DAY 7 6/22/18

UP EARLY FOR MY LAST DAY OF MY SHAKE DOWN HIKE. FOR THE FIRST TIME I HAD A HOT BREAKFAST. ON PREVIOUS DAYS I EITHER HAD PEANUT BUTTER OR CLIFF BARS, ONE MORNING I HAD INSTANT OATMEAL IN COLD WATER, NOT BAD BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BUT TODAY I'M HAVING INSTANT GRITS A FAVORITE OF MINE. DETAIL AND I LEAVE TOGETHER KNOWING THAT MAVERICK AND GOOBER WILL CATCH AND PASS US BEFORE LONG. AGAIN WITH THE PUDS AND ROCKS BUT TODAY WE SEE MILES OF BLOWN DOWN TREES, THE DEVASTATION FROM THE STORMS IN MAY IS HEART BREAKING AND THE WORK THE TRAIL WORKERS DID TO CLEAR THE TRAIL WAS IMMENSE. TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY I HURT. MY FEET WERE TENDER BUT THAT HAD BECOME NORMAL. TODAY THE PAST FEW DAYS CAUGHT UP WITH ME AND EACH TIME I STEPPED UP OR DOWN MY LEFT THIGH WOULD SCREAM IN AGONY. OH WELL, NO ONE IS GOING TO CARRY ME OUT OF THE WOODS AND I JUST TOOK A COUPLE PAIN KILLERS AND CONTINUED ON. A LITTLE REST AND IT WILL BE FINE. IT WAS A SAD DAY AS I'D LOOSE MY GROUP WHEN I GOT OFF THE TRAIL. I MADE IT TO THE DELI WHERE WE PLANNED LUNCH AND WHERE DEBBIE WOULD PCIK ME UP. THE GANG WAS ALL THERE. DETAIL, MAVERICK, GOOBER, JINX, AMFOG FLO-MO, SEVEN AND DOUBLE TAP. WE ALL ATE AND DRANK. I FIND MY HUNGER HASN'T REALLY KICKED IN YET SO I HAD A COUPE SLICES OF PIZZA. IN CONTRAST MAVERICK AND GOOBER EACH HAD A COUPLE SLICES WHILE THEY WERE WAITING FOR THEIR MEDIUM PIZZAS TO COOK, ONE FOR EACH OF THEM. ONE THING I DID WAS HOLD MY OWN WITH THE DRINKS, YOU JUST CAN'T APPRECIATE HOW GOOD A COLD DRINK TASTES AFTER DRINKING WARM WATER FOR A WEEK OR IN THEIR CASE THREE MONTHS. SO I MANAGED TO WASH DOWN MY PIZZA IWTH A POWERADE, A YAHOO AND ANOTHER POWERADE. I MADE SURE THAT DETAIL, MAVERICK AND I EXCHANGED CONTACT INFO AND WITH LUCK I'LL SEE THEM AGAIN ON THE TRAIL. SIGNING OFF UNTIL JULY WHEN I CAN AGAIN PICK UP MY PACK AND HEAD FOR MAINE.