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Longboysfan
10-26-2017, 12:49
I planned for over 8 months to hike starting at Winding Stair gap North to the road to Gatlinburg.

Worked everything I could think of out.
10 to 20 weekend days with pack and weight about 30 pounds.
Trail hiked fast - trail hiked slow.

Worked of getting shoes and socks set up correctly to protect my feet.

Worked out a set of places I would stop at - mostly shelters.

Got my Smokey Mountain permit.

Got my 'The Hike Inn" place to stay and start from with trail shuttle all set.

Two sets of food ready.
Two sets of clothes ready. The second set to pick up at Fontana Dam where car would be parked.
My work schedule set for taking 7 plus days to complete this section hike.

Drove out to North Carolina - over the "Dragon".

Got a good nights sleep. Dropped the car. Got dropped off at Winding Stair gap and started hiking about 9am.

I had hoped for cooler weather than the 60 plus degrees. Sweated a lot the first day.
No problem there it was only 11 miles or so to the first shelter.
I was tired when I got there.

Met 4 others who came into shelter later.

Got good sleep. Was on the trail by about 7:20AM next morning.

No problems for the first 3/4th of the day hiking.
Still warmer than I would have liked.

Sweated through my shirt, pants, into my socks.

I had planned to stop short of the NOC at the shelter there and go into the NOC to eat early next AM.
Well the restaurant there did not open till 11AM as someone told me on the trail.

Hiking late that afternoon about a mile off the shelter I slightly twisted my ankle.
So I bypassed the shelter and got to the NOC.
Got a room in the bunk house. One other hiker was in there.
Showered, rinsed out clothes, and found I left out my other underwear from packing - it was in the car.
Got to the laundry dried everything.

Got dinner and back to the bunk house - slept real well. Ankle did not bother me that night.
Up about 6am - my room mate was getting ready and went to trail about 7am.

I started off about 7:40am. Up and up and up and up and up the trail I went.

I was about a mile from the top of the first climb and a mile and a half from the first shelter.
Then slipped on the wet leaves and rocks really twisted my ankle but good.
Hobbling up the trail and slipped again, trying to protect my bad ankle. Put my other leg underneath me on the side of the mountain - not good.

I went up more and knew I was in trouble at this point.

Stopped made a call to get picked up.

Only problem being I was 7 miles from the closest pick up other than turning back and going back to the NOC.


So over the hill to the shelter and the next one. I must have taken about 5000 hurt steps on the bad ankle.

And then there was the down hill to 143 to get to. Just great.
Got to 143 about 4pm and got picked up.

I am really disappointed I did not get further.

I made 40 miles of the planned 100 mile hike.

You can train for wet and leaves on the trail. Even though I was going slow at the up-hill section from the NOC.

Plan on picking up from where I left off.

Longboysfan
10-26-2017, 13:24
And I wear the high top hiking boots laced up tight.

Slo-go'en
10-26-2017, 13:37
Learning how to recover from a slip on wet leaves or rocks without injury is an important skill. I don't know if there is a way to train for it, except from experience. Quick reflexes are required and that means the body has to know how to react instinctively.

You don't say if you were using poles. If not, those go a long way in helping to prevent falls and twisted ankles if you do slip. But you can still fall down, so you got to know how to roll with it. Little loose rocks I don't see on a level trail are the ones which get me. All of a sudden the foot rolls out from under you.

Some falls happen in slow motion, other times you suddenly find yourself on the ground in the blink of an eye. The latter are the ones you have to stop to catch your breath and check if all your parts still work. And figure out how to get out of your pack so you can stand up again!

Anyway, glad you made it out on your own despite the pain. Hope you didn't do any lasting harm.

Gambit McCrae
10-26-2017, 13:55
I can certainly relate to the feeling of disappointment on the trail. As a section, or even thru hiker, you plan and look forward to your hike. What I had a hard time learning but now have a pretty good grasp on is that the trip will never go exactly as you think it will or plan it to go. Learning to adapt and go to Plan B is a good skill to have. For instance, Got a twisted ankle? OK, no biggie, lets drop our daily mileage to a crawl for a couple days and still get some miles complete. Or maybe call the hike inn, get a room and do some slack packing not having to carry the pack weight on the ankle. All in all, its all about using all the time you allotted for the trip, into to make memories, and for me, to get as many miles done as I can. I have found that without abusing the injury, actually walking and walking some more has cured a lot of my pains and aches on a trip.

kbstock
10-26-2017, 14:29
I feel your pain....the meticulous planning...every detail....the physical training for months and months...the anticipation....and then you are FINALLY there.....everything you thought itwould be....you feel strong enough physically and mentally...the whole nine yards.....
And then, almost inexplicably...in an instant, it all goes south. Mine was an IT band issue...after 15 miles....I hobbled for 27 and could go no further. 42 miles out of 60. I was so frustrated, bummed, depressed...even angry.

