Week 12 of Hiking the Appalachian Trail: Seeing a Podiatrist and Facing a Flip

Considering an Appalachian Trail thru-hike? Or perhaps intrigued by trail life? You’re in the right place! This post continues our journey, giving insight into what life on the trail is like week by week.

Hi! I’m Cindy. In 2022, my husband, Barrett, and I completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail! 🥳

I journaled daily on the trail; these entries make up a monthly AT series for anyone interested in our thru-hike tale!

🔗 Want to start at the beginning with week one? 👉 click here.

🔗 Browse all the weekly trail journals 👉here.

If you plan to attempt an AT thru-hike, be ready for an incredible adventure!

Also, if you know us as flip-floppers, we didn’t know at the time we’d become flip-flop thru-hikers (more on that soon). We started NOBO in Georgia in April, after months of research.

In hindsight, starting as Flip Floppers or in March would have fit us better. (We start figuring that out this week!)

Just know, when picking a route for the Appalachian Trail, you can always change it up anytime!
👉 Click here for tips on where and when to start an Appalachian Trail Thru Hike. 👈
👉 And click here for advice on thru-hiking backpacking gear. 👈

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Alrighty! Welcome back to my Appalachian Trail thru-hike journal series!

Week twelve of hiking the Appalachian Trail was a biggy! It was the week I thought it all might be over.

After weeks of pushing through pain, I finally saw a podiatrist. And for the first time on trail, Barrett and I seriously considered becoming flip-flop thru-hikers.

You’ll finally get answers to popular questions like, “What is actually happening with Cindy’s feet?” and “When (and why) do they decide to become flip floppers?”

Thanks for hanging in there with me as I worked my way to this week. Looking back now, it’s been really interesting to see the progression of what was happening with my body and mind, and to see how confused and fearful I felt in the moment. In hindsight, it all now seems so clear.

If you’re new here, you can start with week one of our Appalachian Trail thru-hike journals here or catch up on past weeks here. Otherwise, let’s dive into week twelve on the AT!

This week was full of big decisions, emotional lows, and glimmers of hope. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when trail dreams meet real-world challenges, this week’s story is for you. Here’s week twelve of our adventure:

Day 78

June 21, 2022

A lot of things happened today that I didn’t journal about, but I can see in my pictures that it actually looks like one of my favorite kinds of hiking days: up high on the ridgeline with views.

Plus, we came across some trail magic!

This man was making cheese or tomato sandwiches and also serving up buttered potatoes!

We also hiked past the Audie Murphy Monument, created for Audie Murphy, the most decorated US soldier in World War II, who died in an airplane crash in the area.

I must have been in a lot of pain not to have journaled about any of this. Despite not journaling, I very much remember the end of this day. In all honesty, this evening was a pretty low point for me, so I’m guessing I didn’t have it in me, since I fell asleep sobbing.

By this point on the trail, I’ve noticed I have two pretty different journals going…

There’s one outward-facing journal where we share nightly updates with about 40 close friends and family. It said things like this:

“Up and at it at 8:15 am! Just like last night, tons of deer ran by our campsite this morning as well.

In the evening, we camped across from a meadow within a clump of tall skinny trees in a big open camping area, complete with a fire pit and logs to sit on! 🪵 And lots of mooing this evening.“

And then a second journal where I was privately documenting what was actually happening. The reality I was not ready to share:

“Lots of rocky ledge walking. Slipped and thought I caught myself on one, but then my pack gave me an extra push down, and I bopped my head off the rock. Cried this evening. Truly started being afraid I wouldn’t be able to do the hike.“

The reality is, I wasn’t ready to face what might actually be happening with my friends, family, and possibly even with myself yet. I SOBBED this evening in the tent and was pretty sure my hike was coming to an end.

We even started discussing what it would look like if I couldn’t do it and what our options were.

✔️ Length: 15.5 AT trail miles
✔️ Total Ascent: 2761′
✔️ Total Descent: 4089′
✔️ Total Grade: 441’/mi

Day 79

June 22, 2022

A lot is happening during the next couple of days. They are some of the most vivid memories I have of the whole trail.

We are hiking some of the most iconic and striking spots of the trail. We’re hiking in 90-degree days. I’m limping, in tremendous pain, and unsure how I will continue much further. Barrett is contemplating a flip for the first time ever (more on this tomorrow).

At our campsite this morning at 7:10 am, the forest floor sounds hard at work. There are lots of chirping and woodpecking sounds.

