I bow to NorCal

NorCal: respect.

The stretch from Seiad to Etna SOBO was rough for me.  Maybe it was because I didn’t have my “trail legs” yet?  Maybe it was because my foot was bothering me? Maybe it was the terrain itself?  Doesn’t matter, honestly.

All I can say: I felt like I was on my 5th month of trail (from last year)… I was on the struggle bus.

When I got to Etna, I was so ready for a break!  It is a quaint little town, and thanks to an epic Air bnb, one where I was able to enjoy two full zero days.  There was not much to do except eat, drink beer, cook, and watch a lot of Netflix.  It was awesome!

While the rest was great, what wasn’t was my foot.  As soon as I got into town, it ballooned!  Weirdly, as soon as I stopped walking, the formally-broken foot got so swollen. Not good. I couldn’t put weight on it; my gait was all jacked up.

I messaged my podiatrist on my health app, and he recommended I get it looked at.  That was my plan, but Etna unfortunately doesn’t offer options when it comes to health care.  Charm, yes. Urgent care, no.

I had to push to Mt. Shasta.