Winter Hiking Season over before it started.

[iAmKrzys]

Peakbagger, I'm sorry to read about your injury - I hope it heals quickly once you get surgery done. I guess the law of large numbers is hard to fool in the long run as even though experienced hikers have lower probability of getting injured on the trail that probability is not zero and so over large number of hikes an adverse event is hard to avoid. Not sure about others but I do have my share of slips, even if I didn't get injured so far.

Last September I had a conversation about getting injured in wilderness with my friend as we were bushwhacking in some woods with a lot of blowdown quite a distance away from nearest trail in Yosemite. I argued that a broken leg could easily turn into a long rescue as there was no way any helicopter could lend in those woods or even drop a rescuer as the woods were just too dense. Hence, even though each one of us was carrying a satellite messaging device I could easily see that a rescue could take a full day. We had our backpacks, plenty of food, clothes and shelter with us but it could still be quite an unpleasant situation with all uncertainty that might come with it.

I guess in hiking we take calculated risks, like with anything else in life, and hope that we are prepared well enough to mitigate the worst.

 

[David Metsky]

Bummer Dennis, I hope your recovery is quick and uneventful.

 

[LarryD]

Sorry to hear this PB. I am about a month ahead of you! I broke my fibula and sprained my ankle in mid-October while doing some (I thought) low risk walking/fishing at Falls Pond on the Kanc. Fortunately, was able to walk back to my car with assistance and drive to Memorial Hospital in North Conway. (It was my left leg.) As much as it drives me crazy I committed myself to following the doctor's orders and pretty much keeping all weight off it for at least 6 weeks (as of this writing). Hoping that pays off and I can get back to hiking, and maybe even skiing, by late Winter.

Good luck in your recovery.

 

[peakbagger]

Thanks to all. Sorry to hear of your break Larry. I wish I could have walked down to my car but it would have been 1800 feet of buttsliding for me. Apparently the broken bone is moving around and dangling in the joint.

 

[peakbagger]

Peakbagger, I'm sorry to read about your injury - I hope it heals quickly once you get surgery done. I guess the law of large numbers is hard to fool in the long run as even though experienced hikers have lower probability of getting injured on the trail that probability is not zero and so over large number of hikes an adverse event is hard to avoid. Not sure about others but I do have my share of slips, even if I didn't get injured so far.

Last September I had a conversation about getting injured in wilderness with my friend as we were bushwhacking in some woods with a lot of blowdown quite a distance away from nearest trail in Yosemite. I argued that a broken leg could easily turn into a long rescue as there was no way any helicopter could lend in those woods or even drop a rescuer as the woods were just too dense. Hence, even though each one of us was carrying a satellite messaging device I could easily see that a rescue could take a full day. We had our backpacks, plenty of food, clothes and shelter with us but it could still be quite an unpleasant situation with all uncertainty that might come with it.

I guess in hiking we take calculated risks, like with anything else in life, and hope that we are prepared well enough to mitigate the worst.

I was up on North Hitchcock less than month ago. Its all dense canopy. I was also up a Baxter on the Coe Brother loop about 6 weeks ago. I think the trail was wide enough that a SAR chopper might do a pick but it would need to be dead calm. I carry one of the new Red Cross rescue bags but didnt even need it.

 

[LarryD]

Thanks to all. Sorry to hear of your break Larry. I wish I could have walked down to my car but it would have been 1800 feet of buttsliding for me. Apparently the broken bone is moving around and dangling in the joint.

I was lucky in many respects: 1. I was close to my car; 2. It was my left leg (so I could drive); 3. The bone was not displaced; and 4. By injuring myself at a popular tourist spot, during peak leaf-peeping season, I had a ready supply of people to help me.

 

[TEO]

and 4. By injuring myself at a popular tourist spot, during peak leaf-peeping season, I had a ready supply of people to help me.

^^^ THIS!

I don't know why this isn't taught in First Aid and WFA courses. If you're going to have an accident, ALWAYS do it in an easily accessible place near a lot of people. It's one of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a well-prepared, experienced hiker and a touron.

 

[peakbagger]

That is actually part of my thinking for using Wildcat or other popular trails for solo exercise hikes. I wasnt planning on having ski patrol on top but since I was solo I factored in how easy and how quickly if I got in trouble help was available. Odds are from the point where I fell to the ATV was about 2 steps. Wildcat during non snow season has a steady stream of folks hiking up it on nice days 7 days a week. Cell coverage is good as its facing the Pine Mountain towers in Gorham.

I guess my days of solo bushwhacking are probably behind me for at least a few years.

 

[Daniel Eagan]

Was out of the country and just seeing this, I hope you recover quickly and fully.

 

[LarryD]

^^^ THIS!

I don't know why this isn't taught in First Aid and WFA courses. If you're going to have an accident, ALWAYS do it in an easily accessible place near a lot of people. It's one of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a well-prepared, experienced hiker and a touron.

