Sun Aug 02, 2009 6:40 pm the flying crutchman - cutthroat pass - 2009-08-01
after being couped up inside with the broken leg for the past 5.5 weeks of a summer sans rain, i couldn't take it anymore. i needed to head back to the place i love, the place that offers so much.
at first, i thought: okay, little road walk to some lake, just to see some stars. then suggestions came in to hike to ridges or lakes a mile or so in length. eventually, baddog convinced me to try cutthroat pass since the pct would offer trail wide enough for my crutches - at least most of it. sure, why not? 5 miles and 2000' - no sweat.
sparing the details, let's just say it was challenging. it felt a lot like rock climbing - making sure each hold was sound. significant concentration and perserverance were called upon the entire day. creek crossings were definitely interesting.
i was surprised to find it only took 5.5 hrs to make it to the pass, and that was after a lot of breaks and talks with others passing by - including the streaking hiker with a hat in a useful spot.
views were great. skies were clear. wind kept the bugs down. what more could i ask for?
baddog carried up an additional 3L of water for me since all i could carry was 4L (not knowing whether or not i'd be able to get down to water to filter it).
i lounged around for hours, soaking it all in. entering the trip, i was hopeful that something cathartic would emerge, or perhaps some new kind of appreciation would be had. alas, neither happened. i think two things happened: 1) the extraordinary concentration required, along with two throbbing hands and shoulders, sapped me; 2) mountains typically silence my mind - perhaps this is the reason why i love them so much in the first place.
the sun set, stars came out, and i got everything i could ask for in the mountains. it was just wonderful out there in that bivy, minus the one mosquito trapped in my headnet.
the next morning, i rose to the lightening skies, breaking camp by 5:15. it was a struggle to get down as blisters began to form on my hands and tried their best to disuade me from continuing. i don't think i've been as relieved to see the car before as i was today.
many thanks to baddog for driving me out and carrying up extra water. she has some "crutch action" pics, so i'm sure she'll post them soon enough
-------------- “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” -steve prefontaine
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 2636 | TRs | Pics Location: dog training
Sun Aug 02, 2009 7:23 pm
It must have been absolutely wonderful to be out there again...I'm so happy for you! And nice to have friends to help make it happen as well...good for you bad dog!
-------------- "May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
i lounged around for hours, soaking it all in. entering the trip, i was hopeful that something cathartic would emerge, or perhaps some new kind of appreciation would be had. alas, neither happened.
Dude! You did more on crutches than the majority of the masses are capable of doing uninjured.
Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 1035 | TRs | Pics Location: Snohomish, WA
Sun Aug 02, 2009 9:29 pm
Beautiful place to go - crutches or no. You're an inspiration to all of us injured people.
Funny your mentioning a streaker as we saw a naked hiker on the Mountain Loop today. We didn't quite believe what we were seeing at first, and all of his hiking buds were fully clothed.
Way to get out there, Iron. You remind me of a summer in college when I broke a wrist in a bike accident. Six weeks without rock climbing was unbearable. After only four I was "testing" my abilities on 5.9 with a wrist cast on!
Dang! Sorry to hear about your broken leg, hope it heals up soon
-------------- ♫ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you're the one who will decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
Mark and I stuck by Iron for the first creek and log crossing to make sure he didn't break another leg! But he wouldn't allow us to help out with his pack other than I was allowed to take some water up for him. However I knew there were many creeks on the trail so when we were out of sight, I emptied the water and then filtered it back into the platypus at Cutthroat Pass. Well, I guess he knows that now!
I continued on the Snowy Lakes so that I could take the dogs for a dip and then got back to Cutthroat Pass to find him returning to camp from a side-trip.
My favorite pic is the one where he looks like a giant cranefly.
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That said, please be careful.
And nice to have friends to help make it happen as well...good for you bad dog! 
But he wouldn't allow us to help out with his pack other than I was allowed to take some water up for him. However I knew there were many creeks on the trail so when we were out of sight, I emptied the water and then filtered it back into the platypus at Cutthroat Pass. 
Well, I guess he knows that now!
