The knee pain that Anna developed on our fast hike after the picnic on Max Patch seems to have come back with a vengeance.
We started up into the Smokies with a long climb to get up to the primary mountain chain. The trail was very well graded as it was built with equestrian riders in mind, something we're not used to for the AT. The first day we felt strong and thanks to the gentle uphill weren't really worn out at the end of the day, we were surprised for as much climbing we had done during the day.
Just past the shelter the second day, Bluebird noticed a nice spot in the trail we had just walked down where the early morning sun was shinning through the trees on the trail. We took a few pictures of it, and have posted what is probably the best one.
The second day in the smokies was all up on the ridge, going up and down between peaks. Much of the trail was not well graded as had been the day before, and we saw a small amount of rock scrambling. With the more varied terrain, Anna's knees were challenged and toward the early afternoon she complained of some pain. We rested, had some snacks and water, and Anna took a pain killer. We continued at a moderate pace and made it into our shelter with plenty of daylight to spare.
Talking in the evening we realized there was nothing we could do but to keep going at a reasonable pace and see how the knee reacted. Tommorow would be Anna's second Birthday in a row on the trail. We both hoped she would get a pain free knee. To help, I would carry some extra weight to relieve some stress on her knee.
Unfortunately, not even lifting the burden of Bluebird's tortilla's and cheese would ease her pain, however with the help of some more pain killers she made it through most of the day without being slowed too much. We reached Newfound Gap, the road that tourists take to get from Cherokee to Gatlinburg or drive up Clingman's Dome, we stopped and Bluebird called her mom. After stopping for about a half hour, we started back up the gradual climb up Clingman's Dome and the knee pain that had haunted Bluebird came back suddenly and strong.
We slowly made it another mile or so to the shelter just below Clingman's Dome and Bluebird got off her feet while I made her some Birthday Dinner of Pad Thai and Lemonade. At this point all we could do was hope that things would get better. Sadly things only got worse that night and the next morning.
At night we quickly found out the shelter was completely infested with mice, and I could hadly sleep. I woke twice to find mice chewing on what I was using as a pillow. The first time, I woke up hearing something that I thought was in my pillow... I just listed to it to try to figure out where it was really coming from and what it was... when I figured it had to be a mouse, I turned on my headlamp and sad up on my elbows to look around. All the sudden a tiny gray furball ran up to where my head had just left and looked right at me. I couldn't believe it. In a fury I picked up my pillow and flipped the mouse down off the top bunk of the shelter and onto the ground. Hearing him thud made me a little proud, but very creeped out, and I couldn't sleep on the shelter floor after that.
Eventually after too many paranoid looks around the shelter, Bluebird and I set up our tent on the ground and weren't bothered again.
In the morning we were prepared for the idea of having to leave the trail to take another break. And upon walking back from the shelter to the trail, it was evident that it would be a reality. Bluebird was in pain from the first step. We made our way up the trail until we could see the trail was close to the road. We happened to see some maintenance workers cutting the grass at a turnoff and they offered to call for a ranger to drive us to Cherokee. We took him up on it and half an hour later we were wisked out of the Mountains and down into the tourist town.
Bluebird's Uncle Jack came to pick us up (he did A LOT of shuttling us around) without hesitation and on the ride, he brought up the idea that we not go back to the trail. At first I think we were both willing to hear it, but were combative to the idea. The more we thought about it, the more we realized how much we were relying on others (like him and Bluebird's Grandparents among many others) and came to terms with letting our dream slip away yet again.
This way we can again focus on healing a nagging ailment and it hopefully won't be an issue when we come back.
It is more difficult than words can express to have to say that our AT hike is over, again.
Buster & Bluebird
No comments:
Post a Comment