Been absent a while...

[6spd_monte]

...but now I'm back!

Hello everyone, sorry I've been gone so long. I only have the usual lame excuses: Busy with family, work, garage projects, etc. I know, I know it's no excuse.

However, a recent development has stopped me in my busy tracks so now I have time to spend with you all here! Allow me to fill you in.

In the last year or so I have taken an interest in mountain biking. I had been going on weekends and after work with friends and having a great time. As I became more comfortable and my skills improved we took on trails that were increasingly technical and more challenging. On the last weekend in June five of us even took a road trip to Big Bear and Snow Summit to do some riding. We all had a terrific time and everything was just super.

The following weekend some of us went out again, this time to San Diego. I don't know if any of you are familiar but we went to try the Noble Canyon Trail. I went with two friends, and none of us had been on this trail before. So to make a long story short, everything was going great and we were having a blast until we came to this fallen log across the trail. One of my friends, Noel decided (wisely) to get off his bike and walk around it. The other friend, Michael, wanted to try to jump over it. I decided to try to jump it too. Well, Mike pulled it off and I did not.

I crashed, head first over the handlebars and landed on my head. Not to worry, my helmet did it's job - and was destroyed in the process. The problem was that as my head and shoulders stopped, my legs were still moving. Imagine the motion you make to touch your toes. Now imagine that you continue this motion until your knees are behind your ears.

I've never been a flexible guy, I never could touch my toes without bending my knees so you can imagine this was extraordinarily painful. So painful that I could not stand for about 45 minutes. Each time I tried to get up the pain in my back put me back down. Even having the guys try to lift me was too painful. Noel took off on his bike to get help. I didn't want him to leave. I kept saying that I just needed a few minutes and I'd be ok. He went anyway, and I'm glad he did.

When I finally could stand, Michael and I started walking our bikes down the trail. He had to help me walk over anything rocky, and there were plenty of rocks. He would help me for about 50 yards at a time and then I would wait while he would go back and get both bikes. Sometimes I could manage my own bike, but he carried it for me a lot. After about an hour of this I felt I could walk on my own, the pain had decreased slightly. So I started walking and he went back for the bikes again.

I started to regret splitting up with Michael when I realized how long it was taking for him to catch up to me. I started to get really worried when the sun started to set. Finally he caught up to me just after dusk. He was riding his bike, he had left mine behind. Unfortunately he crashed in the dark too and cut up his elbow.

By now it's dark, and we are walking by the light of a sliver of new moon and a cell phone. No signal, of course. At about 8:15-ish we heard a noise and looked up to see a helicopter in the distance with a search light. Then we came around a corner and could see about 200 yards away a search party with flashlights. Just beyond them we could see the end of the trail and lights from some vehicles. Noel had made it to his truck, called 911 and had the Forestry Service looking for us.

We met up with the search party and the helicopter lit the way for us to walk the last bit to the end of the trail. The EMTs checked me out and took me to the hospital in the ambulance. I only had cuts and scrapes but they were concerned about the level of pain I was experiencing in my back.

When I arrived and the hospital I really was expecting them to tell me I had some muscle sprains and that I would be sore for a few days but everything was fine. After the doctors reviewed my x-rays they told me I had sustained a compression fracture of my L1 vertebrae. Basically my spine curved forward so much that the L1 vertebrae came into contact with the T12 above it and the L2 below it and the L1 was crushed between them. I guess that explains the pain. The ER docs were astonished to learn that I walked and hiked like this for over two hours to reach help.

So I spent three days in the hospital, two sets of x-rays, a CT and an MRI. It was determined that I did not need immediate spinal surgery. I was fitted with a TLSO brace to keep my spine aligned while it heals. The plan is to observe the healing progress and as long as it heals correctly I won't need surgery to fix it.

I'll be out of work for the forseable future, I have to wear the brace any time I am not lying down and I can't lift more than 10 pounds. That said, the outlook for recovery is good so I feel fortunate.

