All the near misses

[B the Hiker]

My buddy broke his leg on North Carter last week and had to be carried down.

It got me thinking about all the near misses I have had over the years. There have been so many times where my boot got stuck in a rock as I was going down, or I slid, or my pole collapsed at the wrong moment, and for some reason, in part a lot of leg muscle, in part knowing reflexively how to respond, but also, if I'm honest, in part just plain luck, and I didn't break a leg or tear a muscle when I easily could have.

We talk about all the accidents that happen, but in truth, I'm always amazed there aren't a lot more.

Brian

 

[egilbe]

North Carter is one of the bad ones. Picturing breaking a leg is the reason I didn't descend back down Caps Ridge trail, but there were other options to descend from Jefferson. North Carter, not so much.

As much as I can, I try to foresee bad stuff happening and try to adjust. I play a lot of "What if" while I'm hiking. I still fall occasionally. Sometimes it's better just to go with it and collapse. I fell last weekend in Pawtuckaway state park. Both feet went out from under me while descending this little wet rock. I fell, landed on my pack and rolled over still sliding. Nothing was hurt but my pride.

I fell once walking on the East Pond loop after hiking up Osceola. Not really paying attention because the trail was so flat. Side of my foot hit a little rock, knocking me off balance and over I went, grasping my trekking poles. Dusted myself off, GF laughed at me and we set back off down the trail. A minute later I noticed dark marks on my white trekking poles, looked closer at spots and it was blood drops. Looked for where the blood could be coming from and noticed the tip of my pinky finger was cut off. Still not sure how that happened, but I finally used my first aid kit that I've carried for three years and never needed

Walking down Monadnock once and turned to look at a ranger who was running up behind me. Somehow my feet got twisted around and down I fell. Again, I just collapsed. The ranger laughed. My GF said I fell so gracefully, one couldn't help but laugh.

Those kinds of things, broken bones and injuries I can see calling SAR. Not bringing a map, or headlamp and being afraid a moose is going to get you, not so much.

 

[JoshandBaron]

3 weeks ago I broke my foot on the Great Gulf Trail up by Sphinx. I had the Spot and a week's worth of gear. I wasn't going to die if I didn't get off the mountain immediately so I didn't bother calling SAR. 15 hours later I was at the hospital and no resources had to be used.

I'm curious how often something like that happens and no one hears about it or is the default to sit down and call for help now?

 

[DayTrip]

I'm curious how often something like that happens and no one hears about it or is the default to sit down and call for help now?

Probably more than we think. I've broken an ankle in Sphinx Col and dislocated a shoulder in Winter on Cannon and was fortunate enough to get myself out of the woods both times without assistance. When I think of all the "half rolled" ankles, skids on wet rocks, near miss saves with the timely placement of a trekking pole, etc that I've had versus the mileage I've covered I'd expect the number of reported rescues with SAR is probably only a fraction of the total accidents out there.

As egilbe alluded to, it also seems like these accidents happen when you aren't really in imminently dangerous places, presumably because concentration is heightened for the situation. Other than my dislocated shoulder (which was a function of a newbie using the wrong gear in the wrong situation) every fall or accident I've had was in pretty simple spots where my concentration no doubt was wandering. I'm still not even sure how I broke my ankle. I had stopped in Sphinx Col for a break after coming off Clay, had a snack and water, probably lingered there 10-15 minutes. Sunny, dry day so I decided I'd go ahead and continue on to Jefferson so I got my pack on, climbed up onto a pretty flat rock, took a step and had a jolting flash of pain shoot up my right ankle and leg. Had Asolo mid height hiking boots with good tread. Was a "pleasant" 4.5 mile walk out to my car.

 

[dave.m]

Stepping back for some context and having friends who work in the trades, kids who play sports, friends who've gotten gravely injured working on their houses (both ladder falls) and an aging parent whose fallen several times...

I'm reminded that we all live with one foot in the grave at all times pretty much. Or, as the Benedictines remind us, we must keep death before us at all times, so that we can embrace the joy of actually being alive.

Or, as Bruce Cockburn sings it...

"We could have been lynched and tarred and feathered
Been on a plane that crashed in flames
Could have done the neutron melt together
But here we are just the same!

