All was not perfect during the weekend. On Sunday I took the long way down Pole Steeple. The overlook passes near the Appalachian Trail, which snakes through Pine Grove Furnace State Park. So for folks hiking the AT who wish to see the overlook or who don't want to climb the steep trail up there's a connector trail. The AT crosses a road that leads to the parking lot for Pole Steeple. So you can hike a steep 2 mile round trip or take the connecting trail and AT and road back for 4.5 miles. Since it was a nice day I chose the latter.
The connector trail was flattish, soft with pine needles, and fast underfoot. The birds were singing and I was confident. So confident I didn't notice the tree root looped out of the ground. My right foot caught on it, and I went down. As I was landing I must have had a thought to preserve my knees and my camera, because I basically belly flopped onto the trail. Somehow or other my left shoe came off and went down the trail a few feet.
Once I realized I was horizontal I did a quick check if anything was broken. Nothing seemed to be, so I struggled to my feet. Kneeling is uncomfortable under normal circumstances, let alone on dirt and pine needles. I got up, did a quick inventory, and then went in search of my missing shoe. Fortunately a size thirteen bright orange Brooks Cascadia tends to stand out in the woods, so I quickly found it.
A couple of hikers came along a minute later and asked if I was OK. They noticed the dirt on my shirt and shorts and blood on my right knee. I explained what happened, and fortunately they had a first aid kit in their pack. I wiped down my wounds and put Neosporin on them. I then thanked them, they went on their way, and I slowly made my way down the AT and the road back to my car. I cancelled the rest of my hiking for the day.
My pride seemed to be the biggest injury I had. But I did have soreness on the left rib cage area, scratches on my left knee, and odd abrasion marks on the back of my left ankle. The latter is a puzzle; how did I get them? My guess is that at some point something rubbed the back of my ankle - but what? The hiking pole? My other foot? The tree root?
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