Day: 202

Direction: Southbound

Trail location: 1352

Cumulative miles hiked: 2082

Miles hiked today: 8.4

Elevation: 3618

High/low temp/Humidity: 90/69/20

Spinning on the turntable: Andy Weir: Project Hail Mary

Oh my word my nips are on fire! What in the good bloody Gomer is happening?!? As a (former) long distance runner I know exactly what’s happening. My shirt, in combination with my pack straps and sweat, is chaffing my nipples. Soon they will start to bleed. (Please dear God hear my fervent prayer…)

Having experienced this phenomenon before I can tell you exactly what’s going to happen if I don’t get “nipple gate” under control. One, or perhaps both, nipples will start to ooze a bit of blood. The blood will mix quite nicely with my sweaty shirt and I’ll have two orange sized blood blobs on my shirt. One for each nipple. (Please dear God hear my fervent prayer…)

So suffice to say, as a south bound hiker passing approximately 20 northbound folks a day, I REALLY want to nip this in the bud. I’m tugging on my pack straps like a schoolboy with his first erection. I’m readjusting my pack straps on an hourly basis.

I do have bandaids in my pack, but I’m just not there. I’ve never been there. When I struggled with this in the past I just took off my shirt…and invested in better running shirts. What can I do to correct this situation that allows me any form of dignity out here?(Please dear God hear my fervent prayer…)

I was excited today about having a nice long downhill trek. I was puzzled at my copious amount of sweating. I’m drenched. I’m drenched like I can take off my shirt and wring it out kind of drenched. What the heck? I know I’m out of shape but this is crazy!

I stopped for a nice river soak this afternoon. I must say, the freedom of not thru hiking is really nice. I found a perfect spot under a large grove of trees and settled in for a few hours at Chips Creek.

There’s another hiker here as well. He’s set up his tent and is sleeping soundly. Must be a night hiker.

The deer are hanging out in this grove of trees too. I see them meandering through the trees here and there. I was very surprised when a deer settled in for a rest period about fifty feet from me in the bushes. Have I mentioned that it’s really, really hot?

I meandered down to river and had myself a nice soaking and scrubbing session. It was delightful! The water in this section was only about two feet deep. I sat in the river bottom and washed my feet, toes with great care. I know my digs have been barking, so it’s nice to give them a little break.

As I sit in the water and soak it’s easy to say that I can “do this”. Once I’m hiking again the truth is that I’m not sure I can do this. I ache, everywhere.

I bit it this afternoon and found myself face down in the dirt. Once again I’ve bent a hiking pole.

I came around a bend early this evening a heard, and then saw, a rattlesnake in the trail. I gave him his space to meander off the trail and then began to ease by slowly. The sound of one rattler became the sound of many rattlers. I backed up so fast I lost my balance and fell on my ass.

I gave it a few moments and then detoured/sped through the area as much as possible. Bears and rattlesnakes in one week. Lordy.

I managed to make camp tonight in a semi mosquito infested area. It did not even remotely convince me that I should try to go out and poop. Mr. Hankee has been in hiding for five days. Perhaps soon he’ll make an appearance!