Date: 2017-08-12
To: day 2 of rest in Gorham NH
Miles today: 0.0

Today I had absolutely nothing to do all day.  My reservations at the AMC huts did not start until Monday August 14.  I had reservations at the sequential huts on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  I looked at the weather report from Mt Washington Observatory.  This is the best source of weather information for the Whites, especially since the first day I would be at the summit of Mt Washington.  It looked like Monday August 14 would be an absolutely beautiful day, an unusual occurrence on Mt Washington.   Last year, the week before Labor Day, I was in Gorham waiting for the day of my reservation at the huts for three days.  Two days the Auto Road to the top of Mt Washington was closed due to 90 mph gusts.  If the road was not safe for cars, I figured it was not safe for me or any other hikers.  What I did not realize until this year, was that if the road is closed, then the hikers do not have a way to get off Mt Washington safely.   I noticed in the bunk room, a quiet man in the corner.  He spent his time reading books.  He was in the library reading the paper yesterday.  He was in the bunk room when I stayed at the Barn the first time on August 6.  He was still here.  Most people stay for a day or two and then hike on.  I asked John why he was still here.   John wrenched his back climbing the Wildcats.  He stayed 3 nights at Carter Notch Hut trying to heal.  He left his gear at the hut and took the 19 Mile Brook Trail (not the AT but an easier trail) down to Route 16.  He saw a doctor who gave him stretching exercises similar to the ones I did every night.  He was resting for 2 weeks.  On Sunday, tomorrow, he would go back up the 19 Mile Brook Trail to Carter Notch Hut and hopefully be able to continue his thru hike.  This was not the first time he wrenched his back.  In his 20's was the first time and a few times since.  I told him I had crippling back pain back in 2000 that I spent weekends in bed.  I took Vicodin every day for 3 months and less and less after that, with a few flare ups, with the last one in 2011.  He asked how long it took me to recover.  I said a year.     Paul the owner of the Barn Hostel told me he saw John going into the Burger King in town the morning of Monday August 14, wincing as he opened the door.  John was heading to the bus station to go home.  John's thru hike was over.  Paul and I were sad.  So much effort had been invested for John to get this far, only to come to an end here.  I had some survivor's remorse.   Every one falls while hiking the AT.  In my opinion, every one who hikes the entire length of the AT, has injury or illness or both and possibly multiple of either.  It seems only by chance, whether these injuries/illnesses cause this to be the end of the hike.  To date, I had norovirus in 2014, Giardia in 2015, sprained ankles and face fault with a broken nose in 2016.  This section my ankle has turned a few times, but never sprained or broken.  I am so fortunate that I have been able to carry out the plans I made in November of 2016, for finishing the AT this year.  I spent another day at the library updating Trail Journals.