View Full Version : Injuries that sent you off the trail...
catfishrivers
04-15-2009, 15:14
What injuries have sent you off the trail? How did the injury occur? What do you think you could have done, if anything, to prevent it from happening? And finally, what did you need to do to get healthy and hiking again?
I think your answers might be useful to share.
rainmakerat92
04-15-2009, 15:50
On my thru-hike, I had tendonitis in my left Achilles tendon that was caused by an arch support that provided too much arch. When the middle of my foot (the arch) went up, it put stress at the bottom of the Achilles tendon, and eventually it became inflamed. Achilles tendonitis redefined my concept of chronic pain.
I had to get off the trail and was lucky to find a doctor who correctly diagnosed the problem. He said that the tendon was in good shape, just inflamed, and that if I could stand the pain, I could go back to the trail. After 3 weeks, I was able to go back to the AT, but the Achilles tendon bothered me all the way to Katahdin.
With arch supports, a little bit of arch goes a long way.
gravityman
04-15-2009, 15:52
Wife - 2 things combined in 2001 to kick us off at Harper's Ferry:
1) Morton's Neuroma
Prevention - wear big enough shoes and don't be too cheap/stubborn to buy new ones!
2) Some type of intestinal issue
She lost 25 lbs and was dangerously thin. Very frequent diarrhea and upset stomach (5-10 times a day)
Prevention - Not sure. She got some Flagyll in town, but probably not a long enough course from the doctor. She was diagnosed with IBS after the trail. Then a few years later she had a kidney infection. She received injection antibiotics and went on a long course of Cipro. Strangely enough her IBS went completely away, so we suspect it was bacterial caused.
Went back in 2005 and did the whole trail from the beginning. Was that really 4 years ago?
fredmugs
04-15-2009, 16:53
I wrenched my knee really bad about two miles from the Kennebec River. My knee sounded like a socket wrench. I hobbled in pain to Rivers and Trails where Steve the Ferryman hooked me up with a big bag of ice. I decided to get off the trail for 3 days and went to Acadia Ntnl Park and toured and sampled the micro brews there. After two relatively pain free days I summited Katahdin but it was rough coming down that sucker.
catfishrivers
04-15-2009, 17:18
Thanks for those responses folks. I appreciate you sharing.
john gault
04-15-2009, 17:32
Lyme disease
YoungMoose
04-15-2009, 18:59
ON a 2 week trip the bottom of my foot right below my toes were black and blue. I dont know what it was. I dont know how to fix it. It felt like my foot was on fire from that. whenever i walked i felt the pain going up my leg. it felt like there was no skin and the bone was going against a rock. I checked my sole and it was fine.
Mrs Baggins
04-15-2009, 19:07
Collapsing arches. I was carrying too much weight and the pain was ungodly. I was up to 12 Advils per day just to deal with foot pain. We got off at Hiawasee and my insteps were so swollen and stiff I could barely walk. Went to a podiatrist later and was told that 1) my arches were collapsing and 2) if I had tried to keep going by taking pain killers or "walking through it" I would have destroyed my feet. Now I make my own inserts to support my arches (because $300 for them was just outrageous) and I'm doing just fine.
mateozzz
04-15-2009, 20:40
Sprained ankle. Not on a thru hike, but it cut short my section hike. I used crutches for 2 weeks then start exercises using a board on top of a softball to get side-to-side strength. The next section hike later in the summer I had no problems.
fiddlehead
04-15-2009, 20:52
brown recluse spider. Took a week off after powerful antibiotics from the hospital.
Back to hike after that.
1. sinus infection/bronchitis -- prevention: don't hike in the woods during the Spring time off trail: 1 week cure: bed rest and some antibiotics and stuff
2. plantar fasciitis (sp?), my feet hurt! -- prevention: don't walk time off trail: 1 week (about) cure: stretches, stretches, stretches (seriously), better shoes, specialized inserts, rest, and a lil bit of vitamin I on the bad days
3. UTI turned kidney infection -- prevention: DRINK WATER and hygiene time off trail: a little over a week cure: not avoiding the doctor, bed rest (when i could lay down), and more meds. (the water flushes out the kidneys and i had rid myself of my water purifier during peak water shortage time... don't worry, i take full credit)
4. food poisoning/stomach virus -- prevention: don't eat time off trail: i laid on the side of the trail for two days. another two days off in town to recover. cure: just time and fluids. (i never saw a doctor so an accurate diagnosis is not available)
5. LYMES DISEASE -- prevention: deet didn't work, so just stay indoors. time off trail: a lot more than i would have liked. cure: medicine and rest. although it took a while for me to get either. i was first misdiagnosed with a spider bite (with no tests) -- i later got the test and was accurately diagnosed when i got sick, yet again.
