Date: 2017-04-12
From: Springer Mtn

To: Hawk Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Friends and Family - First trail entry and I'm breaking more than one promise. Number one - I promised short entries - so as to not bore you or to become tedious for me. Number two - read on for the other break....Tuesday 4/11 - Trinda (wife) and I left the house early to drop off three re-supply boxes in towns I will be passing through. Fontana Dam, Nantahala Outdoor Center (the NOC), and Hiawassee. Beautiful drive, but quite curvy.The road may have slowed my speed but not my enthusiasm. Arrived at Neel Gap and checked into Blood Mountain Cabins. Met a couple through hiking from Michigan along with Klaus from Germany (packing in at 46 pounds ouch) In comparison my pack is at 26 pounds with four days of food for both the wife and myself - does not include water)Wednesday 4/12 - The plan is for us to park our car at Neel Gap - shuttle to Springer Mtn - then hike the 31 miles back to our car, where Trinda will drive home and I'll continue north to Maine. Well, at least thats the plan. At 7:00 am met our shuttle driver Alpine (thats his trail name - he is a volunteer Search and Rescue - super nice guy) - he explained he had several other appointments that day and was in quite a hurry - so we loaded our packs and off we go. Twenty minutes later I realize our trekking poles are in the trunk back at the car. Due to Alpine's schedule he could not get us back to the car and Springer in time to honor his other commitments. So I figured we could improvise walking sticks from some down limbs.By 8:15 we were on the trail. Well sort of, the drop off point is a mile down the trail. So for the purist in me, I hiked back up the trail one mile, signed the register at Springer and hiked back down the trail. Technically that doesn't count for AT mileage, but I hiked an extra mile just for my pride. The trail was not technical at all and we made good time. Stopped a couple of times to take in the views had a short lunch and got to Hawk Mtn Shelter by 2:30 - way earlier than I expected. So we decided to press on for another 2 to 3 miles. By 4:30 we selected a so-so site about half a mile short of Horse Gap. Set up camp and was prepping the Bear-Bag hang (fyi- this is hanging your food from a tree somewhere around 200 ft from your camp, high enough a bear can't reach it). I've got my rock bag and string to throw up to a perfect limb...lets just say I'm glad no one was there to video this. Ive probably hung a bear bag 30 or 40 times - but for some reason the line kept getting snagged by some undergrowth and then it started to rain - after the fourth attempt I slipped falling backwards - I landed with a pretty powerful blow on my left hand snapping my wrist. I gave up - went back to the tent thinking this might just be a sprain. But after Trinda looked at it she thought better of waiting to the next day, made a couple of calls to get a shuttle and found one who could pick us up at the gap in 45 minutes. Packed up the camp and hiked the half mile to meet him. We got back to our car and onto the ER in Blairsville, GA by 7:00. No real pain, unless i tried to use my fingers or twist my hand. X-rays spoiled my hopes - there were several fractures, the Dr. suggested a visit to an Orthopedic Surgeon. DAMN! We finally arrived home at 2:30am and I still had too much adrenaline to sleep. I was so so disappointed in myself. The last time I broke any bone was my ankle in 1981 - and I knew how long that took to recover from - so I'm trying to resolve myself to the hike is over for this year.Thursday 4/13 - After two or three calls trying to find a Surgeon who would see me on short notice, TN Orthopedics asked me a ton of questions (unlike everybody else I had called) and asked me to come in at 2:00! I cleaned up the best i could (still had yesterday's funk and dirt all over me) and got myself down there. Beau Cassidy (NP) was very sympathetic to my wishes to get re-built and back out as quick as possible - looking at my wrist the swelling had subsided pretty good with little visible bruising, he felt there would be no issues. After looking at the x-rays his opinion changed and suggested surgery on Monday was my only option with pins and a plate. He said Dr Roy Terry would review and if I didn't mind waiting he would try to carve out a minute to see me. Did I mind? Hell No! Doc came in and right off I could tell he was on TEAM B-SQUARED. He asked if we could do the surgery Friday 4/14 (Good Friday) and he explained his plan to get me patched up and possibly back on the trail in two weeks. His trail name is now FastDoc...but I'm leaning toward the Godfather - for making this happen so quickly.Friday 4/14 - got to outpatient services at 11:30 and it seemed everyone there knew my situation and was expediting all the services to move me through this temporary setback! I felt like a Rockstar. Surgery at 2:00 and I was in recovery before 3:00 - see picture for nurse humor - Doc said it went well and to call his office on Monday for further instructions.I can't brag enough on everybody that has helped me through these past few days and I hope you will stay with me as I get recovered and back "on the trail again".