7 miles
Slept well last night considering the tightness of quarters
and wind. At least 9 people walked by along the trail as I ate breakfast on a
log. I tried to reply to each with a friendly "morning", but no sound
developed. Slightly concerning. Maybe my throat is dry from all of the dirt?, I
thought.
Easily covered the 5 miles from Long Canyon to Mt Laguna in a couple of hours. Beautiful countryside with vibrant greens from the recent rain. The trail meandered through a conifer forest with grasses and yellow muster plants growing adjacent to the trail. The female conifer cones are huge in size compare to their Eastern cousins. I did notice that my nose was running super fast relative to any other part of me. Maybe this is allergies?, I thought. My throat was also very swollen and it was quite the chore to swallow even a sip of water.
I stopped at Burnt Campground to take 2$ worth of a shower hoping that was all that was needed to rid my body of allergies. After the shower, I stopped by the outdoor store at Mt Laguna. Dave, the owner, looked at me and suggested I take the rest of the day off. I appreciated the concern, but shrugged it off thinking that this was just allergies and I need to keep moving forward. Rest wouldn't help allergies, I thought.
After collecting my mail drop from the general store and purchasing some overpriced cough syrup, I was ready to get back on trail. Except my body was not. I went to stand and was dizzy. I consulted the maps and noticed there was access to Sunrise Highway two miles north of Mt. Laguna. I decided to hike two more miles and see how my body responded. If things went well, I would continue forward. If things did not, I still had the opportunity to bail out.
Upon arriving at Sunrise Highway, I faced the realization that I was not well and that it would be foolish to continue forward. This next section included a 32 mile waterless stretch. The last thing experience I want to have is a helicopter rescue or something similar. In addition, I had the luxury of cell service once I reached the road. I called Betty Wheeler to see if she would be able to help me. Before I could even ask, she asked if I'd like to take some time off at her house. Wow! What generosity!!!! She stopped in the middle of her scheduled day to drive over an hour and a half to pick me up. Then, she drove me to urgent care and waited over six hours with me to determine what was going on. Who does that?!?! This is beyond Trail Magic...this is more like Trail GOLD!
After the bloodwork and normal vitals were taken, it was determined that I am suffering from acute pharyngitis and/or acute upper respiratory infection. Basically, I've been carrying around a viral army in addition to my pack. The symptoms I've been experiencing the last three days were not due to allergies as I had hoped.
Betty stopped at a store on the way to her house to purchase the all important viral cure combination of 7up and ruffles chips. I have found the equivalent of southern hospitality in Del Mar, California and I am eternally grateful.
The doctor recommended 7-10 days rest, but I really have no idea what that means for me specifically as I must solely rely on my T cells to save the day. As this inner cellular war rages on, my frustration builds as my body (especially my feet) are ready to move with the exception of some tingles in my left arch. What does this mean? How long will I be sidelined? I was already on a time crunch, will this just amplify my fear of running out of time to finish before the snow hits Washington making it impassible? What are my options at this point?
These questions will best be answered later. I do have several options to consider. In the meantime, I rest.
Easily covered the 5 miles from Long Canyon to Mt Laguna in a couple of hours. Beautiful countryside with vibrant greens from the recent rain. The trail meandered through a conifer forest with grasses and yellow muster plants growing adjacent to the trail. The female conifer cones are huge in size compare to their Eastern cousins. I did notice that my nose was running super fast relative to any other part of me. Maybe this is allergies?, I thought. My throat was also very swollen and it was quite the chore to swallow even a sip of water.
I stopped at Burnt Campground to take 2$ worth of a shower hoping that was all that was needed to rid my body of allergies. After the shower, I stopped by the outdoor store at Mt Laguna. Dave, the owner, looked at me and suggested I take the rest of the day off. I appreciated the concern, but shrugged it off thinking that this was just allergies and I need to keep moving forward. Rest wouldn't help allergies, I thought.
After collecting my mail drop from the general store and purchasing some overpriced cough syrup, I was ready to get back on trail. Except my body was not. I went to stand and was dizzy. I consulted the maps and noticed there was access to Sunrise Highway two miles north of Mt. Laguna. I decided to hike two more miles and see how my body responded. If things went well, I would continue forward. If things did not, I still had the opportunity to bail out.
Upon arriving at Sunrise Highway, I faced the realization that I was not well and that it would be foolish to continue forward. This next section included a 32 mile waterless stretch. The last thing experience I want to have is a helicopter rescue or something similar. In addition, I had the luxury of cell service once I reached the road. I called Betty Wheeler to see if she would be able to help me. Before I could even ask, she asked if I'd like to take some time off at her house. Wow! What generosity!!!! She stopped in the middle of her scheduled day to drive over an hour and a half to pick me up. Then, she drove me to urgent care and waited over six hours with me to determine what was going on. Who does that?!?! This is beyond Trail Magic...this is more like Trail GOLD!
After the bloodwork and normal vitals were taken, it was determined that I am suffering from acute pharyngitis and/or acute upper respiratory infection. Basically, I've been carrying around a viral army in addition to my pack. The symptoms I've been experiencing the last three days were not due to allergies as I had hoped.
Betty stopped at a store on the way to her house to purchase the all important viral cure combination of 7up and ruffles chips. I have found the equivalent of southern hospitality in Del Mar, California and I am eternally grateful.
The doctor recommended 7-10 days rest, but I really have no idea what that means for me specifically as I must solely rely on my T cells to save the day. As this inner cellular war rages on, my frustration builds as my body (especially my feet) are ready to move with the exception of some tingles in my left arch. What does this mean? How long will I be sidelined? I was already on a time crunch, will this just amplify my fear of running out of time to finish before the snow hits Washington making it impassible? What are my options at this point?
These questions will best be answered later. I do have several options to consider. In the meantime, I rest.
Trail gold, indeed. I'm so sorry that you're ill, but hearing the help you got, and the caution you're exhibiting, is encouraging. Keep us posted???
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