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Hike of the Month 2008


TotemLake

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I'm sorry to read about the cancellations! Hopefully next time we'll be able to hike together.

 

Cstmfrmr, I'm due at the Pnr by 7 according to Streets and Trips. I'm out the door in about 20 minutes to top off the tank and make a last minute purchase.

 

JHolly:

HAM Radio: The Wilderness Protocol is a suggestion that those outside of repeater range should monitor standard simplex channels at specific times in case others have Emergency or priority calls. More can be read here: http://www.tcoek12.org/~tcarc/tcproto.html

 

The primary frequency monitored is 146.52 MHz; secondarily or alternatively 52.525, 223.5, 446.0 and 1294.5 MHz respectively. The idea is to allow communications between hams that are hiking or backpacking in uninhabited areas, outside repeater range an alternative opportunity to be heard.

Edited by TotemLake
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JHolly:

HAM Radio: The Wilderness Protocol is a suggestion that those outside of repeater range should monitor standard simplex channels at specific times in case others have Emergency or priority calls. More can be read here: http://www.tcoek12.org/~tcarc/tcproto.html

 

The primary frequency monitored is 146.52 MHz; secondarily or alternatively 52.525, 223.5, 446.0 and 1294.5 MHz respectively. The idea is to allow communications between hams that are hiking or backpacking in uninhabited areas, outside repeater range an alternative opportunity to be heard.

 

Thanks for the info. Guess I should get another hamshack-on-a-belt.

 

Jim

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JHolly:

HAM Radio: The Wilderness Protocol is a suggestion that those outside of repeater range should monitor standard simplex channels at specific times in case others have Emergency or priority calls. More can be read here: http://www.tcoek12.org/~tcarc/tcproto.html

 

The primary frequency monitored is 146.52 MHz; secondarily or alternatively 52.525, 223.5, 446.0 and 1294.5 MHz respectively. The idea is to allow communications between hams that are hiking or backpacking in uninhabited areas, outside repeater range an alternative opportunity to be heard.

 

Thanks for the info. Guess I should get another hamshack-on-a-belt.

 

Jim

 

As an aside, while on the Big Hump we spoke to a 10 year old girl who had just gotten her license....on Mercer Island! Yes, 40+ miles away on simplex with ~4watts. We spoke to Dick way up in Bermmerton as well, which was a pleseant surprise that he was listening for us. Ten minutes after we said our 73s, TotemLake took a tumble....

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...and it still hurts. The good news is the boot came off nice and easy and there is no discoloration! My profound thanks to everybody for helping ease my way off the Big Hump and for staying with me through the hike as well as managing Penny for me while I focused on taking the right steps to get out.

 

A great time was had by all and we had a great feast afterwards at a local pub.

 

Dick, you blew me away with your contact. :shocked: That was very cool. :anicute:

Edited by TotemLake
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...and it still hurts. The good news is the boot came off nice and easy and there is no discoloration! My profound thanks to everybody for helping ease my way off the Big Hump and for staying with me through the hike as well as managing Penny for me while I focused on taking the right steps to get out.

 

A great time was had by all and we had a great feast afterwards at a local pub.

 

Dick, you blew me away with your contact. :shocked: That was very cool. :anicute:

With all that weight you've lost, you don't have any more ballast! Be careful! Don't make me hike up a mountain to *thwap* ya!

 

Glad you're okay, and I am SO envious of those of you who can make these treks. Oh, how I'd love to have the capability.

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...and it still hurts. The good news is the boot came off nice and easy and there is no discoloration! My profound thanks to everybody for helping ease my way off the Big Hump and for staying with me through the hike as well as managing Penny for me while I focused on taking the right steps to get out.

 

A great time was had by all and we had a great feast afterwards at a local pub.

Glad to hear the ankle is doing okay, but be sure you RICE it anyway! (rest, ice, compression, elevation)

 

Thanks to TotemLake for organizing another great HOTM, to Criminal for a nice cache placement, and to Ironman for knowing a good dinner spot! :anicute: We had nice weather, a lovely hike with views, great company, and good prime-rib afterwards.

 

Interestingly, our group ended up splitting and taking different approaches to the Big Hump. Five of us were slightly ahead, and assumed we should take the trail all the way up to the ridge, then sidehill to the Hump (this turned out to be the optimal choice). When we got close, we found the perfect overlook to have a snack and wait for the rest, including Criminal, who we figured could verify the entrance point for bushwhacking. We waited, and waited...finally, we got chilly after about 20 minutes and decided to forge ahead. After some back and forth, we heard on the radio that the others were already climbing to the cache from another direction, that's why they never showed up - they cut off the trail much lower and climbed up several mossy, rocky humps. At that point, we were abeam the cache on the trail, at the right elevation, so bushwhacked in on a good route, partially elk trail. One steep slippery, mossy climb and we met the others at the top.

