I awoke this morning to find my ankles even more swollen. It was extremely painful to stand up from my hammock. I made several involuntary vocal exclamations. The decision was made; I had to leave the trail right there and then. Indian Grave Gap has a gravel forest service road running through it that is publicly accessible. I knew that if I decided to hike any further (as if I COULD hike any further), it was around 16 miles until the next extraction point.
I fortunately have some dear family friends that live near Helen, GA. A few phone calls later, they were on the way to pull me off the trail. This afternoon, I visited a local clinic and was definitively diagnosed with an infection and cellulitis. I now have a generous supply of gauzes, bandages, and Cephalexin.
I am extremely disappointed. Even a little depressed. I so much wanted to get a full 136 miles of AT hiking done, but the enduring wet weather combined with some blistering problems did me in. I suppose I should focus on the 55.3 miles of the AT that I did get to hike. That’s more than 1/40 of the entire trail!
But this is not the end! I am sure that I will find some better fitting boots, purchase some lighter gear, and find a way to take another week off from work to complete that initial section of the trail up through the Nantahala Outdoor Center and, hopefully, on to Fontana Dam. Let’s just look at this as if I am taking several “zero-mile” rest days.
THE PROFESSOR WILL RETURN…
Professor