I bailed, so sue me...TR

“I bailed at the last minute. Met Yam and Pennsy at the campground friday afternoon. I was lucky, got the last site, campsite no. 13. ahhhh bad luck!!

Pennsy came later on, told me about his hike with the others, and we sat at the fire talking and waiting for yam. Yam arrived around 11.45PM or so. We sat a little while longer and went to "bed" around 1pm, maybe a little later. I know it took a while for us to go to sleep. (lots of laughing and listening at stranges noises outside)

Pennsy woke us up around 5:30 the next morning. We got ready, and everything was okay.

I took 2 pair of boots with me, my real old pair that never gave me blisters, and another older pair that was okay, but not great. Only reason why I took that pair with me was because that pair was still in pretty good shape. My old pair, wasn't.

okay, so it was time to put on my boots...strange...my old pair didn't fit. way too small. the other pair: well, very tight, but i was at least able to get in. That was strange, not sure what the reason was that my boots didn't fit. I wore the same socks as always.

oh well...at least I was able to get in.
we drove to the trailhead and started hiking. I felt it from the beginning. I had a hard time breathing, I had a hard time period. I didn't know what was going on. I am never really sick so it's hard for me to explain. Anyway, I kept on going. I knew pennsy and yam started to worry. When pennsy said that if I bail we all bail I was sure that I am not going to do so. There is no way I let pennsy drive all those miles and then he wouldn't even be able to complete the trip.
The weather was cold and very windy. I front of us we saw a huge dark cloud. We wasn't sure if it was fog or rain, maybe even snow.

Well after about 1800 feet elevavation gain my breating didn't get any better. How can I explain? Hmm... sort of like if you try to take a real deep breather and you can't get any air, it felt like I only was getting like half of the air... It's hard to explain. I never felt anything like it.

We tried to figure out if it was my pack because that sucker was heavy!! Almost thought we figured it out, but then I realized that taking off the pack just took care of the backpain. Something you have to deal with pretty much on any trip anyway. So that wasn't it.

then!!! I decided to bail. There was no way I would be able to hike the complete 15 miles, 7,000 ft evlevation gain in one day. Not like this.

Felt pretty bad about it. That's my second time that I have bailed. Grayson highland and now this. I feel sad and depressed. (someone make me feel better please) :(

We decided to get back to camp. We were lucky and got the same campsite, number 13. We set our huge car camping tents back up and drove up to mitchell. That's where we saw embear and bison at the mitchell restaurant. They both looked very tired. we all talked for a while and then I sort of have a memory laps...not sure what happend to embear and bison right there... [heeheehee] I know they made it to their campsite somehow, but I don't know how. [grin]

yam, pennsy and myself went left mitchell in the late afternoon and went on to search for some alcohol. Found out real quick that we were in the wrong county for that. Dry county!! Our luck!!!

So we got back into pennsys car and drove to Marion. Found some wine and loaded the trunk with a couple of bottles. after that we got some good chinese food.

back to the campground...fire was roaring, the wine was flowing. We had a nice quiet night. Talked about pretty much anything and everyone!! ;)

Sunday: each of us went on their way home.
On my way home (about 3 1/2 hours) all I thought about was that I bailed. I tried to figure out what it could've been. I still don't know. I feel good today, I still have a hard time breathing, but nothing like the day before. Right now I'm probably starting to imagining things because I am still looking for a damn reason that this happend. So I stop now. I'll figure it out when I go to the doc.

Damn I wanted to see Trekkngirl again. So sorry that I wasn't able to get to see any of you. Glad though that I at least saw embear and Bison. And of course Pennsy and Yam.
Bought me a brand new downjacket for this trip, and didn't even get to wear it. sucks big time!!!

Oh pcraft: your direction were awsome. Much shorter. At least I thought so.

What I learned:

I am not invinsible, damn I bailed!
If you stick around yam for longer then 3 hours you start to talk like her. heeheehee
Pennsy is a great guy! Never thought he would pee in a creek though. lmao


I am going to do this trip again. Alone, but I'll do it.”

