AT Day 66 – Day of Snakes and Ticks

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20th June

30.2 miles

Bushcamp (1181.1) to Bushcamp (1211.3)

I was on the trail by 6am. My red raw inner thighs were not giving me the bother they did yesterday. Overall my body felt good and the rain yesterday bought the promise of a cool fresh day. 

The birds were noticeably louder today. So were the snakes. I jumped off the trail when I noticed a rattlesnake sitting not six inches from my feet ready to strike. This cheeky snake didn’t even warn me with its rattle until I got my camera out. I suspect it was laying in the sun and not yet warm enough to move very much. It had been a cold morning. I saw another 2 snakes before the end of the day.

There was not much in the way of scenic highlights today to so I kept my head down to look for snakes and made some miles. Occasionally the trail would pass a scenic lookout to the farmland below but not too often.

After 13 hours of hiking I found a small Bushcamp to call home for the night. I tended to my inner thigh rash and did my usual full body search for ticks.

I discovered I had foot fungus (athletes foot), luckily I had the medication to treat it. And worse, I discovered what looked like a tick bite on my arm.

The volcano shaped bite deserves attention from a doctor. I think I’ll ask for a course of doxycycline just to be sure. I don’t want Lyme disease which is a fairly common tick bourne disease in this part of the world.

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Next : Day 67 – Appalachian Trail World Hike Naked Day

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About the Author:
Brad is an Australian who has completed the hiking Triple Crown after he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail. He has hiked on every continent (except Antarctica) and has cycled from Alaska to Ecuador. He is an expert on outdoor gear currently living in Chile.

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