Date: 2013-04-01
To: Ankles
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Only a few people will know that just about two years ago, I badly sprained my left ankle on a hike in northern Okinawa.I was out with a few friends. We had been hiking for some hours when we came to a small road. The trail crossed the road and continued into the forest beyond, though it seemed to be less traveled at this point. There were no reliable blazes or markings and the growth over the trail was heavy. I took the lead for no reason in particular; we had been alternating throughout the morning.The trail meandered through general forest scenery and despite the early humidity of April the weather was agreeable. Perhaps it had rained not too long ago. Being a sub-tropical region rain was never very many days away or past. I tramped on with my friends behind me as we tried to find our way along the neglected trail.Roadside clearing turned into forest border. This quickly gave way to thick undergrowth and dense woods, the path no longer flat but undulating. As we progressed the trail began to steepen. I did my best to take cautious steps and ensure that those following me would have an easy time deciding where to step. And then I slipped. My left ankle rolled inward, my full weight came down on the awkward joint, leg folding under me. There was a pop and I yelled.I had never sprained my ankle before. I had rolled my ankle many times, narrowly avoiding injury. This was not one of those times. It hurt. I couldn¢t walk on it. But we were already well out of sight of the road and the trail ahead only held in store deeper woods and steeper hills.Crawling up the slope where I fell, my left foot was snagged and bumped, small insults to an already ungraceful development. Upon cresting the slope, my girlfriend at the time attempted to act as my crutch. It was exasperating for us both so I found a large branch and used it as a makeshift crutch. Heavy and oddly shaped, it wasn¢t comfortable. It took quite a long time to get back to the road, each step accompanied by a grimace and a curse.We were lucky to wave down a car as it passed. The driver was reluctant to help. He expressed his disdain for ¢Americans,¢ the irony being that I was the only person from the US in the group. So we split up, two catching a ride to their car, two of us waiting at the trailhead for them to return.All proceeded smoothly from this point on. My girlfriend drove me to the hospital and my ankle was fitted for a removable cast. I scheduled appointments with physical therapists and spent three weeks on crutches, a month in the cast. My left foot refused to flex past a certain point, the misaligned and injured joint preventing natural motion. And a certain instability remained, physical and perhaps psychological, something I have only recently overcome with regular weight training and care.With a certain hubris I set out yesterday for a short hike in the woods. It was chilly, drizzle turning to rain. The trail was slick and my pack was full. The trail, being well worn, bared many roots and rocks. And I, confident that nothing could go wrong, took my lack of humility cursing to the ground. I had stepped on a slick rock on a negligible decline and the extra thirty pounds of weight on my back took over.It¢s hard to say if my hike is over before it has even begun. There¢s comfort to know that even if this year isn¢t possible that I have all the necessary items for the future. I was incensed; now I¢m despondent. Soon I¢ll accept it. As I look for the silver lining, I¢m comforted by the fact that it¢s all a joke. The hike is still on and I¢m feeling as good as ever. While the past sprain truly disabled me, the only thing I am currently worried about is if I¢ll have enough peanut butter along the way.