Day 28: In a Moment, the World Is Different

• Cowels Cove (170) to Montclair Lodge (175, Rock Rabbit), Friend’s house (off 171.5, Anniversary and The Historian)
• 1555 ft ascent, 1345 ft descent, 585 ft/mi
• Bonus Miles: unknown

Our anxiety did not succumb well to sleep. Sometimes clear thinking and good plans settle anxiety and sometimes the fight or flight biology systems override logic. Camels Hump is hard, downright dangerous in rain. We are all thoughtful and careful people with rescue training. The Historian and I were professional ski patrol and Rock Rabbit is a certified rescue diver. We have assessed our options and our plans and the weather. We have also reviewed the bailout points. Unnerved, but organized, we walked into the day. Nothing could have prepared us for what was to happen.

A Tough Start

The final bailout spot for Camels Hump is 1 1/2 miles from the shelter where we slept lastnight, several miles prior to the hump.

Rain is our biggest concern. We should be able to make Mountclair Glen Lodge before the rain starts today. That will position us for the climb in dry weather tomorrow. 

Reviewing our hiking track, we covered that 1 1/2 mile distance erratically. Some is excruciatingly slow and some is at a good pace. That is the Long Trail. Rock and root picking interspersed with actual hiking. 

And He’s Down

After about an hour of travel, I heard a sickening sound behind me. Rock Rabbit, being up the rear, cried out, ‘Are you OK?”

I whipped around and saw The Historian crumpled at the bottom of a large wet rock. 

What is Hurt?

We both rushed to him to The Historian. As I was moving toward him, I was assessing the fall. His body was twisted a lot and I could not tell if it was his leg or body that was hurt. 

We encouraged him not to move until we could work out what was going on. As we unfolded him, his leg checked out. His shoulder had been pulled backwards and had sharp but receeding pain. In the process of falling backwards on the rock, his trecking pole and arm were pinned underneath. 

Untangle and Move

After The Historian got untangled, he determined that his wrist that had taken the brunt of the fall. He had surface beusing feomcthe rock and deep pain in the wrist. 

Unclear as to the extent of damage,  we gingerly hiked on for about 30 minutes. We decided to reacess at the bailout junction.

When we arrived, it was clear he was hurt. His hiking skill had greviously deteriorated and the wrist pain had not receeded. 

We pulled out our first aid gear and used topical and oral NSAID pain relievers (non narcotic). Rock Rabbit consulted by phone with a friend who is a paramedic and I used kt tape to make a splint.

Splitting Up

We quickly decided that I would take The Historian out and Rock Rabbit would proceed. He and I were talking a short distance from the Historian.

I said quietly, “This means my thru is over.”

Rock Rabbit tilted his head and with empathy said, “I know.” 

With resolve, I walked to The Historian and said, “We are going to split up and I will take you out.”

Getting Help

I called friends who live in Barre, Vt and told them we needed help. Theu could get to us in a few hours. I was in the process of trying to figure out how to get to a hospital when another thru hiker arrived. 

To our amazement, she informed us that her friend’s mother lived at the bottom of the bailout trail and we could call her.

Even more amazing, her friend’s mother, Janice, would drive us to the nearest hospital. It was almost an hour away but she had an appointment nearby. 

Janice informed us that the first portion of the bailout trail was rocks and ladders but that it eased up after about a half mile. 

Sorting Gear

We quickly sorted our gear so that Rock Rabbit had food, a stove and pot, as well as the garmin for SOS. We even had the presence of mind to split the bear rope so we each could lower a pack if needed. 

My Thru is Over

When I had acknowledged the end of my thru hike, it felt right but devastating. As I walked across the rock to The Historian, my entire emotional field shifted. It was good to take him out and I was fine with not doing a thru. It surprised me. 

I repeated the feeling to Rock Rabbit, sharing the amazement I felt that my affect and goals had shifted so easily. Even as I write this, I still feel OK with doing what I can do, and not finishing the thru hike.

Getting Down

We left a note on Rock Rabbit’s pack that he was helping an injured hiker and would return. He carried The Historian’s pack down the rocks and ladders and returned to his pack to continie to Montclair Glen Lodge before the rain started. 

The Historian was foggy from the fall but we made it effectively, although not efficiently, toward our waiting Trail Angel. She said she would start hiking up. 

Soon, a trail runner appeared and asked if this was the injured hiker. He offered to carry down The Historian’s pack. I judged we had about half mile left and The Historian wanted to carry his own pack. 

His arm was not swelling and he could still make sense talking to us so I did not insist he yield his pack. It seemed needlessly cruel to reduce him once again. 

Meeting Janice 

Soon we came to Janice who was equipped with more first aid supplies.  We added an ice pack to his bandage. 

Janice was amazing, as was her duck toller dog. She distracted us with a marvelous story of three generations of her Vermont family working together and lookong after others. 

Driving to the Hospital

We settled The Historian into the backseat where he was most comfortable. Suki, the dog, stabalized his arm on the winding mountain roads and provided comfort on the hour-long drive. 

You Can’t Take Those In

When we got to the emergency room, security informed us we could not take our packs inside. After managing the fall and getting us here, it seemed like a crisis to me. 

Perhaps it was the look on our faces, or maybe just simple kindness, but the security guard quickly fixed the problem. She retrieved a wheel chair upon which I loaded our packs. Then, she tagged them and took them to the ambulance bay. 

After screening us, we were quickly admitted to emergency. 

It is Not Broken 

The Historian was put on a gurney in the hall. He carefully dangeled his muddy boots off the end so as to not mess up the sheets. I was given a chair. All of the staff of the Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin, Vermont were empathetic and kind.

An x-ray revealed his arm was sprained and not broken. This was what we were expecting, given the small amount of swelling, but it was a huge relief. 

The doctor said to take it easy and return to hiking in a couple of weeks, if he felt like it. 

Meanwhile, Rock Rabbit

When we parted from Rock Rabbit, I felt a jolt of worry, but also pride and confidence as he was now a seasoned thru hiker. He could do what he set out to do. 

We did not have time to work out complex messaging system between us.  We did figure out that a farout map check-in with a message worked. 

I messaged Rock Rabbit there was no break and he messaged me that he got to Montclair Lodge before the rain.

He started in the shelter as the only tent platforms was taken. As the evening progressed, the shelter became overcrowded and loud. The caretaker came and rescued Rock Rabbit and opened a closed tent site for him So he had a good night. 

One More White Horse

By the time we finished with emergency, our friend had finished her rehearsal and drove over to Berlin to pick us up at the hospital. 

We ended our day knowing Rock Rabbit was safe, and with clean sheets and a homemade dinner in the loving embrace of yet more friends.