Originally Posted by
McPick
My intended effort to complete an AT Thru in 2006 was thwarted by severe shin splints and my mum's 80th birthday. I was off the trail for a month. When I got back on the trail, I realized I'd never get through the Whites and arrive at Katahdin by the mid-October closing date. I opted to take a bus from Hanover to Boston, and then another bus to Millinocket. I climbed Katahdin, and then hiked the 100 miles back to Monson. The hiking season was over. I was 54 years old and realized my dream of hiking the AT since I was 14, was not going to happen. I didn't know then how I would ever be able to return.
Two years later, by a stroke of luck, I found myself back in Hanover, ready to tackle the remaining 300 AT miles north to Monson. My first two days out were like old times. I was thrilled to be back on the trail. Then the third day, I felt a dull pain in my left knee. The pain grew worse as the day progressed. I began to wonder if the knee pain would be a hike-ending situation. I had a long-sleeved tee shirt in my pack. I rolled it up and wrapped it tightly around my knee, which did offer some pain relief. I felt increasingly more discouraged as the day, and the hike, wore on.
Late that afternoon I hobbled into a shelter. No one else was there. Without taking off my pack and with most of my weight on my right leg and poles, I peered into the semi-darkness of the shelter. I noticed a small, black pile of stuff lying on the floor. I reached in and with the tip of my pole, I dragged that black thing to the front of the shelter. I looked down at it in disbelief. It was one of those knee braces that wraps around the leg and Velcros both above and below the knee. (At that moment, I recalled the Scarecrow saying, "Oh joy... Rapture!") Yeah, and I began thinking about all the REAL trail magic I'd witnessed, or heard about, during my months on the trail.
Well that knee brace was a bit dirty, so I took it to the stream behind the shelter and washed it off. I came back to the shelter and hung it in one of the remaining rays of the afternoon sun to dry. As I turned back to the shelter, I heard a voice call out a hello. I looked down the little access trail and saw a young woman headed in. We introduced ourselves and I immediately noticed she was wearing a pretty substantial knee brace. I asked her about it. She told me she'd injured her knee and had gotten off the trail to go to a doctor. She explained everything the doc had told her about the injury, and how to care for her knee as she continued on her hike. She told me she had been concerned about having to end her hike, but the doc convinced her to wear the brace and hike with caution. She said she felt confident and was happy to be back on the trail. I explained to her about my knee and about finding that knee brace, which in-of-itself was astonishing. But to have the extra opportunity to speak with someone who had just been to a doc for the same issue was just unbelievable... Absolutely trail magic at its best!
Just then we heard a hiker call out a hello. We looked up and saw A very BIG man entering the shelter area. We all introduced ourselves. He said his trail name and then said his real name was Tom. Tom began unpacking his pack. When he realized what we were discussing he asked me if I had a knee injury. I told him I did and briefly explained about what had happened, finding the knee brace, the woman hiker's information, etc. Tom stood in front of me and said, " Give me that leg... Right up here on the edge of the shelter." I was kinda shocked and replied, "What?" Tom towered over me and said, "I'm a physical therapist... Let's have that leg so I can check out your knee." Tom took a hold of my knee and immediately located the sore area. He explained about knee bones connected to tendons connected to ligaments connected to muscles connected to nerves, etc... as he dug his thumbs in and massaged the area all around my knee. At one point I looked at Tom and said, "Tom, if you don't lighten up you're going to see a grown man cry!" He got this wild-eyed smile on his face and kinda growled, "Wouldn't be the first time!"
Tom finished and suggested I take some vitamin I for a few days. He encouraged me to wear the brace and hike with caution. Within the next few days, my knee pain was completely gone. Several weeks later, I entered the town of Monson for the second time in my life. I had completed hiking the Appalachian Trail.
So think about this... I was in the middle of the Vermont wilderness with an injured knee. I found a knee brace (which I still have). I spoke with a woman who had just been to the doctor because of her knee injury. Finally, my sore knee was massaged by a professional physical therapist. The chance that even one of them would occur was remote... Nearly impossible.
But all together? That's REAL TRAIL MAGIC!
Come on hikers... Write your Trail Magic story!
Best Trail Magic?
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