A Frustrating Day - 4/19/16

Words a backpacker never wants to hear - "get off the AT before you cause permanent damage to your right knee" - When I left Franklin, NC on 4/14/16 - I hiked a 15 mile day - too much up and down, over 2000 ft - trying to hike my own pace but the trail was easy except for those downhills - usually full of rocks/bouldering. The next few days were a bit easier, 10+ miles but still the downhill rocks kept coming (Friday, 4/15/16, the trail went down 1200 ft in 3 miles and then immediately back up 1000 ft to the Shelter). That's when I really noticed that my right knee was getting shaky - no support. On Saturday, 4/16/16, I walked down from an elevation of 4,092 to 1,732 in 6 miles - more bouldering! But I was in the Nantahala Outdoor Center - beautiful area of kayaking, 9 rivers, etc. (when I get home - I will post more pictures). I did get a small knee brace, thinking I will walk it off. The next day was a climb up from NOC at 1,732 ft to 4,391 foot Sassafras Mt. in 6.6 miles, Sunday's hike was 9.1 miles, 1000 ft elevation gain, then a 1900 foot drop to Stecoah Gap, and finally a 700 foot climb in .6 miles on a 33 degree slope - an area called "Jacobs Ladder".  I camped that night at Brown Fork Gap and made the very hard decision to listen to my body and try to get medical assistance. So on Tuesday, 4/19/16, I walked down 900 feet, 5.3 miles to Yellow Creek Mountain Road, was able to phone a very nice B&B called Creekside Paradise 2 miles from the AT. Jeff, an owner, picked me up, I stayed in one of their rooms that night, Jeff drove me to the Urgent Care Clinic in Bryson City and was told that yes, I have floating cartilage in my right knee that has been pressing very painfully into my MCL - the ligament below the knee cap. She said to leave the trail, rest, take Ibuprofen, ice it, and gave me a better knee brace. I stayed one more night at Creekside, then Cynthia, the other owner, gave me a ride to a nearby shuttle, which took me to the Enterprise Car Rental in Waynesville, NC and I drove 12 hours yesterday to Florida where I will spend the next week helping my sister pack and get ready to come to Florida (she's putting her house in the rental market). I will also return to Montana on 4/29 - will probably have to go to an orthopedist and do rehab and then I will decide when to go back to work.

During the drive, I spent a lot of time thinking about this decision - how a mind is so willing but a body can't keep up - these distances don't sound like much but those steep, rocky, bouldering downhills, with a 30 lb pack, are so different from Glacier National Park. So final thoughts - sometimes a journey is not the amount of miles or days, but it is the journey inside of one - this was really the first time in my life that I truly lived in each day - it was so nice waking up at 7:00 a.m., packing up, leaving camp at 9:00 a.m. and walking to the next lunch spot, campspot, etc. So this Great Adventure ended too soon but I will have to figure out how to work with my body's limitations - I know there will be section hikes on the AT in the prettier areas - up in the White Mts., Maine, etc. in the future and my sister will come share the easier areas. And there are other backpacking adventures in the world.

Thanks to all of my supporters, blog readers and especially my family - Mom did a great job at base camp, mailing services were wonderful and cat care was superb. My sister was so timely with her bounce boxes in the mail, and her support - welcoming me back at 11:00 p.m. last night in Florida. Thanks, too, to my brother and his family for their support and his IT services, as well as guest blogging. And Katy, your Mom tried her best - but the right knee would not move anymore! Finally, Kristin - thank you for this gift of time - I really appreciated it. I will email you later with a right knee prognosis.

Happy Trails - "Hopalong" Annie