August 18-Didn't I vow to take care of my feet?

Miles Hiked: 12.33  Total: 178.66
Elevation Gain: 2761 ft

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” ~John Muir

OUR NATIONAL PARKS - pub. 1901

[John]
Yes, I did, and I was well prepared to do so, having read John Vonhof’s Fixing Your Feet, researching tapes and bringing some Leukotape, instead of my usual surgical tape, and tincture of benzoin along in our first aid kit.

View from Pinchot Pass trail looking back toward Mather Pass

Unfortunately, I never bothered to apply the tincture and had never tested the Leukotape before starting the trail. Early on, I had wrapped my big toes with the Leukotape because the calluses were hurting. The Leukotape, with its super-strong adhesive stuck the Injinji liners to my toes and, to remove the liners, I had to remove the tape, which tore big hole in my toes! I then had to use band aids on my toes and didn’t want to use the liners as they were all gummed up with the Leukotape adhesive. No liners + wet feet = nice blisters!

Trail leading up to Pinchot Pass in the distance

I began the day by promptly falling in the rocks at the first creek crossing.  After patching my shin with a band-aid, we continued up Pinchot Pass, enjoying a nice, hot cup of broth at the summit, where we took in the magnificent views and snapped some photos. There were a few clouds late morning and mid-day, which made the climb a bit easier. Ran into Robert Perky from the JMT Yahoo Group as I was limping along on the descent after an afternoon foot break, but my journal entry that night sort of sums up the day:

My feet are a disaster! I’m walking half my pace because of the blisters I have on my toes and heels. The multiple creek crossings didn’t help. I think I changed socks 3 times today – should have been 4. Tonight, like last night, I lance my blisters to let them drain. Two more passes and Whitney. I know I’ll do it but slower than I prefer!

[Christi]

Top of Pinchot Pass looking back at where we came from

Pinchot Pass day.  I'm still rattled by yesterday's Mather Pass experience.  I'm hoping this one doesn't make my state of mind even worse than it is.  Today my thoughts are that I just want to get out of here.  I'm not enjoying it any more.  Every hill looks like the last, every mile on the trail goes up and down just like the last several dozen miles we've already completed.  I'm not in the right state of mind...OBVIOUSLY!  I need a triumph...something to snap me out of it.

Turns out that Pinchot Pass wasn't as bad as I'd feared.  It was still quite a climb to get there, and the razor ledge that you finally get to at the top of the climb is a bit unnerving, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the previous pass. I'm feeling better about things now.

John's feet are really bad today.  We're hiking really slowly and he's in a lot of pain.  We're not sure what to do about it other than keep them clean and dry and give them time to heal.  We're just about out of bandaids.  I think we'll camp early tonight and give them some much needed rest.

Tomorrow is Glen Pass if John's feet are up to it.