7.1 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
Now that I've been diagnosed with a meniscal tear in my knee and a labral tear in my shoulder, my hiking days are numbered until the surgery. I'm hoping the surgery will be sometime at the end of November but still need the MRI's to validate the diagnosis. The sports medicine Orthopedist has told me the prognosis is excellent with full recovery expected. The difficulty is that full recovery of the shoulder can be at 9 months and and the knee is 3 months!!!:( He believes it will only be a 3-4weeks before I can begin short hikes but the shoulder rehab will prevent use of a hiking stick and backpack for some time.
I've been given the go ahead to continue hiking, but with caution. I've significantly reduced the weight of my backpack and it is noticeably lighter and easier on the joints. We decided to try out the Falls Creek trail and investigate the caving area. This area is relatively flat and proved to be a very good decision.
