Date: 2015-05-27
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke at 5:30 on trail by 7:00 a.m. It is going to be a very long 18.6 mile day in some wicked heat and humidity. Walked a lot with Jeboots. Met a strange SoBo hiker at stream crossing traveling with his Weiner dog. He was carting a 65 lb pack. His story wasn't adding up giving rise to warning bells. Jeboot headed out ahead of me and I wrapped up my conversation with the man. He threw in a comment about having just gotten out of prison and I just got out of there!!! Yikes!The ball of my right foot daily now gives me trouble. Feels like I am rolling over a marble with each step. I had two episode of heat exhaustion during up hill climbs. I can physically climb but once I stop to physically rest I discover that I'm past being overheated. This can't be good. I probably shouldn't push so hard.Parted ways with Jeboots at her hostel at 2:00 pm. It was the Front Royal Hostel. She will meet me at the parking lot in Front Royal at 5:00 p.m. My morning plan had been for me to hike to the Jim & Molly Denton Shelter for the night. However, in this heat/humidity, I probably shouldn't attempt the full 18.6 miles. Better plan is for tomorrow to be a Zero.Made it to first shelter after parting ways with Jeboots (Tom Floyd Shelter) and rested until 3:00 p.m. Made it to stream at Mile 968.0 by 4:00 (1.5 miles) but wasn't clearheaded enough to make myself drink enough water or replenish my Camelback. I drank water from Jack's water bladders through the Sawyer Squeeze and he drank from the steam. I don't think I had peed at all so far today but again, I was becoming disoriented and it didn't even occur to me that not peeing meant I was getting myself into trouble. During the final push into Front Royal, I collapsed into a heap in the shade on the grass with Jackson. I poured all the remaining water in Jack's bowl and he drank some. I was worried about Jack and still not myself. In a fog, I stared at the bowl for a longtime. It was clear and refreshing looking water. When Jack was done I drank the entire bowl as if from a cup. Yep I needed to get off the trail!!! Dehydration plays a mean game on your mind.Jeboots retrieved me and took me straight to the hotel and cranked on the A/C. God bless Jeboots!!! We got dinner and a few supplies. I broke down and explained my Plantar Wart issue with my right foot and she had great advice admitting it was a pretty big problem. We acquired some different types of bandages that might help my problem.Here is my posting to Facebook for the day... Today Jackson and I finished the Shenandoahs. We were supposed to do 18.6 miles but due to the heat and humidity, I was having heat exhaustion episodes. I would start to sweat profusely, get disoriented, and forced to sit in the shade to cool down. Scary. For fear of heat stroke a new woman hiker friend of mine picked me up 5.2 miles short of my goal. She got me to a hotel and air conditioning. I'm also having trouble with my right foot. I have a plantar wart on the ball of my foot. As I hike and my foot starts to sweat, it expands so painfully that it feels like I'm rolling over a pebble. This then causes me to adjust my walking style to relieve the pain causing pain elsewhere. Like my ankles or leg muscles. So tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. I'm going to take a zero and regroup with a new plan. No worries Jeff Burt, I'll still see you Sunday!