Tuesday, July 19
24 hours later I had had all the TV I could take and there was still no change whatsoever. I am extremely sensitive to medicines and know very quickly whether it’s working or not. This stuff was not. I started looking up giardia on the limited internet I could get on my phone. The symptoms didn’t match up. But they did correspond to a similar condition of a bacterial infection. I called a friend who also happens to be a nurse at my doctor at home and explained the situation and symptoms. They agreed with my assessment and called in a prescription for a different antibiotic.
The hotel where Neal got me set up was very nice and at a good rate. Unfortunately, it was a hike into town for laundry and food and there was very poor cell reception. I went down to the office to check out so I could move into town for a few days while I waited this thing out. Owner, Patty, recognized me as the sick hiker and offered to drive me into town to Walmart to pick up my new prescription and take me to the grocery store to get some food my stomach could handle and to my new hotel. I thanked her for being such a kind trail angel and agreed to keep her updated. i took the first pill of the new prescription and within a few hours knew that it was starting to work. Woot! I started making plans to get back on the trail on Friday.
Cassie resting up for the next leg of the hike
Wed, July 20 – Mon, July 25
Each day got progressively better although not as quickly as I was hoping. By Monday, I was feeling better but still not fully back on food. My diet still only consisted of bland foods. And my days consisted of TV, reading, and taking Cassie for walks. I was tired of it all and decided to get back on the trail the next day.
Tues, July 26
Tom, Patty’s husband, from the Wayside Inn, my former hotel, dropped me off at the trailhead at 8 am. Three miles in I stopped to take a break and eat a breakfast of applesauce. Feeling horrible, I could barely get the applesauce down without gagging. Clearly, I was not ready to be back out here. If I couldn’t eat, I wasn’t going to be able to sustain the energy I needed to hike. I hitched back out to the Wayside Inn and called Kathy and Bill from the Leadville Hostel for a shuttle. While I was waiting for the shuttle, Patty offered to drive me to Leadville. When we got there she got a full tour of the place and an education on the hike amenities – town clothes, laundry facilities, bicycles, hiker boxes, bunkrooms, etc.
I once again thanked Patty for her kindness and got settled into the Hostel and Leadville, my favorite place in Colorado!
Wed, July 27
Finally started to be able to eat. Still bland stuff but actually had an appetite! So when Michael and David, fellow hostel guests, invited me to climb Mt. Belford, the 14er, I enthusiastically accepted. Decided to test out my trail legs and took a walk around Leadville on a bike path.
A view of south of Leadville from north of Leadville
Old mining remains around Leadville
Thurs, July 28
Met Michael and David in the common room at 5:45 and headed to the trail head for Mt. Belford. Saw a moose on the way in! Started hiking at 7:20 and reached the summit at 11:30 under puffy clouds. I’ll never get tired of seeing the views from a 14,000 ft mountain.
Went out for supper at Tennessee Pass in Leadville and ate PIZZA!!!! My first real meal in weeks! I paid for it later but just being hungry and then being able to get it down was a major step forward.
I decided to get back on the trail on Saturday.
Missouri Gulch
Near the top of Mt. Belford
Near the top of Mt. Belford
Ptarmigan on the way down from Mt. Belford
Made it to the top of Belford!
Top of Belford!
Geological Marker at top of Belford
Following David and Michael to the top of Belford
Fri, July 29
Got everything together for the next leg of my hike, arranged a shuttle for Saturday morning, and seam sealed my tent, then bummed around the rest of the day. Time to hit the trail in the morning!!!!!