Samwise Hikes the Appalachian Trail! - Trail Journal -
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May 13, "The Place" Damascus, VA - mile 455.1

  I hiked a marathon today, that is, over 26 miles. In retrospect, I think I probably should not have done it, because I'm now so sore & swollen that I'm starting to wonder if I will ever walk again! I have the usual knee swelling, but tonight my calf is like it's made of steel. The muscle is as tight as a drum & just a few minutes ago when I stood up, I noticed that my foot is swollen & feels like it has fallen asleep, which I don't suppose is a good sign. I was in the restaurant eating dinner, so I begged a bag of ice from them & I've got it on my leg now. I'm praying that it takes down the swelling enough to feel a little more comfortable. In fact, I even had to skip calling Tony tonight. The phone was occupied non-stop outside the restaurant, & I don't think I could have stood in line to wait for it. So I think plan B will be to call early in the morning.

Well, even thought the hike today was long, it certainly was enjoyable. I couldn't stand to wear the boot on my left ankle & heel again this morning, so after about 10 minutes of hiking - I sat down again to get it off & hike in my Tevas instead. The funny thing was that I never got around to changing out of my other book, so I hiked in one Teva & one boot for 12 hours. Only a couple of people seemed to notice & I told them I had heard it was all the rage in Paris.

Tonight I've got one of the very last bunks at "The Place", a house owned by the Methodist Church. There is no "check in" or "manager" but everything is based on good faith & hikers being responsible to keep it clean and so on. It's a very nice house, & I understand it was recently renovated, so it's even nicer than it was. I was a little bit disgusted tonight when I sat in the common area & a girl came in with a tiny puppy. Sure, she was cute, but her wee-wee on the couch would not have been so cute. I made conversation for a couple minutes & then said, point blank - "Isn't there a big sign that says- No Pets Inside?" She smiled at me & said SHHHH". I didn't press the issue but inside I was a little angry. It's actions like that which ruin goodwill towards hikers in place like this, & I'll never understand why people are so inconsiderate.