7 miles hiked between 8:30am and noon
I woke up this morning feeling dehydrated, but I had a hard time getting any water down. The only thing that looked good for breakfast was a tomato cup-of-soup, so I went for that. Since it's only 70 calories though, it's just not enough. When I try to drink water, I have to force myself to swallow. With the food, I get hungry, then when I put the food in my mouth, I feel nauseated again and have to force myself to swallow...it's really awful. That bit with the food and water started yesterday before Laurel Creek Shelter. I tossed some of my dinner even, something I do very rarely.
I decided to go ahead and get started. This did not work out well as now that I was dehydrated and underfortified, I felt incredibly bad climbing the 2000' and one mile up to Lone Pine Peak. In fact, when I was within 50' of finishing, I had some chest pains (something which has not even come close to recurring, thank god) and extreme nausea...I couldn't get any water down at all. I gave up and called Tino to the rescue.
I didn't know if I would feel worse if I continued (but I suspected I would). I didn't know if the next time I had a moment THAT bad I would be somewhere with a cell phone signal and a road near by that was actually on my map and thus explainable to someone trying to find me with a car, so I bailed. If I had all the time in the world, I might have just taken a nap and rested there, and then camped for the night only 7 miles past War Spur at Bailey Gap, taking things very slowly until I felt better. As it was, I was on a schedule, and there was no way on earth I could make it 17 miles that day. I felt really, really bad.
I hiked back down the mountain a bit to the War Branch Trail...which then went back up to the altitude I'd just left, then remained flat (and very, very nice BTW) until it got to the Salt Sulphur Turnpike where there was a strange brown rangery looking box in the woods that from all appearances contained a camera. I knew there was a lake down the road, so I figured I'd walk toward that, and eventually Tino would find me. As it turns out, there is a very spendy resort on Mountain Lake. Had I known *that* I never would have called Tino at all. I would have gone down to the lodge and tried to bribe someone to drive me to Pearisburg. I sincerely wish I had known -- it would have saved everyone a lot of trouble, damn it.
Anyway, I got pulled out and driven to Pearisburg where I attempted (mostly failed) to eat some lousy food at Pizza Hut. Eventually I got home, and gradually recovered my ability to eat and drink over the next couple of days. As it turns out, it got very hot the day I left and the next day. This would have made me even sicker, so I think I made the right choice.
For the rest of my AT hiking season (which ends on July 4 and begins again after Labor Day) I will be traveling north. Last June in this area, I had a hard time with heat and low energy, thus I think I will attempt something new. Maybe I'll even complete Pennsylvania.
On an unrelated note, I took Tino to the Doyle after we had completed some car-related business in Harrisburg. It poured down rain, of course, just like last time I was in Duncannon. The Doyle's bar and restaurant is closed right now, as it turns out. They seem to be having some licensing trouble.