Friday, August 1, 2008

Wrong sort of fireworks...

7/1/08 - Left the shelter before 7 am (to meet up with me later). Trudged through miles of muddy trails, moose tracks & more moose poop.
  • Paralleled Roaring Creek for awhile - looked very kayakable.
  • Took a break at Congdon Shelter then up Harmon Hill - which had absolutely no views.
  • Finally an extremely steep descent to VT 9 where he waited around with Meltdown & another section-hiker until I arrived on the scene around 1 pm.
  • Took Meltdown into town then off to Greenwood Lodge & Campsites for showers and to set up shop (home) for the next few days.
  • Followed by THE MOST unproductive scavenger hunt for authentic Mexican food that you could possibly imagine... a good half an hour down the road (and then some) for a tribal-tattooed white guy to throw black beans and a "Mexican pizza" our way. I resorted to refried ice cream- for dinner.
  • Exchanged birthday presents while we waited in the parking lot for the faux-Mexican restaurant to open. I scored an iPod nano while Amos got stuck with an assortment of odd souvenirs from Europe which included: Scottish sweater, Guinness tee, deck of cards, Viking helmet, wooden sword & matching wooden shield. I might owe him. Big time.
  • Then back to the campground for margaritas & beer.
  • 11.5 mi day.

7/2/08 - Woke up. I took what Amos describes as a "long" shower. In reality, I got sucked into talking to the campground owner, Anne & her son Chris, for at least 20 minutes.

  • Into town to do laundry in a very smelly laundromat.
  • Blue Benn Diner for lunch.
  • Picked up Tupperware from the trail.
  • As we were driving through Bennington, Tup rented a town bicycle, rode alongside the pretty little luxury SUV that my Dad had gotten for his 50th birthday and had graciously let me borrow for the week, somehow got a little too close, and accidentally scratched the multicolored metallic smoky granite mica paint with the handle of the bike. (I'll admit that was a bit of a run-on.) So, while Amos sipped on microbrews in Madison Brewing Co. (and I on water), Tupp snuck off to the nearest auto center for a repair kit. It didn't quite do the trick but luckily Dad didn't mind (I LOVE YOU!).
  • Pizza next door then back to the campground for reheated Patron's, crab rangoons, an air hockey tournament and a game of HORSE - which I WON!!!
  • Another campfire, more beer & margarita, to bed.

7/3/08 - Packed up camp. HORSE rematch - Amos won...

  • To the library, Walmart, a bad stint at Taco Bell (man, we had absolutely NO luck with the Mexican!) then rented a room at the Best Western with Tupperware.
  • Picked up Buns & Roses, Spock & Twiggy, and Cuda out of a soaking rain.
  • Once we got everyone back to the hotel, Hearts started feeling ill & noticed a lump on the right side of his hip near his groin. After several phone calls to family pharmacists, two doctors and one dentist - all it took was one alarming allusion of impotence to trigger a trip to the ER.
  • When we arrived, Amos told the registration attendant that he had a fever (Roses suggested this trick to get in quicker) - it didn't work as intended - but it did get him a creepy blue surgical mask to wear in the waiting room.
  • Waited forever. Doctor finally showed up (maybe 3 hrs later) and instead of inquiring about Amos' symptoms he wound up spiraling into a 15 minute conversation about preferred hiking gear (no wonder we waited so long!). An ultrasound and a debate on appropriate water filtration later we left with a prescription for what the doctor decided -based on extenuating circumstances- was giardia. (NOTE: He had nothing intelligent to say about the lump on Amos' hip and assured us it was a bulging femoral artery - "no big deal"!!! We should have known...)
  • Back to the Best Western & off to bed.

7/4/08 - 1st stop... CVS for Tinidazole. The lady who initially set off to fill his prescription somehow forgot all about him & so we ended up waiting about an hour for the drugs.

  • Back to the Blue Benn diner for brunch but Hearts had no appetite.
  • Dropped everyone off in town where we struggled to say a very long, drawn-out, sad goodbye and then I left.
  • Hung out at Chris' house for the rest of the day. Played pool, cards, cooked on the grill, and enjoyed a Spock-led drum circle.
  • Tried to fall asleep on the couch but felt awful - very feverish - still didn't think much of it.

7/5/08 - In the morning, he felt really weak but thought it would pass so they packed up and decided to hike out anyway.

  • Stopped at the Blue Benn one more time for breakfast, then to the post office to pick up the Therm-a-Rest Half-brew sent in the mail to replace his - which had a small puncture wound.
  • Hitchhiked back to the trail.
  • Climbed up 1000 ft & immediately started feeling really weak and ill with a sharp/stiff neck pain.
  • Took a much needed break at Glastenbury Lookout.
  • Arrived at Goddard Shelter but it was full. Some lady pitched an entire tent inside the shelter and slept in it with her dogs! Another man in the shelter was shrouded in a full-body bug suit - which Hearts thought was hilarious.
  • Moved on to camp on Glastenbury Mtn. Amos decided to sleep on top of the firetower to avoid setting up his tarp & Spock made him dinner.
  • From that point on, his condition deteriorated... he was very feverish and no matter how many or what type of pain relievers he took, the neck pain would not go away. Spent all night vomiting off of the firetower.
  • 10.5 mi.

No comments: