Shortly after we were celebrating our 2,100 miles on the AT, with 81 miles to go, it seems that Firefly was desperate to take one more fatal shot at me before I made it to the top of Katahdin and be anointed "Survivor Man" by Skid. Firefly has taken down him, Restless and Rocket Rick, all old men who hiked with Firefly. I was the last one standing....Hiking through the woods, head down, minding my own business as I was navigating through roots, rocks and mud, Firefly shouts out, "Look, Crank, that Maple tree's leaves are turning red!". Could Fall be coming to Maine this early? I just had to look up to find out!
Knowing that there was a complex configuration of rocks and roots before me, Firefly knew her ploy would work. I looked up and immediately kicked a rock, stumbled on a root and went flying forward ending my journey with a face plant into the ground and slamming my left knee into a very solid rock. Could this be it for me after hiking 2,100 miles - 1,900 of that with the Old Man Killer? I could feel pain shooting through my leg and didn't know what to expect as I fumbled with getting my pack off my head and turning over. As I look over the damage I watch a huge bump just below my knee swell into the same proportion. Firefly feigns concern but I notice that she has her fingers crossed in hopes that this just may be my demise. Not to be deterred, I make my way up on to my feet, unassisted, and let her know that I might be down, but I am not out. As the swelling evolved over the next few days Firefly complimented me on my left knee, saying that the bump now makes it look "not so knobby".
Sorry Firefly, Survivor Man wins this one!
[That's Skid in the picture, keeping his distance from Firefly when we met him going south in the Maine 100 Mile Wilderness]
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