[pct-l] Hiking with Bunions

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On Mar 1, 2010, at 2:55 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Are there any suggestions for what to do if one's
> feet become abnormally sore?

I met a section hiker with the worst bunion I have ever seen. He  
seemed to be doing well.

What do you mean by abnormally sore? If it's excruciating and you're  
likely to ruin your chances of being able to hike in the future, you  
should probably get off the trail. If you can keep going, just keep  
going. I think most people's feet are quite sore by the end of each  
day. Mine certainly were. Mine were downright injured and still hurt  
now, but I can still hike so it's all good.

A nightly massage helps, an occasional soak so that there's a  
weightless feeling on them feels good. I modest amount of ibuprofen  
before bed can help, too. My mom sent me some arnica gel to rub on  
them. I have no idea if it worked or not, but the gel felt good.  
Washing them often and in cold streams actually refreshed them enough  
to feel new again for another hour while on the trail.