I had developed a blister on my right heel. I also had been experiencing some pain in my left heel due to a crack in the skin. Both heels had hurt overnight, anytime I tried sleeping on my back. In addition, I was stuffed up and started coughing again last night. Bleah!! I took a benadryl, which seemed to work. But my feet...I knew that 20 miles today was out of the question. Deacon Blues was going about 11, but meeting a hiking partner from last year and possibly taking a zero tomorrow. Martin wasn't sure where he was headed, but somewhere further than 8 miles, which was where the next hut was located. The Blue Stool, Halfway and their guests were only going the 8 miles, as well as Appy and Pappy, a grandfather/grandson team. I figured that I could try the 8...then Gerri and Randy would definitely be abl!e to catch up with me. I miss hiking with them. So, I took my time getting ready...ate breakfast, packed up, performed minor surgery on my foot to drain the blister, then bandaged it up with bacitracin and duct tape. I started out verrrry slowly. I discovered that uphills weren't that bad, but downhills WERE. To top it off, the bones in my left foot started to ache when I put too much pressure on that foot. AHHHHHHHH!!! How could I get to almost 900 miles without having even minor foot problems, then have all of this on the same day??? I think it may have to do with the 20 mile day I put in, and the fact that I ran for a good 2 miles of it. I crept along, feeling very discouraged. I kept meeting up with Blue Stool and Halfway, who were taking as many breaks as they could to get to the shelter as late as possible. It's difficult to do the kind of mileage that we do, then slow down when people join you on the Trail. We all arrived at the shelter at around 2:00. M!artin was finishing up a break, and heading out to whereever he could get. He still has remnants of this cold/flu thing, and is coughing, but he needed to push on. I always yell at him and tell him it's because he smokes so damn much...he told me that I've now taken the place of his mother over here. He never should have told me that he was trying to quit! :) Anyway, I started eating a big lunch to try and get rid of some weight in my food bag...then went to my tent to catch up on some journal entries. After typing for at least an hour, I nodded off and had a lovely nap. I woke up at 5:30 when Randy, Gerri, Appy and Pappy arrived. I got up to socialize, played a game of war with Appy (he's seven...I was in heaven, as I really miss kids out here.), and had some dinner. Sherpa and his son, Chainsaw, who is 12 came in during dinner. They are from Maine...Orland now, but Sherpa is originally from Millinocket. We all talked about the upcoming terrain in Maine, and the kids played. Halfway built a great fire, which helped to keep the nast!y evil bugs away, and we all sat around the fire chatting till it got dark. It's so nice to have good people to hang out with out here...it made my day. Now hopefully my feet will have recovered some to do some miles tomorrow...18 will bring us to a campground that has a restaurant and taproom...now there's some motivation! Stay tuned...