Day 11 : Little Wenatchee Trail Junction

Start – Little Wenatchee Trail Junction
Finish – nr Grizzly Peak
Daily Distance – 26 km
Ascent – 1030 m
Descent – 1180 m

A tough day. The rain which commenced yesterday afternoon continued unabated overnight, leaving my shoes and socks still thoroughly sodden come the morning. While donning wet shoes and socks is thoroughly unpleasant, it is something that was required on numerous days during Te Araroa without issue. Unfortunately, today has had an entirely different outcome.

For this trip I have switched to using a different model of shoe, still from the same manufacturer, but a little more robust, roomy, and hard wearing. I have been generally impressed by its comfort and performance, although the contrast could not be more stark when worn wet.

It is easier to list which parts of my foot are not rubbed than those which are. Especially painful are the line of sores which appeared on top of my toes. I tried my usual solution of covering the effected spots with tape, but a combination of old tape and excessive moisture ensured that was only a temporary relief. The problem worsened until, out of desperation, I taped all four smaller toes together to ensure the tape stayed put. Rather failing to appreciate the biomechanic properties of toes during walking, this left me almost unable to walk until the tape loosened up a touch. However, 5 minutes and one small hill later a different part of my foot had now started to rub. Running out of tape, patience, and time (mosquitoes are everywhere today), I have walked since lunchtime wearing camp sandals while trying to dry my shoes (and not stub a toe). Walking is slower that way, but at least it stops the pain and any further damage.

Some of the scenery was nice, but it was difficult to enjoy the walk when wishing I was back in town and able to treat my feet properly.

Also, as a result of a late start to avoid the rain and my hobbling pace, I reached camp at 17:00 today. Unfortunately, not quite early enough for the sun to properly dry all of my wet equipment, so the inside of the tent smells like wet dog again tonight. Also, this section of the trail is particularly overrun by mosquitos, so I am tent bound again. Venturing outside requires a fetching headnet and repeated slapping of arms and legs to fend them off. Apparently, US mosquitos are built tougher and laugh in the face of European repellent. A particularly unwelcome example of American exceptionalism.