all of this happened during my '08 thu hike. it took me over 7 months to finish... some of it was my fault, some of it was nature's fault. i easily spent over a month off trail in recovery for my various ailments. i'm also stupidly stubborn... so, i always went longer than i should before getting treated, hence the usual escalation of my illness over time. take care of yourselves out there!
I had a minor,but annoying injury on my section hike last summer. Two days into my hike a small piece of debris made its way in between my boot and heel. Well I guess from the sweat I didnt feel it until the end of the day and when I took my boots and socks off for the night I discovered a small pool of blood and some of my skin in my sock. I guess I developed a blister and it just got rubbed raw. The other problem I developed was that my small toe-nail decided to break off at the back under the skin and became very painful. By my third day I could barely walk let alone where my boots. I think different socks and lacing technics will help to avoid these problems this year...at least I hope!
Pacific Tortuga
04-19-2009, 14:49
A nagging, whimpy knee bone bruise (i had no idea what it was but Sly & a sawbones in Hot Springs knew). I tried like the dickins to take enough time off to let it heal.
Stayed in Damascus almost long enough to register to vote.
Two months with no hiking at all, seem to do the trick.
Many Walks
04-19-2009, 19:01
Lost most of my toenails starting in GA, but kept walking. There was a dream to fulfill.
Took a couple of nasty falls in the Whites and Mahoosac Notch...went through Maine with a dislocated hip. It popped back in place later and felt soooo good. My Chiropractor confirmed it when I got back home.
It took about a year for all the aches and pains to finally go away, but I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.
Pain is just weakness leaving the body...no need to get off!
all of this happened during my '08 thu hike. it took me over 7 months to finish... some of it was my fault, some of it was nature's fault. i easily spent over a month off trail in recovery for my various ailments. i'm also stupidly stubborn... so, i always went longer than i should before getting treated, hence the usual escalation of my illness over time. take care of yourselves out there!
A couple of very good points there:
1. Any one of these ailments could have been used as a reason to drop off the trail and stay off the trail. There are many physical ailments that necessarily end thru-hikes, but attitude is a much more common reason.
2. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Oftentimes it is necessary to hike through the aches and pains, but don't keep pushing if you are actually injuring yourself. The courageous choice is sometimes to rest rather than push. Listen to your body.
Congrats on finishing, Pips!
The Weasel
04-20-2009, 10:44
***
Pain is just weakness leaving the body...no need to get off!
Pain is nature's way of saying "there's a reason to stop what you're doing." Those who ignore this, however, have a higher chance of winning a Darwin Award.
TW
the goat
04-20-2009, 10:47
Pain is nature's way of saying "there's a reason to stop what you're doing." Those who ignore this, however, have a higher chance of winning a Darwin Award.
TW
they also have a higher chance of finishing the trail.
On my thru-hike, I had tendonitis in my left Achilles tendon that was caused by an arch support that provided too much arch. When the middle of my foot (the arch) went up, it put stress at the bottom of the Achilles tendon, and eventually it became inflamed. Achilles tendonitis redefined my concept of chronic pain.
I had to get off the trail and was lucky to find a doctor who correctly diagnosed the problem. He said that the tendon was in good shape, just inflamed, and that if I could stand the pain, I could go back to the trail. After 3 weeks, I was able to go back to the AT, but the Achilles tendon bothered me all the way to Katahdin.
With arch supports, a little bit of arch goes a long way.
I have been suffering the same ailment since I placed arch supports in my walk around sneakers. Hmmmm, think they are coming out right now. THANKS!
superman
04-20-2009, 11:36
I hiked with Bernie off and on through Maine. He was coming down a steep rock and planted his poles for support. One of them colapsed and he fell hitting his pelvic bone. The whole area around the pelvis turned yellow. HE COULD ACTUALLY WIGGLE HIS PELVIC BONE. He finished the AT like that but I never heard how that pelvic bone problem worked out for him.:-?
