Best Laid Plans……

Three-hundred ninety miles and feeling great! Back issues resolved with Barnacle the tennis ball, heel blisters no longer a problem, strong mind, strong body and then the knee pain began. Mild at first, then searing. SAVED was midway through segment 23 from Carson Saddle to Stony Pass. She had done some big pushes the day before the pain started. A rest overnight was not helpful, and she awoke in the morning with big time swelling and stiffness.

The first few morning miles were painful. Her hiking mates took some of her weight. It was only getting worse. One of the hardest decisions a thru-hiker must make is when to stop. A quick look at the GPS showed a way off the trail at mile 10.6. It was a four-mile dirt road that joined the Alpine Loop about four miles from Silverton.

SAVED texted her resupply team. When we received the distress call, we were eating lunch at the top of Wolf Creek Pass near Pagosa Springs after breaking camp that morning near Creede. “I am having some major knee issues. I’m going to need to bailout on a dirt road coming up.” We were three hours away! Many thoughts raced through our hearts and minds, but we keep our cool, found her approximate location on the map and headed toward Silverton where we were scheduled to camp that evening.

She found the dirt road that was void of traffic and limped the four miles to the loop road. It was the slowest hiking she has ever done she reported later. At the loop, a couple with a dog offered her a ride apologizing for the dog who was now resting on her lap in the back seat. Little did they know how healing that was for her. Timing was perfect as we were checking in at the Silverton Lakes RV Park when she arrived.

Little was said that evening about the end of her journey. She showered, loved on Tallus and we had a nice meal in town. Ice and elevation helped and by next morning she saw some improvement but was still stiff and swollen. She plans to stick around and welcome her hiking buddies, Pages and Breaker, when they finish in Durango in a few days.

It appears her injury is due to overuse and will hopefully recover in time for her to return to where she ended her journey and finish the final five and a half segments this fall. If not, she will be back next year to complete her journey. Bravo for the nearly 400 miles hiked, the new friendships formed, and the incredible strength gained from this experience. We love you Colleen, Coco, Cocoleeno, SAVED. You certainly SAVED yourself!

TRAIL NOTES: The best laid plans, a proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the ability to fully, or even partially, execute them is uncertain, might best describe this situation.