Date: 2018-03-16
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

I was so proud to have not fallen down so far...should have known it couldn¢t last...This morning before first light as I was preparing to hit the trail I slipped in some mud. So fast, BAM!...down I went, landing on my left elbow and wrenching my already bad shoulder. If my elbow hadn¢t touched down in the same soft mud I slipped in I¢m sure I would  have broken my arm (I thought of you Bob). I immediately took some ¢Vitamin I¢ (Ibuprofen) to stave off inflammation and sat to assess the situation. I could: A) hike out the way I came (10mi), B) push on to Newfound Gap (30mi) and get to Gatlinburg, or C) call Super-friend Dr J Applegate in Raleigh and have him to pick me up. Backtracking didn¢t appeal to me so A was out. I decided to hike on a few hours to assess the injury and see if I could make safe progress despite it. I fashioned a sling by collapsing one hiking pole and looping its hand strap over the sternum strap of my pack and headed up the mountain.What a glorious sunny day it turned into, the finest weather so far. Snow Miser, seeing my distress, released his grip on the mountains just enough for Heat Miser to sweep up from the valleys, melt the snow, dry the mud, and lift my spirits. Those two can¢t agree on everything (they¢re too much) so there were some slick sections where I had to ¢deploy¢ the bad arm and 2nd hiking pole just to be safe but that was good, had to test my abilities. By afternoon, after checking in with Joyce, I decided to call J reasoning that I at least need some time to recover (again) and his place in Raleigh beats the best of Gatlinburg and, for heavens sake, what are Super-friends for?! I made the call and J said he¢d pick me up ¢wherever and whenever¢. He even offered to hike in and carry my pack but I declined, the weight of it doesn¢t hurt my shoulder, it¢s more of an upper arm injury I guess. The hitch is that the nearest road 17.9 miles away at Newfound Gap. All the roads between here and there are snowed in and closed until April. That¢s two more days hiking and tomorrow I¢ll have to climb up and over Clingmans Dome. At 6612ft it¢s the highest spot on the whole Appalachian Trail. Yikes!! I¢m confident I can do it albeit slowly to stay safe. I¢ll preserve the bad arm for when it¢s needed and I have ice cleats to put on if it gets too slippery. I lucked out tonight as the shelter was full when I arrived. I¢ll get a better night of sleep in my hammock than I would have in there.It means so much to me that Denise and J, both the very best of friends (and also the ones I¢ve backpacked the most with in years past) are here to help me when I¢m so far from home.It¢s supposed to be a wet day tomorrow but well above freezing, thanks Miser Brothers! My arm is not totally useless and the rest of me, including my knee and foot seem to be holding up. I got this...PS: At 11:30pm got reception enough to call J again. He did some research and. pointed out that there is a side trail that I could take me out of here before Clingmans Dome. For now I¢m sticking with the first plan but if it doesn¢t start well tomorrow I¢ll rethink.