July 18, 19 2021
Mile Marker: 1411.3
Miles Hiked Today: 26
This morning we woke up at 5 am to a nice chilly sunrise. We had 26 miles to cover in order to get into the town of Burney. The earlier we started the more time we could have in town.
While we started hiking we heard cows mooing in the distance in a way I had never heard before. To the point where I kept questioning what was going on. It was like they were having a concert… or a community debate. The trail then led us through a gate and onto the property where they were hanging out and staring at us.
After about 5 miles we met up on a ridge and I noticed some stomach pains starting. I almost felt like my stomach was in a knot and I was nauseous. It made me feel weird so I went boom boom thinking that would solve the issue.
Wrong.
We continued to hike on and I kept wondering what was wrong with my stomach, it was starting to become painful and exhausting to hike.
After 8 miles we hit the water cache set up for us. Thank you thank you!
While there we took a break for an early lunch and Tia and Grady decided that they would hitch out earlier from the next road and meet us in town.
While sitting there a man came down the gravel road and to Tias and Gradys luck, said he would drive them to the road where their ride was, how perfect!
Midway eating my lunch I popped up and had an emergency boom boom.
“Oh no.” I thought.
This wasn’t good. My stomach was still making me nauseous and now I had just had a bad boom boom. “Am I sick?!”
I contemplated going into town with Tia and Grady and skipping the miles but ultimately knew I was too stubborn for that so I hiked on with Journey.
Bad, bad mistake.
Wrong again.
It became by far my hardest day on trail which is super upsetting because it was such a flat elevation profile for the majority of the day.
Journey and I were racing the clock trying to get to town with some extra time but my stomach was absolutely killing me and on top of that, the temperature was in the 100s and we weren’t planning to siesta.
We hiked and hiked, Journey staying right behind me the whole way, making sure I was okay because I felt like I was dying.
I had to stop us almost every hour to hunch over or sit down and try to cool off.
It seemed as if nothing was working in my favor. Like everything was out to get me.
We would soak my shirt in the streams we passed and I was constantly chugging water and trying to eat things but most the time I couldn’t because it just made me feel like I had to puke.
I even considered trying to make myself puke, would that make it all go away?
The more I hiked on, the more achy my body became and I started to question if a fever was coming on.
“Was it the restaurant food from yesterday? Do I have food poisoning?” I questioned myself.
We also hit some cooler trail magic that had blocks of ice that we laid on my neck and chest to try and cool me off.
It felt like nothing was doing the trick.
It was downright miserable for the whole day and towards the end of the day, I had .2 left to get to the highway where Tia so sweetly was waiting for us that way we didn’t have to hitch into town.
I could even hear the highway from where I was and I stopped dead in my tracks.
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.
My stomach couldn’t hold it in any more. I turned to the side, Journey worried what was happening, and I felt the constant stream of saliva falling in my mouth.
“I’m going to puke” I announced and then hunched down on all fours with my pack still on and lost my cookies.
Everything from the day came out, meaning, I hadn’t digested any of it all day hiking 26 miles in the heat.
Meaning, I 100 percent needed to take a zero day tomorrow.
I felt terrible.
Journey carried my pack for the walk to the highway and I saw some of the tramily as they were heading back to trail from the town of Burney.
I hated seeing them go. I knew that I was going to have to take a zero and then would be even further behind them. But I couldn’t ask them to stay for me, they needed to do what they needed to do. I was almost loopy talking to them. I just wanted to lay down and be in AC. I felt like my body was malfunctioning.
I was so lucky to have a car waiting and a hotel room already reserved.
We sat for a little with Tia and Grady and then had to say our goodbyes. Which was bittersweet but I also wished I had felt better.
I 100 percent couldn’t have completed the day without Journey there, even though he thinks I could of. It’s scary to think about being sick on trail alone.
The evening started to slip away and I spent most of it in bed trying to hydrate. I then got a text back from Planner after I told her I was sick and zeroing that she was getting off trail and hitching back to Burney.
She had continued on originally with the crew but felt worried and decided to come back for me.
I appreciated this so much, it was weird being without her.
Planner came and almost immediately went into nurse mode asking me my symptoms and giving me advice on healing. She also let me know that she had heard about multiple people getting sick after eating at The restaurant the night before. How crazy…
I absolutely hated being sick and fell into a deep sleep in a comfy bed for the night.
The next morning I woke up with a severe headache and stomach pains still.
It was beyond frustrating. I am such a baby when I am sick because I just want to feel better.
I spent the whole day pretty much in bed minus trying to eat some toast for breakfast and getting my parents resupply box for me. (Thank you guys! So much love!!)
Even in the post office standing, I felt weak and achy and for a bit thought I was going to faint.
It was food poisoning and what I believe to be severe dehydration from not being able to intake anything the whole day.
I spent the rest of the day laying in bed hydrating with electrolytes and eating crackers and soup. Planner and Journey also zeroed with me and Kale, Journeys friend from earlier on trail also showed up.
It was so nice to be around people who were supporting me and just being there with me.
It’s never fun to be sick alone.
We all decided that I would see how I feel in the morning and then go from there. I was pretty adamant on hiking out but I know I need to listen to my body first.
First full on sickness on trail and I hope it never has to happen again.
Iz and Oz
Izzy + Ozzy 