Dave Byrnes

Appalachian Trail - 1986

Overview Map Diary Pictures

Day:	027
Date:	Thursday, 29 May 1986
Start:
Finish:
Daily AT Miles:	24.7
Daily Other Miles	0.3 (to Trimpi Shelter)
Total AT Miles:	514.1
Total All Miles	529.7
Weather:	Partly cloudy, warm.
Accommodation:
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Muesli, health drink. Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar. Dinner: Biscuits and peanut butter, instant pudding, scroggin (gorp).
Aches:	Both heels.
Animals Seen:	Chipmunks, squirrels, cows.
People Seen:	One AT Thru-Hiker
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:
Journal:	MY WORST DAY! I got up at 6am but, because of the time taken to tend feet – particularly the left – didn’t get away until 8:20am. I could hardly bear to put on my left boot, but decided to give it a go. A mile was enough. The pain was too great so I put the old Brooks sneakers back on and the heavy water-logged boots in the pack, making it quite heavy. Even with the Brooks on, the foot hurt a lot and progress was slow. A pity because the scenery was pleasant to the eye and the grades gentle. There were lots of blooms including many rhododendrons. As I walked I occasionally listened to my radio and mulled over what to do about the shoe situation. I was afraid the boots had damaged my Achilles tendon internally, and bruised it at least, ao I didn’t think I could wear them again. The Brooks sneakers weren’t going to last much longer so I decided some replacement running shoes might be best. I decided to ring Mark and Fran, friends in Washington, to buy some shoes and mail them to Pearisburg. There was supposed to be a phone at the Mt Rogers National Recreation Area HQ as well as water, so I decided to make for there for the night. As the day passed I was feeling very drained and, I guess, stressed as to my foot’s prospects. The tiredness could have been related to a lack of sleep the night before, the extra weight in my pack (full water bottles and wet boots), the warmer weather, or awkward walking style. I stopped for a late lunch at Trimpi Shelter where I was bothered by mosquitoes. I pushed on after lunch and met a southbound AT Thru-Hiker (taking two years), Tom Burns, and stopped and talked to him for 20 minutes or so. Enjoyable, but making me even later. Progress remained slow and I finally reached the NRA HQ at 8pm. I rang Fran, who was obviously pleased to hear from me, and we talked for nearly 30 minutes. By the time I found the water tap, filled up and walked to a camp area about 300 yards back along the Trail. My feet were very sore and required treatment, yet I wasted the last 15 minutes of daylight unsuccessfully trying to get a rope over a tree bough to string my food up (to protect it from bears). In the end I gave up and washed, treated feet as best I could, and had a cold dinner in the dark by the light of my little penlight. Movement was very painful and I wondered what tomorrow held. Maybe I would just hike to the highway, 10 miles away, and put up in the motel there for the rest of the day. Despite the stuffing around and the belief I would never get to bed, I did so at 10:30pm and found it very comfortable. I put the food bag in the tent. At about 1am, I was awakened by the sound of some animal snorting and crashing around not too far away. Deciding that it could be a bear, I got up and moved the food bag about 10 yards away from my tent and then was so tired went back to sleep without waiting to see what happened.