Date: 2013-06-22
From: Upper Laurel Fork

To: Dennis Cove
Miles today: 11.7

Oh my goodness, a hard day with a satisfying ending! Today was all about the people, really. I saw more people today than I have seen for the last several days. The hike, the terrain, the trail, the scenery, today was not really anything out of the ordinary. Not spectacularly hard, or bad, or scenic. Jane got ahead of me right out of the gate this morning, of course. I saw her back (and Lola's) in a blur as she headed down the trail and I didn't expect to see her anymore until tonight. The plan was to hike the 11.7 miles to Dennis Cove Rd, where there are two different hostels giving us a choice about where to stay tonight. Yes, I know we have been hitting the hostels kind of heavy. It's hard to NOT stay at a hostel when there is one right where you want to stop anyway, and it's this hot out, and you know there is a cool shower and a cold drink waiting for you, for a minimal price. I don't feel bad about it. HYOH, right?So I hiked out on what constitutes fairly level terrain, for the AT. No steep ups or downs today! The trail was quite rocky in spots, though, and I realized immediately that the right pinky toe pain was back, with a vengeance. Ouch! As the day wore on, it got worse and worse, until by the end of the day every step was agonizing, and I was basically limping, and dragging my right foot. But it wasn't that bad early in the day, and I was walking along enjoying the beautiful woods and the fairly level trail. I met a group of Girl Scouts coming southbound! They were about middle-school age, and had several leaders with them. A bit further on I met a couple of other leaders and stopped to talk with them for a little while. They're from Louisville, Kentucky, and they bring a large group of girls out to hike every year. The leaders were very nice women, dedicated hikers, and I am so glad that young girls are being exposed to the joys of long-distance hiking! Let's get these girls off the couches, away from the electronics, and into the woods! Thank you, GS leaders!I went on further, and the heat and humidity started to really get to me, again. I realize I am not a hot-weather hiker. I can't handle the heat, I felt really sick. Somewhere during the day, I realized it really was time to end my hike. I just can't handle the weather. My toe was excruciating, but that didn't have much effect on my decision to go home. If it was just the toe, I would take a zero day or two and rest it up and chances are I would be able to continue. But I knew that even if my toe quit hurting, the weather was not going to get any cooler, and that was really the deciding factor. I didn't immediately decide to stop hiking, it was a slowly growing realization that came to me little and little during the day.Toward the middle of the day I saw two women sitting by the side of trail, and I stopped to say hello. It was Deb and Lynn, the two teachers I met at Greasy Creek! I was happy to see them again. Deb was having a hard time, with some GI symptoms that we thought were norovirus, but later (much later, that night) decided were probably connected to the back pain she was also having. She said her back went out, which is naturally not a good thing when you are hiking with a pack on your back. They were looking for an opportunity to get off the trail and decide how best to handle her situation. We got out the AT guides and looked at the two different hostels that were waiting for us at Dennis Cove Rd. I knew that Jane was going to be going to Kincora Hostel, and Deb and Lynn decided to go to the other one, Black Bear Hostel (mainly because it had more amenities, including a camp store and cabins, which might be handy if they decided to call their husbands to come get them.)So we all hiked on, with me really hobbled by my toe pain by this time, and limping slowly and painfully down the trail. I still had not made the final decision to get off the trail yet. Deb and Lynn got way ahead of me, naturally, and I just kept inching forward, by now practically dragging my right foot, and sweating profusely in the heat and humidity. My head hurt and I felt like I was going to be sick. Not a fun day, but I did eventually reach the road, a good paved road with a parking lot. I turned toward Kincora, which was 0.3 miles down the road to the left, and started walking down the road. If I thought it was hot in the woods, walking on the blacktop with the heat radiating back up to me was a whole new level of hot. But I trudged on down the road, and finally up the driveway to Kincora. There was a porch on the building, and there was Lola! I went inside expecting to find Jane, but the place was nearly deserted--I had missed the town shuttle. Oh, no, I was so hot, and looking so forward to a cold drink! But the place wasn't entirely deserted--I did meet one young hiker sick with the virus, and she mentioned that there were others there sick, as well. Much as I didn't like the idea of walking another 0.7 miles down the hot road, I decided to leave Kincora and walk to Black Bear. I didn't want to stay with the virus so strongly in evidence (and I very much wanted a "town drink"! Lukewarm water just wasn't cutting it!) I saw Jane's Kindle on the picnic table, so I left her a note telling her that I was going to Black Bear, and also that I was considering getting off the trail. Then I headed back down the driveway, turned right, and walked the 0.7 miles back down the road, past the trailhead, and down to the Black Bear Hostel and Resort. I don't think I have ever been so happy to be somewhere, in my whole life! Deb and Lynn were there, relaxing in chairs on the porch, cold drinks in hand, waiting for their showers while their clothes washed. I quickly got myself checked in, my clothes in the washer also, and my own cold Mt. Dew and a bag of Doritos, and joined them. Aaahh! The boots came off, the headache started to ease. My mind and body started to relax, and I realized that I really was ready to come off the trail. For real this time, no regrets. It's time. I called my husband, and Deb and Lynn called theirs, and it looks like we will all be going home tomorrow. I am not sad. Some hikers will say that when it isn't fun anymore it is time to stop. I never said that because I don't really believe it, totally, but I would have to say that it is not fun anymore. I am happy with the hike I had, and I do want to finish the entire length of the trail, but it will not be this year. I'll write again tomorrow, one last entry, to try to sum up this unbelievable experience. But for now, there is a nice bed calling my name!