bubba
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Trip put off from April - hiking with my 18-year old daughter and her teammate [refer to Events - Tux, a Rite of Passage]
We left Western New York and headed up to Gorham to stay at Hikers Paradise due to last minute changes. 10+ hours later (around 12:30AM) we arrive. Great place - large room. Off to Pinkham around 7:30AM.
Arrived at the Pinkham Visitor Center and talked to a volunteer. Hear the there is still some decent, but limited skiing from yesterday's reports. Both girls are relatively novice hikers, but I had prepared them ahead of time for how to carry pack and skis. I carried my boots on my skis on the outside so I could tote food and emergency stuff in my pack.
The hike up to HoJo's was very pleasant. No problems, very little whining and time passed fairly quickly. On the way up we met Ranger Nate Peters heading up with us who had already been above the clouds on this overcast and rain threatening day on the other side of the mountain. When we got to HoJo's, Caretaker Luke was there hanging with Nate, so we had some nice conversation and kidding as Luke was in the process of burning a batch of fresh baked bread. Nate left, heading up to his post at Tuckerman’s.
Heading up to the Ravine was great -- my kind of up (fairly steep vertical in a hurry) on a fine trail. Arrived at the base of the ravine where snow stretched up into the clouds that hovered in the ravine. We decided to take a lunch break on lower rocks and watched as some of the clouds moved away. Ranger Nate was there and we talked again about a good route, deciding that going up into the Right Gully was probably best. It was way different that I had seen before. So little snow and huge rocks all over. Amazing what gets covered in snow!! We weren't looking for crazy... just some good times with skis on snow! I slapped my skis on near the bottom as I waited for the girls and got in a few quick warm-up turns. Felt fine with my borrowed skis... mine had been stolen near the end of the regular season.
So we started up the slope. There were no snow stairs left to follow, so we treaded our own way up around Lunch Rocks where Nate had taken stand. The climbing was fairly easy, but footing was not at all solid. As we got further up -- we angled up and over some of the rocks heading to the right. Pretty steep as Tuckerman’s will do. The two girls had made it to a small bulge about 15' ahead of me and I figured that was far enough for me – or at least for our first run.
At this point I was carrying my skis in my left hand and poles in right. Suddenly... I believe my skis lost their stand in the snow and started to slip down. I adjusted and whatever... the next thing I know I'm on my back, sliding out of control down the snow heading for the upper lunch rocks. I tried to self arrest with my heels, but I couldn't dig in and was gaining speed watching huge rocks coming at me. [The thought was this is it - I bust up the legs for sure!]
Whatever happened, I hit the rocks with my left back and was launched up into the air flying over in a somersault. I had a helmet on my head, but hadn’t attached the chin strap (no idea why). The helmet had left my head by now and I did some kind of bounce or aerial brush with a rock, and tumbled on over rock and into dense tree brush coming to a final stop on my right side with my Gore-Tex right arm pushed up beyond my elbow.
I knew I had hit my back hard… and blood was dropping from my face and head. The girls were up above and I was concerned that I might pass out. I wanted them to know that I wasn’t okay so I yelled up to them, but they couldn’t hear what I was saying (I was shouting “I’m in trouble”… later they told me I should have just yelled Help!]
Ranger Nate heard the commotion and was starting his way over to me within minutes. Stan, a climber who was practicing rope technique in the bottom floor was there right away, as was another citizen – Rob, who came with two-way radio and a bag of first aid goods.
Nate checked me for back injury. My left hip and leg hurt the most, and I felt the top of my head and could feel the parted skin on my scalp. Rob said he saw my helmet fly through the air and someone else had recovered it. I wasn’t allowed to move and Stan’s Ice Axe lent for great stability on the somewhat sloped surface I was perched on. I asked Stan about the girls and he filled me in. They had taken the run, and finished up fine. Along with many others, Stan will continue to remain my strong soul-support throughout the rest of the day. I can’t thank him enough for his sincere concern and reinforcement in letting me know the where-about of the girls and situation at large.
I wasn’t going to be allowed off the mountain under my own power – and I don’t know that I had it in me!! Things were happening fast as Ranger Nate used his radio to let others know about the incident. Rob used his radio to call to his partner to get a litter from the lower ravine. Other hikers and skiers volunteered to help get me off the rocks and mountain. This was truly amazing to see come together… all of the sudden I had a group of people very concerned and dedicated to my well-being. I was so humbled and appreciative, albeit embarrassed that I had caused this to happen.
