Shin splints

In addition to my other aches and pains, I think I can finally say I've had them now... never had a problem before, but I think the downhills with the extra weight on my back has helped in my introduction to what they feel like.

Looking forward to trying a 16 mile day tomorrow w/ just a day's food and water to see if this day of rest has made the least bit of difference.. am kinda doubting anyone can recover from these kinds of pains that quickly though.. So am wondering just how long I can gut out the hiking before eventually giving in.. we'll see. But let's be optimistic!! Tomorrow should be a clearer day and I'm just SURE I'll feel fine! :)

Btw, the rain that VA's been missing for the past couple months or so (apparently they were in a bit of a draught) came all at once over Thurs/Fri/Sat.. I guess a tropical storm hit SC and brought rain to the region.. well that region includes the Appalachian mountains of VA! ;)

As my Mama has mentioned, I decided to forgo the hammock for a fairly lightweight one man tent.. It's not that the hammock wasn't working out - I still plan to use it on more trips as it is SUPER comfortable.. it's just that after a long 20+ mile day on the trail with daylight fading fast and a dinner to cook before nightfall, looking for a couple of trees that will work and then trying to set the thing up just so turned out to be more of a pain than I'd imagined... didn't help that my current traveling companion, Foxtrot, had his tent setup before I'd even found my trees one night... and was well on his way to having his dinner by the time I'd finished with my half-assed setup of the hammock (too tired to tie out the sides that keep the rain fly taught and hammock from swinging around indefinitely when you move in it).. I still slept well that night, but it might not have been as nice if it had actually decided to rain on me... (lack of ventilation would've resulted in a bit of condensation, I'm sure)..

So anyways, I've got me a tent now! ;) and boy did I put it through the ringer that first night (Thurs).. I was expecting rain, but I figured I'd pitch the tent and see how it went (plus I was only about 5 miles or so from town where I'd bought the thing in case I needed to return for any reason). And actually as I was finishing up packing up from dinner on the porch of the shelter, this really sketchy guy rolled up just as it was getting dark.. he sits down and says "1st things 1st" and begins to roll up what I'm assuming was a joint.. didn't stick around very long to find out.. He says "soo what are all of your trail names, I know you all have one".. It takes me repeating myself 3 times before he understands (or accepts) that i don't have one.. and then he says that his is something like "Hiker305" or something weird.. says "I'm sure you've read about me up north in the shelter logs" and again is seems like I have to repeat myself 3-4 times of saying no, I haven't beeen reading a whole lot of the logs and have no clue of who he is.. thankfully I was off to my tent by the end of all that.. and very happily sleeping outside the weirdness that was then in residence of that shelter!

Well, about 11-11:30pm rolls around and the sky just opens up! and I mean it start POURING!!! You'd have thought we we're on the coast where the storm was hitting! But so far so good - the tent's holding up just great and I'm all comfy and dry... and then crap starts really falling out of th trees!! (I say "really" because it is fall and stuff is constantly falling these days) But these huge acorns and CHESTNUTS (the size of golf balls and bigger) are now crashing all around and on top of the tent! I think about 7-8 of those huge things hit it, but it really seemed to take it alright - no leaking from newly ripped holes or anything. I'm IMPRESSED! :) So it goes on like that all night (and actually for most of the next day or so). But aside from the occasionaly loud crash in the forest or nut hitting my tent, I actually slept fairly well - nice and dry. And despite not hanging my food up in a tree, I really couldn't see any bears wanting to be wandering around in all of that.

Well the next morning I wander over to the shelter to see what Foxtrot's plannin and I see a 4-5 foot piece of a tree sitting there on the porch and the weird dude is just sitting there smoking on the porch next to it.. so at first I'm thinking ok, he went out and did something and brought it back for some weird reason. But then I notice the tree on the ground leading up to the porch. Apparently it was one of many trees that had fallen over the night and had JUST clipped the porch of the shelter and left a keepsake of just how close it had come to taking out the shelter! Of course I'm thinking about my being out there in a tent all night and I say "wow, and to think something like that could've fallen on top of me!" he just sat there looking at me as if he no clue what I was talking about - just weird.. But anyway, made me at least thankful that I took a look up and around before pitching the tent, even if I still consider myself lucky to be here!! :)

Btw, a couple had rolled in after dark that night because of the lack of vacancies in town due to the Stones concert - suck!! Just remembered because they just arrived at the B&B a second ago (trail names "Critic" and "Chef" ;).

Well I'm going to take a break - hope to possibly log in again at least once more before I leave this place (as I don't really want to leave this place! ;) BTW, if you're ever in Montebello, VA, hit up the "Dutch Haus B&B". It's about half a mile off the main road from the post office ;)

Later!!
david