I did end up cramping a fair bit last night, but not full on “aliens trying to escape from my legs” cramps. I still wasn’t feeling very well this morning but the weather was very cloudy and cooler. Still hot and humid but manageable.
Notice how sweaty I am!
We filled up water and met 2 very odd guys. Between them they had a half filled backpacking pack, and a full day pack. One of them was carrying both though, while the other carried a thick bamboo pole and a katana! They offered us a pair of Crocs to help lighten their packs… We declined.
Once we got going, a couple 1000 foot climbs told me I wasn’t doing as well as I thought. I was having trouble concentrating and quickly overheating. I stopped often and hydrated, but was ultimately saved by a thunderstorm that cut the heat way down. We eventually draged into a Wayside, which is Shenandoah code for gift shop, snacks and a grill all rolled into one. We sat under the overhang by the washroom and ate burgers and blackberry milkshakes, and all seemed right with the world again!
After lunch, I was cramping badly enough that I could barely get my shoes on, but somehow once we got hiking it was more manageable. We didn’t have too far to go, and the rain continued on and off all afternoon. We got to a shelter and called it a day, possibly our earliest stop of the trip. Megan is currently babying me while I try to move as little as possible, hoping to skip another round of cramps tonight. We shall see!
Did you ask what the katana was for…?
ahhh cramps are the worst. so sorry this is happening