Mile 697. Deep knee bends.

I’ve had a lot of body parts that have given me trouble over the years.   My lower back is the most notorious of all, with the infamous torn multifidus that knocked me out of IRONMAN competitions.  My IT band, TFL, Achilles, neck, and rotator cuff also have been a cast of unsavory characters.   They are all part of my story.   And I immediately know who to call and what to do when they show back up on the scene.  

My knees, on the other hand, have been my loyal companions.  We have seen things together.  We have climbed stairs together.   We have traveled many miles together.   And I’ve always been grateful that they have stood by me all this time.  

Until now.

Dragon’s Tooth is the first of the “Virginia Triple Crown” that also includes McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs.   All three feature epic overlooks, unique rock formations, and technical trails that are bucket list challenges for many.

While my mind enjoys the complexity of the hand-over-hand scrambling of Dragon’s Tooth, my knees do not.  At all.   Especially when descending granite walls while carrying a 30 pound backpack.   

Each step down Dragon’s Tooth requires a deep knee bend combined with a hop or a twist to bring my opposite leg safely to the next foothold.   I look like a one year old who awkwardly takes her first step.  Each leg pauses mid-air, deciding what to do, then stiffly slams down to the earth, jarring the rest of the body that miraculously manages to remain upright.   

It’s not pretty.

My twenty and thirty year old hiking companions with fully functioning synovial fluid have no issue going down this Dragon’s Tooth granite wall.   They hip-hop-clip-clop down the labyrinth like it is … fun.

I dig deep to refrain myself from telling when-I-was-your-age stories and just-you-wait warnings.    Instead, I gracefully smile and say, “You go on ahead.   I’ll catch up as soon as I’m able.”  

And I do.  Eventually.