with my recent fall, i thought i’d put together a little post on wilderness safety.
i’ve always considered myself a smart outdoors person: taken the necessary avalanche courses, certified in first aid and CPR, never travel alone, always carry my cell phone and map, and travel with the right gear.
it wasn’t until earlier this month when i took a good size tumble did i realize that even those quick little day hikes can cause an emergency. all it takes is one little slip to land you in the E.R.
my friends and i were on the hunt for Delta Lake in Grand Teton National Park. its off the beaten path (literally) and involves bushwhacking + scrambling. the lake is gorgeous but a bit tricky to find. another post on how to get there to come!
after rejoicing that we found the lake, it was time to descent back down the boulder fields. somewhere at the top, i started to slide down a rock. my ankle rolled and i fell about 4 feet straight on my ass. for the record, boulder fields aren’t the most ideal spot to fall, as its kind of every man for himself.
do you know that feeling you get when your body knows something is wrong? its a mix of nausea, feeling dizzy/faint, and panic. thank god my friend had JUST put a first aid kid in her daypack because it seriously came in handy. my ankle immediately swelled so i was able to dunk it in freezing water nearby (almost knocked me out it was so painful), wrap the ankle with bandages and pop some advil. all three were life savers. thankfully, all i did was tear a few ligaments in my ankle and bruised a kidney. i was lucky, things could have been way worse.
moral of the story, this was a good lesson and reminder to always play it safe. i hear a helicopter ride out of the backcountry will run ya something crazy like 40k these days. not sure insurance will cover that.
so be smart! and be safe! and always take a friend.
annnnd here’s a link on some fun camping tips!
for more information on staying safe during your outdoor adventures, head to teton county search and rescue
