Where to get back on the trail with knee problems

[Katiepecbvda]

I hiked about 80 miles of the trail and had to get off about a week and a half ago cuz I was having really bad knee pain the entire time. I went to the doctor and found out I have something called Trochlea Dysplasia. The doc says with some PT and good knee braces there is a chance my knees could handle it after being strengthened.

I think if I get back on the trail in a few weeks I want to start on flatter and easier terrain at first to continue strengthening before lots of ups and downs

Does anyone know the best place to start? I'm thinking somewhere in VA maybe? I could hike from there to Maine and then fly down and do what I skipped. Or is there anywhere better? Or should I hike Southbound from Maine?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated


NOBO April 19 or 20
Http://dubsontheat.wordpress.com

[illabelle]

Virginia is a big place. I've hiked maybe 100 miles of it. Shenandoah is relatively easy. Don't have firsthand knowledge of the rest of the state, except that Grayson Highlands (SW corner of VA) is nice, and they have wild ponies.

Maryland is easy. The southern third of Penn is easy.

Good luck on your recovery.

[Trillium]

Hi Katie! I'm glad you were able to get some good medical advice, particularly that with PT and knee braces, you can continue on. I am also weighing where to get back on. I got off after 110 miles in Franklin due to extreme pain in my feet, and some in my knee. I'm feeling a lot better and so will be back end of next week. I'm hearing that Virginia has some good trail but being that it's the Appalachians, there's still going to be the ups and downs every so often. Chin Music seemed to indicate that the stretch after Dickey Gap (Troutdale) is very enjoyable. See his post at:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=410014

[max patch]

Consider starting at Waynesboro, the start of the Shenandoah National Park and head N. If you should experience more difficulty with your knees I can not think of an easier section on the entire trail to get help. Plenty of people and the AT crosses the road 28 times during the time it is the park.

[Katiepecbvda]

I checked out that trail journal from Troutdale. That 16 miles looks easy but the following few days don't sound pleasant. I do think starting at the bottom of Shenandoah sounds like a pretty good idea. Are the 50-100 miles below that easy terrain or is Waynesboro the beginning of the easiest terrain


NOBO April 19 or 20
Http://dubsontheat.wordpress.com

[Katiepecbvda]

Also I guess any area where slack packing is available would also be good for my knees in the beginning. I hear there's lots of opportunities to do that in VA


NOBO April 19 or 20
Http://dubsontheat.wordpress.com

[illabelle]

Also I guess any area where slack packing is available would also be good for my knees in the beginning. I hear there's lots of opportunities to do that in VA


NOBO April 19 or 20
Http://dubsontheat.wordpress.com

I read ChinMusic's blog also. Seems like he did a fair amount of slacking. You might PM HikerMom to see if she can help you out.

[RockDoc]

Best of luck with it, but IMO there are no "easy" parts of the AT, and Virginia in particular is quite hilly and challenging.
I have knee issues as well.
It's a good idea to recover fully from any injury, strengthen the hip and knee muscles, loose as much body weight as you can (1 lb on body is like 4 lbs on knee), carry minimal pack weight (like ~20 lbs), and use two trekking poles to good advantage.
You do see hikers out there with the weight bearing knee braces, although it's not a great solution. They rarely look like they are having a good time.

[bigcranky]

Start in Waynesboro at Rockfish Gap. South of there is challenging (The Priest, Three Ridges, Humpback Rocks, etc.) Shenandoah isn't bad, the grade is moderate with few exceptions, and you can resupply and get meals at several places in the park.

Good luck. Right now I'm battling an Achilles tendon issue, and I feel your pain....

[Another Kevin]

Where in the country are you? Do you insist that your hiking has to be on the AT? There are lots of other great trails out there, and some of them make for terrific day trips/loop hikes. (I like loops a lot better than out-and-backs, because I get to see more.)

If your objective is to hike and get back in trail shape, choose something that's appropriate to your physical condition and hike it. Give the people an idea where you are and what you can handle, and the suggestions will flow. If your objective is to make miles on the AT, then I'll defer to the others in this thread. That's never been my goal, so I don't know a good answer for you.

[RED-DOG]

Start in Harper's ferry WV and hike NOBO the Terrain in Maryland is the easiest on the trail.

[HikerMom58]

Also I guess any area where slack packing is available would also be good for my knees in the beginning. I hear there's lots of opportunities to do that in VA


NOBO April 19 or 20
Http://dubsontheat.wordpress.com

[QUOTE=illabelle;1472904]I read ChinMusic's blog also. Seems like he did a fair amount of slacking. You might PM HikerMom to see if she can help you out.

Yes, HikerMom here... I can help you out with some slack packing in the Daleville Va area. Just PM me with your plans, I'll see if I can help you out. :)

[Katiepecbvda]

Yes, HikerMom here... I can help you out with some slack packing in the Daleville Va area. Just PM me with your plans, I'll see if I can help you out. :)

Ok thank u a ton. I start my Physical Therapy tomorrow and am thinking I will be getting back on the trail in 3 to 4 weeks.

Also, is the terrain between Daleville and Shenandoah moderately easy on the knees. I just want to ease myself into the harder stuff. My favorite parts are the hard scrambling and ups and downs, so I really hope I can make it less painful with some hardcore training and good knee braces :)


NOBO April 19 or 20
Http://dubsontheat.wordpress.com

[HikerMom58]

I don't think the terrain is too bad going North out of Daleville. The trail crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway lots of times. After it leaves the BRP it gets pretty "hilly". If you are slack packing of course that's less weight that you carry easier on the knees. I agree with others about hiking in the Shenandoah. That's easy hiking. Give me a holla when you are ready to get back out. Good luck on getting those knees back in working order, Katiepecbdvda. :)

[Deer Hunter]

Consider starting at Waynesboro, the start of the Shenandoah National Park and head N. If you should experience more difficulty with your knees I can not think of an easier section on the entire trail to get help. Plenty of people and the AT crosses the road 28 times during the time it is the park.

+1..........

[Sugarfoot]

I had to abandon my thru-hike 11 days ago in NOC (Wesser) because of knee problems. Mine is patella-femoral osteoarthritis and I've been dealing with it since 1997. I had some arthroscopic work done three years ago (bilateral release of the patellae) and the hiking since has been pain-free, but the underlying problem remained and definitely resurfaced. Even after 11 days, walking on level ground is painful and stairs most unpleasant. I'll be seeing an orthopedic surgeon later this week to explore options. I would add to the recommendation to consider starting in Rockfish Gap and hiking north through Shenandoah National Park. The section north of the Park, sometimes called the Roller Coaster, is a series of relatively steep ups and downs, with uneven treadway -- the right-of-way there is narrow and the trail has to follow the ridge -- will be a fair test of your rehab.

There was a sign in the Asheville airport advertising the orthopedic services of the University of North Carolina healthcare system. On the left was a photo of a hiker. The tagline on the right was, "Joints are replaceable; hiking is not." That summed it up for me.

[Osiris]

I had to get off the trail this year due to knee problems but before I did I tried resting up in Harper's Ferry for a week and then hiking north. EASY hiking going north from there for a long while. Aside from it being rocky in PA the hiking is fairly easy and lacks a lot of ups and downs.