Date: 2013-04-22
From: Dismal Falls Trail

To: Trent's Grocery
Miles today: 1.8
Weather: clear sky

I woke up early, anxious to get an early start. The weather was good and I planned to hike 16.3 miles to Helveys Mill Shelter. I had breakfast and had broken up camp by 7:00. I had pleanty of time to get to the shelter and the next day promised some awesome trail magic at Laurel Creek. At the start, there was a small uphill section followed by a downhill but I was more concerned about the downhill 4 miles into the day's hike. After that, it looked lke a nice flat trail. I loaded my pack on my back and then noticed both knees were tight. I figured they were just stiff and by the ime I covered the 0.3 miles from camp to the trail my knees would be fine.When I got to the trail, I was already warm so I look off my fleece. My knees were still stiff. I covered the uphill without a problem but when I started downhill both knees were screaming at me!! I couldn't believe it. I wanted to cry. I started thinking about alternate plans. There was a shelter seven miles ahead and I could cut my mileage short and stay there. Keep on moving! But every step was more painful, so I rested and went into problem solving mode. I couldn't risk permanent damage to my knees and the right one was getting worse. Remembering my two weeks of recovery I worried this might be more serious. Both knees was a surprise - maybe I was over compensating with my left leg. What would I do if both knees needed recovery time. I decided to go to Trent's Grocery - less than 2 miles and have a cup of coffee and think some more.Shortly after starting back hiking I met New Hampshire - a NOBO section hiker from NH. We exchanged greetings and talked a bit. I shared my experience so far - Springer Mountain, NOBO, snow, rain, cold, good days, wrenched knee, home recovering, slack packing, flip-flopping and now SOBO - ending it by saying I might decide that I need to become a section hiker. New Hampshire looked at me and said, "I'm a section hiker and I see no reason to apologize for it." We talked a little more and headed in opposite directions. As I hiked onto Trent's Grocery, I thought about what New Hampshire said. He has been happy for years hiking sections of the AT and will finish it all in the next year or two.When I hobbled into Trent's I talked with some other hikers and what I thought was a local resident. Turns out she was a hiker who was planning on doing some trail maintenance for her chapter of the AMC. Her trail name is GrammieBear. We talked and I asked about getting to the airport - an hour and a half drive from where I was.   GramieBear said she would take me to the airport if I helped her pick up some deer parts that were left too close to the trail by some hunters. I agreed. We filled a huge garbage bag with bones from at least 2 (more likely 3) deer and a turkey. We dumped the bag at a local landfill and she took me to the airport. So here I am, back home recoverying.I plan on doing a few hundred more miles this year, probably in New England. My trips will be weeks instead of months and I won't reach the thru hiker status; but I will hike the whole 2,185.9 miles. It will just be in sections. My journal entries will be very irregular from now on but I do plan on keeping this journal active. I thank all of you that have followed my adventure so far and hope you will check back periodically and continue to share my dream. Your support has been inspirational and although I took New Hampshire's words literally, I do wish I could have done the whole AT in one continuous hike. My expeiences so far have been enough to keep me going until I am healthy and can start hiking again. I've learned a lot being out in the woods for a month. I will try to share those lessons and thoughts during my recovery.Be safe and be happy. Thank you again for your kind words. You were with me every step and always will be.Paddyman