Bronco Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Tuesday after work I decided to retrieve my helmet I dropped just below the approach gully to E. Wilmans Spire. Along the way, I picked up a "hiking stick" for assistance in traveling the talus and laughed at the thought that in the event I injured myself (yeah right) it could serve as a crutch. However, being by myself, I should be more prudent anyway and decided to carried the stick. I cruised up to the helmet quicker than I figured I would, descended to the shoulder where you can either drop down into Glacier basin and the trail via 750' of choss or directly down to the trail below the waterfall via 1500' of choss both were 2nd & 3rd class. I chose the more direct route with more choss. While descending throught a patch of boulders, I stepped onto a breifcase sized boulder balanced on top of a 3' high boulder that slid off with me on top of it. I fell and bounced around 4' and landed with my left leg laid horizontally across a void in the rocks and the briefcase sized boulder landed on my leg, about halfway between my toes and knee. I heard some tearing and popping and immediatly grabbed the boulder and slid it off my leg. I decided this would be a good time for a break and to assess the sitmo. Here's what my leg looked like. http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=1717&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500 My ankle felt worse than my leg looked. I figured a severe sprain and hoped nothing was broken. I attempted to weight it and was able to set my toes down, but could not bear hardly any weight. As I sat there considering my options, the sun slipped behind the mountain to the west creating a sense of urgency. I checked to see what time it was and realized my Casio G-Shock was gone from my wrist. Recover a $60 helmet and lose a watch I paid $80 for 10 years ago. I'm losing my ass on this climbing stuff. I breifly entertained sleeping up there as there was a little firewood available, but, with only a swig of water left, figured that would be suck and my wife would call the calvary for sure. Then the profound thought struck me like a lightning bolt - What would Scotteryx do? "Cougars will be the ball suckers!" I shouted as I lurched to my good foot. I grabbed my walking stick/crutch and started down. I decided to try to get to the trail and re-asses what to do from there. I took a bearing for the trail and once it got dark, used my compass to stay on a straight course to intersect the trail. This wasn't really necesary, as long as I went downhill, I would eventually cross the trail, but it gave me something to take my mind off the pain and comfort that I would intersect the trail. Every time I bumped the heel of my left foot I felt it necesary to perform a ritual of doubling over, clutching my ankle for a moment while I grimaced, pick up a rock or stick and hurl it into the night while shouting "I'm a little teapot!" or something like that. The descent through the rockslide and slide alder was accomplished through carfully sitting down, stepping down with my good foot, bracing myself with the crutch and bringing my injured leg down. Several times I found myself in an uncontrolled slide down through loose rock, and I got a little more beat up as I made my way down to the trail. I finally stumbled onto the trail and found I could walk/crutch with a good limp and managed to only bang my bad foot into rocks and roots a couple times to Monte Cristo and my bike. I gave the trusty crutch a proper burial in the creek and got my leg set on my bike. I quickly realized my headlamp was not designed to light roads for speedy downhill riding and only projected about 50' onto the road. I found myself getting impatient and trying to follow the road by braile. As I neared the river crossing, the road was damp enough to appear dark, like the rest of the forest and I accidentally rode into the ditch, but did not crash as I was maintining a low speed, but it still hurt like the dickens and it was better than riding off the embankment on the other side of the road, dude, that would suck! Anyway, I made it out to my truck, drove to Granite Falls where I called my wife to let her know I was alright. I decided to head home, clean up, and then decide if I should go to the ER for stitches and an Xray. After getting home and cleaning up, I felt pretty tired and decided to bandage the cut up with a bunch of guaze and an ace bandage and make an appointment with our family MD in the am. I got pretty busy at the office yesterday and decided I don't have time to spend 4 hours at the Dr office and my ankle seems to be mending. I coulda used some stitches, but, it'll be a much better scar without them. The cut looks like a cougar got after me. I should make up a better story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b-rock Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Bummer about the leg, but that was a great storey! I'm a little teapot! Hope you heal up fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Good story Bronco. Glad you made it out in one piece. The first time I went in to do EWS we ascended directly up that same talus slope you came down because we figured it was the talus field described in Nelson's book, and of coruse we were wrong. It sucked so bad we decided to descend the West side of the gully leading to the spire. Oh what a mistake that was. We nearly epiced as well. Heal thyself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 gnar gnar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncascademtns Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 If it would have gotten pinned, would you have had the gutts to cut it off? That's pretty scary stuff! The gully on E. Wilmans is pretty steep. I climbed up up it in the winter a few years ago. If there would have been a slide, I would have been toast. I would consider your TR a true epic. Glad you made it out. You know make a great pain killer!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 The story has a hollywood ending! Heal thyself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglehead Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Great TR Bronco! Glad you made it out. The only "Epic" I've ever had was losing my pickup for 3 days in Boulder due to excessive partying. (Well, that, and the time I was pinned above treeline in RMNP during a severe electrical storm.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klenke Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Glad to hear everything's okay...right now. I like the part about the wife possibly calling out the calvary. Mental suffering for sure, but no crucifixions please. Although, she may have crucified you when you got home for being so foolish to do this alone or do that alone or.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Posted August 21, 2003 Author Share Posted August 21, 2003 (edited) klenke said: Glad to hear everything's okay...right now. I'm headed out for 10 days of hard work in MT so don't even try your fancy mind games on me DUDE! My wife was strangley sympathetic. Edit that: My wife was sympathetic because she encouraged me to forget about the helmet and buy a new one. I admitted that I wasn't after the helmet as much as I was after a photo of her and my daughter that I glued into the helmet a couple years ago and really like. All together now - AWWWWWWW! My lat's are really sore from "crutching". Edited August 21, 2003 by Bronco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne Posted August 22, 2003 Share Posted August 22, 2003 Your Jedi mind tricks wont work on me I hope boulder surfers everywhere learn from this tough lesson. Way to truck-on-out Bro.nc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scot'teryx Posted August 22, 2003 Share Posted August 22, 2003 What would Scotteryx do? Summon the cougars in the area with the secret squirrel whistle and have them carry me out on the magic rug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
To_The_Top Posted August 22, 2003 Share Posted August 22, 2003 Glad you made it out ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpinfox Posted August 22, 2003 Share Posted August 22, 2003 When are you headed back to get that watch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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