ACL Recovery – Hiking Hurricane Mountain 5 Months Post Op

Sunday marked another huge ACL recovery milestone…a mountain summit! Hurricane Mountain is one of my favorite hikes in the Adirondacks and I figured it would be the perfect mountain for first real hike post op. 

Jordan and I met some friends at the 9N trailhead at 10:30 am on Sunday and off we went.

I remember the trail being in great shape—not too rocky and not terribly steep—good conditions for my first real hike with elevation. I was nervous at first because I thought I might be getting in over my head. But the trail was wonderful. I just took it slow and hiked at my own pace. I felt way better than I was expecting, considering my last hike was in October on Whiteface!

My knee felt strong and stable. If anything, it felt kind of tight. I made it 3.5 miles and climbed 2000 ft to the summit with no pain! Not that I was expecting it to be painful, but I wasn’t sure how my knee would handle the elevation. It took about 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to the summit at a relaxed pace. We hung out at the top for a long time taking in the views, some of the best in the Adirondacks in my opinion. We climbed the fire tower too.

We had lunch and I iced my knee with an ice pack that Jordan had carried in a cooler in his pack, took some ibuprofen and then made our way down. Jordan and I went ahead first because I knew I’d be slow on the descent. Everything went well hiking down the mountain. I did have small scare when I rolled an ankle about 2 miles from the trailhead and bent my knee further than I normally do when I fell. But everything was fine, and I walked out without any issues!

After the hike, my knee got stiff from sitting in the car for 2 hours, but today it’s back at its baseline—aside from sore quads and calves—so I’m happy about that. Every day I feel more and more like my old self and I’m so grateful—I never thought this day would come. To anyone reading this that is just starting out on their ACL journey: stay positive and keep up with your rehab! It’s a long process with lots of ups and downs but you WILL get through it! 

Hurricane Mountain Firetower via 9N Trailhead
Total time 3 hrs, 51 minutes (relaxed pace)
Distance 7.5 mi RT
Ascent ~2,000’
Summit Elevation 3,694’