It’s over! A bad knee ends the adventure….

21 Days on the trail and about 240 miles total.

So, unfortunately my right knee has demanded that I stop my hike about 240 miles in (at Front Royal, VA).  I would have liked to go on, but the reality is that most likely I would just end up damaging my knee to the point that I would need surgery or replacement, and to me, continuing to that point is not worth it.  While I feel that 240 miles is not insignificant, it is pretty far from what I expected to accomplish.  I chose a really cool backwoods gravestone that was in a family cemetery along the AT as representative of my journey’s end and feature picture for this post.

Expectations Versus Reality:

My expectations of the trail started off meeting the reality.  I was hoping the hike would be a fun mix of varied terrain, meeting new people, having unexpected experiences, and personal challenges.  The first day was a nice mix of mountain trails and pastures / views.  The second day I had a great and unexpected encounter with another hiker where we got to enjoy a pizza delivered on the Blue ridge Parkway.  Unfortunately, those varied terrains and fun surprises were mostly replaced for the next few weeks with a grueling hike through some tough terrain for about 150 miles.  After that, the next 100 miles through Shenandoah National Park was slightly less grueling, but still mostly just hiking up and down mountains.  I did get to interrupt the hike with an occasional stop at a ‘Wayside’ which is a gift shop / store that also has a grill.  Unfortunately, the grills don’t open for another few weeks, so I made do with a Hot Pocket, a beer, and some Doritos.  It was still good, but could have been much better later in the season when all the services were open.

Successes:

I would say the successes on my hike were mostly personal.  I met some cool people, and saw that no matter what someone looked like, almost everyone I met was a cool, intelligent person.  My favorite hiker was ‘Icebox’ who got his name by spending a night in the Roan High Mountain Shelter at about 10 degrees.  We hiked together for a few days, and if I was able to keep up physically, I would have hiked near him for quite a while in my estimation.  He encouraged me to push my limits and I actually accomplished one 22 mile day followed by an 18 mile day.  I think it was coincidence that my right knee really started having problems immediately after those two days hiking.

I also spent a fair amount of time with a Hostel employee named ‘Listener’ who had previously through hiked the AT.  He was a cool older hippie and he helped put me in a good frame of mine just before heading into the Shenandoah National Park.  One issue with doing a flip flop route is that the people you encounter have all generally done 800 miles when you are just starting out.  Their ability to put in 20+ miles per day weighs on your psyche, and you feel like you should be doing the same thing immediately, and that is not how it works.  Listener encouraged me to hike my own hike, and just take it one day at a time.  I am applying that advice to my life now, and trying not to get uptight about things I can’t change.

I liked the hiker lifestyle well enough.  Going to a hostel every 3-5 days and doing laundry and eating town food was a fun routine.  I adapted to sleeping in my tent, and mostly not worrying about the sounds outside (except for that one bear who was stalking me the last few days). Using borrowed clothes to do laundry was a fun thing, and meeting other hikers both on trail at at hostels were some of my favorite things about hiking the AT.

I never fell during my hike, and never rolled my ankle.  I only have one large toenail that looks like it might fall off from some pressure in the front of the shoe while hiking downhill.  I managed my food supply and water reserves to work on the hike so I never really was thirsty or hungry (except at the end of a 12 mile water carry where I was really thirsty).  The logistics and day to day health status worked out pretty well.

While 240 miles is about 1/9 of the entire trail, I feel like hiking that far through pretty rough terrain at my age and fitness level is actually a success.  I figure if any of my local friends want to give me a hard time about it, we could put on some packs and hike for a day or two locally on the AT, and they would understand the challenges.

Failures:

While 240 miles is about 1/9 of the entire trail, I did not complete 8/9 of the trail.  That is objectively a failure.  I started feeling like I would rather be doing other things about halfway through my hike.  Having a knee signal for me to get off trail was a convenient excuse for me to quit, and I took that opportunity.  My guess is that if I had started at Rockfish Gap (about 130 miles north of where I started) I probably could have made my knee last maybe as far as Connecticut.  Even so, my heart was not in it, and I missed my family and comforts of home.

I had planned my hike based on the idea / rumor that Virginia is ‘Easy’.  Easy meaning that it is relatively flat and comfortable terrain.  It is neither.  The thru hikers I met almost all agreed that the 100 miles from Daleville to the Three ridges area were the most difficult overall that they had encountered since starting in Georgia.  Not really a good place to start.  Here is an example of the type of terrain I would encounter daily.  I would estimate that rocky sections would be about 30-40% of the trail on a typical day.  Less so in SNP, but my feet were beat up by then anyway.

Summary

I tried, and was defeated by the trail.  I feel like I was mostly physically defeated by the terrain, but I also feel like I am coming off the trail a happier / better person which was one of my primary goals going in.  If anyone asked me if I would do it again, my answer would definitely be ‘YES!’.  I really enjoy the outdoors and authentic experiences, and there is not a more authentic experience available in this great country than hiking the Appalachian Trail.  Thanks for all those that offered me encouragement and positivity both before and during my hike.  Life is good!

 

 

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Comments 15

  • Tractor : May 3rd

    I wouldn’t call it defeating the AT I would call it having the privilege to share the experience with the AT and all of it’s wonders.

    Reply
    • Bill Tracy : May 3rd

      Yeah, it was a privilege that few people get to indulge. Hard work for sure, but rewarding in the moments of success. I actually felt like a hiker for a few miles in there somewhere!

      Reply
  • Christopher G. Oliver : May 3rd

    The trail will always be there for you to go back to.

    Reply
    • Bill Tracy : May 3rd

      Yeah, if life permits, I would go back and do it in sections. Maybe in a year or two.

      Reply
  • Nate Cohen : May 3rd

    240 miles is still a great success!

    Reply
    • Bill Tracy : May 3rd

      Thanks Nate! This was a little tougher than the YMCA workout routines in Shreveport. 🙂

      Reply
  • Karl Sauerbrey : May 3rd

    This was a great post. Candid honesty! I found out at the end that you and I are similar in age and profession. I’m a 59-yr-old, not-even-close-to-retirement self-employed architect who has been section hiking the AT since ’13. And, yes, central VA is one of the most mountainous sections!! What is the deal with the VA is flat thing?!! Glad you got out. I suspect it might not be the end. I thought I was going to only do one section in ’13 (Amaciola to Hot Springs) but have since done what is now 86% of the trail. Think about section hiking yourself?!

    Reply
    • Bill Tracy : May 3rd

      I would not mind being a section hiker, if life opens that door. Congrats on being 86% complete! That is impressive!

      Reply
  • Ruth Morley : May 3rd

    I understand your mix of feelings, disappointment plus relief. I was injured on 3 of my 4 sections. I did end up finishing, but only because my husband promised to join me on the final 120 miles. When I had left the trail the previous summer with double stress fractures in the pelvis (thank you, NH and ME), I literally hated the AT, and swore I’d never go back, even though I only had 1/10 of it left to do. I’m glad I finished, but, go figure, with a knee injury that made Katahdin even harder. I encourage you to give it all plenty of time to settle. I heartily endorse long section hikes. At 70, I’m still backpacking, but am doing three times as much prep work/training than I did in the past. My goal for this summer’s 500 miles on the Colorado Trail is to finish uninjured and happy. Feel free to check out my blog here on the Trek: the trek.co/author/ruth-morley.

    Reply
  • David : May 3rd

    Uneven terrain can do bad things to weak knees. Consider visiting a licensed PT about ways you can strengthen the ligaments around the knees.

    Best wishes on your next adventure!

    Reply
  • James Carlisle : May 4th

    Impressive as all hell Bill.

    “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”
    – Michelangelo

    Reply
  • Russ Hobgood : May 4th

    Bill, ya did good regardless of the milage. I have been on that part of “flat” Virginia, I am a section hiker. I understand the knee issue, had my right replaced 6 weeks ago. That said, Having hiked those beautiful remote places made it worth the effort. It is in your mind, beckoning you to return. Keep after it, best of trail luck. Oh, Im 73 y/o and not ready to quit

    Reply
  • Ken : May 4th

    Thanks for the candid post. I don’t think people who blog/vlog about backpacking talk enough about how boring, lonely, and even sometimes scary it can be. Maybe once you push past a certain point that stuff goes away? I don’t know, the longest hike I’ve done has been 5 days and that fits me pretty good. After that I am ready to enjoy the comforts of modern living again. I sometimes think of attempting a thru hike but I know deep down I would probably be miserable.

    Reply
  • Rob : May 6th

    Beautiful and honest post but I would never think of it in terms of failure. Having such an amazing and unique experience is always a succes. These events such with you until the end of your days. I still remember my first hike in Scotland where I started out full of energy and completed around 50km on one day. That evening my feet looked like bacon and the next two days I barely managed 5km a day.. I didn’t have to give up and finished the trail but it’s not the achievement of finishing the trail that sticks with me, it’s some events that happened during the journey, like feeling completely relaxed and powerful at the top of a mountain or meeting people on the way or having a beautiful sunset. Hiking is always a win for your heart and soul.

    Reply
  • Hobbit : May 8th

    I feel your pain. As a section hiker from the Southeast, my sections necessarily got longer the further north I traveled. I’ve struggled off and on with ITBS from my first AT trip in 2009 (in central VA). I remember laming up in Southern Maine after my first day of hiking on a week+ trip. How deeply frustrating and discouraging it was as I dropped off my hiking buddies at the trail head.
    In my case, the (IMO) least likely thing to work – dry needling – actually worked phenomenally well, getting me about a year of pain-free hiking and backpacking per 2-3 sessions of needling. I still can’t explain why it works, but I was so skeptical, I think I can safely rule out placebo effect.
    What didn’t work was various stretches, rollers, cortisone injections, etc.. (In my research, several specialists compared trying to stretch or roll the ITB to trying to stretch a truck tire.) A simple knee band with pressure ridge also helps as a preventive measure (keeping pain from starting or getting worse), but is useless for reversing pain levels once it starts.
    As for difficulty, it is definitely relative. In one sense, each state the AT passes through offers unique challenges, but I’d say NH and ME were a whole new level set compared to everything south of there – yet with a concurrent level of reward.
    Hang in there, heal up, and figure out how to get those knees to cooperate with your endeavors so they can get back on your BFF list again.

    Reply

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