View Full Version : When is it to late to start?
HeartWalker
06-19-2010, 09:32
I made it around 300 miles northbound this year when I fell and broke my ankle on April 08. I have been rehabbing hard hoping to get back on the trail the 3rd week in June but my ankle is just not healed enough to do it yet. I am going to retarget the week of July 05 as my new date but realistically it could be Aug 01. I hike about 15 to 20 miles a day when I am at a 100%. even with the ankle recovered I am not sure I can do that for a while. So, do you ex thru hikers think Aug is too late. I had wanted to get through Virginia before I went up to Maine and headed Southbound. I would like to hear your perspective. Of Course, I don't want to think about this but I realize my 2010 hike may just have to be over and retry next year, Here is a link to my trailjournal. HeartWalker http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=9900
My boyfriend fell and sprained his ankle on his attempt right around the end of April. He is only now just starting to hike again. Last weekend he did a 4 miler with me and seemed okay, but he was slower than usual. The weekend he hopes to try for a longer hike on a flatter trail. The recovery is going a lot slower than he expected, and he only sprained his ankle. He may be a bit older than you, but I'd think a broken ankle would take even longer to heal.
HeartWalker
06-19-2010, 10:37
I hope he makes it back soon. It can be really frustrating waiting on the healing process. Sprains can be pretty bad.
turtle fast
06-19-2010, 12:11
If it were me I unfortunately would restart next year. 1) It would give your ankle ample time to FULLY heal and to rehab your ankle with exercises to strengthen the muscles that are not being used much now. 2) You also wouldn't have such a time crunch either...just hike north (if you chose NOBO again). 3) You have a 300 mile shakedown hike to see what gear you may want to swap out AND you now know the best spots on the trail for 300 miles!
It can be really frustrating waiting on the healing process.
My vote for the understatement of the decade. Just don't mend like a 19yr old anymore.
ARambler
06-19-2010, 13:22
So, 40 days for your first 300 miles. Maybe the lack of snow will allow you to do your next 300 miles in 40 days, and then you flip to ME and it takes you another 40 days to do 300 in the rocky north. So, if you start Aug 1, it will be the end of October you will still have 1200 miles left. Doesn't math suck?
It does not sound like you want to hike all winter with heavy gear on your recently injured ankle.
I don't see a problem with doing a long hike in the fall. You may find waiting until late August improves the hike. You just stop when the weather or your foot gets bad; there is no obligation to not enjoy the trail.
Rambler
Feral Bill
06-19-2010, 13:53
Ankle sprains can take forever to heal, especially if you are older. If you can, it might be wise to get back at it next year, or else take a long setion in the late summer to fall. Arambler's advise looks sound.
Forget the thru. Heal up try later.
bulldog49
06-19-2010, 15:34
Late August is not too late to start a SOBO.
HeartWalker
06-21-2010, 07:43
Thanks for all the comments. I guess the fire inside for me to finish this year is burning and I just can't give it up yet ( the thought of redoing those hard fought snow/ice laden 6000 foot plus elevation miles makes me grimmace ). I won't go until the ankle is ready but if it heals before August then I think I gotta go.
Something you can do is reduce the clothing and gear and food weight as much as possible, so you can start hiking again sooner. Maybe do some sections that way. Maybe lose some body weight also, but that is hard to do when you are recovering from an injury. Even though its mostly about diet I find it alot easier to drop the weight when I am even just a little active. I have a hip issue I'm working on and gained 5-10 pounds back in a month. Anxious to get running again, but thinking hiking with a light pack might be just the ticket for getting back at it.
Every 5 pounds makes a huge difference.
Also, ramp the weekly miles up slowly. Good luck to you.
My boyfriend did his big hike this weekend. He went 15 flat miles along a creek. I could see him struggling on the rocks in the creeks. I could tell that getting all the way to the turnaround spot was a struggle. At the very end on the way back there is a big hill and I watched him from a distance. He was quite slow. I drove us home. But he felt happy he was able to hike again. It's been almost 2 months since his ankle sprain. He's still not sure if he'll be able to go backpacking this summer.