BUT....I learned a lot....(and all this happened just 3 weeks ago). I learned a lot about backpacking....but I learned a lot more about myself. How I let my ego get bigger than my appreciation for the natural beauty around me. Very humbling experience. You'll hear from a lot of other hikers who had to stop for one reason or the other. You're not alone.

My frustration is that because of my work, I wont be able to get out again before winter sets in. But it is what it is. Pick up where you left off. And appreciate every step.

peakbagger
10-26-2017, 15:46
And I wear the high top hiking boots laced up tight.

I am many others have found that having boots with high ankle support increase the severity of ankle sprains. Its counter intuitive but I routinely use trail runners up in the whites which can be treacherous footing. Long ago I used to have stiff boots (Limmers) and found that when I did twist an ankle it was always fairly severe potentially curtailing a hike and taking a few days to recover, they may save you from a minor twist, put when you do roll an ankle with heavy boots, its usually a bad one. Once I switched to trail runners I built up the various tendons and ligaments in the feet and ankles so that even if I did roll an ankle, it was mostly an excuse to swear profusely, possibly sit for moment and start hobbling for a minute or two before I got back on my prior pace. I dont really know how to simulate this if you live in an area without rocks or dicey footing but expect some of the conditioning skiers do pre ski season might help. I expect the ball rolling exercises with the feet are a first step.

Its been many years where an ankle roll has caused me any issues the day after a hike. I do hike with poles and think that helps avoid ankle twists. I naturally adjust my speed and pole use based on conditions. If the going is good I carry the poles in one hand but the second it gets dicey, I switch back to two poling.

martinb
10-26-2017, 15:51
There's no training for this short of thing, that's why they're called accidents. I sprained my ankle, badly, about a half-mile from Bob's bald on the first day of a four-day trip above 5,000'. It happens. Hope your next trip turns out better. Mine did.

Gambit McCrae
10-26-2017, 16:19
I have actually found that much less planning after picking the dates to hike to be a great deal more successful then trying to plan every detail.

egilbe
10-26-2017, 16:19
I am many others have found that having boots with high ankle support increase the severity of ankle sprains. Its counter intuitive but I routinely use trail runners up in the whites which can be treacherous footing. Long ago I used to have stiff boots (Limmers) and found that when I did twist an ankle it was always fairly severe potentially curtailing a hike and taking a few days to recover, they may save you from a minor twist, put when you do roll an ankle with heavy boots, its usually a bad one. Once I switched to trail runners I built up the various tendons and ligaments in the feet and ankles so that even if I did roll an ankle, it was mostly an excuse to swear profusely, possibly sit for moment and start hobbling for a minute or two before I got back on my prior pace. I dont really know how to simulate this if you live in an area without rocks or dicey footing but expect some of the conditioning skiers do pre ski season might help. I expect the ball rolling exercises with the feet are a first step.

Its been many years where an ankle roll has caused me any issues the day after a hike. I do hike with poles and think that helps avoid ankle twists. I naturally adjust my speed and pole use based on conditions. If the going is good I carry the poles in one hand but the second it gets dicey, I switch back to two poling.

This! So.much.this. Your ankles are suppose to be mobility joints. They are designed to move in multiple directions. Only thing I can think of is to work on your flexibility. Falling is a part of hiking.

DrL
10-26-2017, 16:29
***** happens

Training wise, you can find a whole boat load of ankle mobility exercises on the internet. I like the following in particular. I added this routine to my workouts because my ankles are injury prone. Seems to help.


https://youtu.be/RcrNj29ZqNM

I would also add a heavy dose of core training. That helps with balance and mobility in general.

Berserker
10-26-2017, 16:37
Once I switched to trail runners I built up the various tendons and ligaments in the feet and ankles so that even if I did roll an ankle, it was mostly an excuse to swear profusely, possibly sit for moment and start hobbling for a minute or two before I got back on my prior pace.
I have the exact same experience. Used big arse boots long ago, and then switched to trail runners. I walk/run regularly on local trails off road, and my ankles have gotten "beefed up" doing this. Haven't had a serious ankle roll in a few years, and I attribute most of that to building them up along with using poles and being careful about step placement. Trail runners will also teach you good walking technique. Instead of just tromping over everything because you can't feel it with boots on, you quickly learn to step where it ain't gonna hurt.

Anyway, you may want to consider trying out some different footwear as that may help out.

Malto
10-26-2017, 17:14
And I wear the high top hiking boots laced up tight.
It's more about ankle strength not high top boots. I used to always roll my ankle but after getting into trail running it hasn't happened in a long time. BUT, stuff happens, you have to pick up and try again. I had to bail 360 miles into the Colorado Trail after this. I will do the rest and head down the CDT likely next year. But I got a good photo.

Hikingjim
10-26-2017, 17:50
When I started hiking I would fall the odd time, suffered a few sprains here and there.
Haven't had anything in years that I can't just walk off

Point being, keep at it. I agree that wearing boots all the time won't help in the long run. Start with light hikers on moderate terrain and start building up your strength

Bronk
10-27-2017, 17:24
You got to spend 3 days in the woods and hiked 40 miles. The trip was a success.

