We just picked up my resupply box at Bear Garden Hiker Hostel. The owner, a very nice lady who is proud of her business, gave us a tour and showed us her home and how she is preparing strawberry jam for the hikers. In the next breath she said, "If you stay here, the dog can't stay inside the hostel. You can sleep outside over by the chapel." This is just another example of the hypocrisy Forest and I have encountered on the Trail at almost every town. "We appreciate your service to our country and pray for you every day, but don't ask us to make any special arrangements for you or clean up after you." The sad part is that they are often not mean-spirited people...just oblivious. But I'm ready to give up on hostels.
One of the store owners asked me what Forest is for (which by law they are not allowed to ask), and I said PTSD. The shopkeeper then said, "Like I told you, no emotional support dogs are allowed." When I tried to explain that Forest is a service dog, not an emotional support animal, who is specially trained to preserve my personal space, watch my back and provide bracing and retrieval support, he just ignored me. When I tried to show him Forest's ID and the letter from Canines for Service, he just hustled me out. This just gets exhausting and makes my PTSD worse.
We got in the car and drove until we found a nice spot to hang out for a minute so I could breathe.
The rainstorms continue, and all of the streams on the Trail are flooding. Most aren't expected to crest for days, so stream crossings (which occur often on the Trail) won't be possible until late in the week. For that reason, and because I can't afford to hang out in a hotel for days, I've decided to head home with my wife today; I'll return Friday. This will give me time to rehydrate and get some more nutritious food into me. It will also give Forest a rest and some time for some real grooming. So for now, take care and thanks for reading. I'll be back soon.
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