View Full Version : Still time to salvage my hike?
I began a flip-flop at Harpers Ferry . On top of a slow start due to the heat wave and being out of shape, I managed to break my foot just north of Gathland State Park. More of a fracture than a complete break, actually. I made it to Pine Grove Furnace before the foot just wouldn't take any more.
Anyway, I've been back home and off the foot for two weeks now, and am able to walk reasonably pain-free again. Ive been shopping and found a boot/insole combination that I believe will allow me to hike without worsening the injury.
My big question is do I still have time? It would take a few days to put together travel arrangements, so it would likely be Aug 6 or 7 before I could be back at Pine Grove (assuming I can find a way to get there from Harrisburg).
My math says I'd need to average just over 15 miles per day to reach Katahdin in time, with precious little wiggle room for short or zero days. All on an iffy foot. The mileage is doable, I did a couple 15 mile days and one 20 just before getting off the trail, and they were easy enough, but the lack of wiggle room in the schedule concerns me.
Am I nuts to be thinking about getting back on the trail? It may be many years before I can arrange the free time to try again.
mattmc89
08-01-2012, 19:53
Could hike south from Maine to where you left off. Less time pressure
Ya know, I had ruled that out, but for the life of me I can't remember what the reason was. Might have to give that idea another look.
This is still pretty much the window for starting a sobo, right?
rocketsocks
08-01-2012, 20:23
Hey, whatever you decide, good luck with the foot, tough break (pun intended), that you would even consider continuing, says some things about you not giving up. Good luck with your hike, eat well, go slow, and enjoy it...make it to the end or not, your health is all you have. Happy trails.
Thanks for the well wishes.
The foot thing is really frustrating. A rock that looked solid, wasn't. Rolled out from under me and my foot came down hard on the sharp edge of another one. After that it just got worse with every rock or root that I stepped on wrong, like a crack spreading in a windshield. Still managed 20 miles my last day, and was holding up ok. Big storm came in 2 miles out from Pine Grove furnace, and between being in a hurry to get out of the woods with trees falling around me and not being able to see the trail under ankle deep running water, the foot took a pretty good beating. Might still be on the trail if it had stayed sunny.
Think I might throw on my pack tomorrow and go for a walk. No terrain here in Iowa to simulate the AT in Pennsylvania, but I could still put 10 or 15 miles on the foot and see if it's really feeling as good as I think it is.
Spirit Walker
08-01-2012, 21:38
If you are mentally prepared to deal with cold weather, you could go to Maine and hike south. At the least, see how far you can get before winter closes in. Alternately, hike south from Harpers Ferry when your foot has healed and do the rest next year.
BigFoot2002
08-01-2012, 21:44
If you are considering a SOBO hike, you don't have to leave right away. You could rest your foot another week, at least, before deciding if your foot is good to go.
If you actually broke/fractured your foot (did you get an x-ray?) the bones take about 6 weeks to heal properly.
Any simple, straight to the point info out there on how to get to Baxter? I'd probably take a greyhound as close as it could get me and then ????
I figure winter isn't relevant at this point. Wherever I start from now I have the same number of miles to cover before I head south from Harpers Ferry.
One thing I like about the sobo idea is that I wouldn't be nearly as far behind the pack.
Jack Tarlin
08-01-2012, 22:21
If you only did a couple of fifteens before getting off the trail (and only one 20) I think it's unrealistic to think you're gonna knock a whole bunch of them out know. It's August. Even on a regular pace, in perfect health, you're gonna have problems getting to Maine in time, i.e before the snow flies. So here are your options:
1. Get back on, keep going. Make the best time you can. And if you finish after15 October, fine. Lots of people do.
2. Skip a chunk. Get back on in MA. Or Vermont. Head North to Maine and then fill in the parts you skipped.
3. Go up to Maine and start walking South and finish up on your own schedule and at your own pace.
Not my call, but considering your health issues and what you've disclosed about your pace and fastest days,I think you should rest up for awhile (like several weeks), get yourself to Maine,and then start heading South. No time pressure, no stress, finish when you want. But what with your foot issues and what you've said about your fastest days, I don't think getting back on in PA and heading North expecting to finish before the snow is a realistic option.
If you actually broke/fractured your foot (did you get an x-ray?) the bones take about 6 weeks to heal properly.
Sure, 6 weeks to heal completely, but I've put broken bones back to work much earlier than that and gotten away with it. There is even a school of thought that says a bone heals stronger if it's subjected to some stress during the healing process.
Either way, I fully understand that there is risk involved here and that I could end up heading back home again after a week. But I've had plenty of experience recovering from injuries, including broken bones, and my gut feeling is that I could pull this off.
....and my gut feeling is that I could pull this off.
What does your doctor say?
Slo-go'en
08-02-2012, 00:40
What does your doctor say?
My guess is a doctor would give a conserative answer and say stay off it for a full 6 to 8 weeks. However, seeing you only did about 75 miles and already hurt yourself on some of the easiest trail the AT has to offer, I have to wonder if your really ready for this? I don't think I'd recommend jumping up to Maine and attempting the hardest sections of the trail right now. I also have to wonder what kind of footware you were using? A real hiking boot or some kind of mininualist shoe?
If you do decide to get back on the trail, I would get back on at the Hudson river in NY. That way you skip most of the rocky stuff (for a while) and the trail is still reasonably easy for the next couple 100 miles to get you into shape for New England. That way you stand a much better chance of getting up into Maine before it's too late.
What does your doctor say?
Exactly what any overly cautious, malpractice paranoid doctor could be expected to say.
I really don't think 6 whole weeks completely off of it is necessary. At 2 weeks the pain is minimal, and it will get another week while I put together travel plans. If it was something serious i'd pay much more attention to him. But it's just a cracked bone, about the biggest risk is that i break it the rest of the way through. Acceptable risk in my mind.
However, seeing you only did about 75 miles and already hurt yourself on some of the easiest trail the AT has to offer,
I'm not sure the difficulty of the trail had so much to do with it as just taking an unfortunate step. And your other point was a good one, too. The shoes I was wearing are great for hiking around home, but hiking around here involved softer, smoother ground. Had my foot lasted, I did have better boots waiting in a mail drop a few more days down the trail. And if I decide to go back the footwear issue will be well addressed.
It sounds to me like your mentally already on the trail, despite the physical issues. I say get back out there and just do what you can. I wish I could do the same...
wookinpanub
08-02-2012, 10:27
Any simple, straight to the point info out there on how to get to Baxter? I'd probably take a greyhound as close as it could get me and then ????
I figure winter isn't relevant at this point. Wherever I start from now I have the same number of miles to cover before I head south from Harpers Ferry.
One thing I like about the sobo idea is that I wouldn't be nearly as far behind the pack.
Fly or bus into Bangor. From there, you can take Cyr Bus Line up to Medway on I-95. There are several shuttle options to get you to Baxter from that point. Good luck.
If your foot is ready, and you believe it is so, I would head to Katahdin and come south. It's the White Mountains that would be the likely impasse for you if you went northbound from where you got off due to your fracture.
As someone who had a leg fracture leading up to to a long-distance hike I can sympathize with you on the situation. It's just a matter of whether you can overcome the fracture and your foot is ready for the stain of continuing. Only you would know the answer to that.
Datto