Day 3- 8/18/18, 13.5 (felt like 20), 2890ft elevation
Creek at mi 3 of Seg 3 mi 31.5 to Heawaters of Craig Creek mi 45
I have a big, really sore, knot that my pack has rubbed on the vertebre between my hip bones on my back. So sore I can’t hardly touch it – like the size of a golf ball. Too much weight focused on too small of an area. The pack does not carry the weight well or on my hips but instead focuses all the weight to the middle part of my lower back. OUCH! Interesting b/c I have used this pack A LOT! Maybe its wearing out, and probably not meant for this kind of weight. I thought I could get away with it for a few days, but its proving me wrong. I did find a hack for the knot and that is to buckle my sitting pad in under the hip belt between me and the pack. It helps a lot!
Most thankful for …. breaks today! My feet, ankles, arches, were really, really sore today. I have a tweak in the outside arch part of my left foot and behind my left knee from overextending it at some point. So every 4-5 miles I took longer breaks to soak my feet in cold water, put my feet up, massage my feet and I also taped my left arch to give it more support. Stretching too. It helps, but I hobble along until I get warmed up again. Once my feet are warmed up then the pain is less intense and more manageable – until its not. Then I stop again. Yep, rinse and repeat as necessary. And I love this, right?!? Lessons are being learned. I don’t have the appropriate support in my trail runners. I have used trail runners to backpack in for years now, but I always put in after-market insoles like Superfeet. I forgot to do that this time b/c the shoes I am wearing are super comfortable. When I don’t add an extra 40lbs.
I saw God today….. the trail thrilled me today- especially this morning. It reminded me of a ski run in the trees, narrow, winding and slightly up and down. It was fun!
What I ate for supper…Thai coconut soup mix I added some dehydrated chicken to. I also got gifted some Ritz crackers and cheese!! Yum! Oh, and my snickers was the reward for finally making it to camp today.
Quote of the day….Well if it already hurts- yeah, you’re probably just screwed…
What I learned today… that Breckenridge is gonna be expensive. I have at least a pound in my pack I am shedding as soon as I get there….and then there’s my pack, insoles for my shoes, and anything I need to replace, anything I need to mail forward, not to mention food.
Most favorite part of the day… hiking this morning in the cool of the morning was pretty nice. And my nice Loooong break at Buffalo Creek to cook brunch, sit and stretch. I got to talk to lots of people too as they went through there along the trail.
Least favorite part of the day… probably the last 5 miles. 1300 feet up a rough rocky road with sore feet and a sore knee wasn’t super fun. I put on an audio book and just kept walking. They say the third day is when you are most sore right?
Most useful gear of the day… duct tape! Taped my arch and it helped! I don’t think my shoes have enough support for the weight of food in my pack. I mean- when I walk around without my pack my feet don’t scream at me….
Food of the day… snickers. Yep boring I know! The eggs I had for brunch were pretty good too. Really, pretty much everything is good right now. I am hungry as I type this…
Song of the day…didn’t really have one today but we did walk past a shooting range that we could hear for forever. Sounded like a battle for a couple of hours. Then as we could see people below us and it was very loud; there was this sign on the trail, “shooting range stay on the trail.” Yep. Gottcha. Done.
Camped with…. Donut of Baton Rouge LA, Aaron of Seaside OR, Rouge (Michaela) of Portland, OR, and Calem of Ireland. Camped at 9,400 gonna be cooler tonight for the first time.
Fun story….Aaron had a skunk come check out his tarp this morning around 5:30…he threw something at it not realizing it was a skunk and it ran away and didn’t spray him. **Don’t try that at home folks**
Hiking Partner…..Michaela, so she is a nurse in the renal unit at a hospital. Or was until she quit her job to hike the trail. She has hiked the John Muir Trail in the Sierras and does lots of day hikes in OR. She has been suffering crazy pain with an old knee injury all this elevation gain and loss with a pack has caused to flare. She is TOUGH!! She basically drug her right leg for 5 miles today, almost got off trail, then it started getting better. Ahh well-of course it did I was praying for her! I really don’t want to hike alone! It’s fun to meet the new people in the evenings etc.