Blissful
04-20-2009, 16:14
I had 2 injuries on my hike in '07 - a slight calf tear in mid VA, probably due to improper footwear - home for about five days, and then a good ankle sprain in Mass slipping on the ground, home for 2 weeks.
Homer&Marje
04-20-2009, 17:22
Didn't send me off the AT....but it would have had it been the AT I was walking on.
Cut myself with my knife....doubled my lifetime stitch count to a total of 12.
Greasy pepperoni stick, slippery plastic and a bad cutting angle... bad idea....have learned lesson.
Ran like hell for a mile to a road and got a ride to a hospital. Put gauze and tape for compression, used my rope lanyard on my bear whistle for a tourniquet and kept my hand over my head while running. Sucked:rolleyes:
Homer&Marje
04-20-2009, 17:27
I hiked with Bernie off and on through Maine. He was coming down a steep rock and planted his poles for support. One of them colapsed and he fell hitting his pelvic bone. The whole area around the pelvis turned yellow. HE COULD ACTUALLY WIGGLE HIS PELVIC BONE. He finished the AT like that but I never heard how that pelvic bone problem worked out for him.:-?
You should not mess with pelvic bone injuries...go straight to a hospital. Your pelvic bone is like a set of double doors attached by a piece of cartilage.
It only takes 300 lbs of force to break it, which isn't much, and there are two major arteries that run right underneath the bone area....if those are severed in any way you will internally bleed to death within hours.
Many Walks
04-20-2009, 17:35
Pain is nature's way of saying "there's a reason to stop what you're doing." Those who ignore this, however, have a higher chance of winning a Darwin Award.
TW
Weasel, Your comment is reasonable, so I don't want to mislead anyone to magnify their injuries. Hikers must decide when to quit and when to keep going based on the pain they have, how much they care to endure, and what a person's real reason is to quit or keep going. Unfortunately, 80% of thru hike attempts can find a reason to justify quitting. Once it gets hard and the mental anguish sets in even a sore toe nail is reason enough to quit. Without any solid data to back it up I'd venture to say every thru hiker has significant pain on their hike and the ones that make it suck it up and keep going to achieve their dream. It's not for everyone, but the ones who do know what I'm talking about. Example: Ohm broke his arm, got a cast and kept hiking his dream. Most would quit.
The way I was raised and the USMC confirmed quitting just isn't an option if you can keep going. Had the copperhead struck my leg instead of my Croc or if I'd actually had a real serious injury I may have pulled off. As it is I'm glad I finished my journey and perhaps collect my Darwin award.
So, in the end I guess the choice is to hike with pain and live the dream or get a little "owie", quit hiking and spend my days jabbing at hikers on WB. Don't think so.
superman
04-20-2009, 19:07
Weasel, Your comment is reasonable, so I don't want to mislead anyone to magnify their injuries. Hikers must decide when to quit and when to keep going based on the pain they have, how much they care to endure, and what a person's real reason is to quit or keep going. Unfortunately, 80% of thru hike attempts can find a reason to justify quitting. Once it gets hard and the mental anguish sets in even a sore toe nail is reason enough to quit. Without any solid data to back it up I'd venture to say every thru hiker has significant pain on their hike and the ones that make it suck it up and keep going to achieve their dream. It's not for everyone, but the ones who do know what I'm talking about. Example: Ohm broke his arm, got a cast and kept hiking his dream. Most would quit.
The way I was raised and the USMC confirmed quitting just isn't an option if you can keep going. Had the copperhead struck my leg instead of my Croc or if I'd actually had a real serious injury I may have pulled off. As it is I'm glad I finished my journey and perhaps collect my Darwin award.
So, in the end I guess the choice is to hike with pain and live the dream or get a little "owie", quit hiking and spend my days jabbing at hikers on WB. Don't think so.
little "owie", LMAO
gravityman
04-27-2009, 11:43
Weasel, So, in the end I guess the choice is to hike with pain and live the dream or get a little "owie", quit hiking and spend my days jabbing at hikers on WB. Don't think so.
Too general a statement. We hiked in 2001, wife had to come off, too sick at 1000 miles. We went back and started all over again in 2005 and did the whole thing. This seems to actually be fairly common, as we know a number of hikers that took more than one attempt on the AT or PCT. It's hard on the body, and it's hard to get the rest or treatment you need, which ends up making a "little owie" in to something much worse that forces you to leave.
