May 18th, 2015

Today's miles = 17.5
Total ADK miles = 204.4

I did not sleep well last night.  Something about where I was camped made me restless and I didn't really ever fall asleep for very long. By the time the sun was rising I was cranky and refusing to get up. I didn't make my coffee this morning (my little disposable cup broke yesterday and I refused to use anything else on principle and I suppose loyalty) which put me in an even grumpier mood. It was because of that and the slug on my tent (which I named Roberto the slug) that it was nearing 8am by the time I was hiking. At this time it was already SO unbelievably humid and warm out. Progress was slow and painful this morning.  I had about 3 miles left on the French Louie Trail before it met back up with The NPT. I had to take a break after just those 3 miles and pull myself together. I knew I had to do at least 17 miles today to set myself up to receive my mail drop in Piseco tomorrow. From that break spot there was a trail sign (gotta love the NPT) that read "15 miles to Piseco lake".

The miles to lunch today were even more painful than the earlier ones. I had no power behind my legs and was really feeling the fatigue. The heat was getting to me as well. I wet my shirt in a stream and that helped a bit. I then wet my whole face in a different stream not too far down trail and that helped more. I made it to my lunch spot, you guessed it, by a lake by 12:30. I had only come 7 miles. I took a rather long lunch at the shelter by the lake and began trudging along the trail once more. The trail itself was rather straight forward and simple. The forrest was pretty and in other conditions it would have been a very enjoyable hike today. The hot sun, the humid air, and the sea of black flys took my mind off of how pretty it all was though.

It eventually cooled down enough to feel human again and I busted through the last 5 miles of the day to my camp spot tonight, by a trailhead leading to the road to Piseco. I got in my tent just in time for the rain to start. It almost never works out that conveniently. I have a little over 1 mile to the post office in the morning to pick up my final drop for this trail. It's a small one as I only have 42 miles of trail left. From the post office a few miles down the road and still on the trail is 'Casey's Corner' a small gas station which apparently has a deli!  I have been craving lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, avocado, and yellow mustard on white bread like no one's business. I don't expect to get exactly that but it would be nice to find something close. So, needless to say I'm excited for the early part of tomorrow. Now, rest my weary legs.

Oh, and there's certainly something funky going on with my toe....the one that had the giant blister underneath the toenail. Now the side of it where the cuticle meets the skin is all purple and puffy. It looks terribly infected and pusses some shade of yellow-green whenever it gets angry. The skin surrounding it is also appearing to almost discinagrate off my toe. I'm glad to be done in two days to give it a rest. Hopefully it's nothing serious. Hummm....