“It Got Wet”

AT Day 12

Miles: 10.78

Total Miles: 255.17

(Standing Bear Hostel)

Last night it rained hard. It was the hardest that it’s rained since I’ve started the trail, which isn’t saying that much since it hasn’t rained except for that first day and last night… but still… holy hell it rained!

It rained so hard that I had to empty the last bit of gear out of my top-loading pack, and stuck the foot of my sleeping bag into my pack to keep it dry from the slashes of rain that were coming up from outside the rain fly.

It was wet.

There was some heavy lightning for a bit, but nothing threatening. At one point it was raining so heavily that it was literally flowing water under my tent, and I had to add air to my sleeping pad to keep it from touching down in the water. I also took the trash bag out from my gear that I have on backup as a pack liner and covered the rest of my sleeping bag, another attempt to keep it dry.

I also had that pain in my shin from yesterday; it hurt me bad through the night. More to say on that in a bit. But for now I just bring it up to mention that it was rough last night.

My food had to be hung because it was my last night in the national park, and all food has to be hung in the park. It rained so heavy that water got into the hanged bag and some of my food got wet. Nothing bad. But damn. It was wet.

I waited until late this morning to get out of the tent and wander up to the shelter where I had breakfast and tea. Oh–I quit drinking coffee too. I’m back to black coffee and honey in the morning. Same thing that I did on the Colorado Trail, and I loved it then. So far I’m loving it out here now too. It’s only a couple days, but it feels better than the jolt from coffee.

I lingered around at camp until pretty late compared to normal because it was so wet. Waited around, talked to a couple hikers who had slept in the shelter and complained about the rain too, and then got to trail.

Now let’s talk about the shin issue.

It hurt me yesterday, and I was mostly scared that it was a shin splint. But then this morning there was some swelling in the area. It was red and puffy. The sharp pain had spread more. In all honesty, it looked more like a bite this morning.

I have a family member who is a retired physical therapist, and I texted her photos. Her first response: “did something BITE you?”

So I’m relieved to think that this isn’t from shin splints (pretty sure). But it is concerning that I’m in a lot of pain from it still. It feels very different from yesterday, and doesn’t hurt as much, but I’m getting a lot of numbness in my left shin and foot. The part that isn’t numb is in a lot of pain.

Not sure what could have bit me, when or where, or if that’s even what happened. No–it wasn’t the snake from the photo. That’s just the snake that made me nearly piss myself as I walked by.

Another doctor is saying that it looks like Celulitus. Either way, I need to take care of this. I’m in pain.

Around the time that I talked to the doctor this morning, it started to DUMP rain again. It was a good time for it though, because I was .2 miles away from Standing Bear Hostel, which I had been recommended before arriving.

This place is definitely minimal, but it has a shared common area, they have pizza and (non alcoholic) beer (and real beer for those who want it). Their showers are scalding hot or ice cold. The bunk house looks a bit rugged and more like a prison meets a cabin. But it’s only $25 a night, and it got me out of the rain. It also is going to allow a day for me to let this shit work through my ankle/shin. If it’s poison or a bite or something, then I hope it’ll be out more tomorrow. Already today feels better than yesterday–more numb and spread today than the sharp pain of yesterday.

Specs mailed my jacket about 45 miles up trail for me from Gatlenburg. I would like to have it before then, but I’d rather he mail it too far north than too early, or I could miss it in the next trail town.

My gear was quite wet when I rolled into Standing Bear today so I’ve had it drying since I arrived. I will likely head back to trail early tomorrow morning, and it’ll be a big day if I can. But we’ll see how things go with this shin. If need be I’ll take a day and a half with my shin to get there. We’ll also see about the rain. Today was supposed to be the worst of it, but there will still be rain for the next five or six days (maybe more). So one day at a time. For the time being I’m really enjoying the time here with the hikers and vagrants. This hostel is a hoot. Thank god I’m not drinking though. Now that’s it’s growing a bit later, the ones who have been sipping on PBR are starting to become obvious.

Someone literally just asked me to go Naked Bingo with them… sponsored by Adam and Eve… and the other hiker beside me won’t share her pizza. This place is wild. I need to get my laundry dry and get set for trail tomorrow.

Wormwood.