Day 6. Stidham United Methodist Church, West Lafayette to Tippecanoe Battlefield Memorial Park, Battle Ground: Joy

Saturday, August 19
Bike: 0
Walk: 15.6 miles (not exactly)
Ox Cart: ?
81 degrees; Real Feel 85

Wow, you might be saying, where did Karen get the time and energy to catch up?!  In a weak moment--beyond fatigued, riddled with aches, and inner introvert screaming "Leave me alone!"--she heard there was a Starbucks in the lobby and, pretty please, asked Jim to bring back a latte when finished with his post-Trail massage.  Expecting a tall, she received a venti (Jim ordered grande but the barrista mistakenly made venti--there!  We've covered all the sizes.).  Between that and two very irritated Achilles tendons, she's having trouble falling asleep.

However, tomorrow is another long day (39 miles, completed by 3 p.m.), so I will try shortly.

No biking today because the Trail actually joins a trail: the Wabash Heritage Trail on the banks of the Wabash River.  It's a lovely shaded path, with some hazards.  Mud, stone "steps" across a creek, fallen and low-hanging limbs, etc.  In short, a typical hiking trail.  Still, I was awfully thankful for my boots and poles--the same ones that baffle most of the people with us.

This trail was described to us in treacherous terms so I took advantage of the offer to have my ankles taped for support.  Although the wraps didn't feel tight, they must have been--my Achilles tendons were screaming.  I used Lamaze breathing to make it to the rest stop.  There, James, one of the Prompt people, had me climb up into the mobile unit.  That way he could do a proper job and not worry about finishing before the break was over--they'd join the convoy with me aboard.  That's how it played out.  When I was all laced up again, they drove up to the middle of the pack and I joined the walk in progress.  I don't know how long I was away, either in time or distance.

Jim's two-sizes larger, gel-soled shoes let him walk a little longer.  As he suspected, though, he suffered the common blister of a new pair of shoes: back of the ankle.  He continued his ox cart strategy.

The relatively short distance was scheduled to get us to Tippecanoe Battlefield Park at around a late lunch time.  It was Family Day: Mass and a gourmet barbecue.  I am so used to Mass followed by dinner that I thought, as we headed for the bus, how much I was looking forward to checking into the next hotel and going to bed.  Thus the latte.  I was exhausted and, even tough I'd unwrapped them, my Achilles tendons still hurt, hurt, hurt.

Instead, I showered (scrubbing extra hard to eliminate any contamination by poison ivy) and dressed while Jim went to the hospitality suite for his daily post-Trail aftercare. I did have some free time to put together a couple posts and complete a few tasks before the sumptuous buffet.

One of our pilgrims fell today and sprained her wrist.  Besides that--knock on wood--  there are the typical aches and pains one would expect from such a physical challenge,  the most common dealing with feet and legs.

There's more about today, but I need to think on what to say and how to say it.  For now, I'm off to beddy bye.

Laters!

Dinner on the terrace at our hotel,
the Courtyard by Marriot.

Every time we check into a new hotel, we receive a hospitality bag filled with aftercare items, sometimes a local souvenir.