HDT: Late Postscript

We had a quite a busy summer after I finished the Hayduke Trail in late May. Mrs. Haze and I hosted our kids and grandkids in Driggs, Idaho for a couple of weeks. Spoiling grandchildren, hiking and fishing -the little cousins had a ball!

Mrs. Haze and I then set off to explore a couple of places we have long had on our list . The Ruby Mountains outside of Elko, Nevada and Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada near the Utah border. These locations were both real gems with plenty of trails and high mountain lakes to keep us busy. The hammock also got quite a bit of use. From there, we headed straight across Nevada to the Sierras. First to Jackson Meadow Reservoir adjacent to the PCT and then Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, a couple of my favorite sections on the PCT. Despite being late July, we ran into a surprising number of northbound PCT hikers. They had been held up a bit due to a big snow year in the Sierras.

All that galivanting around reinforced I had made the right decision to get my ankle surgery scheduled for the fall. The ankle instability was pretty much a constant issue even though we managed some good hikes. I am now three weeks post-op, in a cast and halfway through my non-weight bearing period. The surgery consisted of repair and transfer of torn peroneal tendons, clean out of years of ligament damage, placement of an internal brace and relocation of my heel bone to re-align my foot (to correct supination). The surgeon unfortunately was not able to do much with the loss of cartilage due to overuse and arthritis. Next milestones will be a walking boot for six weeks, exercises to get some range of motion back then hopefully back on my feet in December.

All that means we need to plan a more “gentle” hike next year to get back into the swing of things. Mrs. Haze suggested a walk in Scotland or England. Right now, I am researching the Cotswold Way, a 100+ miles National Trail along the Cotswold escarpment. Stay tuned!