5/8 5/9 – 392 miles
In the morning my leg was sore but I assumed it would get better as I hiked and warmed up. Little did I know that it would turn into one of the most painful injuries I’ve ever had. We passed by Overmountain Shelter, a famous converted barn, but I was too sore to take any detours. And later in the day the weather turned cold with a rain that blew in sideways like a hurricane. We bent our heads and climbed over Roan Mountain, a beautiful summit for vistas in all directions, but on this day saw only the swirling mist and rain a few feet in front of us. We longed for the protection of treeline but the mountain only went higher and higher, until at last the summit was passed and we started the long decent into the valley below.
We had planned on camping but nothing usable appeared. And we couldn’t muster the courage to set up our tents in the rain, so we hiked on. By the time we reached route 19e, eighteen miles into the day, my leg felt like someone was sticking a knife into it. Chicken Feathers went on ahead at one point and came back to carry my pack for the last mile.
That high-mileage day pretty much did me in, and the next day I spent reclining in a chair at a local bed and breakfast while Chicken Feathers brought me ice, pillows, medicine, and waited on me. After a zero day, I felt well enough to continue on.
I’ve had shin splints a couple times and they are as painful as my neuroma was. The best thing for it is rest. And ice while you rest. Hope you’re on the mend now. Watch your gait. That’s what caused it.