Had to quit my thru hike :/
Had to quit my thru hike :/
I made it 546 kilometres in 19 days, with ~350 left to go. Idk if my water filter failed or there was a hygiene slipup, but I woke up Thursday feeling super fatigued and that quickly slipped into beaver fever symptoms (or some kind of infection/parasite).
Now I've spent the last few days recovering on the couch and picking up reading again. Still feels like a big achievement, but I had a bit of a short time window to finish the trail. Now I'll probably be too busy for the rest of the warmer season and have to wait until next year. 
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When I moved here I looked at one particular mountain daily for three years before attempting it. The first time I went up I turned back right beneath the summit due to dehydration. Getting down safe meant being able to do it again with a better sense of what I need to do it better. Turning back is always the right move where safety is concerned. Nature can't be taken for granted when a medical evacuation is hours if not days away.
Absolutely not! I'm lucky that the trail wasn't actually backcountry for most of it, and I had an emergency sat phone, first aid kit, etc. with me, but I have seen some shit go down in the woods and know when to be careful.