May 4

Today was a weather-imposed rest day, and the timing was good since I exerted myself a lot the previous 2 days.  Still, once you have a habit of climbing stairs, it’s hard to stop, so I climbed 50 floors in the 5-star stairwells at this hotel.

The forecast predicted a strong windstorm so we planned to stay in town, clean and repack the backpack, repack our suitcases and start packing the car, grocery shop and cook, and walk over to the mountaineering store--Marilyn wanted to check out shirts and I wanted to check out hiking footwear.  Did I mention the really cool woman I met on the Appalachian Trail was wearing “hiking” vibrams?   those are those 5-toe shoes.   She’s hiking the entire AT in those things!  She loves them.  I have a pair of vibrams and like them, and had considered getting the hiking ones but never did.  Also practically everyone doing the AT was wearing running shoes.  Boots are out.  I know it’s just a fad, but I have to say, I’m curious.  So I wanted to check out the shoes.  Guess what I bought, haha, some hiking vibrams!  I also bought some trail shoes with “zero drop.”  i.e., no heels.  I have another pair like this and they are my favorite walking shoes but these have more trail-y soles.  I couldn’t resist.  I’m pretty excited.  Yep, Consumer Barbie strikes again.  I have a serious consumer problem.

Anyway, the forecast was correct, the winds are strong, the National Park is closed, and the power was out for about 3 hours.  Several AT hikers were “rescued” from the trail (i.e., picked up and given a ride into town) and dropped off at the mountaineering store, and I saw a several people I had seen on my backpacking trip.

In addition to my morning 50 floors, I’ve logged another 41 floors in the stairwell from hauling to and from the car, being on the 4rth floor, and the power outage taking out the elevator.  You may wonder, how do I count the floors.  I use an old-fashioned clicker.  It’s fun.

The fitbit measured 17000 steps today.