Well, during the night huge gusts of wind came in, and then the rain. What looked like a great campsite the night before became a pool of mud. It was pouring when we left camp at about 8:45am. About one mile into the hike, I slipped on a large, wet tree root. It was a scene out of “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” My arm got caught behind me and my pack, heavier from all the wet gear, held me down. With Julia‘a help, I got up without taking off the pack. About a mile later my knee started to hurt. At about mile 2.5, I almost stopped, but kept going until about 4.4 miles and called for a local ride. I had a cell signal and I had reached a parking lot that crossed the trail. I did make it up and over Sassafras Mountain which was a challenge, but the view was worth it. In my original post, I forgot to say I met my third Trail angel named Shelli. Shelli, KT taped my knee on the top of Sassafras Mountain. She is hiking, she is a nurse, and she knew how to tape it!! I went to an urgent care and was told I likely only sprained my knee, and after a day or two of ice/rest, knee brace and pain meds, I could get back on the trail. So that is how I am able to make a post, because otherwise, I would have no service. I’m in a cheap hotel for the night. I do plan to get back on the trail. I have some logistics to calculate tomorrow as it is hard to reach Julia back on the trail. But as she said while waiting for my ride “hey we worked for the post office for thirty years, we know how to come up with solutions!”
