Date: 2019-05-23
From: Cow Camp Gap Shelter

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

Susan has found a red itchy sore on her side that looked similar to poison ivy. She said it also looked like a shingles outbreak. She has had shingles before and it put her out of commission for two weeks. She made plans to walk with the Liberty guys to the trailhead where they had parked and they agreed to drop her at an urgent care.I planned to hike on alone and wait to hear from her up the trail.  My day began with .6 uphill walk just to get back onto the real trail.  The rest of the day was only moderately strenuous, no huge ascents or descents, just half-mile stretches either up or down.  One by one the younger hikers from our campsite passed me by.  I caught up with them at Seely Woodward Shelter about 1:30 where we all stopped for lunch.  Another group who had camped even farther away also joined us there; they had already done almost 20 miles for the day.  We all intended to get to the Priest Shelter for the evening. Because of the name, it is to be a tradition for hikers to confess their trail sins in the shelter log.  That should make for interesting reading! If Susan has shingles and has to cut her hike short, I think I plan at least to try to tough it out until the day John is planning to meet us in June. I might try to arrange more slackpacking and hostel stays though.  I¢m not sure I¢m ready to be a solo hiker.   Susan is a great encourager and has helped me immensely through my hiking. Just yesterday as she was encouraging me as she patiently followed me on that long uphill climb, I asked her if she felt like a parent teaching their child to ride a bike running behind them and helping them balance. I¢ve never hiked without a partner.  It comforts and calms me just knowing someone else is out here with me.  As we parted at the shelter this morning, I said it was ¢time for me to take off the training wheels.¢As I had no one to talk to during the day, I found ways to occupy my mind.  I quoted all my memory verses - James, Philippians, I John, and many single verses.  I sang.  I quoted the books of the Bible.  I tried to sing as many songs as I could that started with A, then B, then C...I finally made it to the base of Priest Mountain about 5:00.  Knowing I had a steep .9 up to the shelter, I stopped for a rest, a drink, and a snack.  I was really just putting off the inevitable.  I finally trudged uphill to the shelter.  It took me almost an hour.  All the young people from both groups I had seen during the day were there already.  Legacy was eating at the picnic table too along with a few unfamiliar faces.  I felt I deserved a standing ovation for doing the same mileage most of them had done for the day, but my entrance went unnoticed.Most had tents set up, so I claimed a spot in the shelter and began fixing dinner. About that time, Susan walked in.  She had found a shuttle back to a nearby trailhead and hiked in from the north.  The doctor she had seen was not sure whether her sore was shingles or some type of contact dermatitis.  She has prescriptions for both that she will take as we continue  hiking, and time will tell.  For now, I¢m glad she¢s back on the trail.  All the young people are planning to start early start and do big miles to get to a trailhead where they will be picked up for a trip to Devils Backbone, a local brewery.  They are so excited for beer. Legacy has plans to stay at the same next three shelters that we do as we head into Waynesboro.  We three may be the only ones at them.  We¢ll see.