 

After resting, lunching, and chatting, we took a look at Criminal's route, and everyone agreed we should go back on ours, as it involved a shorter, less scary descent down the slippery, mossy rock. Alas, this supposedly safer route is where TotemLake took his fall. But at least we were closer to a trail than if he had fallen on the multi-hump route. :shocked:

 

We were very curious to know what route ruck took last weekend, but after re-reading his log, it appears he took the upper route that my group chose.

Edited by hydnsek
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Sorry TC about the ankle. My wife Arlene fractured her ankle geocaching last march and it still bothers her. It was my pleasure working you yesterday. My antenna is cranked down but still pretty close to line of sight. Communications is important. I got out my old VX-1 and ordered a new battery pack for it. I montored 146.52 until about 1700. We are heading out the door in about ten minutes to do some geocaching down in the wilds of Point Defiance. We will be on the lookout for a wild man rollerblading down Rustin Way packing a big

magnum. Dick

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No worries PP, I planned on visiting the emergency room right after breakfast today. I was in and out in an hour. I have a fractured tibula. The bruising is now purplish in color and the swelling is much more pronounced than it was last night. I want to thank all of you again for helping ease the way out and sticking with me for the 4 1/2 hour hike back out. I'm in a walking boot cast and will be in it for 4-6 weeks. Obviously, I won't be hiking in December and I'll have to ask the Dr about January. This makes my first fractured or broken anything in 50 years. :anicute: So this is what it feels like. :shocked:

 

c538a918-287c-4b59-936f-8222f1bd14b8.jpg

Edited by TotemLake
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No worries PP, I planned on visiting the emergency room right after breakfast today. I was in and out in an hour. I have a fractured tibula. The bruising is now purplish in color and the swelling is much more pronounced than it was last night. I want to thank all of you again for helping ease the way out and sticking with me for the 4 1/2 hour hike back out. I'm in a walking boot cast and will be in it for 4-6 weeks. Obviously, I won't be hiking in December and I'll have to ask the Dr about January. This makes my first fractured or broken anything in 50 years. :D So this is what it feels like. :shocked:

 

c538a918-287c-4b59-936f-8222f1bd14b8.jpg

Yikes! You can clearly see the break in that X-ray. :D So sorry to hear a bone really was broken; all the more impressive you were able to get down and walk out under your own steam. I guess ruck was right to warn us about the mossy rock!

 

Feel better soon, and now you and Right Wing Wacko can trade stories of "bones broken while caching." :anicute:

Edited by hydnsek
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No worries PP, I planned on visiting the emergency room right after breakfast today. I was in and out in an hour. I have a fractured tibula. The bruising is now purplish in color and the swelling is much more pronounced than it was last night. I want to thank all of you again for helping ease the way out and sticking with me for the 4 1/2 hour hike back out. I'm in a walking boot cast and will be in it for 4-6 weeks. Obviously, I won't be hiking in December and I'll have to ask the Dr about January. This makes my first fractured or broken anything in 50 years. :anicute: So this is what it feels like. :shocked:

 

c538a918-287c-4b59-936f-8222f1bd14b8.jpg

Owowowowowowow!!! Keep this up and you'll be a bonafide, card-carrying member of the gimp squad. I'm glad it wasn't worse; it's bad enough. Take care of you!

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c538a918-287c-4b59-936f-8222f1bd14b8.jpg

 

Er... not really the kind of 'HOTM photos' I was hoping to see!

 

:D

 

I'm sorry to hear about your injury, TL.

 

 

michelle

 

How about one's like this one:

 

344e0716-7606-4fec-b148-39056eb28e8c.jpg

 

Of course Totemlake had to outdo mine! :shocked:

 

Mine was not so bad once I got home and cleaned it up good. The arm was mostly a long scrape and just a little skin and meat is gone from my pinkie.

 

You are not having fun till someone is hurt and bleeding and we had that aplenty this trip. :anicute:

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How did you get a copy of the xray that you could post?

 

When I broke my arm I tried to get a copy and they couldn't let me have one.

They gave me a CD with the images. :shocked: I'm supposed to give it to my obstetrician orthopedic when I make an appointment.

Edited by TotemLake
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How did you get a copy of the xray that you could post?

 

When I broke my arm I tried to get a copy and they couldn't let me have one.

They gave me a CD with the images. :D I'm supposed to give it to my obstetrician when I make an appointment.

Is there something you haven't told us? :anicute:

ROTFLMAO! :shocked:

 

Yikes TL, no wonder it was so painful. Glad you're on the road to recovery.

