While hiking the Appalachian Trail, I was:
A. Eaten by a bear
B. Bitten by a snake
C. Kidnapped by a crazy hiker
D. Stalked by a cougar
E. Struck by lightening
F. Run over by a car
Wellll, if you guessed the most unlikely #F, you're on target.
I, and my friends, were walking across the bridge in Damascus for the Trail Days parade and due to screams from behind us, I turned just in time to see a car knock me down on pavement. Then before I knew it, a 97 Cadillac was moving over my body. My adrenalin suddenly went into overtime and even though confused I flung my arms in mid air trying to grab anything I could to keep my head from going underneath ...everything below my armpits were already under the moving vehicle. I was so scared, screaming to high heavens. I could feel what I thought were the car's wheels beginning to actually run over my lower body while I was trying my best to push off the ground with my feet and pull up with my hands, thus, sparing some of the road rash.
Major thanks goes to the approximately 30 parade participants (other hikers) who came forward in front of the car and blocked it, pushing to stop its movement. Meanwhile a friend (Cleveland) jumped in the front to cut the ignition off and another friend in the back to reach over seat and put gear in park. The elderly 87 yr.old driver sat in sort of a daze (I think type of seizure) not acknowledging he had just plowed through a group of pedestrians. It began by him speeding into the back of the parade around 35 MPH glancing off several cars (which slowed him down somewhat) and hitting several people who had to be helicoptered out due to their serious injuries before reaching us at a slower speed. My friend, Willow, who was walking right beside me, was thrown on top of the car when I went underneath. The x-ray at the ER revealed I have my right little toe broken in 3 pieces. I feel very fortunate and even now don't really know how it turned out the way it did.
First week at home was a feeling of suffocation and cabin fever....I missed the wide-open spaces of my trail life from the past 8 1/2 weeks and although I knew I was more lucky to be alive and well, I still had a twinge of resentment for this untimely interruption of being "robbed" of my quest to Maine.
However, at this point let me say that I intend this to be a temporary delay!
Besides seeing friends and loved ones I have been able to rethink my "food bag" (which, if anyone knows me realizes it is highly important to me)! With my supervision more than help, mom has dehydrated and prepared a plethora of delicious and healthy foods such as dehydrated fruits, (including blackberry, fig, strawberry and banana fruit leather), beef jerky, vegetables and even whole meals of veggies and couscous for when I get back on the trail.
Also, I was surprised and delighted to be contacted by Mr. Espy (originally from Cordelle but currently
in Macon, GA), the 2nd person to hike the entire AT back in 1951. He was in the parade at Trail Days (at the beginning riding in a car and did not actually see me or the wreck). He wanted to meet and talk in person, so we met for lunch with his wife and my dad. Mr Espy has written a book about his experiences and other amazing adventures he's had throughout his life. He generously gave me a signed copy of his book titled "The Trail of My Life: The Gene Espy Story" which I look forward to reading!
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