Holy crap, that was close!

A great Day In Colorado until....

You all know him. My dad. SP member Aaron Johnson. If you dont know him, and you are a hard core hiker/climber, get to know him. He knows his shit.

He has never liked it when I have chosen to hike alone. I am forever defiant, and insist, "Dad, I'm fine. Don't worry about it! You taught me well, and I know what I'm doing. I won't fall!"

I have a couple of friends that have been itching to get into hiking. This would be a great change in lifestyle for both of them, so I was very excited to share the trail and summits with two very good friends.

We intended to do Raspberry Mountain near Colorado Springs that day, but Rachel couldn't get proper boots and then had some issues with her dog, so we got a very late start. We decided it would be best to do something close to Denver that would be easy for her non-booted feet.

We decided on The Three Sisters and The Brother. "It should be a really easy day, and a great way for you guys to get started!" We were all excited flying down C-470 on out way to Evergreen. We had Alter Bridge playing in the background as we gossiped about men and what our intentions were for the rest of the hiking season. Three hot chicks on our way to climb a mountain! It was a great Sunday! So far...

We arrive and start hiking promptly. I stop to take a picture of Evergreen mountain for sarah.simon's page on SP. The image I took before sucked...

The trail was gorgeous and we were having a blast; laughing and joking on the trail and saying "Hi!" to everyone we saw.



It was a nice leisurely day so we stopped for lots of photos on the way.

We arrived at the third Sister and climbed up with no problem. We took many pictures and sat in the Sun for a while.




We finally left the summit, and were on our way to visit sister #2 when it happened...

The Fall

As we descended, I'm going along, talking and laughing while enjoying some easy scrambling. I came to a big Rock and considered my options. I could go left and take a very easy way to the next rock. Or, I could keep going forward and scramble down. Being the goat that I am, I decide to go forward.

Everything was going fine. I can feel my left boot touching the rock below me. What happens next all happened within a second.

I let go expecting to step onto the rock. I let go with my arms and found that my pack was stuck on a pointy part of the higher rock. I (for some reason) moved my foot right as my pack unattached from the rock. I fell, though only a few inches, and caught myself with a locked left leg. I was in instant pain and I was about to toppel over, possibly to a 10 + foot fall. So, I put my right foot down to balance myself out. when I stepped on it, my ankle rolled. I fell on my back and all I could think was "Oh, shit! My camera!", which was hanging around my neck. So I hung on to it rather than use my hands to catch me. Luckily, my pack, which has caused the fall, had just saved my neck as I landed on it.

Importance of Friends and Family

"Oh sh!t, oh sh!t! Um, guys... This is bad... I think I just screwerd myself up." I utter the words as I am laying on the rock.

"I'm coming.. Don't move!" Rachel goes the smarter and much easier way around the rock to come check on me.

I remember all I could think was how incredibly stupid I must look to these two girls. I have taken them both out for their first hike/scramble and I fall. I am injured and I don't think I can walk. Holy crap.

They arrive and attempt to keep me in good spirits while I writhe in pain. To keep my spirits up, we recreated my falling position with this lovely photo (this was before I knew I couldn't stand):



I try to stand but can't so I decided that the best thing to do is get back to the trail where the ground is solid. I scoot along as best I can, and BAM! I step wrong and almost fall again. I stopped, started bawling, and decide to call my Dad. I wasnt sure what he could do... All I knew was that I needed to talk to him - NOW!

!#$^&%$ Answering machine! Between sobs, I utter, "Daddy, please pick up. Please Pick up."

Thank god he answered. He got me level again. I now knew that he couldn't do anything and I had to get down on my own. He and Ellen offered to bring me a trekking pole so the hike out would be easier, but I insisted that I could do it.

Thankfully, Rachel and Tamie acted as my crutches as we walked about a mile back to the car. If not for my Dad and Ellen showing me that they care by offering to bring me a pole, and if not for Tamie and Rachel being willing to help me, I don't think I could have made it.

You guys ROCK! Thank you SO much!

The Aftermath

Rachel and Tamie took me to the emergency room immediately. It turned out that my ankle was sprained. I have this stupid little air cast.




(BTW, excuse my ugly feet - I wear hiking boots way too much!)

My knee is all messed up and hurts like a mofo, but the doc can't tell me what's wrong until it stops being swollen... I walk like a penguin now, limping on both sides... All I need is a little tux, and you could send me to Antarctica.

Ugh.



No wonder my daddy told me not to hike alone, eh?

Thanks, dad.

Images

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