“It's possible that it was from the cold air hitting your lungs. Last fall on a hunting trip I had a similar problem. Every breath I took burned and made me short of breath. I forced myself to breathe through my nose, which helped some; I didn't really start to feel better until it warmed up.”

“sorry to hear you got to bail, but at least you still got some bag nights in... car camping or not, it's still great to be outdoors.

hope u feel better soon. i've had to bail a couple times, so i know that "damn!" feeling.”

“hope your not getting sick, but at least your sane enought to know when not to keep pushing.

the moutains ain't goin anywhere.”

“Sorry to hear you had to bail out of the trip. You mentioned not long ago that you suspected you were anemic. Did you get a blood test to rule that out? Anemia causes the symptoms you just described. Fatigue, shortness of breath and a faster than normal heart rate. It can also cause swelling in the ankles and feet. If you didn't yet get your blood tested ask your doctor about it. Hope you feel better soon.”

“To bad about the bail...happens from time to time though.

Were you taking any Meds? There are some that can cause problems with breathing, Alieve (naproxen) is one I believe.

Pennsy peed in a creek??Around here, that will get you a rock in the back of the head, nice guy or not.... ;-)
last edited: 10/17/04 2:54:25 PM”

“j/k about the peeing...something about an old thread. lol

don't take any meds besides regular multi-vitamins, my thyroid meds and some omega-3 vitamins, so nothing that's bad for me.

richB, you maybe on to something. I have never even thought about that. I'll be going to the doc next week. I sort of forgot about it because I had too much stuff on my mind. It's time to go now though.

anyway, I had a nice time, just wish I could've went on that trip. This will haunt me for a while.

Roam, honey...wanna do this trip with me?? ;-)
last edited: 10/17/04 3:01:16 PM”

“Perhaps you just weren't meant to go that day...everything happens for a reason.
last edited: 10/17/04 3:05:50 PM”

“gem, you have mail”

“helinka...i haven't received anything yet.. :(”

“i sent it to your addy on your profile”

“maybe

damn stupid hotmail”

“helinka...I still didnt' get it. if my email don't work (should though) you can also send it to zwiebele"at"hotmail.com
last edited: 10/17/04 4:00:03 PM”

“Sorry to hear you had to bail. But if you feel you need to, by all means do it.

Can I ask a few questions regarding some info left out from your TR... Where the heck were you (State, Park, etc.)? And what trail were you guys hiking that was 15 miles and 7000 feet elevation gain?”

“oh....i forgot to add the details?? oopss...
plan was to hike Mtn. Mitchell, NC the most difficult way possible. lol

here the link to the trip info:
http://thebackpacker.com/trips/trip/454.php”

“ok Gem, check your hotmail”

“Nothing wrong with bailing.”

“Yeah, nothing wrong with bailing! Glad you got to meet my two very good friends, Yam and Pennsy. You'll do the route some other day, and it'll be that much sweeter.”

“Yeah, it sucked to be me. TWO nights camping with Yam and Gemini? Life is cruel.

Gemini - like I already told you, don't even give it a second thought about the decision to bail. I've been on many many bp trips, and have bailed several times. I've learned to leave the ego at the trailhead, and once the decision is made, NEVER second guess that decision. The mountain will still be there.

I still had a very nice time hanging with Gem and Yam. Gemini continued her tradition of unpredictable "outbursts." First it was "Dis trail eez kaput!!" followed by "Are you doing it in there?" While driving back from Mt Mitchell, we passed a pickup truck with a guy and a lady inside with their windows down. As I am passing them, Gem rolls down the window and hollers over to the guy "Hey there sweety!!" I bet that poor guy is still trying to explain that to the lady that was with him.”

“Gem is a big wussy. ;-)”

“hmmm....Gemini, you said your boots were tight. Feeling short of breath and possibly swollen feet....raises some questions in my mind. Glad your going to the doc. Get a chest xray. I've heard of those other symtoms with anemia but not swollen feet...doesn't mean it isn't associated...I've just never heard of that.”