You could have been daggered in the dead of night
You could have been gassed inside your car
I could have been walking in the open fields
And been drilled through the head by a shooting star

Anything can happen
To put out the light
Is it any wonder
I don't want to say goodnight? "

 

[dug]

Overheard on a baseball broadcast one day, regarding a player who was injured:

"Looks like it's nothing serious, and he's day-to-day"
"We're all day-to-day Bob:

 

[Outtabreath]

Lots of close calls. Dislocated my knee climbing down Tripyramid in the winter, 2 miles from the Kanc. Sat on my ass in the snow for 2 hours trying to get it manipulated to a spot where I could walk. Made it out and then had to hike the mile on the Kanc to my car.

 

[RollingRock]

Excellent thread. Rolled ankles is a common injury which I've helped a couple people get down...one of which was actually broken in a few places when he went to the hospital to get it checked. I slipped once and severely pulled my groin where I actually passed out for about 30 seconds...luckily it happened only 2 miles from my truck. I also recall once I was doing the 1st stream crossing to Owl's Head, slipped and severely pulled my hamstring...easy call...I slowly walked back to my truck to save Owl's Head for another day.

Yes, the more you hike, the more close calls we've had. I have to say, as much as I would like to stay on the trail, if I see bare rock/ledge with an angle to it, even if it's dry out, I tend to head off into the woods to get around it to avoid any slipping/fall. Soles on hiking boots aren't what they used to so I'm extra cautious.

 

[Rhody Seth]

Just did two nights of backpacking in the Sandwich wilderness which included a couple rolled ankles. Nothing too bad and they all seemed fairly minor and didn't slow me down. But one of them was pretty close to doing real damage. Now several days later and it's still very sore. I got lucky with that one. Though I suppose it's not so much luck as your body adapting and better able to make the split-second corrections necessary to avoid real damaging rolls.

 

[Raven]

Level 2 ankle sprain in the 100 Mile Wilderness 22 miles from the Golden Road. Long day out.

Level 2 ankle sprain on Black Pond Trail. Fatigue and lack of focus. Shorter day out.

Bruised Ribcage on Imp Trail after long day in Carters. Wet trail, darkening with coming evening, moving fast, hard fall.

Leg cramps in both quads simultaneously in col between Flume and Liberty on one of the coldest days in years in 2004. Added a calf cramp to boot before I managed to get out of that one. I recall the Mantra, "I've had a good life" on that one.

The sky was ripping in half during three fast moving storms I've been caught too high for, one on Madison's summit, one near Thunderstorm Junction, and one on Pikes Peak between 12,000 and 14,000 feet. Run Forrest Run.

There have been others. The most dangerous close calls were the ones I never saw, the spruce traps I've missed while off trail for example. I have turned back from summits and bad weather numerous times.

Three things true in all cases:

1. I was prepared.
2. I was lucky.
3. I was solo and got out on my own.

#1 remains my choice. It sets the table for numbers 2 and 3.

Good thread. Reminders of the narrow line we walk.

 

[B the Hiker]

Outside magazine has an excellent podcast on staying fit over age 40:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/outside-podcast/id1090500561?mt=2&i=1000414688870

After listening to this podcast, other than adding jello to my daily protein shakes, I also now gently stretch my ankles before hiking. One thing the podcast stresses is that when the ankles cannot roll with the terrain (and they don't as easily when people get older), the torque moves up to the knees, which are more prone to injury, and more prone to significant injuries, than the ankles are.

Brian

 

[Grey J]

Three things true in all cases:

1. I was prepared.
2. I was lucky.
3. I was solo and got out on my own.

#1 remains my choice. It sets the table for numbers 2 and 3.

Good thread. Reminders of the narrow line we walk.

"Luck is the residue of design." Often attributed to Branch Rickey but I think John Milton had it first.

 

[RollingRock]

Outside magazine has an excellent podcast on staying fit over age 40:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/outside-podcast/id1090500561?mt=2&i=1000414688870

After listening to this podcast, other than adding jello to my daily protein shakes, I also now gently stretch my ankles before hiking. One thing the podcast stresses is that when the ankles cannot roll with the terrain (and they don't as easily when people get older), the torque moves up to the knees, which are more prone to injury, and more prone to significant injuries, than the ankles are.