Trust me, it's not a choice of "hike in pain and live the dream." You have to be smart and know when you get help and take time off, or you're actually at a higher risk of not finishing IMHO. That lesson learned, we were able to complete the AT on our 2nd attempt.
Gravity
Many Walks
04-27-2009, 18:20
Too general a statement. We hiked in 2001, wife had to come off, too sick at 1000 miles. We went back and started all over again in 2005 and did the whole thing. This seems to actually be fairly common, as we know a number of hikers that took more than one attempt on the AT or PCT. It's hard on the body, and it's hard to get the rest or treatment you need, which ends up making a "little owie" in to something much worse that forces you to leave.
Trust me, it's not a choice of "hike in pain and live the dream." You have to be smart and know when you get help and take time off, or you're actually at a higher risk of not finishing IMHO. That lesson learned, we were able to complete the AT on our 2nd attempt.
Gravity
Gravity, Besides your selected quotes I also said I don't want to mislead anyone to magnify their injuries and hikers must decide when to quit and when to keep going based on the amount of pain they have. I also stated there are probably reasons I would have quit as well. So it appears we are basically saying the same thing.
Part of my point was when the mental anguish sets in it doesn't take much pain for a hiker to decide to get off the trail. Some will succumb to fairly minor injuries while others will hike through it to pursue their goal. All depends how bad they want it.
Just saying, anyone who walks that far over that tough terrain will be walking in some pain. I'll agree, the key is to avoid permanent physical damage to be able to hike another day. As in your case, you and your wife were able to finish your thru on the second attempt. Congrats to your success!
Shin splints. Very painful. Come on unexpectedly. Took me off for two week. Had to take Prednisone, antiflamatory steriod. Mean stuff too.
Pain is nature's way of saying "there's a reason to stop what you're doing." Those who ignore this, however, have a higher chance of winning a Darwin Award.
TW
To turn this question on its head: Will all hikers who completed the Trail without suffering a moment's pain, please step forward?
No pushing and shoving, please. I think there will be plenty of room.
gravityman
04-28-2009, 11:34
Gravity, Besides your selected quotes I also said I don't want to mislead anyone to magnify their injuries and hikers must decide when to quit and when to keep going based on the amount of pain they have. I also stated there are probably reasons I would have quit as well. So it appears we are basically saying the same thing.
Part of my point was when the mental anguish sets in it doesn't take much pain for a hiker to decide to get off the trail. Some will succumb to fairly minor injuries while others will hike through it to pursue their goal. All depends how bad they want it.
Just saying, anyone who walks that far over that tough terrain will be walking in some pain. I'll agree, the key is to avoid permanent physical damage to be able to hike another day. As in your case, you and your wife were able to finish your thru on the second attempt. Congrats to your success!
I think the main difference is I think that the determination of MOST thru-hikers that start at Springer is underestimated. That the attrition rate due it REAL injury is anecdotally underestimate, and the attrition rate due to mental fatigue is overestimated. There is certainly a good number of people that get off because of mental fatigue that use an injury as an excuse, but it seems to me that real injury vs just sick of hiking is closer to 50/50 than people give it credit for. Hiking day after day is hard on the body, and being out in the woods compounds the sickness/injury issue.
Gravity
2011_thruhiker
04-28-2009, 11:59
Tripped over my own two feet, slipped, fell and went tumbling down a ravine-couple hundred feet-had a sprained ankle, concussion and several bruised ribs...my ego was the most bruised though which took a huge blow-I ended up being found by a ranger. But I was glad to be found and it could have been worse!
Homer&Marje
04-28-2009, 14:14
To turn this question on its head: Will all hikers who completed the Trail without suffering a moment's pain, please step forward?
No pushing and shoving, please. I think there will be plenty of room.
Only the Purists get through unscathed. Injuries might make them fall off the trail or have to go to the hospital. It's unacceptable to get injured. HMHDI
After hiking most of the Maine section, my wife had to bail out at WHL because of extreme shin pain (front of lower leg). She could barely walk the access trail in to WHL. The folks from the AT Lodge came and got her, and took care of her while I took 3 days to finish up the trail.
At the Millinocket hospital all they could come up with was cellulitis, infection of the cells in the leg. A factor probably was that she had fallen multiple times (damn trail runner shoes; won't make that mistake again; we wear real boots now) and smashed the front of her leg. That's probably what did it. It took antibiotics and weeks of healing for her to get over that.