Quite right TEO. Like, I suspect, most folks on this board, I prefer to hike (and fish) away from crowds. However when I plan to get injured I always choose a busy spot!

 

[BISCUT]

I don't post often but I do read many posts and I enjoy lots of yours. I wish you the best in your recovery. Ankles are rough. I've broken mine when younger and again at about 42 from a 4 wheeler accident. Post op I had a bone fragment floating around that was bothersome. Doc said no we leave it. He was right, took another year but its no longer an issue.

Hope you are back on the trail by spring!

 

[peakbagger]

Well one step towards independence. I ordered a knee crutch, took me longer to assemble and adjust then to start walking around the house without a crutch. Its a lot easier to move around as I can balance my weight on both legs. I can also do stairs. So the next project is rig up some traction for the vibram foot pad. I have collection of microspikes including a broken pair of XLs so I expect I can rig something up. I also need to see if I can use my stairclimber.

 

[peakbagger]

I got my surgery on Monday and got some hardware, a seven inch plate on the fibula and 7 screws along with 2 screws on the tibia. There was concern that I was going to need additional hardware to temporarily tie some additional bones together, but it was not needed. So wait 14 days to pull the sutures and 4 more weeks after that to the next milestone. The day surgery turned into an overnight due to a failed nerve block which led to date far more pain than I had when I managed to break and dislocate it. I do not recommend it :0 So now its vast quantities of Ibuprofen (under a doctor's care) until the swelling is manageable.

 

[TCD]

The surgery is a big milestone; all uphill from here!

Make sure to religiously do your PT exercises. Best of luck!

 

[peakbagger]

Per the doc and other research, leaving the pins and hardware is not optimal. The bones regenerate to deal with the loads imposed on them. The hardware acts as reinforcing which means the bone does not develop full strength. The other aspect is that the hardware can irritate the tissues inside the skin and in particular there is not a lot of cushioning in the area they put in the hardware. I know of folks who have had the irritation issue Ideally the Doc recommends removal in a year but for older sedentary folks its rarely done. Enders nails were not mentioned. Every Doc has a style and this one is not into collaborative discussion of options .

 

[egilbe]

Seems we will have pretty close to the same x-ray patterns. 26 years later I still have the 7 pins and plate on my fibula and 2 pins in the distal end of my tibia. No issues leaving them in, other than the very minor annoyance you mentioned about the lack of padding in those areas. Oddly enough, the broken ankle never rolls. The other one does constantly.

Hope your feeling better soon.

 

[peakbagger]

Update, the sutures are out and I am in a removable walking cast. its called a walking cast but no walking for at least a month (next appointment). The X Rays are pretty impressive. I got a CD but need to get to my reader to upload. The good news is the wounds look like they closed up and the hardware seems to be where its supposed to be. Now its time for my knee crutch.

 

[peakbagger]

I got some use of my hiking gear today. I got a knee crutch in anticipation of needing to snowblow the driveway. I had a Hillsound micro spike with a broken rubber strap so I retrofit it to my knee crutch "foot". The traction plate on the Hillsound fit like it was designed for the purpose. I used a regular microspike for my good foot. I also sacrificed the sleeve from an old fleece jacket with a blown out zipper for a foot cover for my walking cast to keep my toes warm. With the gear on , I started the snowblower and proceeded to do all 250 feet of my driveway and all its turnarounds. The gait with the knee crutch is odd so my overall speed is slow but I got used to it. The biggest issue was cold fingers due to a longer session and no doubt hanging onto the snowblower a bit tighter. Fingers I can deal with. The spikes worked great, no traction issues. Reversing requires a bit of planning but I figured it out. Hopefully I will miss on the bigger storms that seem to now show up later in the winter but good to know I can do it if I need to.

Next project is a hand throttle for the Rav4 so I can left foot brake and drive if need be.

 

[rocket21]

Best of luck with your recovery!

 

[ChrisB]

I got some use of my hiking gear today. I got a knee crutch in anticipation of needing to snowblow the driveway. I had a Hillsound micro spike with a broken rubber strap so I retrofit it to my knee crutch "foot". The traction plate on the Hillsound fit like it was designed for the purpose. I used a regular microspike for my good foot. I also sacrificed the sleeve from an old fleece jacket with a blown out zipper for a foot cover for my walking cast to keep my toes warm. With the gear on , I started the snowblower and proceeded to do all 250 feet of my driveway and all its turnarounds. The gait with the knee crutch is odd so my overall speed is slow but I got used to it. The biggest issue was cold fingers due to a longer session and no doubt hanging onto the snowblower a bit tighter. Fingers I can deal with. The spikes worked great, no traction issues. Reversing requires a bit of planning but I figured it out. Hopefully I will miss on the bigger storms that seem to now show up later in the winter but good to know I can do it if I need to.

Next project is a hand throttle for the Rav4 so I can left foot brake and drive if need be.

Great system you've engineered, but we expect nothing less from you Peakbagger.

Now head over to Lowe's store lot and give it some snowblower love.