Date: 2004-03-30
From: Double Spring Shelter

To: Who Knows
Miles today: 8.0

Well, I wanted to write a last entry to let everyone know what happened. I woke up on the 22nd having had a great night's sleep in spite of the cold. Checked the temp when woke up at 6:45am and saw that it was 23 degrees. Yikes. The college students were just stirring and the ones from Ohio decided to cut their trip short and head for home due to the cold. I got up and went about my usual morning ritual and when I stepped out of the shelter, I found that it had snowed during the night and that there were still some flurries. I packed up and was on the trail by about 9am. What I first noticed was that the hard rain from two nights ago had created puddles and streams on the trail on the way up to Clingmans, and the cold temperatures had caused them to freeze. So the going was slow, but fine. Made it to the dome in decent time and headed down the other side. Again, slow going with all the ice that was hidden by the snow that had fallen. Several slips but no falls. I was about two miles out of Newfound Gap when I hit another patch of ice and took a total dive. My foot got caught between a couple of rocks, my poles didn't help and I braced for the fall. Rolled off the trail down the side and was stopped by some trees. On the way though, I put out my hand to stop my fall and totally cranked on my wrist. When I hit the ground I fell across a rock and knocked the wind out of myself. I literally felt something tear or rip in my knee with my foot stuck between rocks. I landed, collected myself and began to assess the damage. The wrist was tender, but all right. But I couldn't breathe well from landing on the rock. But worst of all was the incredible pain in my knee. I attempted to climb the 15 feet I had fallen to get back to the trail, but my knee prevented it. I stayed calm. Got my pack off and put on a couple more layers of clothes and weighed my options. Within 15 minutes two guys came by, Spring Breakers from Chicago, Jake and Mike, and were so helpful, it brings tears to my eyes even now. Jake took my pack and Mike made a makeshift splint for my knee and they both helped me the next two miles to the road. A very nice couple from Gatlinburg offered me a ride into town and actually took me right to the doctor. He knew exactly what the situation was before I even said anything. It seems he sees a lot of hikers during the season. He took x-rays and did an exam and came back with some pretty terrible news. I had sprained my wrist. Bruised my ribs. But worst of all, had torn the ligaments in my right knee. I asked what that meant. He was very kind when he said it, but he strongly suggested that I call off the hike for this year. I wouldn't hear of it, and that's when he got stern with me. He said at the very least I shouldn't be hiking or running or climbing for about two months, minimum. He said if I chose to push it, I could do serious and permanent damage. He didn't think I needed surgery, but he told me that when I settled down somewhere, I should go get a second opinion. He had obviously dealt with hikers before, because each time I tried to think of a way around what he was saying, he would know it and set me straight. I asked him for a specific date of when he thought I could be hiking again, and he said no earlier than June 15th. I was crushed. I sat in his office and cried uncontrollably. He wanted me to stay off it for at least four days while the swelling went down. He was kind enough to have his receptionist drive me to a hotel in Gatlinburg where I checked in and stayed for four days. Basically, the people at the hotel, the doctor and all the rest of the people I came across while there were so incredibly kind to me and could see my sadness. I basically cried for for days straight in that hotel room. And little by little I am doing my best to pick myself up a bit. I made my way from Gatlingburg to Knoxville and caught a bus to D.C. and took a train from there to NYC to take care of some business. In couple days I will make my way to Charlotte and start looking for a place to live. Let me tell you, trying to get around NYC on crutches is tough. So, my attempt at a thru-hike for this year has come to an end. 200 miles, three states, 16 days. I am officially a statistic. I'm doing my best to see that the Universe has another plan for me, that perhaps there was something worse waiting for me up the trail. And the trail will always be there, so I simply have to plan for the future. I'm simply trying to fake it till I make it, because mostly my heart is broken. But it will heal. To all the people who helped me get to the trail, my heartfelt thanks. To all the people who I met on the trail, my hearfelt thanks. To all the people who helped me during the accident, I am indebted to you. This is Brother Nature signing off for this year wishing you all the best. Please keep in touch.