12 miles hiked, CT mile 104.1, staying in Frisco
Town day town day today is town day! My mind is excited but my body is sleepy from, wait for it, a crappy sleep. Maybe it’s altitude messing me about, but I haven’t slept well on the trail at all. Maybe a pillow tonight will make it better.
We pack up and head up our 2.5 mile climb, the only real climb of the day. I divide my day and mileage by climbs, bumps and water sources. Today is a climb, a bump, water, then one last bump before descending downhill to the highway to Breckenridge/ Frisco.
The climb is beautifully switchbacked so we aren’t doing anything too steep. We pass Marty on the climb up. “I didn’t think I’d see you guys again” he says in his thick Georgia drawl. We met him…day 2? by a stream. He was having a tough time with the altitude and wasn’t able to eat anything. His appetite has returned and now he’ll be smashing miles – he was using the AT as his training ground.
Lots of riders zoom by, we pass a few day hikers and other CT hikers, everyone looking forward to town. The trail is rocky with thin pine forest either side. We round a bend and we can see the gondolas and runs of the ski resorts nearby. Finally the towns of Breckenridge and Frisco glint at us from the valley and we switchback down down down to food, showers, laundry and rest.
I’m clean, laundered and have just eaten some lunch when BOOM! Something grips my abdomen like I’ve never felt before. Simultaneously punching and squashing and burning. Ow ow ow ow ow. I have no idea what it is and emd up lying on the floor trying to contort my body into a position that doesn’t feel like I’m going to die. What on earth??? After about 45minutes it subsides. I have no idea what brought it on but I hope it doesn’t come back!
In a sleepy daze I wander about natural grocers and buy my resupply food – probably the best vegan food selection I’ve ever seen. I buy a giant salad from whole foods and some fruit- I’m attacking whatever is in me with an A bombs worth of fibre.
Back in the hotel I lie on the most magnificent bed I can remember lying on. Fluffy awesome pillowy heaven. I watch 2.5 movies, have a long bath, look at all of the internet, then sleeeeep. Nero-ing like a boss.