Six Months Walking
Let me tell you about my time as Flannel Heart, trekking along the Appalachian Trail with Dawdler in 2016. We hiked about 2000 continuous miles northbound from Georgia to Maine. It was a life-changing adventure. We took thousands of photographs and wrote hundreds of journal pages.
I currently use Flickr for photo albums. Visit my Flickr page here.
Here is an excerpt from my journal:
8/4/16 Hard day today. We slept till 8:30 a.m., woke to dry gear with blue skies, and took maybe too much time in camp. It was a 12 mile day with lots of boulders over Bear Rocks and Knife’s Edge. Along the trail today we met App and Truck Man. Also ran into Lando, Sticks, The Girl, No Name, Friendly Nate, and later even The Counselor. Dawdler’s Theory: sparse water makes for crowded shelters. We had to stop earlier than expected because the next five miles went through a rocky Superfund site without the likelihood of good camping. 16 or 17 miles to the next shelter tomorrow. I think we can do it. At least ten miles to the next water. Pretty much everyone, including us too, is done with these PA rocks!
8/5/16 Had kinda a bad day today. Woke up on the wrong side of the tent. Something about sleeping too late but not late enough. Plus the sky was overcast. I just thought, “I can’t do this everyday.” We got moving on a 17 mile day to the next water source! Crossed the Lehigh River, then had a very sketchy road crossing, then a tough climb up a 1,000 ft. ridge on the Palmerton Superfund site - probably the most difficult and dangerous road crossing / rock scramble situation on the Appalachian Trail so far. It was a good trail at that point, with level ground and a re-forested area, some beech, pollinator shrubs, sumac, and wild bleeding heart. We were overlooking Palmerton, a very large industrial area, and I wished the camera wasn’t dead! We got into a fight and made up, covering about seven miles of pretty good trail, a few showers and a few snack breaks. By the time we made up we were five miles out. The last stretch was tiring and rocky. We paced with Dean and Mort all day - they were weekenders, out for their first overnight. The sky cleared a bit as we camped above Leroy Smith Shelter. Five miles to Wind Gap, 20 to the Delaware Water Gap.
The long-distance hike lasted six months with about 160 hiking days. By the end, I was nutrient deficient, 8 pounds underweight, and could barely run or jump. Instead of transitioning slowly back into my pre-hiker body, I dove directly into my former lifestyle with running, rock climbing, practicing martial arts, and cross training. That’s when I hurt my back.
It started with an ache on my left hip/low back. I tried to work though it but the sensation worsened. One day I could barely stand up and I couldn’t go to work. It was a crisis. Direct Access to PT is what helped me. For three months, three times per week, I attended therapy at Pivot PT in my neighborhood, working mostly on lower-core bracing. I had run a marathon, hiked the AT, and advanced to a third-level black belt, all without learning how to properly brace my lower-core!
Low back pain is a huge problem in our country, and I strongly believe that learning core bracing with a Physical Therapist could help many people who suffer from the illness.
It was a 12-month process of recovery. Then I was able to re-start my martial arts training. I am healed, and getting stronger. Gratefully, I was able to take advantage of Direct Access to PT through my insurance. I’ve learned to be more proactive about my health, seek help and guidance, not to wait for a crisis. I’ve even changed my diet and embraced a low-stress lifestyle. I’m training to advance to the fourth-degree black belt at Shaolin Studios in the autumn of this year, 2019. I plan to thru-hike again in a few year, next time on the North Country Scenic Trail.
Keep working hard, y’all, and drop me a line!