Brian

Good reminder about ankles as we get older. I still wear mid-high boots for exactly that reason.

 

[DougPaul]

Reaction times slow down, muscles lose strength, and bones get weaker with age. One does not bounce as well as one used to...

Doug

 

[Hillwalker]

About 9 years ago I was hosting a lady hiker from Virginia in July for a couple of weeks. She had been tenting in Lafayette Place Campground and day hiking with me. We got tired of both driving to met at trail heads so I invited her to my place up on the hill in Wentworth wre we spent a fun 10 days. Well anyway, on one of the outings we started in Kinsman Notch to hike over Moose Hillock and finish at one of our cars in Glencliff. It was a typical hot July day with thunderstorms rambling around so we got caught in some good rain coming along the ridge, with lots of loud weather. Just as we approached the intersection of the Benton trail it suddenly got really loud with occasional crashes. We were in a fairly flat area where the trees were quite tall, but was somewhat sheltered. We were in our rain gear, and felt fairly secure and dry. We had put our packs on the ground and were just standing there talking when all of a sudden we saw sparks on the ground and we were now sitting. Both of us could not feel our legs. We had been knocked off our feet by what we supposed was a nearby lightning strike. After about ten minutes our legs regained feeling, the storm had passed so we put on our packs and started for the summit. About 150 feet from were we had been so rudely made to sit, the trail looked like it had been rooted up by hogs and just off the the side was a spruce tree that had been shivered to splinters. That one almost "Shivered me timbers"". I picked up one of the large splinters to remind me that I now have superpowers. Haven't discovered what they are yet, but I must have.

 

[sierra]

Broke my ankle in CO on a two peak 14er traverse solo. I did it descending the second peak back into the Col. Nobody knew where I was and I had no spot device. Did not take my boot off, taped my poles together and wrapped fleece jacket around the top. Hobbled back up the first peak then out. Took all my Advil ( about 18 ). It was about 15 hours or so to cover 7 miles, don't remember exactly. Lessons learned, You actually get used to pain, you can do more then you thought could, and finally, if its die or go home, you try very hard. All my years carrying extra clothes and such paid huge dividends. It gets really cold in CO up high, even in the summer.

 

[weatherman]

Not a physical injury, but I discovered real hypothermia on a multi-day northern Presi trip in mid to late July about 18 years ago. Rain, high winds, temps in mid 30s and I had no long pants. Actually got all the "umbles" and was making bad decisions till my brother verbally beat the crap out of me and forced me into Mad Spring Hut, which helped make the difference between ending the trip early and continuing, after I shivered for most of the rest of the day. I was a LOT colder than I realized. Now I always bring pants, which I never ever need (except in winter).

 

[Grey J]

After an uneventful solo one day hike to Owls Head which took me 12 hours and about a million incident-free steps and incidentally completed my 48, I was relaxing at the cabin when I dropped something on the floor. As I raised my head, I hit the very hard and sharp corner of a shelf in the bathroom, cut my head, stunned myself, staggered and fell between the toilet and the tub and bruised my rib cage. So, at least on that day, the bathroom was the more dangerous environment.

 

[Raven]

I forgot a good one on the Great Gully Trail in King Ravine. There's a spot where you step across the water below some cascades and then continue up on the right of the water. I stopped in the middle of the small crossing to look up and admire the steep wall and flowing water. Within moments of moving on, I heard a crash, looked up and watched a 16 inch diameter boulder literally careening off the face like out of a Road Runner cartoon. It passed right through the space I had been standing in the water after a bounce off the wall. It was pretty close to chest/head height when it did.

Right place, right time. There would have been no need for rescue on that one I imagine. That rock had serious momentum.

 

[dug]

Various turned ankles, sprained wrists from falling, nothing serious. Banged my head after tumbling down Owl's Head slide and landing on a little ledge. Was coming to by my dog licking my face.

Oh, and was taken out at the knees by someone sliding down North Hancock. Thankfully I saw them coming and left my feet (old soccer trick), so while I was taken out there was no damage. I did hear a "sorry" 50 feet down the trail as they kept going if that helps at all.