Knee and Hike Update

Well, I was definitely right in my estimation of my knee being bruised/inflamed but not otherwise injured. I rested it all day yesterday and got most of the swelling to go down.

So I joined Chris on his hike today (tallest mountain in NY!) with an understanding that I'd turn around at any point if I felt like it was no longer a good idea. My knee did great.. Weight bearing and going uphill were no problem!

I did turn around though - less than 1000 feet from the summit. The plan had always been that if I joined Chris on his hike, I would turn around on Mount Marcy and head back to the parking lot while he and his friend continued on to another mountain. 14 miles and one huge mountain are enough for me!

As we got close to the summit, on the ridge, the weather got significantly worse - winds that were pushing me around, horizontal snow and low visibility. I had to make a call to turn around because I didn't feel comfortable coming down the summit by myself... The trail was obscured by snow and the tracks we were making as we approached were being wiped away by the wind almost immediately.

I feel good!

I made a good, safe decision and still got to enjoy an otherwise lovely winter day in the Adirondacks. Got in over 14 miles of hiking (my pack was so heavy, my back and shoulders might be more sore than my legs!). Got to participate in a charity event with other 46ers. Got to remember I'm a strong hiker!

My knee bothered me just a little after 10/11 miles, but went back to no pain once I rested. I'll probably be a little easy on the walking for a day or two just to let it recover from the big hike.

But a general win overall! 

<3