Date: 2015-04-05
From: MM 313

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Off the TrailFirst of all let me apologize for not keeping up my journal or getting this last entry out in a timelier manner. It has just been too hard to deal with the last few days mentally and the realization that I will not be hiking any more this year would not allow me to start this process.Since my last entry, which was my first, zero day at Newfound Gap a lot has happened. First I will give you a short up date on my hike. I left Newfound Gap and in the first two miles Werewolf came howling up behind me and we hiked for a while together. We went all the way to Tri-Corner Shelter that night and the next day I hiked my longest day to Standing Bear Farm where I stayed in the Tree House.Then in the next few days I was keeping up that pace of between 14-16 mile days. I went to Roaring Fork Shelter and then Deer Park Mtn. Shelter. I did a short day into Hot Springs and shared a room at Elmer¢s with Werewolf. We spent the day doing laundry, resupplying, and hanging out at the Ministry place.Most people stayed in Hot Springs because of the cold weather arriving on Sunday but I decided to head out at least to Spring Mtn. Shelter. When I got to the shelter around 2:30, Blackbeard and Hot Pants had set up their tent as an icy cold wind howled through the gap. I sat there for a while before deciding I could walk the extra 5 miles to get to Hemlock Hollow Hostel. I tried to talk Blackbeard and Hot Pants to come with me but they decided they were already set up and would just stay there. I hiked on and Biscuit and then Mozart caught up to me and we walked the .7-mile into the hostel. There was a wood stove in the bunkhouse and we were soon warm and full of cheeseburgers.I walked another 16 miles the next day past Little Laurel Shelter and over the cliffs, which was slow and sometimes a little scary hiking but the views were strikingly beautiful. The trail today was poorly blazed and when I finally got to Flint Mtn. Shelter around 6:30 pm, everyone else had gone a different way, which we think will be a re-route next year. Houdini arrived later and he also had gone the new way (which everyone said added about 2 miles and I was glad I had followed the book.   Around 9:30 pm, Blackbeard and Hot Pants came in by headlamp and set up their tent. And the above narrative brings me to my last day on the trail. It had rained in the early morning and I was only walking 8.8 miles to Hogback Ridge Shelter and was looking forward to the day but we all got up late and I left at 9:15 the latest I have left since I started. It was an easy walk in the woods the first 2 miles and the trail crosses over NC 212, Devils Fork Gap, and goes up for the next 3 miles. Mozart, Houdini, and Biscuit passed me, as I started up the mountain. I was almost to the top at Lick Rock when I stepped on a root that was under some wet leaves. My right foot went sideways and I went down and as I was going down I heard a crack in my leg and thought oh no this cannot be good. I immediately took my boot off and took a few Advil tablets. I then put my boot back on stood gingerly up on my good leg, struggled to get my pack back on, and took one step! I fell back down on the trail and thought, I am in big trouble. I could not walk and I was 3 miles from a road going up a mountain south and 5 miles from a road going north. So I just sat there for about 15 min, I¢m sure in a little bit of shock and then bit the bullet and pulled my phone out and turned airplane mode off. I am so thankful to Verizon for their trail coverage as I had a pretty strong signal. I knew if I made that 911 call it would set into motion a wilderness rescue, which I really didn¢t want to do! But I couldn¢t walk or crawl in either direction to get help so I called. They answered immediately and I told them my situation and they were wonderful. For the next three hours as I sat in the middle of the trail they called me about every 15-20 min to check on me and ask me questions while they were trying to find me. I also want to thank the AT Guide (AWOL) for this book, as I knew exactly where I was on the trail. The 911 person told me to elevate my leg so I put it on top of my pack and luckily I had opened it up as I could not move my leg after that and I was very cold. I dug in my pack and reached my sleeping bag, opened it up and put it over me. After that I got my phone out again and called my friend, Jan in Roanoke, who immediately got in her car and started my way. The 911 people had told me not to call others and tie up my phone so I did not call again.But after 1 and 1/2 hours I was getting colder but then noticed Blackbeard and Hot Pants walking up the trail. I knew they were still behind me and I was so glad to see them. She immediately took out her zero degree bag and put that around me! True Trail Angles! They stayed with me for the next 1 and 12 hours comforting me by just being there and blowing their whistle in 3 shot blasts until we could hear the rescuers. The first group arrived on 3 four wheelers, but this trail was right on the edge of the mountain and they could not get to me so they pulled out their chain saws and cut down a few small trees so they could back in to reach me. The EMT of the group took off my boot and splinted my leg from the hip down and wrapped my lower leg and ankle in a torn up blanket. The Sherriff from Unicoi Gap, Nick Hughes, had been the person I had been talking to most of the time. He lifted me up in his arms and set me on the 4-Wheeler. They held me on the back and we went for about 6 -7 min up the trail to the part 2 recue group. There were four Search and Rescue guys in an Argo, an all terrain 8-wheeler waiting to transport me down the mountain to the Devil¢s Fork side. I said good-by to my Trail Angles, Black Beard and Hot Pants, and at that moment Sparkle walked up and I told him to relay the events to Werewolf. Sherriff Hughes once again lifted me up and placed me in the back of this vehicle. I had refused to get in the basket thing, as I could not imagine having to lie down flat on my back. And then we started off down a logging road. The Sherriff had warned me that it was going to be an uncomfortable ride down a very rough road. I held on tight to the Argo and my leg. The EMT sat across from my leg to stabilize it and off we went and yes it was a very painful 45-minute ride down the mountain. We finally reached a dirt and gravel road and they wanted to transfer me to a pick-up truck but I again said no and would just stay where I was, as it would have been another transfer. The 4-wheelers were following us down the hill and had my pack and when I would look up the Sherriff was giving me the thumbs up sign! It helped a lot!After we finally reached the ambulance, I broke down sobbing uncontrollably! I am not sure why. It might have been just relief as it was now 4 hours since it had happened and I knew I was going to be safe. I had been fairly stoic up to that point. I thanked everyone and went off into the ambulance. Jeff the ambulance guy tried to get some fentanyl into my left arm, didn¢t work, right arm, didn¢t work (I think I had been shaking from cold soooo long my veins were not co-operating. I said it was okay and I would just wait to get to the hospital but he was determined so next he tried in my hand and he got it in on that try. I was then instantly pain free so was very ¢happy!¢ After about 45 min, we pulled into Johnson City Medical Center, opened the doors and Jan was standing there. I was very relived to see her. They took me in and x-rayed and put a soft cast on my leg. I had a spiral fracture of the fibula (a broken leg). Jan put me in her car in the back seat and brought me to her house. I had to wait four days to see an orthopedic doctor and he re-set my leg in a better position and put a hard cast on it. I go back in two weeks for more X-rays and to see if it is healing correctly.So that is my saga! I am dealing with the pain with medication that I don¢t like to take but need to and the emotional pain of the realization that my hike is over with only 313 miles under my belt. I want to thank all the people I have hiked with, as you all were wonderful to this older lady and made be truly feel a part of the Class of 2015! Thanks to all of the Trail Angles who have helped me on this hike. Thanks, also, to all of the readers of this journal who have encouraged me. And finally THANKS to the all the rescue people who took wonderful care of me last week!Be careful out there as you never know what tomorrow will bring.