For Sure Quitting... Or Not?

Looks like daily posts are going to be pretty much impossible. Bad service everywhere! 

Day 8: Sunday, March 29

Weather: sunny and cold 

Miles travelled: 16.7

Total miles on AT: 86.3

I left the hostel with my cold gear on, ready to brave the elements again. Cooper Trooper started 17 miles behind me (she was shuttled backwards) so I was headed out my myself again, as usual. The mud made interesting patterns when frozen, and the leaves on the bushes were droopy from the cold. I was taking it nice and easy to try to get used to my new insoles and enjoy my walk.

I had decided to go beyond my goal of 12 miles to the shelter that was at 16.9 miles, at the suggestion of a man who wanted to call me "the energizer bunny" and said it'd be a piece of cake for me. I should've realized this advice was perhaps ill advised for me, as I was not feeling very energetic. I got to the shelter early, however, so I decided to trudge on. This was when I unexpectedly crossed into North Carolina!

My feet were starting to really hurt me by now, more than ever before, and it was painful to walk. I could tell my pinky toes were rubbing but I didn't want to stop to check (big mistake! I saw later that I had blisters, which are still there). 

The sky was blue and I was trying to distract myself with more audiobooks, starting "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy", and after 30 minutes of confusion I finally realized my MP3 player was on shuffle. Whoops. Start over.

I was dead tired by the last mile, and was hugely relieved to arrive at the shelter to find space for me! I sat around for about half an hour before I did anything because I was so exhausted that even boiling water seemed like too much effort. I kept thinking about how nice it would be to just go home. I could buy a nice computer with my trail money and spend the summer sleeping in a comfy bed, coding a personal website, and studying...

That night was very cold, so in an effort to warm up, I wrapped myself in my tent and stuck my feet in my empty backpack. It worked, I was very warm, but I woke up in the morning to a wet sleeping bag because all the moisture was trapped. I havent slept well because my hips hurt from walking and the sleeping pad isn't soft enough to cushion them no matter which way I turn.

Day 9: Monday, March 30

Weather: heavy fog and rain, afternoon sun

Miles travelled: 16.2

Total miles on AT: 102.5

The morning started with a thunderstorm and heavy rain until about 7. Everyone got up late because of it and I've never began hiking so late in the day, 9:15! By then it was only light rain and heavy fog, but my feet were still hurting and I wasn't feeling very motivated.

I was in a lot of pain now because of my feet, and counting the steps. By mile 10, I'd decided I was getting off the trail. I told my mom to stop sending packages and I was planning my return. I did everything short of buying a plane ticket, and in spite of my feet I wanted to get as close to exit as I could, so I kept going. I kept stopping and looking enviously and tent spots along the trail, only to force myself to continue so that I could get home faster. I started crying frequently by mile 12, and forget talking to people. It felt like someone was stabbing my arches with knives. I wanted to go around a mountain summit on a forest road but decided against it in case I got lost and had to walk any more. So I went up. There was no way I was going up that fire tower though. 

After that, it took me a good two hours to walk the last 2.5 miles. I barely made it before sunset. To top it off, as I was trying to boil my water, my stove was leaking fuel and melted some of the parts. I put it away and borrowed someone else's stove, and couldn't believe my expensive stove failed so quickly. That sealed the deal, 7 miles to an exit and I would be on my way home.

Day 9: Tuesday, March 31

Weather: sunny and warm

Miles travelled: 3.6

Total miles on AT: 106.1

I started with a pep to my step. I switched back to my old insoles, which seemed to be a little better, and pretty much started running in spite of my feet still hurting. I was going to be in town in a few hours! I was even thinking I might be able to get some new insoles and tough it out for at least 40 miles. No time for pictures.

After a quick hour and a half, I came upon a road unexpectedly, and a van was already there picking people up. I ran up to the window to ask how much, and the driver said, "now you won't believe this, it's absolutely free!" I jumped in and just like that, was in Franklin, NC, with a bunk bed, a pillow, and a towel. Best trail magic yet! (Although the bunk wasn't quite free, of course)

I called jetboil to see about getting a new stove, because it was clear that the product is defective and they should replace it, especially when they find out I'm a thru hiker and I'll tell everyone I meet about my experience. To my surprise and shock, they wouldn't do anything. They said they would give me a discount on another stove. Well, I'm not going to touch that company after such terrible customer service. As my roommate and I joked, "Jetboil will regret the day they scorned a thru hiker!"

The shuttle driver came back to get us again at 4 to an outfitter and Walmart. I bought a new stove and pot and went to a Chinese buffet by myself. Better get used to being the awkward loner everywhere again!

Afterwards, I walked from the hostel to another gear outfitter to fix my insoles, where I received the perfect surprise. The man who was helping me measured my feet, watched me stand and crouch, inspected the wear on my insoles and shoes, and talked to be for over an hour about feet and what he knew about being a successful thru-hiker. He told me feet need a lot longer to recover than other muscles because they're not vascular, so blood doesn't run through them like it does in your leg and calf muscles. 

He also said that most of the successful thru hikers started slow and took days off to let their feet and bodies adjust for the first month or so. If your feet are having issues, they can cause knee and hip issues (right on!). The ones who quit are the guys who start out doing crazy miles.

Anyway, he stayed 45 minutes past closing with me and fitted me with a new pair of insoles which were molded to the shape of my feet by putting them in a convection oven then walking around a bit. He said if they were giving me trouble, I could return them for a full refund.

His advice was great, and it took that to get it through my thick skull that I should really take a day off and try to go more slowly. So that's my plan! Franklin for another day, then on towards Maine.