Backpacking

[BigPiney]

in the middle of our 5000 ft of descent

[BigPiney]

Fixed the pictures

[Bo Diddley]

That's some gorgeous country, BP!

[smokymountainrain]

wow. that is very cool.

[Now who’s the dean?]

in the middle of our 5000 ft of descent

This was with a broken ankle?
Respect [emoji123]

[BigPiney]

This was with a broken ankle?
Respect [emoji123]

Of course. Broken foot, at least I had ankle stability.

[BigPiney]

One step closer to being the 6 million dollar man.

[Sullyute]

Yikes, hope you have a quick recovery.

[BigPiney]

Yikes, hope you have a quick recovery.

Thanks. I was almost signed up for a marathon in November, but opted out right before my trip.

One of the guys on the trip had a satellite phone, so it was nice to be able to call my wife and have her make the appointment with the orthopedic surgeon for the first day I was available. I was in surgery 24 hours after he saw the x-ray.

[PaloAltoCougar]

BP, I'm still agog that you hobbled your way out of there (I suppose the alternative of starvation was highly motivating). Will they remove the hardware eventually or are you screwed forever? The plates and screws from my first crash were "optional" and I had them removed after a year. But the plate and 10+ screws that were installed after my 2016 folly will be a part of me forever. Because they're non-ferrous they don't set off any airport security alarms.

[BigPiney]

BP, I'm still agog that you hobbled your way out of there (I suppose the alternative of starvation was highly motivating). Will they remove the hardware eventually or are you screwed forever? The plates and screws from my first crash were "optional" and I had them removed after a year. But the plate and 10+ screws that were installed after my 2016 folly will be a part of me forever. Because they're non-ferrous they don't set off any airport security alarms.

I don't know. I imagine it will be a part of me. I think they are titanium. I may be getting screwed perpetually. Nice!

As for staying in there, I am too damn cheap to pay for an evacuation. My leg would have to be useless to do that.

Neglected to mention that as part of the bushwhacking that we did, through manzanita and snowbrush, I started to get attacked by yellow jackets. I had been stung once that morning and it hurt bad. Well at the end of the day, we must have disturbed a nest, because almost simultaneously tow of them bit my non broken leg. So painful. They also attacked another member of the group. We took off running to get away and I may have set some sort of land speed record for guy with a broken foot. Those little bastards hurt.

Also earlier in the day we came upon 1/2 a deer that was pretty fresh in a very think part of the forest. We backed away slowly and found an alternative route. Crazy but so much fun. Not sure if it was a lion or a bear doing the munching at that time, but we didn't want to find out.

[Now who’s the dean?]

I don't know. I imagine it will be a part of me. I think they are titanium. I may be getting screwed perpetually. Nice!

As for staying in there, I am too damn cheap to pay for an evacuation. My leg would have to be useless to do that.

Neglected to mention that as part of the bushwhacking that we did, through manzanita and snowbrush, I started to get attacked by yellow jackets. I had been stung once that morning and it hurt bad. Well at the end of the day, we must have disturbed a nest, because almost simultaneously tow of them bit my non broken leg. So painful. They also attacked another member of the group. We took off running to get away and I may have set some sort of land speed record for guy with a broken foot. Those little bastards hurt.

Also earlier in the day we came upon 1/2 a deer that was pretty fresh in a very think part of the forest. We backed away slowly and found an alternative route. Crazy but so much fun. Not sure if it was a lion or a bear doing the munching at that time, but we didn't want to find out.

I see the amazing pics and think “I should do that”, but then I read the details and I know I won’t [emoji17]

[Bo Diddley]

Wow, what an adventure. Im still envious.

[Northwestcoug]

Awesome pics, BP.

Sign me up for the next hiking trip that is half the length, half the elevation, and none of the broken bones!

[Paperback Writer]

Glad to read you're doing OK BigPiney. Excellent pictures, I don't think my backpacking treks in the San Juan mountains compare favorably. I too had to cut my recent backpacking trip short due to foot problems. Midway through a planned 6-day 50+ mile hike on the continental divide trail, one of my feet began swelling and was painful to hike on. Fortunately, I didn't have to go off-trail to hike out as I found a spur trail that connected to another trail to get out. I was highly motivated to hike as fast as I could due to the bear scat all over the spur trail. However, it was more difficult on my foot to hike downhill so my pace was slower than I had calculated and ended up hiking a couple of hours in the dark to get to the trailhead. Got picked up by my wife the next morning who had just arrived in Colorado while I was making my way out - I had driven up separately the previous week. Since I backpack solo, I always have GPS satellite treking with texting. Anyway, after resting my foot for a couple of days, I'm on the mend and feeling much better - did a 5-mile day hike earlier today. I think my foot issue was due to not being able to prepare well for the significant elevation changes on the continental divide by living in Texas. That, and still needing to lose significant weight - always a work in progress. I've planned previous backpacking trips with rest days or flexible itineraries (an advantage to backpacking solo) and thought I was prepared for a week of 8-10 miles a day of hiking with constant elevation change, but was wrong. Will try again next year. Still have a ways to go before I'm ready for a BigPiney hike in the Sierras. Here are a few pics...

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