It’s pretty much the lamest advice you can offer a person: go to bed and hopefully it’ll feel better in the morning. But here’s the thing: it’s true! Of all the things that long-distance walking has given me, it’s a healthy sense of admiration for my body’s ability to undo the damage I’ve done to it each day. Somehow, a single night’s rest can correct a litany of minor breakdowns.
Things were pretty grim last night. Days of wet walking, compounded by yesterday afternoon’s soggy march, resulted in some unpleasant chafing. If anyone had been unfortunate enough to cast eyes on my inner thigh, they might have called for a skin graft. Meanwhile, both of my hands started cramping at the same time, when I was trying to down a pint of ice cream. This was a new one. Unlike foot cramps, which are the devil incarnate, these hand cramps could be pushed back on; I peeled each finger back like a banana and then had functionality again, though admittedly with reduced strength and confidence. Internet doctors suggest this could be a product of dehydration or low calcium/magnesium, but hey, how about all of the above?
There has been a lot written about food deserts, but this has definitely been one of my more prolonged stretches of suboptimal nutrition. Even when there are nominal options, they’re still limited. For example, I ordered a spinach salad for lunch today, and it had real spinach, so that’s exciting. But then it had canned, sliced mushrooms, craisins, and canned mandarin oranges on it. Frankly, my body was probably ecstatic over the nutrients those ingredients introduced, but it’s still a far cry from a full load of fresh vegetables. So it goes; there’ll be better options soon enough for me. But man, there are a lot of people living with supremely limited alternatives, outside of the weekly pilgrimage to WalMart.
All of that said, I woke up today and felt spectacular. I had to repack everything in my bag this morning, but I had a shorter day and wasn’t rushing, so I took my time and then stopped for a coffee at the nearby gas station. Clearly it had rained overnight, but forecasts didn’t anticipate more. What they did call for, though, were thick clouds and lower temps–a high of 84! Momentum is indeed the next day’s weather.
My body responded wonderfully and I cruised through the walk without discomfort. The trails were muddy and buggy, but progress was steady, and before I knew it, I had arrived at my destination, the Giant City State Park. I booked a cabin to stay here, less for the cabin than the access it provided to the fortress-like lodge, where I’m currently curled up in an armchair, happy as could be.
It’s a stunning thing, to swing so widely from yesterday’s lows, the culmination of three really tough days, to today’s merriment, but it’s also not terribly uncommon on a long walk. If a couple of bad days manage to string themselves together, it disrupts the flow and can really place you in a tough mental spot. But, when conditions change and you suddenly pull your eyes up from your feet, see how the world has shifted around you, you breathe easier and feel lighter.
It occurred to me today that I’ve passed 500 miles. I should be in Santiago by now! I’ve passed the quarter-way mark for this walk, between Cincinnati and Denver. I’ve moved on to a second pair of shoes (thanks, mom!). St. Louis (and Missouri!) is just five days away. This is pretty great progress.
Perhaps it’s fitting, perhaps it’s a lame narrative hook, but I’ve been struck while tottering around the Giant City Lodge today how it’s basically a testament to the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was a New Deal initiative that employed young men during the Depression. The CCC paid $30 per day (with $25 of that shipped home to families) and put the men to work in rural communities on public land, where they had a tremendous impact on parks and local communities alike. This palatial lodge in which I find myself was built by the CCC, a reminder of the good that can still emerge from difficult times.
Technical Notes:
- No ADT waymarks today
- For the most part, smooth sailing today, UNTIL I arrived in Giant City State Park. At that point, the River-to-River waymarks dropped off, right as I encountered a small lake. The ADT gps track failed badly. No trail exists where it says one does. And I walked around a lot in pursuit of it. Ultimately, I just followed the road to the lodge
