Maps

Hello, this is Lisa posting again. I thought I should post a screenshot from the map that seems to be accessible only to Firefox users for the benefit of everyone else (click on the picture above to see a larger version). I should note that the actual trail doesn't really follow the straight lines in the picture since the trail meanders all over the place. If you unwind the distance Matt traveled on the trail, add on the extra distance hiked to get onto the trail and off the trail, and place the endpoints on landmarks that are slightly more familiar to Yankees, it would look like this:
That's equivalent to the interstate distance between Boston, MA and Washington, D.C.

Thanks for following along!

Back to Work

Alas, the adventure is complete. The x-rays looked good and my doctor says I just need to rest the leg. He's trying to help me get back to the trail, but I don't think it makes sense, given what I was doing. I had hoped I could get back and do the heavy mileage in 2 weeks, but that's not possible, given the condition of my leg.

Even if I heal quickly and am ready to hike with a full pack in 2 weeks, I'd still need to stay up north and train up for a few weeks, per doctor's orders. 5 miles a day ramping up to 10-12. (I can't be on the AT with less than 10-12 miles a day, given the amount of food one must carry between supply points) The best case scenario would have me ready to go in the 10-12 mile range by mid-June. I'd have to start down in Harper's Ferry at that point, and pound my way back up the trail, slowly at first, then gradually increasing the miles. I would have skipped almost 600 miles (Hampton to Harper's Ferry), which would have to be done at some other time in order to complete the hike.

I enjoyed what I did, and I will plan more long distance hiking in the future. Within the next five years, I will attempt the Long Trail (4-weeks, 270 miles) and the John Muir Trail (a 2-week 212 miler; Chuck W., are you in?). I'm definitely excited about doing this sort of hiking, as it's greatly refreshing and I couldn't be happier with my monthlong+ 422 mile excursion.

I've decided to go back to work, focused, ready, and excited for my future.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

First, the good. My doctor thinks my injury is minor (in the grand scheme) and that I'll heal up all right. No ligament damage. The bad: it's probably a "pre-stress fracture" type condition, where there is some level of bone damage. He thinks I need a couple of weeks of rest and light activity on the leg and I should be fine, with no long-term consequences. I had x-rays today and I'll know more on Monday. However, I'm out for at least 2-3 weeks. He thinks I could get back on the trail after about 3-4 weeks, but only if I were hiking about 5 miles per day, at best. That's not going to cut it, since a 12 mile per day pace is necessary to finish in 6 months. In other words, it looks like I'm done. I probably began the slide downhill while trying to haul through the Smokies to beat that winter storm. I felt strong, physically, the entire time. Nevertheless, I did too much, too soon, and now here I am, back in Arlington. Another good lesson for me in patience. Of course, he also indicated that if I had kept going, I'd have a full blown stress fracture in a couple of days, so it looks like my decision to leave the trail was a correct one and saved me a longer rehabilitation. I've learned a lot through my adventure and this is a great lesson in patience and listening to my body.

Perhaps I'll finish that last section of TN later this year. Only 37.6 more miles to Damascus....

Oh yes, and the ugly! That would be me. I've got to shave and cut my hair! I've crossed the line into vagrancy....

Thanks again for the support. The prognosis is a bit disappointing, but it is the way it must be. I'm refreshed and ready to head back to the lab...

--Matt

Photos, photos, photos

Contrary to popular belief, I did snap a few photos. Here's a couple of fun ones:


Springer Mountain Plaque


Finishing my first state!


It was cold!


That's a shelter built by the CCC. Yep, FDR is alive and well on the AT. It keeps the rain out, at least.

Back in Boston, for a spell

I'm amazed that I was able to get back to Boston so quickly, but I had an interesting day of travel yesterday. At 6:30 AM I was on the AT, hiking away. I hiked about 3 miles when I realized my knee was not going to get any better this way and I was risking making it worse. So I hiked out (partially on road) a couple of miles and hitched to Hampton, TN. There, I hit the internet cafe to check flights from the Tri-Cities airport near Johnson City. Much, much cheaper then expected, so I arranged a shuttle at a local Bike Shop (Thanks Hampton Trails!) and purchased tickets from a friend of the shop who works at the airport. Picked up some BBQ from Quarterbacks then I talked to Sutton at the grocery store, who set me up with a shower at Braemer Castle. I went back to the bike shop, got a ride to the airport where we received a call in car that I had my flight changed. So we hustled, I with my bad knee. Everyone at the airport knew me when I came in (What's your name? This is the guy!) Finally, I flew home and had some nice chats with folks on the way.

I weighed myself in the AM and I'm down to 145, from a starting weight of 158. I'm amazed by this, and probably a bit dehydrated, so I've got to get my weight back up. This is normal for thru-hikers to lose over 10 pounds right off the bat, so I'm not overly surprised, but I've got to get some food immediately!

I'll call the doc shortly and get an appt for this knee. If everything checks out, I may be back in Roanoke in 2.5 weeks.

--Matt

The end.....or not?

Hello all:

I walked back into Hampton today. My knee is not getting any better. It's only mildly worse and I really don't want to push it too hard. I'd hate to do permanent damage, for obvious reasons. So here I am, after 422 miles, not quite at Damascus, and ready to take a short breather to either heal or head back to work. I'm not sure yet. I'll have an opportunity to get back to trail soon enough once I get back to Boston; I'll be able to meet Castaway in Roanoke in 2.5 weeks. I think I'm making the correct decision right now. I've only got 2 knees and 40-50 years left in life, so the trade-off is obvious......

I'll figure out a way to get from Hampton to Boston and that will be that for now. I'll have my doc take a look at the knee!

Thanks again for all your comments! I may be back on the trail soon....

Watauga

I think that Matt is probably somewhere in the vicinity of Watauga Lake, but the phone reception today was too poor for him to convey much. Thanks for your comments; Matt asks about them from time to time.