Disaster.

I left the campsite early that morning. I was packed up, fed, and hit the trail around 6:30. I caught up to Creek and Critter right before we found some trail magic. The “Cookie Lady” has a cabin right off the trail and provides free water and cookies to all the hikers.

We stopped for lunch a little while later. It ended up being a bit of a long lunch, as we met up with other hikers and started sharing stories. It was about an hour later that I got back on the trail. This stretch of the trail was still rather steep and uphill. It was at this moment that I started to feel it. My left Achilles started to have some discomfort. I pushed on, thinking that my body needed to warm back up.

Discomfort turned into soreness, which turned into pain. The rain had started falling as well, one of the reasons I wanted to get an early start on the day. “It’s okay, just a few miles to the next shelter.” I started climbing Howard’s Rock, which wasn’t so much of a climb as it was a jungle gym made of rocks. Big rocks, small rocks, slippery rocks, sharp rocks. It was pretty tricky considering my Achilles tendon was entering a severe range of pain. “Just a few more miles.”

The rest of the journey to Jerry’s Cabin Shelter was slow and painful. About a half mile from the shelter, my foot refused to move, and I took a tumble looking for a log to sit on. Creek and Critter were there the whole time, helping me through this painful stretch. They pulled me out of the brush and sat with me until I was able to go again. They have been wonderful, and I already consider them both close friends.

I eventually hobbled into the shelter, wet and in pain. I dried off, made some food, and assessed the damage. My Achilles was still intact, not sore to the touch, but it couldn’t bear much weight. I had some decisions to make.

Was this it? Was it over? I had barely crossed three hundred miles, and I was already faced with a scenario that could end my hike for good. I could only plan for the worst and just hope.

I decided to zero the next day at the shelter to allow my ankel to rest. Creek and Critter helped fetch my food and water for the day. Ketchup topped me off on the charge for my battery bank and provided me with a wrap for my ankle. Even when they left, I was not alone. Several people stopped by the shelter for a break or to have lunch. Everyone was so generous, asking if I needed anything and giving me advice for my recovery.

That morning, my ankle was swollen, and walking around was a chore. I spent most of the day lying down with my foot propped up. By the afternoon, though, the swelling had subsided, and I could walk fairly comfortably. I had to come up with a plan, though. I couldn’t stay at Jerry Cabin Shelter for days. I was running out of supplies, and I needed to get off the trail and resupply. It was 3 miles to a tent site, 6 miles to the next shelter, and 9 miles to the next road crossing, which would be my ticket into town. I had to try to get moving the next day and see how far I could go. I can only hope my ankle recovers, and this is not the end of the road for me.

Most of this was written on my 25th day on the trail at Jerry’s Cabin Shelter, mile marker 302.