Start: 1561.6
Stop: Rawlins, Econo Lodge
Today’s Miles: 55.5
Total CDT miles: 1288.9
Oh my dear God, someone please pop my legs off and sit them somewhere else for awhile. It’s close to bedtime the day after finishing my 24 hour challenge, and my legs are STILL throbbing. Whew, what a mess of feelings I have right now! Let’s just start from the beginning, shall we? Well-after I mention that I hiked 55.5 MILES in ONE DAY!
I had a hard time falling asleep after making my sandwiches for the 24 hour challenge. Mostly because I was just excited to get started, slightly afraid of oversleeping and getting left in everyone else’s dust, and then on top of all those anxious feelings, other hikers who I haven’t seen before kept waltzing by talking loud either to themselves or to each other, not seeing my tent. So, I’d slightly doze and then get startled awake. In their defense, I was trying to fall asleep in solid daylight, so I couldn’t really be mad at them. And where I was camped at was beautiful. The sunset through the trees and tent was its own sort of magic.
So, when I did finally nod off, I was content and smiling. I popped up, anxious as hell at 11:30pm when my alarm went off. It felt like my eyes had been closed for seconds, yet it was suddenly pitch black outside. I quickly packed everything up, put my sandwiches in a side pocket of my pack, and started walking at exactly midnight-headlamp on its brightest setting.
The stars were out of this world gorgeous. And the quiet was a little eery. I put in my headphone and started to play some music, upbeat and fun. I felt like I was cruising! The wind was blowing and every now and then I’d catch the eyes of some animal looking my way. I choose to believe they were all deer. That made me less anxious, because walking up on a bear in the night was not something I wanted to do. I was on high alert, but yet somehow still enjoying it! Night hiking isn’t for the faint of heart! (Is that even how the saying goes? Sheesh. Even my brain is struggling today.)
The sunrise was truly spectacular. I was happy I wasn’t so fast that I hiked the 18 miles to the road before the sun rose, because watching the black turn to moody oranges behind the soft grassy hills of the trail was incredible to witness. The birds all singing their songs, deer loping by.. I felt like a Fairy Princess in a Disney movie!
Sometime around 6am, I hit a trail log. Pika was the only person ahead of me, and they signed in a whopping 3 hours before me! I knew then I’d never catch them, unless they decided to lay on the side of the road and take a long nap. Ha. I signed in, hiked on, and soon was on the paved road that would eventually lead me all the way to Rawlins, Wyoming.
The road walking was not flat. It wound up and down around the hills, and as the sun got higher in the sky, the temperatures rose dramatically. We’re officially getting back to desert terrain, which I knew existed in Wyoming, but I still somehow felt blindsided by it. I guess I’m officially in the Basin. Weird.
I stopped to eat a sandwich and hide out behind some rocks casting a shadow around 10am, already over the heat. Before I started hiking again, I took off my new-ish shoes and put on my less new sandals. Immediately my feet felt some relief! I wanted to hide in the shade for hours, but instead, I got up and started hiking again within 20 minutes tops. That fear of everyone else catching me and hiking on without me really motivated to keep pushing. My feet felt like they were baking on the pavement though. It was HOT.
I listened to a 90s country playlist on my phone, singing along outloud to no one but the pastures of cows, scrub brush, and probable snakes. Thankfully I saw no snakes, but I was constantly scanning the side of the road knowing they had to be there. I tried my best to stay hydrated, and when 9 miles later I came across a cooler (that I knew would be there from our app), I was so very happy to chug a Pepsi (don’t tell Coke), and refill my water. If trail angels didn’t stock that cooler, hikers would be stranded without water for a very long stretch.
In another 9 miles, there was another cooler. I was thrilled! And thankfully a trail angel drove past and offered me a Gatorade! Well, actually, he offered a beer first and I declined.. but I chugged that Gatorade like he was going to snatch it back from me! Over the next several hours, that same trail angel checked on me a few times, with water and encouragement. He was so dang sweet.
Sometime after 4pm, Firefly gained on me. Mind you, he had to hike 8 more miles than me to catch me.. so. Yeah, he’s fast. Ha. We chatted awhile while he was kind enough to slow down for me to walk with him, but he eventually got way ahead of me when I stopped for a break and to prop my feet up on a fence post. My legs were on FIRE. My feet felt like they were about to start peeling apart. Yikes!
While we chatted though, we agreed (and so did everyone else with texts) that we’d all push to the town of Rawlins and stay at a motel tonight. Since no one would want to sleep on the floor after this huge challenge, Firefly and I agreed to split a room, and then Wolf, Pika, and Redline would split one.. three of us would get our own bed, and Wolf and Pika would share. I think this was the new motivating factor that kept me moving-knowing I was going to get a bed two nights in a row, since we all knew we’d have to take a zero the following day.
Wolf caught me and we hiked together for a bit, singing songs and trying our best to not feel like we were dying. She surpassed her initial goal and then some and I was so proud of her. The heat started to get to her in the late afternoon, and after she drank some water with electrolytes in it, she started to throw up. She felt awful, and worried about heat stroke she decided to call it and hitch hiked to the motel. After seeing her pass me in a truck, I really wanted to hitch as well. Firefly was way off in the distance, a little speck surrounded by dusty hills.