Barrett did not sleep that well last night. He was terrified by something running and screaming, bahhing, almost kind of like a sheep. I admit I heard it, too, and it was odd, but I must have been very tired because I thought it sounded more like play and fell asleep just fine. 😹

We reached the 700-mile marker today!! 🎉

We arrived at Dragon’s Tooth, one of the iconic landmarks in Virginia’s Triple Crown section of the Appalachian Trail! There was some pretty crazy ledge climbing directly after walking through this pass.

That wall was the trail we just came down.

There was also a spot with crazy swallows. The high was 90 degrees today.

Either this evening or the next morning, we had decided that perhaps switching to a frameless pack was never a good idea for me. Over time, Barrett got really used to his, and it helped him lose some pack weight.

However, for me, things seem to have gone downhill progressively since I switched from my Osprey Aura pack to a Mariposa 60 pack in Damascus.

I called my mom and asked if she could overnight my pack to a UPS store in our next trail town, Daleville, VA.

✔️ Length: 14.4 AT trail miles
✔️ Total Ascent: 3289′
✔️ Total Descent: 3099′
✔️ Total Grade: 444’/mi

Day 80

June 23, 2022

It stormed last night. We’re starting our hike off 1.7 miles away from McAfee Knob this morning, around 9:15 am.

There are lots of tourists around, and the deer are very friendly with them. We are hoping to make it to Daleville by the end of the day. 🤞 Onward!

I have SOOOOO many pictures from this day! But you kinda gotta when you’re hiking such an iconic part of the trail: McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Also, it was a beautiful day!

While we were on this part of the trail, I got a message from my mom saying she had dropped my pack off at her local UPS in Knoxville and that it would arrive at the UPS in Daleville tomorrow.

As we left the last shelter and water source for the day and began our final descent down into town, Barrett mentioned that the idea of flip-flopping had come to mind recently.

I was completely stupefied when I heard this, because I’d mentioned flipping before, but he wasn’t overly interested. For a LONGGGGG time, he has been pretty devoted to ending our hike at Katadhin, which I have understood. It was what he pictured as the highly exciting climax to our journey since he was young.

So the fact that he just brought this up, while I was minding my business walking down a switchback, blew my mind.

We talked about all the reasons to consider it, including:

• The ability to push our end date out, giving us more time to complete the trail.
• Better weather. Being in Maine in July and August sounds much better than in October, if we could even still make it there by then. And then we could be hiking south during the fall.
• We’d be able to cut our hiking days a bit shorter and enjoy the day-to-day journey a bit more.

Regarding that last one, Barrett mentioned that for the last few weeks, he felt like he was constantly running the mile numbers in his head, stressing himself out, not liking the person it was turning him into, and not enjoying it at all. So, having shorter, more enjoyable days was starting to make a flip more appealing to him.

There had always been a lot of pros and not many cons (in my opinion, at least). But he would have to decide if he could picture the hike ending differently than what had been in his mind for so long.

I hiked the last few miles of this day, hobbling in my Crocs. My feet could not take another mile in the Merrells. Unfortunately, they had not been the godsend I was hoping for, at least not for my feet.

Overall, though, the whole day (and its sunset) was beautiful; I remember every detail vividly:

• McAfee and Virginia’s Triple Crown lived up to the hype!
• My feet were in excruciating pain.
• We were playing 20 questions.
• My mind was switching regularly between: Could we flip? And, is this the end of the trail for me?

We made it to Daleville, VA! It was a lonnnggggg day, but we popped out into civilization, complete with a gas station, Super 8 & Mexican Restaurant, all within .1 of a mile from the trail. What more could you ask for?! (10 pm)

We got to the hotel room, and once again, my feet were throbbing with pain. I knew this wasn’t sustainable. Something had to change.

✔️ Length: 17.8 AT trail miles
✔️ Total Ascent: 3380′
✔️ Total Descent: 4332′
✔️ Total Grade: 434’/mi

Day 81

June 24, 2022

I woke up this morning and, via a quick Google search, found a podiatrist about 3 miles down the road from our hotel.

I also found out this was the first town on the trail where we could pick up a Lyft or Uber!

I called the podiatrist, and they booked me for a same-day appointment at 3:30 pm. Finally, I would see a podiatrist about my feet and hopefully get some answers.

Before the appointment, Barrett walked to the UPS pickup spot and picked up my original Osprey Aura pack that I started the trail with.

