High Sierra Topix

Easter sunday went bad for me. I had decide to a 20 mile backpack in the Agua Tibia wilderness to keep these feet in hiking shape for the Sierra this summer. It was raining lightly, but I decided to go anyway. The first 7 miles is all good trail and beyond that it is bushwhacking. I was about 2.5 miles in when the edge of the wet trail I was on collapsed. My foot went sideways and ended up putting all my weight on my right ankle. Needless to say, that ended the backpack and it was very painful trip back to my truck. It took over 4 hours to limp that 2.5 miles.

Had some x-rays yesterday and nothing is broken, just badly sprained. I have been sitting here in my recliner ever since with ice on it. It’s a very nice shade of purple now. Looks like I will not be out hiking for a while. I am just glad I was not 10 miles in when this happened. What a klutz! Pay better attention to where you are stepping! I would love to say I messed up my ankle doing a rugged cross-country route or climbing a mountain, but it was GOOD trail.

So this has me thinking about the various hazards out on the trail and how to deal with them. It only takes one wrong step to make your entire hike go wrong. Besides having a first aid kit and knowing how to use it there appears to be not much you can to other than hike out or wait for help.

Watch you step out there!

It's the reality we always face when entering the wild. Disaster can strike at any moment from the most unlikely places. Some hazards can be mitigated others cannot.

It's just good that you did not break anything and will be ready for summer hiking.

Sirlight

This is kind of a knock on wood statement. But all my near misses (never injured) when hiking have never been on the nasty stuff but I have fallen flat on my face a few times on well maintained trails. Off trail I tend to pay better attention to what I am doing.

Mike

oldranger wrote:all my near misses (never injured) when hiking have never been on the nasty stuff

Funny how seemingly “safe” areas can be some of the most hazardous. It’s easy to let your guard down and make a mistake.

Yup, I worry most about things I do to myself. Just hiked out to Mississippi Lake in Henry Coe SP - the trails in Coe are roads, maintained to continue to be roads, since they routinely service the pit toilets in the most popular areas and allow those with private property out in the park drive out to their property. Yet I managed to step on something and twist so that a muscle in the back of my calf is now sore. I had a few seconds of "OH S*&*" when it happened - I was out there on Sunday afternoon and Monday, and there were NO other backpackers on the board when I checked in, plus the staff doesn't work Monday or Tuesday. I saw none of the usual bikers or trail runners on my route, either. Was happy that it turned out not to be a bad injury but a mild tweak I could walk out on...

I have fallen flat on my face a few times on well maintained trails.

Lol so have I. Below Evolution Valley last year a small root on the side of the trail caught my pants ankle and took me hard to the ground. Only a few small cuts and ripped clothing but it could have been worse.

Since it's true confession time, I once fell flat on my face on the JMT. It was just south of Vidette Meadows on what is virtually a fire road and, to make matters worse, there were witnesses. It's always been my philosophy that there is no place more dangerous than a trail. Except a highway, driving to & fro the backpack.

Late Fall several years ago I was fishing near Wallace Creek. I was working my way to the Kern and into some decent Goldens and Brookies.

The morning before I was going to hit Junction Meadows I got up early and fished. At one point I stepped onto a log that was iced and I fell on the log on the small of my back. After laying half in the stream and taking stock of any injuries I finally decided that I wasn't hurt too badly. I whimpered my way back to camp. Packed and headed for the gorge.

As the day wore on I began having blood in my urine. More complications as I started having spasms and almost had several involuntary bladder voids. The blood become constant. Too much info? I'll stop the descriptions.

I knew that there was probably someone manning the ranger station on the southern end of the park. I slowly headed that direction. After 3 and a half days I made it to the ranger station. The whole time I saw no one else. However, by that time all of the symptons had cleared up and I continued fishing the Kern for another week.

The hazy point being that anything can happen and most people I know that are wilderness travelers keep their heads about them and develope plans.

Sounds like your lucky to be alive Tom.

I guess my worst tweaks were in the middle of nowhere, although I've had minor ankle tweaks on the trail, one ungaingly front flip descending the Taboose Pass trail in the dark. My worst backcountry injuries were: 1. broken ankle dodging boulder at Upper Horton (solo). My dad was back at Lower Horton. Resulted in cancelling climb of Basin Mtn next day. Limped/crawled across talus field and hopped back to camp, then hopped out with full pack the next day. 2. hyperextended knee somewhere above Davis Lakes on way back to camp (with buddy) coming back from summit climb of Mt. Rodgers. Just went along with trip plan and hiked out next day. 3. Two broken fingers at Harriet Lake falling while fishing (with wife and buddy). Three days to go on trip and simply continued it.