The rest is about getting me off the mountain. Luke was up from Hermit Lake (I never should have razed him about his baking ability!). A skier, Dan, another Dan and his daughter Alison (and wife who watched out for the girls a bit), Stan, Rob and several others that joined in getting me down to HoJo’s were all helping. NH Fish & Game were gathering below. A call had gone out earlier for a wheeled litter and it caught up with us half-way down to HoJo’s on the steep. Very cool – a wire litter with a large welded frame beneath that held a large airplane sized rubber wheel! I imagine that this made it so much easier for the volunteers to glide me over the trail on the way down (ever knowing that this is in no way an easy task. Its hard work and not what those doing it were out to do on their day in the woods.) To make it easier, we wheeled down the Sherburne Ski trail – closed for the year, but open for us!
Another Ranger named Dan had shown up, and further down Brad and several others from Fish & Game arrived. I’d like to note that I had trouble keeping names straight and didn’t get a chance to meet everyone that helped – there were several female hikers and volunteers that helped carry me off the mountain. Way to go!
A waiting ambulance took me over to North Conway Memorial. X-rays showed that I had a fractured hip on the iliac, multiple lacerations and bruising. I was given a cleaning, crutches and pain pills and sent on my way. Turns out there are no surgical procedure for a fractured iliac. I am supposed to keep weight off it and see an ortho specialist and take pain and antibiotic pills.
I told those who helped that I would post a report on Views. I’d like to personally thank all of them for their unselfish time and help. As this is a closed site, please send me an email at [email protected] so I can be in touch with you. I told everyone at the end that I was embarrassed, very humbled and filled with appreciation. Thank you for all that you did to help me. As Dan asked me… would you do the same for them? Well, no doubt. Hikers don’t let hikers down. Point proven Sunday, June 3rd.
I’m an aching dude today, but counting my many blessings. This surely could have turned out much more tragic. And, the girls were so at task. They got a hotel room in North Conway, dinner and drove dad home the next day! Great kids who have now had the Tuckerman’s experience of their lives!!
We left Western New York and headed up to Gorham to stay at Hikers Paradise due to last minute changes. 10+ hours later (around 12:30AM) we arrive. Great place - large room. Off to Pinkham around 7:30AM.
Arrived at the Pinkham Visitor Center and talked to a volunteer. Hear the there is still some decent, but limited skiing from yesterday's reports. Both girls are relatively novice hikers, but I had prepared them ahead of time for how to carry pack and skis. I carried my boots on my skis on the outside so I could tote food and emergency stuff in my pack.
The hike up to HoJo's was very pleasant. No problems, very little whining and time passed fairly quickly. On the way up we met Ranger Nate Peters heading up with us who had already been above the clouds on this overcast and rain threatening day on the other side of the mountain. When we got to HoJo's, Caretaker Luke was there hanging with Nate, so we had some nice conversation and kidding as Luke was in the process of burning a batch of fresh baked bread. Nate left, heading up to his post at Tuckerman’s.
Heading up to the Ravine was great -- my kind of up (fairly steep vertical in a hurry) on a fine trail. Arrived at the base of the ravine where snow stretched up into the clouds that hovered in the ravine. We decided to take a lunch break on lower rocks and watched as some of the clouds moved away. Ranger Nate was there and we talked again about a good route, deciding that going up into the Right Gully was probably best. It was way different that I had seen before. So little snow and huge rocks all over. Amazing what gets covered in snow!! We weren't looking for crazy... just some good times with skis on snow! I slapped my skis on near the bottom as I waited for the girls and got in a few quick warm-up turns. Felt fine with my borrowed skis... mine had been stolen near the end of the regular season.
So we started up the slope. There were no snow stairs left to follow, so we treaded our own way up around Lunch Rocks where Nate had taken stand. The climbing was fairly easy, but footing was not at all solid. As we got further up -- we angled up and over some of the rocks heading to the right. Pretty steep as Tuckerman’s will do. The two girls had made it to a small bulge about 15' ahead of me and I figured that was far enough for me – or at least for our first run.
