Walks with Moss: Sick as a dog on the Dosewallips

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Sick as a dog on the Dosewallips

The road ends here

I woke up at 5am with a headache and could not fall back to sleep until after I got up (about 6am) and took some aspirin. Then I had to get up again at 7:30 to get my little one off to school. After getting the little one off to school I then had to decide if I should hike. I felt too ill to hike, (fever, headache, lightheaded and with the runs) but I could not pass up the opportunity to get out, so I went anyway. Even though I did not have a migraine and actually have some sort of cold or flu, I stopped in Hoodsport and bought some migraine medicine. That medicine, some positive thoughts and a cup of coffee enabled to me to hike in spite of being ill.

I reached the “trailhead” at about 11:00 and made it to the ranger station by 1:00. I felt good hiking, but the second I sat down for lunch I felt terrible. It’s interesting how moving makes me feel better when I’m ill. I took a short lunch because I was worried about being so ill 5.5 miles into the “backcountry” all alone, on a weekday. I was also nervous at my lunch stop because I discovered that my first aid kit was not in my backpack and my personal becon was not working so had I left it in my car. All those things together could have added up to disaster, but they did not.

My lunch spot with the Dosewallips trailhead sign in the back right

I headed back for the car at about 1: 20 and finished my hot lunch-time tea as I walked. I walked slowly and carefully on the way back so I would not injure myself with my nervousness. My perception was certainly a bit altered today because I was ill. I saw quite a few things that I had never noticed before, such as electric insulators on a tree and a huge dip in the paved road on the way to the trail head.

I met a local on the trail when I was about about a mile from my car, he had a Cajun accent and he said that he has invented a perpetual motion machine and once he gets a shed built he will start working on making his machine. He had an interesting dog with one blue eye and another eye that was half blue and half brown. The local said that he sees a certain kind of wild life at the campground all the time. I won't say what the wildlife is becasue I don't want hunters to be able to google on it.

Speaking of wildlife, I saw a giant heron lift up out of the riverbed when I was hiking in.

I got back to my car at about 45 minutes before sunset.

I drove home very carefully, immediately pulling over to let all tailgaters go by, I was too ill to cope with being dazzled by headlights and I know the drive home is statistically the most dangerous part of any hike. I had to stop and put some water (from constance creek) in my car at Triton Cove because two lights on my dash were blinking. While I was putting the water in, I noticed that the overflow tank says my car needs some kind of special coolant. I never noticed that before, I guess I should find out what that is about and quit topping my car up with water.

I ran up a nice calorie deficit today and now I’m going to go to bed early. I wonder how I will feel in the morning after ignoring my body and hiking in spite of being ill?

My bad ankle did not flop over at all today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11 miles 1,100 feet elevation gain

It's the next morning and I feel pretty good, in fact I am less ill than I was yesterday. But I am sore from my hike.

other times I have blogged this hike

Jan 09, 2011
Jan 29, 2010
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006

11 miles with
1,100 feet elevation gain