08/04

Woke up in the middle of the night with a burning fever. I stepped outside my tent and into the pitch black so I could pee. Went back to sleep and woke up again all too soon. Packing up all my things felt like more of a chore than usual. A headache and sore throat, body aches, and chills. We hiked two miles to the nearest road and then tried to call an Uber. No luck. I sat on the guardrail with my thumb out to the passing cars trying to hitch a ride, no luck. I tried to call a taxi, but they didn’t open until 9 a.m. We decided to sit back in the woods and wait. During that time, we chatted with Sourcrout a bit, and miraculously, Uber decided to work. A private driver showed up with a pristine Chevy Suburban. I felt bad getting in with all my dirt and stink but was also just glad to be getting some help. We were dropped off at the urgent care in Port Jervis, NY, where they took my blood to test for Lyme disease. I won’t get the results for a couple of weeks, but the doctor prescribed me antibiotics in the meantime just in case. Lyme disease is not something you want to mess around with. If caught early enough, you can prevent any serious issues. If left untreated, it can cause lifetime complications. We got breakfast and resupplied at the nearby shopping center while waiting for my prescription to be filled, and then Uber’d back to the trail. Another 10 miles to the nearest shelter. Sucks that our mileage has to suffer, but I could barely get myself to walk. Lucky for me, the trail was rather nice, a few tough hills but otherwise flat. We stopped for some trail magic at a random house just before going through the Wall Kill National Wildlife Refuge. A marshy field at the base of surrounding mountains. We hit it just at sunset, which highlighted its beauty. The last climb up to the shelter was brutal, but we made it. The dark had already crept into the sky, and we had limited time to make dinner and set up. Ultimately, the mosquitoes chased us to bed. Here’s hoping these meds work quickly, and I feel better tomorrow.