We also (once again) got some Mexican food, which seems to always be within walking distance of everywhere we go along the trail.

Then, we were on our way to the foot doctor! I quite literally limped myself into the building, bracing myself for the words I was terrified to hear: “You need to stop hiking.”

However, the appointment was a bit shocking.

Basically, my feet came out okay on scans.

The podiatrist had me really think back to when they didn’t hurt as badly. So Barrett and I worked through the past weeks in our minds, thinking all the way back to:

🎒 1: The first thing we thought of was what we had already been talking about lately, that things hadn’t ever been quite right since my week nine pack swap from the Osprey Aura pack I started with, to the Mariposa 60 pack, to save weight.

🥾 2: Also, things had perhaps not been the same since my shoe changes from Altra Lone Peak Waterproof Mid Hiking Shoes (which really didn’t seem to have enough substance for me) in week six to the Altra Olympus trail runners, and then in week eleven, when I tried something new again with the Merrells.

She felt either (or both) of those things could be affecting how I’m landing on my feet, and that if I remembered being comfortable with the original pack, even if it would add some weight, I should get it back ASAP, which was convenient since Barrett had picked it up a few hours earlier!

Then, she also recommended buying Topos. Specifically because they could still have a low heel-to-toe drop, like I was used to, but also with an added rock plate.

She also recommended doing some new, additional, precise stretches and gave me medical-grade inserts with strategically placed “dancer pads” attached to help my foot land right.

She thought that, between those changes, I would likely be good to continue on my way and finish the trail. Then she went on to talk to us about how she dreamt of doing the trail someday.

We left the appointment, honestly… both a bit stunned!

I was extremely fortunate to have walked into such a knowledgeable doctor’s office, and one that understood thru-hikers. If either of those things hadn’t been the case, I may not have been helped as well as I was.

Barrett was thrilled and instantly started talking about all things “trail,” which overwhelmed me.

I was convinced this woman was about to tell me something was really wrong with my feet and that my hike was over. Instead, she was inspired by us and basically told me that with a few changes, I should be fine.

I just needed one moment to celebrate that my body wasn’t totally f’ed and that my hike was still on.

We got another Uber/Lyft back to the area with our hotel and the gear store, resupplied, and I got some new Topos to go with my new medical-grade inserts!

This is also where we got our CNOC 28mm Vecto Water Container and our Outdoor Research women’s and men’s Echo shirts, all of which we would go on to love for the rest of the trail and highly recommend!

We talked back and forth about whether or not to leave tomorrow. I feel so guilty when we take an extra zero, because we are, in fact, starting to fall behind the crowd at this point. Once all the trail town tasks are complete, I feel we should move on. 

However, despite Barrett’s initial thoughts back to the trail, he reminded me that merely a few hours earlier, I was literally limping, and that one extra day was needed. He did enough convincing. 

My end-of-night screen grabs include this:

As well as screen grabs of me pricing out cruises for May 2023 (😹) and pictures of people on Facebook taking in the AT Hiker group about their flipping stories, and how it wasn’t their initial plan, but they were really happy it worked out that way for them. As well as people saying to listen to advice, but also listen to yourself.

All good things to be reading in that moment.

✔️ Length: 0 AT trail miles

Day 82

June 25, 2022

I did not journal on this day.

From my pictures, I see that we packed up a box to send to my mom:

And we watched a ton of movies:

(I promise we are only slightly mole people, and we sufficiently cleaned up that room before leaving.)

I also bought a birthday present for Barrett online, chatted with AT&T support, and Googled bucket-list books, how to be the best version of myself, how long the typical thru-hiker takes to hike the trail (which I have since written about), and flip-flop route choices.

✔️ Length: 0 AT trail miles

Day 83

June 26, 2022

We woke up and finally left the Super 8 around 10:30 am. The Daleville Super 8 was pretty alright, can’t complain!

When I put on my brand-new insoles and shoes, I laced them up as tightly as possible. My feet cracked about 40 times as I walked around the room. I think that’s good… 🤷‍♀️

But then, in the first 1/2 mile of the day’s hike, I was in agony. I was limping and feeling the kind of pain that’s so bad it affects your vision.

I finally sat on the ground, deeply sad and defeated. This was supposed to be the fix. I took everything off my feet.

Then I thought, why don’t I loosen them?

Game changer!

We took a moment to make a few obligatory Tiny Tim jokes in amazement. This very simple change made the day completely different. From then on, I walked completely normally, and we carried on with our day.