English Stu
10-28-2017, 10:25
Good to know on the trail how to strap a rocked ankle with Kinesio tape; see YouTube.

Puddlefish
10-28-2017, 11:08
For me I learned too late to stop before looking at the views. I did the whole, looking at the view instead of the trail a few times, and that was when I turned my ankles. The first few times I was all proud of myself, because I quickly recovered with a little lunge forward, to take the weight off the rolling ankle, and minimized the ankle damage. The third time I lunged, and was congratulating myself for avoiding ankle damage, when I realized that I had blown out the ICL on my lunging knee. I took a whole bunch of NEROs and ZEROs, but the knee wouldn't heal up on the trail, and it eventually ended my hike.

Over a year later, my knee has finally healed.

Thanks DrL. I'm going to add in that ankle video to my exercise routine for my second thru hike attempt.

DrL
10-29-2017, 13:41
Thanks DrL. I'm going to add in that ankle video to my exercise routine for my second thru hike attempt.
No problem. I like it because it can be done almost anywhere.

RuthN
10-29-2017, 14:37
I planned for over 8 months to hike starting at Winding Stair gap North to the road to Gatlinburg.

Worked everything I could think of out.
10 to 20 weekend days with pack and weight about 30 pounds.
Trail hiked fast - trail hiked slow.

Worked of getting shoes and socks set up correctly to protect my feet.

Worked out a set of places I would stop at - mostly shelters.

Got my Smokey Mountain permit.

Got my 'The Hike Inn" place to stay and start from with trail shuttle all set.

Two sets of food ready.
Two sets of clothes ready. The second set to pick up at Fontana Dam where car would be parked.
My work schedule set for taking 7 plus days to complete this section hike.

Drove out to North Carolina - over the "Dragon".

Got a good nights sleep. Dropped the car. Got dropped off at Winding Stair gap and started hiking about 9am.

I had hoped for cooler weather than the 60 plus degrees. Sweated a lot the first day.
No problem there it was only 11 miles or so to the first shelter.
I was tired when I got there.

Met 4 others who came into shelter later.

Got good sleep. Was on the trail by about 7:20AM next morning.

No problems for the first 3/4th of the day hiking.
Still warmer than I would have liked.

Sweated through my shirt, pants, into my socks.

I had planned to stop short of the NOC at the shelter there and go into the NOC to eat early next AM.
Well the restaurant there did not open till 11AM as someone told me on the trail.

Hiking late that afternoon about a mile off the shelter I slightly twisted my ankle.
So I bypassed the shelter and got to the NOC.
Got a room in the bunk house. One other hiker was in there.
Showered, rinsed out clothes, and found I left out my other underwear from packing - it was in the car.
Got to the laundry dried everything.

Got dinner and back to the bunk house - slept real well. Ankle did not bother me that night.
Up about 6am - my room mate was getting ready and went to trail about 7am.

I started off about 7:40am. Up and up and up and up and up the trail I went.

I was about a mile from the top of the first climb and a mile and a half from the first shelter.
Then slipped on the wet leaves and rocks really twisted my ankle but good.
Hobbling up the trail and slipped again, trying to protect my bad ankle. Put my other leg underneath me on the side of the mountain - not good.

I went up more and knew I was in trouble at this point.

Stopped made a call to get picked up.

Only problem being I was 7 miles from the closest pick up other than turning back and going back to the NOC.


So over the hill to the shelter and the next one. I must have taken about 5000 hurt steps on the bad ankle.

And then there was the down hill to 143 to get to. Just great.
Got to 143 about 4pm and got picked up.

I am really disappointed I did not get further.

I made 40 miles of the planned 100 mile hike.

You can train for wet and leaves on the trail. Even though I was going slow at the up-hill section from the NOC.

Plan on picking up from where I left off.

I think you did awesome, from planning to execution to your determined attitude to get back on the trail. Kudos.

Longboysfan
10-30-2017, 13:19
Had poles - just slipped.

Longboysfan
10-30-2017, 13:25
***** happens

Training wise, you can find a whole boat load of ankle mobility exercises on the internet. I like the following in particular. I added this routine to my workouts because my ankles are injury prone. Seems to help.


https://youtu.be/RcrNj29ZqNM

I would also add a heavy dose of core training. That helps with balance and mobility in general.

Looking at the video - that is about the only thing I did not do to get ready. Ankle work.
Core work is done 5 times a week.
Running 4 or 5 days a week.
Walking around lake at work 5 days a week.

Thank you.

DrL
10-30-2017, 21:16
Looking at the video - that is about the only thing I did not do to get ready. Ankle work.
Core work is done 5 times a week.
Running 4 or 5 days a week.
Walking around lake at work 5 days a week.

Thank you.

Solid training routine.

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