It’s not often that I get to take a zero along the trail that coincides with being home. As a result, we end up staying a whole 3 days! I had only planned for 2 but it’s too easy when you have a free place to stay and lots of food to eat.
Also, it’s good to spend time with my parents. If you’ve followed this blog since the beginning, you’ll recall that my hike nearly ended when my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma cancer. The prognosis was grim but he decided to try a new immunology treatment, which has resulted in his cancer going into remission. When I see him now, just 2 month later, he looks completely back to normal. It’s a miraculous recovery. Thanks to all that sent thoughts and prayers along the way, that all helped a lot, too.
As for my time off, I do the usual things like eat and rest. We have several meals in town, including Quincy’s Steakhouse and Itos, the Japanese restaurant. Florence doesn’t have a whole lot to offer and we sample just about everything there is.
I also get my hair cut and have a session with a reflexologist, Nancy, who is a family friend. She can do wonders for PF, shin splints, and other problems. She’s also the mother of one of my friends from high school. Gotta love small towns.
I round off the days by doing some gear repair and cleaning. I contemplate adding a layer or two to my kit but since it’s like 90 degrees in town, I’m not thinking clearly about how cold it might be in the San Juans. Mah, I’ll be fine. Lastly, we go for a short horse ride… Relentless likes horses. I like being on my own 2 feet and I’ll leave it at that.
