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LIhikers 2019 Maine Hike

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    • odd man out wrote:

      Carley Simon says she wrote Anticipation while waiting for Cat Stevens to show up for a dinner party. They were going to practice for their upcoming Carnegie Hall concert. He never showed, but she got a song out of it.
      I always thought you're so vain was about Warren Beatty, but perhaps there was also more inspiration for it.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Sorry for the delay but since going back to work I've been working lots of overtime.
      On July 1st Kathy, me, and our dog Tora climbed into the car at 4AM and headed north to Monson, Maine.
      498 miles and 12 hours later we arrived at Shaw's Hiker hostel. The plan was to leave our car there while hiking south to route 27 then get a shuttle back, spend a zero day doing laundry, then hike north to Baxter State Park.
      On Tuesday July 2nd, after breakfast, we donned our packs and hiked the 2 miles up the street to where a short blue blaze would lead us to the AT.We hiked south to the town of Caratunk, with 55 residents, arriving Saturday afternoon. Along the way Astro came across us just as we sitting and taking a break. After some chit chat we parted ways, us going south and him north. In Caritunk we stayed at Caritunkatlived House, a hiker hostel that makes the best milk shakes. Since we had a dog we tented in the yard so as not to make trouble with the dog that lived there. The Post Office opened Monday at 2 and we picked up the supply we had mailed ourselves. Of course the canoe ferry across the Kennebeck river stops at 2 so we had to stay one more night. South of Caratunk we hiked the Bigelow mountains with Avery peak the highest. It was in this stretch that I found my right foot swollen and VERY painful. I was using my hiking poles almost as crutches. It took us 2 more days to get to route 27 where we got a shuttle back to Shaw's. Along the way I was taking Ibuprofen like candy to take the edge off the foot pain. Back at Shaw's we sat around for several days waiting for my foot to heal. Then we drove north to Millinocet as the terrain of the AT is a bit easier there than in other parts of the 100 Mile Wilderness. We camped at Abol Pines and I waited another few days for my foot to heal. Come Monday morning, with no improvement, I decided I better see a doctor so we went to the local hospital. In the ER the doctor inspected my foot and they took X-rays. The pictures showed nothing was broken or cracked but that I had a build up of calcium on the tendons and heel bone of my foot. The doctor recommended no more hiking for a while and to see my regular doctor when we get home. So we spent the next 3 weeks driving around Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York's Adirondack Park and Preserve.
      On August 22 I have an appointment with my doctor. While my foot feels 99% better I want to find out how to prevent that from happening again.
    • So sorry to hear this Paul, this must be a great disappointment after you succeeded in getting this time off. On the bright side you got another chunk of then trail completed and you have some treatment options.

      Hope you both enjoyed your tour of northern New England. Once work slows down I would love to hear some more details of your trip.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • I am so sorry to hear of your injury. Unfortunately I can relate far too much too it. When I was hobbling down the side of Sugarloaf Mountain last summer I was leaning on my poles and took more ibuprofen than I ever thought I would. But I knew I had to get down those rocks.

      Those mountains are not going anywhere and you only have a little over 100 miles of Maine left.

      I really enjoyed getting to meet you and Kathy, and our conversation was a big inspiration for me! :thumbup:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Astro ().

    • Bummer. Time is such a precious commodity and it had to hurt to get the time but not the result. As others have said, the trail will be there next year.

      Got pics from the miles you hiked?
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • Thanks for the well wishes everybody.
      At first I was disappointed but got past that.
      I told Kathy that she should go ahead and finish without me but she refused saying that we're in this together.
      So we spent 3 weeks driving around, seeing sights and spending our nights at different state park campgrounds in 4 different states.
      In each of those 4 states we rented a canoe at least once, more times in some states. It was an activity that didn't require me being on my foot and that we knew our dog would handle well.
      I think what I enjoyed most was exploring New York's Adirondak Park and Preseerve. It's a beautiful area.
      I'm sure it would be very different if it wasn't for the designation as a park. Kathy really enjoyed the area along the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
      It was nice to be able to send those pesky Canadian geese home at night :D
      I'll upload some photos eventually, so stand by.
      Also, as I was sitting around at Shaw's waiting for my foot to heal I started thinking about my gear and how I could lighten my load.
      Right off the bat I figured if I replaced my 3 season sleeping bag with a summer weight quilt, replaced my winter, full length, sleeping pad with a half length pad, and replaced my 5.5 pound pack with something lighter I could probably save 4 to 5 pounds right there.
      We'll see, it'll be a balancing act between dollars and ounces and pounds.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by LIhikers ().

