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Posted (edited)

[sorry perhaps this should've been spray...]

Hey all, been since summer that I posted. Avid PNW climber here with this message to y'all good folks. Took a dive in the pool this summer and heard a terrible sound. Floated to the top paralyzed and drown. Long story short, fractured c/5 incomplete and day after week after month of rehab. Never bagged extreme routes, but knocked off at least 50 classics and mountains were my life, it's been hard re-adjusting. Some nerves have reconnected and I have slight leg movement but a long road ahead. My dream is now to be able to walk down a path in the woods and am working hard to get there. If you are reading this and are putting off that route, using work as an excuse to hide out, have a dream of spending a week to yourself in the N.Cascades....do it today my friend. I have 100's of GB's of photo's and memories to pour over, but there are sooo many trips I lamed out on. Also, as a climber, you are way better equipped to handle a tragic accident than you know. My mountain lungs got me off the ventilator, being in rock solid shape allowed me to surpass everyone in rehab and break records, and countless hours of slogging, being beat and broke in the mnts. gave me a frame of reference of what it is to endure. Oh yeah, get insurance, glad I did, it gets to be $1m real quick...

LIVE YOUR DREAMS!!! SITTING AROUND IS FOR OLD FOLKS!!!! (unless you're Fred!) Bag a peak for me :brew:

peace and love...

Edited by mountainhesh
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Posted

Good luck Mountainhesh!

Sounds like you have many more dreams yet to fulfill and that with the effort you are putting out there I am sure you will realize them!

 

Thanks for the reality check. It is very easy to become complacent and take the little things for granted.

Posted

Good words.

My mother is very near the end and my father seems not far behind. It has got me to thinking about work vs play and spending more time with my kids. And I already spend a lot of time with them.

But life is short.

I've met a lot of old coots who say they wish they would have worked less and spent more time with their kids and family.

I've never met an old coot who says he wishes he would have worked more.

Push it MH.

Post occaisionally and let us know how you are doing.

Posted

Is there anything that any of us can do to get you back involved? Get you in on the planning of trips, drag your ass up to the rock and let you watch, belay, or act as an anchor or whatever you can do? Take turns putting you on our backs and packing you up a mountain?

 

Let me know if I can help get you back out in whatever way possible.

 

Posted
...

Took a dive in the pool this summer and heard a terrible sound. Floated to the top paralyzed and drown. Long story short, fractured c/5 incomplete and day after week after month of rehab. ....

 

Count me in in wishing you a full recovery. But what the holy hell happened to you? People don't break verts diving in pools...usually.

_________________________________________________________

 

BTW, the very worst moment in my life so far, by a factor of 2 goes like this:

 

It's late spring and I'm up at Timberline with my family. I'm up on the Palmer cranking some laps. In a rare move, I'd gone off to do my thing and let my wife ski with the kids. I usually stuck on those lil pups like glue, but not this day. This day I was itching to fire something. I made about 7 laps, and blow down to the bottom of Pucci to try and catch up, correctly assuming that they whould have about made 1 run by now.

 

As I'm jumping on the lift, the lady next to me says "Oh dear Lord, that poor little girl".

 

I look directly below and there is my rosy cheeked little boy whom I love more than my life itself directly under us as we pass overhead.

 

A lil pup laying motionless on his back in the snow with his eyes closed.... unconcious.

 

The ski patrol are putting on a neck brace and have a backboard next too them. I surmised that he had fallen off the lift and broken his neck and was more than likely paralysed.

 

It was the very worse thing....ever.

 

Ever.

Posted
shit, I'd have jumped off the lift right there. Was he ok?

 

I almost did. It would have done no good. I jumped off at the top and hit the shack up there and they told me to wait in the aid station.

 

I learned, to relief so strong that it almost brings me tears of joy to this day, that although he'd fallen off the lift and landed head first, he'd only had the shit knocked out of him.

 

We all quit for the day and a short ambulance ride to the hospital confirmed it.

 

I was always the only parent watching my kids when they were in the public swimming pool with 300 other kids. The only parent at the swing sets, keeping an eye on 'em.

 

This almost ripped me a new one.

 

Following up on what mthesh said: man, life is already short. It's gotta be tough to be grounded. :brew:

 

Wishing you the best dude.

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