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How did you get a copy of the xray that you could post?

 

When I broke my arm I tried to get a copy and they couldn't let me have one.

They gave me a CD with the images. :ph34r: I'm supposed to give it to my obstetrician when I make an appointment.

Is there something you haven't told us? :laughing:

ROTFLMAO! :laughing:

 

Yikes TL, no wonder it was so painful.

 

Babies do that to ya!

 

Obstetrician... ha ha ha

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Oh my, TL! So not good. And that means you finished the hike out in the dark? Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

I'm glad I didn't hear about the break earlier because I probably wouldn't have been able to talk Dad and Witty50 into stepping off the trail today. As it was, there was plenty of unprintable comments about the terrain and anyone who would drag us out there with a cache. And I'm not sure either of them will go cache-hiking with me again.

 

The good news is that we found the cache and no-one was injured. Weather and view were great. 2 dogs also enjoyed the hike. The sick dog that made us miss out on yesterdays hike and was still sick this morning? He was bouncing off the walls and looking perfectly normal when we got home. Silly boy!

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No worries PP, I planned on visiting the emergency room right after breakfast today. I was in and out in an hour. I have a fractured tibula. The bruising is now purplish in color and the swelling is much more pronounced than it was last night. I want to thank all of you again for helping ease the way out and sticking with me for the 4 1/2 hour hike back out. I'm in a walking boot cast and will be in it for 4-6 weeks. Obviously, I won't be hiking in December and I'll have to ask the Dr about January. This makes my first fractured or broken anything in 50 years. :ph34r: So this is what it feels like. :laughing:

 

c538a918-287c-4b59-936f-8222f1bd14b8.jpg

Does this mean you won't be attending the Whidbey Island Cache Machine now???? :ph34r:

 

I'm glad I was far enough down the hump that I didn't hear the popping and snapping as that kind of thing really makes me squeamish when it happens to other people, I can look at my own blood and guts but on others, well I just try not to. :laughing:

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Does this mean you won't be attending the Whidbey Island Cache Machine now???? ;)

Well let's just say I'm stuck with PnGs if I want to geocache at all. Better yet, drive byes would be better so long as i can get it on the driver side. :)

 

It's all good though. The swelling is going down and the pain is almost negligable (write that off to good drugs), and I don't try to wobble too fast.

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Does this mean you won't be attending the Whidbey Island Cache Machine now???? ;)

Well let's just say I'm stuck with PnGs if I want to geocache at all. Better yet, drive byes would be better so long as i can get it on the driver side. :)

 

It's all good though. The swelling is going down and the pain is almost negligable (write that off to good drugs), and I don't try to wobble too fast.

Look at the bright side, you'll have plenty of time to get intimately familiar with the new PN-40 while your recuperating.

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OUCH! Tibula at that point of fracture not good and you kept going. What an animal!

Check the corner of the ankle common to fracture. Do you see the small chip? Upper corner.

 

Now for the bright side, this X-ray could become the NEW Signature piece for your hike of the month. It could be given out to only member of the group for that month for some unique reason. The rationale would only be known to you.

 

You could still do drive by caches and you could be the first to accomplish the North Bend Phoon to show off your walking cast.

 

Good luck to you on your swift recovery.

 

MtnMutt

May HOTM

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Thanks for the well wishes everybody. The ankle is feeling a dull ache now and I have an appointment with the Orthopedic on Monday morning. Below are a couple of images using Delorme's Topo 7 and aerial overlays. You'll notice two tracks. The red one is the NW Trails Project trail. The pink is the track from my Magellan. You will also notice the route Criminal took IM and I on the backside coming in. The second image is the 3-D view of the Big Hump.

Duckabush200811hot-2.jpg

 

Duckabush200811hot-1.jpg

Edited by TotemLake
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You probably can't tell from the x-ray, but that's TL's business foot. How are you driving TL?

I can take the boot off and put a sandal on to work the gas. I'm double footing at the moment to do the brakes. The ankle can't handle the braking pressure. Fortunately, I only have to drive once a week. Any other time, my patient wife is handling that.

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Unless somebody has an idea for a December HOTM, I'm closing the book on this for 2008. The doctor advised me I have another 3 weeks to go to heal. :D

I can see it now... January HOTM will be dedicated to Totem Lake's Cabin Fever. ;) How is the ankle feeling?

I like it. Cabin Fever Frenzy. :D Tha fibula is healing and the pain is miniscule. He said the bone slipped about 1mm, but I think that's a fuzzy difference between digital imaging and x-ray film. I'm no expert so take that for what its worth. :huh:

 

Either way, I'm moving right along and doing my own physical therapy to keep it flexible. So much so, he's not recommending seeing a PT for help.

Edited by TotemLake
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