Date: 2004-07-07
From: Hightop Hut in Shenandoah, VA

To: Adjustments and Aggravations
Miles today: 11.7

I slept restlessly last night because I erected the hammock at too much of an incline. I always elevate the foot end of the hammock slightly higher than the head end. Last night, the foot end was too high and I was sliding backwards a tad. I broke camp early in order to hike in the cooler temperatures of the morning. Today, the temperatures and humidity were tolerable.I hiked with Slow Train, who I had met during the days of endless rain. He is a hiker in his late sixties who has already thru hiked the Appalachian Trail.I stopped at a picnic area and washed out the wound on the sole of my foot. Whenever I step on a rock directly under the wound, it creates a painful sensation. Otherwise, it seems to be healing.We hiked almost twelve miles to Lewis Mountain Campground. Slow Train stopped there to buy some food. I remained to take a shower, launder my clothes, and share a campsite with hikers JP, Knuckles, Swedish, Ottie, Sardine, Peanut, Skidmark, Gaul, Millipede, and a section hiker whose name I forgot.At this point in the journey, I have made some gear adjustments that are succeeding. The sandals that I obtained for rainy conditions are working out, provided that I wear them with socks. By wearing sandals during inclement weather, my hiking shoes remain dry inside the backpack.I am sleeping better thanks to the change from a teepee tarp to the hammock with mosquito netting for my shelter. The larger rain tarp for the hammock has also worked out. The change from a down sleeping bag to a summer bag, augmented with a child's fleece blanket, has also improved my ability to sleep half way decently.There are a few minor aggravations that have cropped up.The straps of my backpack smell bad from an accumulation of sweat. I must find a way to clean them.My second pair of hiking shoes is starting to rip. The damage began during that day last week when I attempted to hike 22 miles over rocky trail conditions.Today, I experienced a chafing on my inner thighs. This ailment is often experienced by hikers. After almost three months of hiking chafe free, I had assumed that I was not going to experience this problem. I applied a powder to the irritation. My nylon hiking pants have a small rip.I spent the evening relaxing with hiker friends in the public campground. We cooked hot dogs over a campfire. At a camp store, I purchased some canned peas, corn, and beef stew in order to add some nutrition to my meal.Our campsite was visited by a man who has been hiking with his eleven year old daughter for a few days. I reached into my backpack for a sparkler that I had hoped to ignite back on July 4th. I gave it to the girl and told her to ignite it over the campfire. When she did, the sparkler lit up, fizzled, lit up, and fizzled, over and over. It had become dampened from my hiking in wet weather. Oh well.Millipede, who is a new acquaintance, sleeps in a hammock; it was strung up at the campsite that the hikers were renting. There was no other suitable place, or trees, at the site for my hammock, so I have set it up in the woods near the campground.Today was a pleasant day. The oppressive humidity was absent. I enjoyed the company of Slow Train while hiking and the fellowship of other hikers in the evening.