Birdman Grounded

Post date: May 07, 2016 9:4:15 PM

We left the comforts of Daleville the morning of 5/4 onto the trail and into the woods. The hike was going well and we stayed at Wilson Creek Shelter at mile 739, meeting a host of new hikers. There was QB from New York who was working on both the AT and PCT at alternate times having done most of both. Beaver was a 20 something year old from Stoughton, Wisconsin in his 4th year at UW Milwaukee trying to figure out what he wanted to do, maybe film, so he thought he'd think it over on the AT. Nemo with his dog again and others.

The next morning it was on to the next shelter in the pouring rain which was cold and continued through the day. We stopped at the next shelter, Bobblets Gap, for a quick break from the cold and rain, then headed out to our destination which was Cove Mountain Shelter at mile 753. Shortly after leaving Bobblets Gap I felt an unusual sharp pain on the outside of the lower left leg just above the ankle, and it got persistently more noticeable. Hmmm...hadn't felt that before. Probably just one of those fleeting pains that had come and gone so many times before. I finished the day, we got to Cove Mountain, and stayed in the shelter. After stopping the pain pretty much left. The next morning started well, but shortly afterwards the pain came back and gradually built up over the day, so by the end of the day I was limping badly. This time, the pain did not go away, and there was swelling and some bruising around the lower shin just above the outside of the ankle. I took some Aleve, hoping a miracle would happen and it'd get better. No dice. The next morning, today which is Saturday, I could hardly walk, so I knew I had to get off the trail. Luckily there was a road about 1-2 miles ahead, which was the Blue Ridge Parkway, where we stopped and called Homer whose wife came and picked us up. So, we are now back in Daleville, again at the Super 8, where I am resting and have my leg elevated. A bummer, especially for Messiy who came here to hike, not sit in a hotel. We will see how it goes and if I'm not ready to go by Monday, he will probably take off solo to get to Waynesboro where he is getting picked up by his wife.

I had close to 800 miles without a "game changing" injury, so I guess maybe I should consider myself lucky. Which makes me think back to the multiple times earlier when I'd have an ache here or ache there, wonder if it would be a game changer and then it just disappeared as a fleeting pain. Game changers vs fleeting pains are hard to distinguish when they first come up and most turn out to be fleeting. I didn't have a clue that this would be the one game changer so far and am very surprised about it. Another lesson learned on the trail.