Date: 2006-03-07
From: Near Wayah Gap, NC

To: NOC Wesser, NC
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: clear sky

21.5 miles todayHomeWesser, NC I woke up to snow on my tent!! I woke up at 5:40am and just layed in my sleeping bag until 6 before I made my coffee.I ate another fruit pie and finished off the last of the chocolate covered mini donuts. I got packed up and started walking at 7am. I got to watch the sun come up over the tops of some distant mountains.It was a beautiful morning with about an inch of snow and the bright sunlight glistening on it making sparkles in the fluffy stuff. I was climbing Wayah Bald and stopped at Wine Spring to drink some and fill up my water bottle.There was some ice slush in my water bottle already from just the short time I had been walking. I got up to Wayah Bald and was treated to some beautiful views. I had to be careful on the stones around the tower because they had alot of ice on them.I took a few pictures and walked on. That mountain was almost 5350 feet high. I was coming off that mountain and finally saw the first foot prints I've seen today in the snow near where the Bartram Trail left the A.T. I caught up to a nobo by the name of Gary who wanted to take a couple photos of me for some Yahoo site he's got. We talked a while before I walked on. I came up on Minnesota Smith at 9:30 who still hadn't broke camp yet. A short while later, I ran into another nobo by the name of Taco.I caught up to yet another nobo by the name of Guns Of Jesus. I thought there was a work crew nearby when I got down to Burningtown Gap.There was a large canvas tent set up, complete with stove pipe through the roof. It had a large A.T. emblem painted on it.I later found out it was a guy by the name of Apple who had just retired and set up there for two weeks to do some trail magic.No one was there when I walked by. :-((( I got to Cold Spring Shelter and filled up with water from the nice spring there.There wasn't a register in the shelter, so I walked on after I got the water. I was up on Cooper Ridge and could see Cheoah Bald where I would be either later today or maybe tomorrow morning.I really like knowing the names of some of the mountains I can see off in the distance. I came over Cooper Ridge and spotted my next mountain...Wesser Bald. It has a nice platform type tower on top that has one of the best views on the A.T. I walked down the mountain into Tellico Gap, then up Wesser Bald to the tower.There was a hiker there by the name of Rambler who was walking from Springer to Hot Springs.We talked a while up on the tower before I walked on. Even though you think it's all downhill into Wesser, NC from there, you have about a dozen small ups and downs along the ridge.I walked by the side trail to Wesser Bald Shelter without stopping. I did stop at The Jump-Up Lookout to enjoy the view for a while. I walked by A Rufus Morgan Shelter without stopping.I wanted to get to the restaurant at NOC. Rambler had said that he heard they were open. I was walking along and started smelling the scent of grilled hamburgers wafting up the mountainside. :-))) I guess that's all I had on my mind. I remember walking along at a pretty good pace and subconsciously thinking about a spot that looked slippery that I saw coming up on the trail.The next thing I knew, I was 10 feet down the side of the mountain.I don't remember my foot slipping out from under me, but I do remember falling on my left side and hitting my head on the rocks, then sliding down the slippery side of the mountain.A dead fall caught me and kept me from going any farther down the mountain.I looked down and saw I was dirty and wet...my little micro Swiss Army knife was laying on the ground next to me. It was supposed to be in my hipbelt pocket, but that was ripped up.I reached over and picked the knife up, then tried to get up and realized that my left arm hurt and I couldn't do anything with it.I was able to get up on my feet, but it was very slippery and I was having trouble getting back up to the trail.I got up about half way to the trail, but with no help from a dangling left arm and the side of the mountain so slippery that I couldn't go any farther....I was stuck. I knew I had to be extremely careful because I didn't want to slide back down any more.After I was able to get back down to the deadfall, I headed off to my right a little and got half way up again.Once again I was stuck. I took off my backpack and with my right hand, I threw it up to the trail.That hurt!! The motion of throwing the pack hurt my left arm bad!! :-)))I found a small root and was able to pull myself up to the trail.I looked at myself and realized I was wet and dirty...and a little embarrassed that I did such a stupid thing....but the smell of food has a BIG impact on a hiker. :-)))I was able to get my pack slung around my back, but it hurt bad and I knew I had something wrong with my left arm.I finally took the pack off half way and held my left arm and walked the half mile I had left to get to NOC.There was no way I could walk on and I knew it.I called Mountain Crossings, the outfitter close to where I live and talked to Heald. He thought I was just joking at first, but then realized I was serious about needing a ride.I left a message in the outfitter at NOC about what happened and that I would be next door if anyone came looking for me.I walked next door and ordered me a hamburger and fries!! :-)))The guy from the outfitter came over with a cordless phone. Heald said that Fred would be there in 1 1/2 hours to pick me up.There were 4 other nobo's in the restaurant and I started talking to Bone Pac. I don't remember the others names.Turns out Bone Pac was a nurse for an Orthopedic and said he's seen lots of dangling arms before and that mine was definitely dangling...thanks alot Bone Pac!! :-)))I tried going outside, but I got chilly and when I started shivering, it hurt my arm and shoulder, so I went back inside where it was warm and I waited on my ride there. Fred showed up and took me back to my truck which was still up at Unicoi Gap. They had been so busy at the outfitter that they hadn't had time to move the truck back to my house yet.Fred moved my stuff into my truck and I drove home. Lucky for me that I have an automatic and not a stick shift. I was able to get things turned on again at home, then slept in the recliner. As long as I didn't move, I was OK. The next day, I called my insurance company to find out who I could go see. I went in, they checked me out, sent me over to the hospital for Xrays, then told me I fractured my left arm just below where it attaches to the shoulder. My walk is over now, almost before it even got off to a good start. I have always told people that to make it to Katahdin, you have to get it set in your mind that you ARE going to Katahdin and you have to be lucky....my luck just ran out for now.I did find a new fried chicken place near my home while I was looking for the hospital....so I'll survive. Ha!!! :-))) A friend who I met while hiking on the Florida Trail last month, has been kind enough to be coming up to help me for a while. I'll write an update at a later time and let everyone know how I'm doing and any new plans I come up with.