Date: 2012-05-01
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: light rain

Today started off with a flat ridge walk made difficult only by slippery rocks, my right arch painfully acting up again and the fact that I am feeling so sick. I was moving very slowly and the world was starting to have that underwater feeling you get when your sinuses get all out of whack. It sprinkled on and off all morning and I was so happy to have my Packa. At the shelter everyone talked about putting on their rain coat and taking it off multiple times before they gave up and just walked in the rain. I was able to just wear mine like a cape over my head and adjust instantly to the fickle weather. So as much as this piece of gear is not so good in heavy rain, it rocks for this weather. As I was coming down the mountain I could see dark storm clouds and hear thunder moving in and was racing against them hoping to get into the next shelter before I got soaked. After so long on the trail you get very good about looking at the sky knowing just how wet you are about to be. But I was less than a mile from a shelter and promised myself if the rain didn't let up, I was done for the day. Unfortunately the sky opened up as I was still running down the hill. The cherry on this misery pie came when I slipped on a wet leaf and rolled my injured ankle badly, instantly bringing me face first to the ground. Kneeling in the rain clutching my ankle, I started to sob. I've been told a lot of people have break down moments on the trail and this one was mine. For a good minute I just let it all out and cried partly in agony, partly in self pity, but mostly in frustration at my ankle, my arch, the weather, my sickness. And then it as over. the rain still came down, my body still hurt, my nose was still running. But I'd had my release and I was ready to stand back up, keep walking down that hill and continue this journey north.As soon as I got to the shelter the rain had passed and within minutes the sky was a amazing baby blue with big puffy clouds, as if nothing had happened just moments ago. BLT, Sprite and Snag were their having lunch and we chatted a bit before heading out. With the change in weather there was no chance of calling it quits after just 12 miles. I joined them for the walk out but soon fell behind and had the joy of adding new symptoms to my list of ailments. The kind it really really sucks to have in the woods. It took my almost 6 hours to do the next 4 miles and the hills seemed monstrous.   I stopped for water before the shelter not wanting to have extra trips and learned from a south bounder that my group was all there and getting worried about me. Bless them. Got into camp exhausted, feeling worse than ever and found that one of the other south bounders was a medic who after hearing my list of symptoms said I really needed to get some form of treatment. It's so hard to know just how sick you are though since with all the miles still be covered, you can't differentiate what's causing what symptom. I have plans to head home in 6 days to surprise my mother for her birthday so figure I'll just ramp back the miles and take things super slow until then. Looking at doing just 8 miles to the next shelter tomorrow.