Have posted the Golden Creek trip page on my site.
... Moving down the east side of the small stream I grabbed a whitebark pine branch to swing off some bedrock and down through a few feet of willow and tall grass. J following, suddenly let out a painful yell after apparently stepping on a hidden loose small rock that caused him to collapse bending his left knee awkwardly. J related he felt a pop as though a tendon or ligament had snapped. Everything about the trip would be different from this point forward. Getting J back to the trailhead was now the prime directive. Familiar with the topo, I looked down canyon and saw a forested bench I knew was just above the Mono Creek Trail at 10500 feet, 6/10 a mile further. I had viewed that willow seep meadow along the trail during my 2013 trip that was an obvious choice for this aborted day where we would be near a trail upon initiating our return while far enough from the trail for privacy. Upon cellular injury, a complex inflammation sequence occurs. It was important for us to reach the area quickly before swelling and pain peaked so he could stabilize. For the most part, he could move around stiff legged without much pain as long as he didn't move his left leg in various ways he was slowly discovering. Descending, we began talking about ways to wrap up his leg inhibiting movement...
This image above shows how J wrapped up his leg with his Thermarest sleeping pad. Two wide Velcro straps tightened around his leg. He optimized the amount of air in the slow leaking pad and strap tightness for adequate rigidity without being so tight blood flow was too constricted. I also always carry a modest amount of 2 inch width Gorilla tape wrapped around a tripod leg and maybe 70 feet of 3mm utility cord we might have used. J only used the pad on his leg while hiking the trail, not while at or near camp that shows he was able to generally move about with just support from the walking stick...
