Date: 2015-05-24
From: James Fry Shelter

To: Carlisle, PA
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

5/24, Carlisle Rte 11, 20I hate to admit it, but, i still have some work to do to prevent renewing the issues with my right foot. It is much better than before and I actually had nearly two days pain free. Nevertheless, today it got a little sore. I have moleskin on the wound as prescribed by the doctor but I have not been able to relieve the pressure point completely, resulting in some pain at the end of the day. Overnight it relaxes, and I am pain free each morning, but the pain is showing signs of occurring earlier each day. Complicating matters is the amount of time I now have to complete this adventure. By all counts, and speaking to hikers who know, mileage over the last 500 miles goes down to about half what I can cover each day today. That means with few or no zero days I will complete my trek on my original schedule, by August 15. In order to do that I must average 20 per day until New Hampshire, then plan to average 12 per day from there. If I can get healthy 20 to 25 miles in the Mid Atlantic regions is not a stretch, making zero days for rest possible. I guess I just need to get hiking, and hike as long as I can each day. Last night after I turned in, Opie hiked in for the night. i was still awake so after introductions he went about having his dinner and settling in. I fell asleep soon and awoke this morning to a cool day. Judging by the amount of clothing I had to wear to stay warm in my summer bag, it must have been at or just below 40 degrees. Generally I sleep well until about two or three hours before daybreak, when the final cold sets in. This morning I added my wool shirt around 2 am and slept comfortably until 6:30 when I finally let he air out of my mattress, forcing my body to move and deal with the chill. My morning habits from "air out" to hiking are pretty consistently an hour, this morning being no exception. I was on trail at 7:30. Today the hiking was alternating between smooth wooded path, and rocky foot chewing trail. The terrain was relatively flat with only a few small climbs so I was into Boiling Springs for a late lunch around 12:30. As I hiked through town it was easy to see that Boiling Springs uses Memorial Day to create a fun family day. They have a fantastic children's pond complete with ducks and swans and by all appearances it was take your kid pond fishing day. Families were fishing, walking and out enjoying a perfect sunny day. As I reached the ATC regional office I could see people gathering along the street in true American tradition for a parade. I assumed the parade was probably scheduled for 1 so I made my way to the 101 Cafe, as recommended by Ironman Bill, and ordered some lunch. Afterwards I secured a small bowl of Ice cream to go and made my way to the side lawn just in time to catch the parade. It was a relatively short affair utilized mostly to bring veterans, and dignitaries to gather center town for the Memorial Day observance. After the observance a town picnic prepared and served by the local boy scouts was planned. I stayed long enough to observe the high school band play the national anthem while the flag was raised. When the band cleared the street, I was able to make my way back to the trail and continue my journey since I still had 8 miles to reach my planned destination, Carlisle. The remainder of the afternoon I hiked the relatively flat trail as it wandered along field edges and through small sections of woods on its way to Carlisle. I crossed I-76 and then Hwy 11, where I stepped off to check in to a motel in Carlisle a short distance off trail. I checked in, showered, started laundry and ordered a pizza. I had enough time to apply some antibiotic to my toe, and later remove it to dry overnight per Doctor's instructions. I will try a couple more days, but it may be time to switch back to my boots, especially for the rocky trails ahead. Tomorrow I will hike at least to Duncannon, 17 miles, and decide whether to stay at the historic Doyle Hotel, or hike on to the next shelter. I suspect my feet will make the decision for me, either way. Physical challenges aside I have reached the point where mental toughness, which is a close cousin to stubborn, will need to take over from time to time. As I was visiting with the motel clerk tonight I said in passing, I haven't seen Ohio in 3 months. It just sort of hits you out here from time to time how much is sacrificed by so many to make this adventure possible. The list grows each day so I am thankful for the many friends and family, trail angels all, who are making it possible for me to continue. I still love the hike, and the Americana out here cannot be surpassed so I will press on and endeavor to take you along as best I can. Silverback