This, however, is how beaten up my feet are! It’s wild. One tiny change in lace pressure turned disabling pain into forward motion. I’ve never experienced pain like this before the trail.

It was a pretty easy trail day overall. We had a trail of red rock gravel and sand for most of it, which was a dream come true on our first day back on the trail.

About a mile past the Super 8, we hit the sign marking 1/3 of the trail.

We took a brief moment to celebrate by it, snapped a few pictures with it, and then quickly ran back into the shade of the trail.

It was exciting, but the math of it was stressful.

There were wild berries the entire hike today, and we feasted. Every 15-30 minutes, Barrett would turn around and put berries in my hand.

And here I am, back at it, with my new shoes, old pack, and new lease on life!

Around 2:10, we stopped to avoid the rain. I think, for the first time ever, we got to the shelter right as it started and didn’t get rained on while running there, so that was lovely!

While waiting out the rain, a man with us at the shelter said the three best things in life were:

1️⃣ Rain on a tin roof
2️⃣ A bottle of whiskey
3️⃣ And a willing woman 😳

Around 3:20, we were hiking again.

We arrived at the next shelter at 6:30 pm and decided to call it a day. We camped near a packed shelter this evening with many new hiking friends.

✔️ Length: 11.2 AT trail miles
✔️ Total Ascent: 2976′
✔️ Total Descent: 2397′
✔️ Total Grade: 480’/mi

Day 84

June 27, 2022

We are up and at it at 9:00 am. It was supposed to rain last night, but it did not.

I woke up to see Barrett on the ground again, poor guy. We have repaired his mat twice. So we’re thinking it’s time to reach out to customer support.

It’s super weird; it keeps splitting apart on the top.

He said having his sleeping bag under him was providing extra padding until he got cold and needed it on top of him. While saying this, his entire vestibule was open. I asked him why he didn’t just close that for warmth then… He said, “It was nice.” Not sure that’s an answer, but it’s what I got. 🤷‍♀️

Update from pack up: Barrett went to pack up his mat, and the inflation sack was still connected. 😹😹😹 We’re now thinking the sack just slowly siphoned air out all night, and his mat may be okay.

Saw some Red Eft newty boys and a ring snake today.

A ton of today’s hike was along the Blue Ridge Parkway, on a forested strip of land, but curving alongside the road with Mountain Views on either side.

I had a tempting thought: We could hitchhike all the way home from here on this one road.

It feels kind of like we’re home because we trained so much along the Blue Ridge Parkway’s trails.

I remember laughing again, and that stood out in my mind. I enjoyed talking with people; some of the joy of trail is back, which has been lacking for weeks.

Again, I can’t express how odd it is that I simply feel better all of a sudden.

It was another day we also hiked along tons of berry bushes.

We had some very light rain for a few hours in the middle of the day, but honestly, it felt good in the summer warmth.

We also sat at a picnic table off a Blue Ridge Parkway pull-off and had lunch.

We had short conversations with everyone we encountered all day, and it was lovely.

We saw this 750 marker:

It was such a beautiful day to be out on the trail!

We ended the day at a shelter with the second-best privy we’ve ever come across so far. (It was basically brand new! 😻), and had the place all to ourselves!

(This shelter is unpopular due to its lack of water, since most hikers don’t enjoy end-of-day water carries.) We, however, carried water in.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at the picnic table and then camped .1 south, across the trail from the shelter, in our tent.

One of our guidebooks noted a scenic outcropping overlook .1 up the trail, so we walked to it and watched part of the sunset.

I remember wanting to lock it in my memory forever. I think in retrospect, this day gave me a lot of renewed hope.

Barrett’s, however, his poor sleep was catching up with him, and he was wavering between being very funny and uber crabby, so we trekked back before the sunset was complete and went to bed.

✔️ Length: 13.9 AT trail miles
✔️ Total Ascent: 2620′
✔️ Total Descent: 2521′
✔️ Total Grade: 372’/mi

Conclusion: Week Twelve of our Appalachian Trail Hike

Week twelve started as the week everything was falling apart, and then ended as the week everything calmly started to rebuild.

I walked into Daleville convinced my hike was over. I walked out with new shoes, my old pack, medical-grade inserts, and something even more important: permission to adjust.

We hadn’t flipped yet. But for the first time on trail, we were talking about it.

Onward to Week Thirteen! Stay tuned for more on how we made this hike work best for us!