And, since I have all this free time I can catch up here at ASV!

[astrozam]

DAMN!

Well,were glad your still with us, hope the healin goes along nicely

[LiftedAWDAstro]

That's one hell of a reason to come back and visit us again! Glad your back will be ok and glad you can walk on your own. =D>

[Rebel]

What a story. We all know it could have been worse and hope you have a speedy recovery and all goes well.

[Mr_Roboto]

man, what is it with members and their urge to get drug out of places via helicopter? Hope you have a good recovery, sorry to hear about the accident.

[SoCalli V8]

Wow, what a story.... I wish you a speedy recovery 6spd, `cos we need to keep all the Cali members that we can get....!

[WVKayaker]

Unbelievable tale! I'll be xtra careful out there on the trails....
Hope you get back to normal ASAP!

[Moreforles]

great that you didn't have anything more serious, and hopefully your recieving some sort of short term or long term money to survive on while you recover.... at least you can take to time to plan more modifications and next bike trips....

have a cousin in VA, who got into mountain biking with some friends, and of course had similar tales.... (no heli-vacs though, but then he's got a VW, not a Strofari) with broken helmets, stitches, back injuries... made me think about what I was planning to get into at the same time.. :-k . the big skate boards, off road models, Mountain boards.... was going to pony up around $400 or more to get one that could handle me or I could handle, whatever, but hearing his stories, made me maybe no, not just yet... need to get in a little better shape, before I get one... and have more time (for enjoying and recovering....)

Anyway glad your semi mobile.... better than the alternatives.... better sorehead than dead

[kings-x59]

man that sends shivers down my spine. Really glad you made it out. I clocked 760 miles in '96...road bike. And fortunately no road rash in spite of a few deep east Texas hillbillies running my ass off the road into the brush.
Read many of your posts on the old as.com board man. Good to hear from you. Post up!

[peter]

Glad to hear you're ok. That was one helluva story!

[dunedog]

Umm, let's see,..... I'm still a kid,....(28) NOT!

Loved the "Never been very flexible" LOL

Glad you are on the road to recovery

[Smiliesafari]

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lessons learned? Glad to hear you're recovering.

[uncle-vinny]

Wow!! I will pray and ask the Lord to heal you completely.

[trybe13]

James, I'm joining uncle-vinny in that prayer, but I'm going one further...... I also am praying that the Good Lord bring you back to your senses and remind you to only bike on flat, level, paved surfaces!!! LOL! Hope you are not in too much pain. If you need anything you've still got my number, right? Take care of yourself and tell your lovely bride I say hello.

[6spd_monte]

Thanks for the prayers and well wishes everyone. No, I am not in pain most of the time. As long as I am careful of my movements the pain is almost gone. I am much more comfortable now than I was last week.

I had a follow-up visit with the spinal specialist a few days ago. He said I am healing well and it looks like I will not need surgery to correct this. He also said that I may not return to work until early October. Fortunately I am receiving state disability checks to make up the difference. They only cover about 60% of my regular pay but it will suffice until I recover.

As for coming to my senses, that may be a matter of opinion. After careful consideration I have decided not to give up riding my mountain bike. I have decided to give up the big jumps. Another friend had advised me many times before that jumps and stunts like this are how you get really hurt. Just riding the trail is not very likely to land you in the hospital. But he wasn't there to talk me out of it that day. I had never tried any kind of jumps before so it is safe to say that this event was the first, last and only time I'll do that.

Other lessons learned:
-If no one in your party has been on the trail before, start your ride with plenty of time to finish before dark, including the possibility for things to go wrong.

-If you are planning to start a ride with less than 4 hours of daylight remaining, bring headlights.

-It is not a good idea to go on a ride alone. Had I been alone when I crashed I expect it would have taken me at least two hours longer to reach help.

That's all for now. I'm working on some pictures for you all to enjoy...