Getting Off The Trail

I know everyone who is following is not on Facebook, and I see that Bud already made the announcement there.

I left the hostel yesterday. All day long, I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep on the trail. That is how I felt early on with the tick disease.I wondered if I had a fever. I have no way of checking out here. I sat down to rest on a rock. I bent over and to the side to pick up my trekking poles (while sitting) and a felt a pop, and then pain. It was a few seconds before I could breathe in because of the pain. Later, I fell and it started hurting worse.

I forced myself to eat when I got into camp, but all I really wanted to do was go to sleep. I had trouble throwing my bear bag line, and finally gave up put it in the vestibule of my tent.

I couldn’t sleep on the side that had the hurt rib. I felt so bad that I went right to sleep without even reading, and was asleep before it was dark. I woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, which tells me I did have a fever and that my body is still fighting the tick disease. The rib pain was just the last straw. It hurt to climb yesterday. (I think it was Baker Cliffs?)

It’s hard enough to hike this part of the trail when you are in top top shape, much less when you feel as bad as I have felt. I have a post rolling around in my head about the kind of stock I come from. I’m not wimping out. I’m not crying because I didn’t finish. I think I accomplished what I needed to do out here this time. Though I might want to come back some day to do the parts I haven’t yet seen, I don’t think I need to do the whole thing again.

Right now, I’m waiting for the 4:30 bus to take me in to Rutland, and will be taking the bus home after a couple nights stay (bus schedule dictating.)

Thank you, Bud, for making this possible…for all your support and encouragement. Thanks to the rest of you for all your prayers and support. You’ll never truly know how much it meant to me.

Happy Hiking!

Rebound