    • LIhikers wrote:

      It was in this stretch that I found my right foot swollen and VERY painful.


      i woke up on sunday morning 3 weeks ago with a painful big toe; i thot it was the start of a gout attack. by early evening it was clear that it was not gout as the ball of foot was also swollen and red. i consulted dr. google and was advised that this should be healed in 2 weeks; if not see a real doctor.

      by wednesday evening my entire foot was very swollen and noticeably red. walking was painful and done with a severe limp. i actually got up at 4:00 in the morning and iced it. thursday evening i started taking aleve (i had a colonoscopy earlier that day and aspirin and other blood thinners was prohibited before the procedure) and noted improvement by the next morning.

      long story short, at the end of 2 weeks my foot was back to normal and last week i resumed walking.

      i'm going to assume this was just another sign of aging and nothing of importance. however, there are some underlying medical issues that can cause a swollen foot, so if it returns i'll see a doctor.

      i'll be interested in what your dr. says at your appointment.

      the best news is that this was my 2nd colonoscopy screening, i passed with flying colors, and the doc said i never have to do it again! :)
      2,000 miler
    • Glad the foot issue resolved. I'm about to take a guest-dog to the vet. He's around 75 pounds, a sweet dog, loves to chase ball. Is limping bad. I've examined his foot a few times and can't find anything (Stickers, broken nail...nothing). And he won't even whimper for me so I'd know WHERE it was.

      Colonoscopy. A doctor told you you don't have to do one again? Hmmmm....I think they recommend every 5 years until you are around 80. My wife watched her granddad die of colon cancer and we both watched a neighbor die of it. I wouldn't recommend it. My doctor (unfortunately he retired!), at my last one, had me do a "Poweraid/Gatoraid" prep. It was MUCH easier. You get two large bottles, mix both of those in a pitcher along with an entire bottle of the generic Miralax stuff. Around 2 PM the day before, start chugging a glass every 30 minutes. Two hours or that, in the toilet for 30 minutes (take your IPAD/LAPTOP). Another bottle of something at like 9:30 PM. Another toilet session for 15 minutes. Go to bed and be at the appointment the next morning. Quite easy compared to past "preps". Plus, last few times I've been knocked out, they used that Propfal drug. Wake right up, disoriented for about 20 minutes. zero side effects.

      Anyway......Unless you are around 80....
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork
    • rhjanes wrote:

      Plus, last few times I've been knocked out, they used that Propfal drug. Wake right up, disoriented for about 20 minutes. zero side effects.
      i also had propofol this time -- and it's great! i understand now why michael jackson paid that quack cardiologist to gas him every night.

      my doc said -- absent any problems or family history -- the current recommendation is every 10 years until you are 75. he told me he didn't need to see me again unless i had a change in bowel habits, etc. i told him i might come back anyway just to get another dose of propofol. :)
      2,000 miler
    • Only in the AT Cafe would a trip report morph into a discussion of colonoscopy prep and propofol. PooFan

      (I'm due next spring for #2)
      Images
      • kat.gif

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      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • max.patch wrote:

      StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Only in the AT Cafe would a trip report morph into a discussion of colonoscopy prep and propofol. PooFan

      (I'm due next spring for #2)

      to get us back on track -- i do not recommend that anyone attempt to do their colonoscopy prep while on the trail.
      No doubt the prep nowadays is much worse than the actual procedure.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • max.patch wrote:

      StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Only in the AT Cafe would a trip report morph into a discussion of colonoscopy prep and propofol. PooFan

      (I'm due next spring for #2)

      to get us back on track -- i do not recommend that anyone attempt to do their colonoscopy prep while on the trail.

      max.patch wrote:

      StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Only in the AT Cafe would a trip report morph into a discussion of colonoscopy prep and propofol. PooFan

      (I'm due next spring for #2)

      to get us back on track -- i do not recommend that anyone attempt to do their colonoscopy prep while on the trail.
      Would norovirus count as colonoscopy prep? ?(
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • every 10, sounds good to me! I'm over 60 now so maybe that is why they are saying 5 for me. My first one was in my late 20's and they did a total GI scope "Both ends" as the doctor put it. Looking for my ulcer (found, treated...which was rough...but has not returned).

      Back to our regular programs...

      I hiked 8 miles this past weekend. From 9:30 to noon....in Texas. When I finished, air temp was 93 and the THI was a .....sweat soaked 101. I'd drunk a PowerAid, and around 3 waters before starting. I had a Smartwater with me and also 1.5 liters and it was all......gone.

      The Excessive Heat warnings have been constant for a few days but don't get REAL bad until around noon to 6 PM.
      Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork