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The AT and the Human Body
I am now hiking in Maine and I’ll provide an update soon, but first I wanted to discuss the toll that the AT takes on the body. This post is mainly intended for the non-thru hiker because thru hikers are well aware of the toll. There may be some thru hikers who never fall and never have an injury throughout their hike but I suspect they are in the minority.
I think it’s safe to say that the human body is not meant to hike the Appalachian Trail. The day after day pounding, bending, extending, and contorting stresses joints and muscles beyond their design. I am currently managing Ilio Tibial Band Syndrome, an inflammation of the tendons that connect my right knee to my hip. I am managing it with Bio Freeze, Ibuprofen, and more recently a knee brace. It’ s not getting better but it’s not getting worse either. So, I hike on. I also have a bruised tail bone from a butt fall on a rock. Previously, I had a gash on my elbow and lingering pain on the elbow point, the resilt of a fall on a rain slicked back stairway at a hostel. My toes have also taken a beating with blisters, toenails falling off, and swollen toe joints. Other than those, just some minor cuts and bruises. All manageable and not likely to halt my hike.
Throughout my hike, I encountered fellow thru hikers with all manner of injuries. Swollen and painful knees are most common, but I’ve encountered hikers with shin splints, ankle tendinitis, nerve damage on toe pads, sore hips, and infected blisters to name a few. I’ve watched several hikers either take an extended break from the trail or quit altogether. It’s a very personal decision to quit with a mental component of how much one can tolerate vs. how badly one wants to finish the trail. We are all tested to some extent.
The lesson I guess is that the human body is very resilient and many injuries or conditions can be managed and the hike can often continue even if a hiatus is needed. But it’s also important to recognize when the injury is serious and when consultation with a medical professional is needed. It all comes with the territory and I intend to press on with my current set of mostly minor ailments.
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Comments 3
Obviously, just pace yourself…Your friends are thinking of you!The great moments will out live the downside..
Real stuff. I got off trail at Daleville, VA a month ago, and after 700+ miles, I’m still dealing with stuff. I have three black toes, a hyper-extended knee that’s just getting back to normal, and elbow tendinitis from my constant use trekking poles. BUT, you also gain a lot physically. My quads, lungs, and heart rate have all benefited. And the best part is it just helps to clean your mind, even when you go thru those “Why the hell am I doing this?” moments.
I appreciate what you’re doing. Keep plowing forward!
15 years ago my husband and I flip flopped a thru hike and we just paced it. It seems like a race to everyone today, I guess it was then too. We took 8 months on the trail though and at that kind of pace injuries were not much of an issue. I am also epileptic so we needed more zero days for that reason too, but we did it!