If you have to do it this year (if I were you and had to make the decision), I would suggest starting in southern New England (Connecticut) so you could get some trail time on your ankle before hitting the big mountains, and hiking north, hopefully finishing at Katahdin before the precip turns solid. Then I (might as well state it this way, since I've thought through many scenarios of a disrupted thruhike) would hike the more mountainous sections of the South and finish up in the flatter central section where snow sometimes actually helps with your footing (it buries the ankle twisting rocks). You might not finish this calendar year, but you would most likely get it all done in one trip without extensive back to back zero days.
Undershaft
06-21-2010, 10:59
A few years ago I fell about 100 miles into my hike (Harper's Ferry to Katahdin) and wound up with a badly sprained ankle. I was on crutches for almost a month. As soon as I could walk again I went back to the trail. I was not fully healed, but I was going stir-crazy at home. I was only averaging about 4-5 miles a day after the injury. It took me just under a month to hike 140 miles from Greymoor Monastary in NY to the Massachusetts Turnpike. I had to take at least one zero day a week. My longest day was around ten miles and my shortest day was two miles. I experienced pain with every step. I got off the trail again for a month and that was enough to heal my ankle and foot to the point where there was no pain, but I still had to go slow and be careful not to put too much stress on it.
I know how you feel about itching to be back on the trail. I felt the same way. I'm glad I started hiking again after my injury, but I was fully aware of the need to go easy and slow. When I stated hiking again in NY I had no pretentions of making good mileage. I was prepared to hike only a few miles a day and put up with the pain and hobbling. I rejected any delusions of hiking the rest of the way to Katahdin and enjoyed just being on the trail. NY, CT, and MA were beautiful states to hike through. Since I didn't care about time or miles I could fully absorb everything around me. Every convenient rock deserved to be sat on and every view deserved a break to enjoy it.
If you do go back to the trail this year choose an easier section like I did and don't try to go too far or too fast. You may end up injuring yourself further and possibly doing permanent damage to your body. I would give up on the idea of completing the trail this year, and shoot for a Thru-Hike next year when your ankle will be back to 100%. That said, there is no reason you can't still do some enjoyable hiking this summer and fall. Whatever you decide to do I wish you the best of luck and I hope you have fun.
HeartWalker
06-21-2010, 11:27
Jak I am down to 23 lbs pack weight with 4 days food and 2 liters of water. I am 6 foot three and weigh 192. I lost down to 180 and am purposely trying to get back up to 195 because I know I'll lose again once I get back on. I have bought even more lightweight equipment and am down from 29 lbs.
It's too late to start when you're dead. As soon as you're healed up and ready to go, go. At least go somewhere, doesn't have to be the start of a full thru, does it?
Years ago I had to leave the trail afte 1200 miles; yeah. My feet hurt with every step and the swelling was horrid. I took the year off and then couldn't get the time off to do the trail. Ten years later, I don't heal like I did at 28 years of age. But, time to leave in a week and hope my sudden left foot pain goes away, no clue how I got it but I am still moving forward. Rest as much as possible, but I've been told (tore off all the ligaments on my right ankle years ago) not stay off my ankly too much due to the need to strengthen it. See what your family doctor has to say and don't hesitate to let him know you got your pack weight down. I was a "go heavy" kinda guy years ago. Now, I have my pack weight down to 27pds with seven days food without water.
The Solemates
06-21-2010, 13:07
I made it around 300 miles northbound this year when I fell and broke my ankle on April 08. I have been rehabbing hard hoping to get back on the trail the 3rd week in June but my ankle is just not healed enough to do it yet. I am going to retarget the week of July 05 as my new date but realistically it could be Aug 01. I hike about 15 to 20 miles a day when I am at a 100%. even with the ankle recovered I am not sure I can do that for a while. So, do you ex thru hikers think Aug is too late. I had wanted to get through Virginia before I went up to Maine and headed Southbound. I would like to hear your perspective. Of Course, I don't want to think about this but I realize my 2010 hike may just have to be over and retry next year, Here is a link to my trailjournal. HeartWalker http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=9900
I broke my ankle playing basketball and was playing basketball 6 weeks later, so you know bias. that being said, don't injure yourself further. if you do get on the trail your plan of finishing VA and then heading south will work.
It takes longer for a bad sprain to heal than a break. Tendons are involved in a sprain and they take forever to heal. I'd head up to Maine in Aug and go southbound.