Yes, Everything Hurts

It’s been a minute since my last post…my phone crashed and I lost ALL of my trail pics and blogs I was working on. After pouting for a while I’ve finally rebuilt everything, so here we go!

You tend to spend a lot of time in your head while hiking, and the theme of “everything hurts” has burrowed into my mind since the beginning. Probably because literally everything hurts most of the time. Let me take you through all the things that are hurting simultaneously everyday:

– A wicked case of plantar faciatis on both feet (which is a fancy way of saying every step is a little piece of hell)
– Sore legs, and knees, and back, and shoulders, and ankles
– A lingering ear infection
– Canker sores from all the coffee
– Sore gums and teeth from the sheer volume of food required to power my body
– Now throw in the cold, rain, snow, ice, random sweltering days, lack of sleep, and missing friends/family…

Ouch.

Most of those things I could have never predicted. Like plantar. That devil. Everyday I spend a lot of time thinking about all the things I’d rather deal with than that pain; a million ant bites, getting my entire tattoo sleeve again, being kicked by a kangaroo, anything really.

I know, “suck it up,” right? That list probably sounds like a heaping pile of complaints, but I assure you it’s not. I just want to paint the most accurate picture of what it’s like to be out here so this next part really sinks in.

*drum roll*

The joy and sense of accomplishment that comes from waking up every day, overcoming all of that shit, and still hiking big miles towards my goal is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.

So when I feel like this…

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I think about all this cool stuff I’ve seen and done…

Walking the ridge of a crater with two completely different weather systems on either side.

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This spider web at sunrise.

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Drinking a waterfall. (Thanks to Wise Wolf for the pic.)

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This cow in the middle of the trail.

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And hanging with the tramily. (Blood Mtn, Dirty Harry, Good Life, Neo, Snip Dogg, Gray Wolf, Human, Half Pint, Blue Ray, Sunrise, MGD, etc…)

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So yes, everything hurts, but that’s what makes it all worth it. And I love it. Keep trucking guys.

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(I stole the shirt idea from Human, but I wore it better.)

Cheers!
– Bottles

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Comments 3

  • Heather Dorrell : May 29th

    Love it! A wise man once said, “We are eternal and all this pain is an illusion.” I hope the PF is getting better or being held at bay.

    Reply
    • KT aka Bottles : Jun 18th

      Love that illusion concept…the PF is at bay. Can’t stop, won’t stop – right?!

      Reply
  • Jessica Esders : Jul 20th

    Great articles! Cheers!

    Reply

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