White Rim: busted adventure
Left on Tues eve to beat the incoming snow storm. Good thing too as the guys that left Wed morning spent an extra 2 hours parked near Georgetown on I70.
Dan's permit for May1-4 with Bill Anders, David Russi, and Rach and I.
We crashed at the state park in Fruita. Won't do that again as it is just a parking lot with highway noise. At lease we came late and left early and so didn't have to pay the $23 fee. Man did it rain and blow that night. A green vista greeted as as we crossed into Utah. It's always surprising to see the desert all verdant like that. We drove along the river road once again, and realized that it was over 25 years ago that we first hit this stretch together. And it still is the most amazing landscape anywhere.
Got to the top of Mineral Bottom road by 9:30, packed up the bikes, and headed out across the Mesa back towards the visitor center to meet u p with the guys and our gear in Bill's truck. We took our time knowing that the snows would delay them. And so we explored a bit too, taking a jeep trail off the main road to connect over to the top of the Schafer Trail. They finally showed up and by 3:30 or so, we were all heading down towards Airport D, our designated camp site for day one.
I volunteered to drive since tho guys were stressed and bummed about their extended drive time. Bill's Tundra is a plush beast, easy to maneuver down the twisty turns of this 1400" switch backed drop. Stopped at all the good overlooks along the way and occasionally waited for the riders before boogying to the camp site to set things up for their arrival.
Dan arrived first, then Bill and as we were cracking open beers, Rachel arrived wit the news that David took a spill and probably broke his arm. Ugh! A assessment of who should do what and a quick gathering of gear and off Bill and I drove backtracking to the spot where David crashed. We knew exactly where it was: on the downhill side of a little rise where for some reason there were two very large and unnecessary wearer bars spanning the road. We're talking large as in steep and over 16" tall, perfect to launch into some air. And perfect to catapult an unsuspecting rider. Which is what you can categorize David as being this fateful late afternoon.
Dan's permit for May1-4 with Bill Anders, David Russi, and Rach and I.
We crashed at the state park in Fruita. Won't do that again as it is just a parking lot with highway noise. At lease we came late and left early and so didn't have to pay the $23 fee. Man did it rain and blow that night. A green vista greeted as as we crossed into Utah. It's always surprising to see the desert all verdant like that. We drove along the river road once again, and realized that it was over 25 years ago that we first hit this stretch together. And it still is the most amazing landscape anywhere.
Got to the top of Mineral Bottom road by 9:30, packed up the bikes, and headed out across the Mesa back towards the visitor center to meet u p with the guys and our gear in Bill's truck. We took our time knowing that the snows would delay them. And so we explored a bit too, taking a jeep trail off the main road to connect over to the top of the Schafer Trail. They finally showed up and by 3:30 or so, we were all heading down towards Airport D, our designated camp site for day one.
I volunteered to drive since tho guys were stressed and bummed about their extended drive time. Bill's Tundra is a plush beast, easy to maneuver down the twisty turns of this 1400" switch backed drop. Stopped at all the good overlooks along the way and occasionally waited for the riders before boogying to the camp site to set things up for their arrival.
Dan arrived first, then Bill and as we were cracking open beers, Rachel arrived wit the news that David took a spill and probably broke his arm. Ugh! A assessment of who should do what and a quick gathering of gear and off Bill and I drove backtracking to the spot where David crashed. We knew exactly where it was: on the downhill side of a little rise where for some reason there were two very large and unnecessary wearer bars spanning the road. We're talking large as in steep and over 16" tall, perfect to launch into some air. And perfect to catapult an unsuspecting rider. Which is what you can categorize David as being this fateful late afternoon.
Lucky for us, a by experienced trip guide was reusing these three guys that rode down the Lathrop trail to meet a jet boat that never arrived. They called for a pick up after waiting several hours for it. Anyway, this guide had recent wilderness first responder certification and, being an avid downhill mnt biker, lots of experience splinting arms and other broken bones. After a solid hour and half of wrangling with David's arm and various splint materials (a thermarest and towels were the key) we finally, painfully, get him into Bill's truck and started heading out on the rough, jostling road. About a mile along the way, a ranger met us, having been called in from a couple that drove past David while he was down. The ranger informed us that a 4x4 ambulance was on the way. We debated whether we needed one or not but David decided it would be a good thing to have the crew of medical folks on hand. A few more miles of jostling and we intercepted them for the handoff.
The ambulance packaged David up and took him put. I caught a ride with the co manor ranger dude. The doc in the ER in Moab was mightily impressed with the break - see the X-ray pic. He didn't
want to touch it so he released David to me at 3am to go eat and before heading to Grand Junction where the pro ortho dudes live. A chow feat at Denny's for a hurting David, a few hours of sleep at the Riverside Motel, then off along the river road to Cisco and St Mary's Hospital.
