Overnight I found that I had really done a job on my quadriceps coming down off of Roan Mountain. Every time I bent my knees, cramps in my inner thighs immediately began. I spent most of the night trying to massage my thighs and keep the cramps from coming back.

Day #2 was spent hobbling along with intense pain in almost every step. I shouldn’t be surprised, injuries can be very common. But, this was the first time I’ve had a significant “injury“ on trail. Consequently , our shuttle driver picked us up after 6 miles and pulled me off trail. The good news is the weather was nice and it was a beautiful day.

I met Pig Pen on trail who told me pain was a good thing. “When you have to concentrate on the pain, you forget all your other worries in the world.” Wise words from the trail…

At Iron Mountain Gap, we met Orange Man, who was using a scooter to shuttle to his car. I thought that was a great way to leapfrog if you’re solo.

AT Thru-Hike Stats
Section Day #2 (3/21/24)
Start - Clyde Smith Shelter (370.8)
End - Iron Mountain Gap (364.8)
Today's mileage: 6.0
Total section miles: 16.0
Section Avg:  8.0
Total miles on AT: 1278.2

Never confuse movement with action.

Ernest Hemingway