At this point I was carrying my skis in my left hand and poles in right. Suddenly... I believe my skis lost their stand in the snow and started to slip down. I adjusted and whatever... the next thing I know I'm on my back, sliding out of control down the snow heading for the upper lunch rocks. I tried to self arrest with my heels, but I couldn't dig in and was gaining speed watching huge rocks coming at me. [The thought was this is it - I bust up the legs for sure!]
Whatever happened, I hit the rocks with my left back and was launched up into the air flying over in a somersault. I had a helmet on my head, but hadn’t attached the chin strap (no idea why). The helmet had left my head by now and I did some kind of bounce or aerial brush with a rock, and tumbled on over rock and into dense tree brush coming to a final stop on my right side with my Gore-Tex right arm pushed up beyond my elbow.
I knew I had hit my back hard… and blood was dropping from my face and head. The girls were up above and I was concerned that I might pass out. I wanted them to know that I wasn’t okay so I yelled up to them, but they couldn’t hear what I was saying (I was shouting “I’m in trouble”… later they told me I should have just yelled Help!]
Ranger Nate heard the commotion and was starting his way over to me within minutes. Stan, a climber who was practicing rope technique in the bottom floor was there right away, as was another citizen – Rob, who came with two-way radio and a bag of first aid goods.
Nate checked me for back injury. My left hip and leg hurt the most, and I felt the top of my head and could feel the parted skin on my scalp. Rob said he saw my helmet fly through the air and someone else had recovered it. I wasn’t allowed to move and Stan’s Ice Axe lent for great stability on the somewhat sloped surface I was perched on. I asked Stan about the girls and he filled me in. They had taken the run, and finished up fine. Along with many others, Stan will continue to remain my strong soul-support throughout the rest of the day. I can’t thank him enough for his sincere concern and reinforcement in letting me know the where-about of the girls and situation at large.
I wasn’t going to be allowed off the mountain under my own power – and I don’t know that I had it in me!! Things were happening fast as Ranger Nate used his radio to let others know about the incident. Rob used his radio to call to his partner to get a litter from the lower ravine. Other hikers and skiers volunteered to help get me off the rocks and mountain. This was truly amazing to see come together… all of the sudden I had a group of people very concerned and dedicated to my well-being. I was so humbled and appreciative, albeit embarrassed that I had caused this to happen.
The rest is about getting me off the mountain. Luke was up from Hermit Lake (I never should have razed him about his baking ability!). A skier, Dan, another Dan and his daughter Alison (and wife who watched out for the girls a bit), Stan, Rob and several others that joined in getting me down to HoJo’s were all helping. NH Fish & Game were gathering below. A call had gone out earlier for a wheeled litter and it caught up with us half-way down to HoJo’s on the steep. Very cool – a wire litter with a large welded frame beneath that held a large airplane sized rubber wheel! I imagine that this made it so much easier for the volunteers to glide me over the trail on the way down (ever knowing that this is in no way an easy task. Its hard work and not what those doing it were out to do on their day in the woods.) To make it easier, we wheeled down the Sherburne Ski trail – closed for the year, but open for us!
Another Ranger named Dan had shown up, and further down Brad and several others from Fish & Game arrived. I’d like to note that I had trouble keeping names straight and didn’t get a chance to meet everyone that helped – there were several female hikers and volunteers that helped carry me off the mountain. Way to go!
A waiting ambulance took me over to North Conway Memorial. X-rays showed that I had a fractured hip on the iliac, multiple lacerations and bruising. I was given a cleaning, crutches and pain pills and sent on my way. Turns out there are no surgical procedure for a fractured iliac. I am supposed to keep weight off it and see an ortho specialist and take pain and antibiotic pills.
I told those who helped that I would post a report on Views. I’d like to personally thank all of them for their unselfish time and help. As this is a closed site, please send me an email at [email protected] so I can be in touch with you. I told everyone at the end that I was embarrassed, very humbled and filled with appreciation. Thank you for all that you did to help me. As Dan asked me… would you do the same for them? Well, no doubt. Hikers don’t let hikers down. Point proven Sunday, June 3rd.
I’m an aching dude today, but counting my many blessings. This surely could have turned out much more tragic. And, the girls were so at task. They got a hotel room in North Conway, dinner and drove dad home the next day! Great kids who have now had the Tuckerman’s experience of their lives!!