I kept moving though, shocked at my perservenance and so very thankful that I hadn’t gotten sick. My legs ached and throbbed, and I was starting to limp, but I was moving forward and I was happy for it. The last time I went to eat one of my sandwiches, I almost threw up from the smell alone.. so, I didn’t eat any food until after getting to the motel. Probably not the best idea, but you tell that to my stomach that decides to do cartwheels every time I try to take a bite of anything. So, I wasn’t completely symptom free-nauseous, probably dehydrated, and legs and feet that felt like they’d detach at any moment.
Anyway, storm clouds started to creep in as the sun started to set, making for a gorgeous sky. The same man that gave me water and Gatorade came by again and begged me to let him give me a ride to the motel, worried about the storm coming and night falling. I refused. He laughed and said Firefly told him there’s no way I’d let him pick me up. That cracked me up, how does Firefly seem to understand my stubbornness so well? I don’t want to lose my completely connected footpath, and I didnt want to have to come back out here today instead of taking a zero. Gotta push through and make it to the motel!
I did, however, let this man take my pack to the motel for me. I kept a couple things: my phone and my wallet, and let him take everything else-that way I’d hopefully be able to pick up the pace. Only after drove off with everything I own did I realize I could be completely screwed if he wasn’t a good person. He could keep my pack and sell my gear! I also forgot to get my headlamp and some water.. what an idiot! That did help me walk a little faster, but honestly, my limp was steadily getting worse, so I actually couldn’t tell too much of a difference pace wise-it just felt easier without the weight of the pack.
The sun set and I started to walk through the outskirts of town, across a railroad track and through a rough little neighborhood with big dogs barking their heads off in most of the yards. Thankfully, I didn’t have any issues.. I would not have been able to run to safely if I wanted to! I’d have been a very easy target and probably would have just sat down if anyone came at me.
I ended up hobbling into our motel at 10pm, absolutely wrecked. I was nauseous-yet starving. Everyone attempted to get taco bell and Firefly was going to bring me food back, but they were out of everything so everyone had to abandon the idea and order pizza. I happily took a slice and barely got it down. Firefly got me Gatorade and a Mountain Dew, plus a few other snacks. He laughed when I sat on the corner of my bed, unable to rest with my legs touching the bed because of how bad they hurt. I needed them to dangle..
I was so gross and sweaty, but I couldn’t manage the idea of getting undressed and in the shower. I hurt so bad I was close to tears.. so, I laid on the odd corner of my bed, legs throbbing, skin raw in places.. and chatted with Firefly before nodding off. I stayed on top of my covers so I wouldn’t get the sheets dirty. I wish I could adequately describe the pain I was feeling.. it was all consuming, all over, unwilling to allow me to relax at all because any movement made something else ache.
I woke up around 1am and had to pee. I hobbled to the bathroom as quietly as I could, hoping to not wake up Firefly. He was out cold and I was jealous. Getting my shorts down and sitting on the toilet was a chore, I basically collapsed half squat and prayed I didn’t startle him awake with all the racket I was making. Since I knew I didn’t want to get back on the bed and not be able to get under the covers, and half my clothes were already mostly off-I decided to get in the shower.
The effort it took was massive.. I felt like I was disabled. It took close to 5 minutes just to get my clothes off, and then I had to hold onto the rails with all my strength to lift my legs high enough to step into the shower. The water burned my raw skin where I chaffed around the band of my sports bra and around my waist from my shorts.. it took all of my willpower to not just cry when the water poured over me. How ridiculous was I to do this challenge and make myself suffer so much? Tears never fell, but boy did they well up in my eyes.
I finally made it out of the shower and into the bed, thankful Firefly’s breathing sounded like the easy rhythm of someone fast asleep. I took some ibuprofen and nodded off quickly-clean but still aching all over.
I would have thought I’d have slept for hours and hours, but sadly I was wide eyed around 7 something. My body was so dang sore! Firefly was bright eyed and bushy tailed, walking completely normal. We went to get breakfast and Wolf and Pika met up with us.. I’m THE ONLY ONE hobbling today! Everyone else is walking JUST FINE! It’s so hard to not feel inferior when everyone else seems completely normal and I’m waiting for someone to offer me a dang cane. It is what it is, and I’m grateful to have a body that continues to show up for me and all the wild things I push it through-but dammit if I won’t wish it came a little easier for me.
We all resupplied and took it easy the rest of the day. Organized our gear, washed clothes, talked with other hikers. I popped my blisters that popped up on my heels, probably from hiking so long in the sandals, and I took another shower. It’s been a much needed rest and recovery day-personally I think my body would like to zero tomorrow too, but alas: we’ll be hiking out tomorrow morning. I’m gonna lay in my bed and chat with Firefly and watch some TV with this moisturizing face mask on, since it makes me feel better about myself lol!
Goodnight yall.
