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Five days on the Ozark Trail in Missouri and my knee gave out on day two
Last October I planned a 5 day solo hike on the Ozark Trail in Missouri, about 40 miles total, and I had to bail on day two because my right knee swelled up like a softball after a steep downhill section near Taum Sauk. I had trained for 3 months on flat ground around my neighborhood, which was my first mistake, and the second mistake was carrying 38 pounds when I should have been closer to 25. The funny part is the best night of the whole trip was the one I spent sitting at a campsite doing nothing but icing my knee with water from a creek, watching the stars, and talking to a retired teacher from Rolla who was out for a weekend. The worst part came after, when I got home and realized I had driven 6 hours each way for about 14 total miles of hiking. I am back to walking 3 miles a day now, but I still have not tried a real downhill with a pack on. Has anyone dealt with a knee that flares up only on descents, and did trekking poles actually fix it for you or just make it less awful?
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