It Can Happen in an Instant

From Sarah:
Falling seems to be one of the more common dangers on the AT, and one in which I am becoming an expert. Spending hours each day covering rough terrain, it is only natural that a moment's inattention, a small misstep, or a misjudged stride would cause a fall. Some are simple stumbles, others more serious.

Glacial rocks at Sunfish Pond, 6 miles into NJ from PA

My first tumble happened in Pennsylvania, when a slip on Wolf Rocks resulted in a gashed knee. Razor-sharp rocks are not forgiving, and the blood oozed for half a mile after that one.

A more serious fall happened as Jay and I descended from Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts. The rocks were steep, the trail narrow. Just as I was about to take a downward step, a rock rolled under my foot, and my forward momentum carried me head-first over a four-foot abyss and into a gap between two rocks and a tree. In an instant I had plunged head down, feet flailing uselessly in the air, my backpack pressing the breath from my lungs, one arm hyper-extended above and behind me on the rocks.


The place Sarah fell, hiking down Mt. Greylock.
I think that's a smile of relief at no broken bones! 

 Jay was my hero in that fall, as he bounded down the incline, picked my pack up, thus relieving my gasping lungs, and gave me great sympathy. He had seen the fall, and he was sure he'd be looking at broken teeth and black eyes. What a relief that I only had a hurt arm!

After Jay pulled the pack off of me, I was able to sit up, wiggle my fingers, and decided my arm was probably not broken. I then took an immediate dose of ibuprofen for the swelling already becoming apparent. Jay collapsed one of my trekking poles and secured it to my backpack, and I hobbled forward, holding my injured arm next to my chest with my pack strap, sling-like.

Fortunately we were planning to take a rest day the next day, which gave my arm time to heal. By the time we hiked out of town I was able to use both trekking poles. I just had to be careful how I put my pack on and off for a few days, and I had a rather unusual bruise and scrape on the inside of my elbow!