7-23-2009 Thur

Start point: near Rattlesnake Mtn
End point: on the Iris trail, High Point State Park
miles hiked: 14.5

It was getting pretty painful to walk by the end of the day yesterday and today wasn't any better. Decided I would do as many miles as I could today and then try and get to Unionville tomorrow. Got down to the Brink Rd Shelter where I was gonna take a break but it was mosquito central down there. Same thing yesterday, they've been tearin me up so far here in NJ. Got up to the next ridgeline and found Dragonbreath packing up. He had got off the trail in Delaware Water Gap because of back pain and decided if he was gonna take a week off to recuperate he might as well go home where he could relax. I talked to him a few days ago and that was partly why I'd been doing so many big mile days, trying to catch up so when he got back on I'd be in the same area. Well it was great to finally catch up, hadn't seen him since Harpers Ferry, WV, but it was bittersweet. His new shoes were giving him problems, the backs of his heels were completely tore up, the skin was just rubbed raw. He was gonna have to get off the trail for at least a day, maybe more to try and get those healed up. So I hiked with him to the next road, US 206 at Culvers Gap where he was gonna try and get a ride to a motel. I hiked on and hopefully he'll catch up to me in a few days. Stopped at the Gren Anderson Shelter for lunch and to stock up on water. The place I was gonna camp tonight had no water so I had to carry enough with me for tonight and tomorrow morning. After I found a place to set up camp I drained the blisters on my toes and put some neosporin on them.