Note – I’m publishing this a few days after it was written. While it does describe a lousy day, I promise to all I’m better now! 

I am not sure I could have hung up my hammock worse last night if I tried. The spot was too small for my setup but I decided to make it work anyway. Between the saggy hang and my skipping of dinner last night, it was not a particularly restful night. 

When I got up, I was nauseous. But I also knew it was only 6 miles to Pinkham notch. And at Pinkham, I could hitch into a town – either stopping just for a meal or spending the night in town. So I figured the day could only be so rough.

I forced down a peanut butter sandwich and a cliff bar for breakfast and then hit the road. I could feel that I was pretty dehydrated, but there was water in a mile. It was a tough day yesterday, but everything was now coming together. 

I chugged water at the stream and figured that I had solved the dehydration problem. Now I just needed to make it to town and id be able to get a bed at a hostel and big meal. Things were looking up.

I got up and started moving and within a few minutes heard rustling off in the woods. I looked over and saw a moose looking back at me from 20 yards away! We stood staring at each other for a minute before she lost interest and wandered away. The day was getting better and better! 

But then as I was walking on, I brushed against the shrub next to me and immediately felt a sharp stabbing pain in my hand. I reflexively shook my hand out (throwing my poles in the process) and looked over just in time to see a small white caterpillar dislodge itself from my hand and fly off into the distance. 

“FUCK!” I yelled. it wasn’t just the surprise of having been stung, it hurt! Pain flared in my hand and occasionally up my whole arm. I stood still for a minute, trying to figure out what had just happened. A caterpillar? Stung me? It must have been the case, but I couldn’t comprehend it. And my hand was throbbing.

I wanted to sit still and let the pain go away but I wasn’t sure if I was allergic to caterpillars. I’d never been bitten by one before. So I decided the best thing to do was to proceed slowly down the trail – towards the road. Towards civilization. 

The adrenaline from the sting had me moving a bit quicker for a while but eventually that wore off and I was back to walking slowly and nauseously. Except now I also had a throbbing hand. The day had reverted back to its initial grimness. 

I was two miles from the road when I felt that unmistakeable feeling of too much saliva in my mouth. Before I knew it, I was throwing up on the side of the trail. Whether from dehydration or caterpillar, I wasn’t sure. All I was sure was that I needed to get to that damn road as soon as I could. But also that I couldn’t push it too hard. That would only make things worse.

Luckily it was a flat walk to the road and at the road was a visitor center. Sweaty faced and a bit dizzy, I went into the visitor center and bought a sprite, a lemonade and a water. I sat outside in the shade chugging those and waiting to see if I felt better or worse. 

The worst, it seemed had passed, so I eventually got up and hitched the 10 miles into town. Having a nice conversation with an older gentleman about the trail as if I hadn’t vommitted all over it just an hour before. 

I’m now in an air conditioned hotel room, trying to bring down my body temperature and get the swelling in my hand to subside. 

Key stats:

Miles: 6

Elevation gained: 800 ft

Mile marker: 1879

How I feel: 🤒