“Leave it to Gemini to stir up trouble, that poor fella will be sleepin on the couch for a week, trying to get his wife to believe he doesn't know you!

Yeah, Gem - I'd be up for doing the mountain with ya, but its gonna depend on some news that I hope to be getting this week.”

“I am not worried about it... i'm okay now.
pennsy is lying, I have said nothing to anyone! Too much to drink huh? oh boy, if I knew that, I would've never drove in the car with you. ;-)

stovy... you called me a wimp? huh?? need a good spankin'??


roam...sure hope you are getting some good news this week. I really, really want to do this freaking trip.
last edited: 10/17/04 8:18:06 PM”

“Gem - Sure, I'll spank you. ;-)

...and I called you a wussy, not a wimp. ;-)
last edited: 10/17/04 8:20:52 PM”

“That's what you get for posting those ugly pics of my wife, Big Poppa ,and I on the last trip, Roam too, you both called us " The Bailers" HA! You two are King an Queen Bailers!!!! Oh, and by the way those clouds, that was snow, along with 70 MPH winds. 27 miles of it!!!! C-YA
last edited: 10/17/04 9:01:27 PM”

“WTF?
I guess that's what you call now days a real hiking partner?
I had great company, no backpackers that took joy in other people's pain.
last edited: 10/17/04 9:16:57 PM”

“Sorry, just a joke, everyone missed you,even me!!! Losen up, your boots that is.”

“Gemini, you should have been on our non butt-kicker.

You're a trouble-maker!”

“GEM......sorry you didn't finish, but it's ok....you need to listen to your body!!!!...it will let you know when something is wrong and you are smart if you listen.......

Glad you had a great time car camping....and I hope you get checked out soon!!!”

“Gemini,

No need to be coy about how Embear and I got so far ahead of the others, Pennsy already busted us.

And thank goodness you bailed, we never would have made it to Balsam gap, the others didn't even make it until sunset and they had left when we got to the restaraunt. But we didn't end up seeing them last night, they thought we were lost somewhere up on that trail, but they found us this morning, we had camped less than half a mile up the trail from them.”

“OK Gem, you're sue'd.”

“gem,
i'm so glad we got to hike together again, even if the hiking part itself was short lived. i don't care that we turned back, cuz we had a great time anyway! as it's been said, the mountain will always be there.

and ps. i've been talkin w/ a fake german accent since i got home, so 3 hours w/ you makes me talk like you, too (although my accent is poor) tee hee.
and pss. keep the condoms at home, pennsy might get the wrong idea!! hardy har har.”

“Sorry you were unable to make the hike. It would have been great to see you & Yam again! Don't worry about bailing. All of us have done it before. Sometimes it just ain't a good choice to try to tackle the mountain. Hope you find out from the Doc what happened to you and can be fixed.
I'm glad yall dropped Embear & Bison at Balsom Gap. We were worried about them. We set up camp in the dark.

I just can't believe Roam Around bailed. He wasn't even sick and missed this trip Completely! :)”

“Roam bailed?

Lots of casualties on this one.

What's up, does yam talk funny?”

“argh!!!!”

“Gem sorry you had to bail but its better to be safe then sorry...i've had to bail 2 times before...once my problem (I broke a rib) and the other time someone elses problem (serious altitude sicknesss) Sounds almost like you had a little asthma? maybe you should ask the doc.”

“roam...don't worry we'll show them :)

hey Yam...isn't it strange how those things always magically appeard. almost like someone sneaked in our tent while we where sound a sleep.

MarkO: we all talked funny.


Hey guys thanks for trying to cheer me up. I had nightmares about this last night. Thought that was sort of funny. other people dream about regular add day stuff...I dream about baling. lol

PS: I really, really like the edit feature. can you tell? hahahaha
last edited: 10/18/04 7:57:22 AM”

“No shame in bailing. I've bailed on many trips and every time I've gone back the mountains were still there.”

“She dreams of bailing?

I guess that leaves me out!”