Things Fall Apart – The Walk

SOMETHING WILL GO WRONG

I have never been on a backpacking trip that went without a hitch. Inevitably, something has come up that I didn’t expect. Sometimes it was an equipment problem, other times it was unsafe road conditions or horrible weather. For me, accepting that the train won’t stay on the tracks is a way to develop some mental toughness for the journey.

SURPRISES IN THE SHENNIS

In the Shenandoahs a few years ago, several things went wrong. A pole on my new tent broke in half while I was setting it up. I hadn’t brought any repair parts, so I had to carry the tent to MacGuyver with guy ropes and trekking poles, praying there was no wind. A torrential storm that lasted for hours derailed our planned route as our planned campsite was flooded. That night we walked to the Big Meadow campground, ready to call it a day, only to find a group of DC partygoers set up nearby. They proceeded to play music, scream, and get hit. At 1:30 am, I yelled at them to shut their #%$@ mouths. «Gary» in the group went crazy. For the next 30 minutes, he screamed that he would take me out of my tent, attack me, and then kill me. I still think about Gary from time to time. I hope things go badly for you.

ALA IS A BAD @$$

Sometimes things go wrong for someone else. During LASH on AT last year, Wing It, one of my hiking partners, took a bad fall and dislocated her shoulder. She put it back in herself. (I would have passed out, come to, and pressed the SOS button on my Garmin.) We used the lining of his sleeping bag to create a sling which he wore for 5-6 days. It was very difficult sledding, but Wing It was the toughest hiker on the trail and kept going.

Wing It smiling in the sling

PROBLEMS BEFORE THE TRAIL

As I prepare to get back on the trail for this year’s hike, things haven’t gone as planned. The ice storm in Nashville downed thousands of trees in the park system where I hike. Due to unstable conditions, trails are closed while crews cut overhanging branches and move huge amounts of debris. I can train in other ways, but walking is the most effective way to prepare for a hike. I miss being in the woods like I miss an old friend.

SMALL PART OF THE BODY, BIG PAIN

More worrying is the excruciating pain in my big toe that suddenly appeared a month ago. The pain has been unpredictable – it has a mind of its own – but when it happens, it’s like being in shock. It started happening more often while I was walking, to the point where I dreaded walking. For someone who is not prepared for free time, not being able to move freely sent me into a spiral. I woke up every night worrying about what was causing the pain and couldn’t think about anything else. An MRI of the toe revealed a long list of problems, with shifting bones being a likely culprit for the pain. As abruptly as the pain came, it seems to have gone away (I just stopped writing to knock on wood). I haven’t had pain in nine days, I’ve walked many miles since then and was able to walk this morning.

Terrible trail conditions made this trail in Kentucky look like a parkour event

LIVE THE MOMENT

I hope to follow the path next month. I’m already anticipating challenges. The pain in my toe could come back at any time and throw me off track. The weather will be dreary some days. The equipment may fail. Gary could start hiking. For now, I’m trying to focus on gratitude. I appreciate the workers and volunteers who are clearing storm debris from the parks. I am grateful to have a job that I love and that offers health insurance. Most of all, I am grateful to be pain-free. I’m trying to take things one day at a time. Hopefully, I’ll get back to where I left off, at the appropriately named Weary Foot Hostel in Virginia. Hope to see you on the road!

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