Who's a leave it?? HEY! Where did that squirrel go??We had a BIG crash on the potentially best ride of the month. We were flying...the air was cool...body strong...dogs willing. We made it through the notoriously dangerous sections with no problems. I'm in charge right? Down the hill, temperatures were noticeably cooler and we had shady, fresh, sweetness surrounding us. The road levels out some in this area, but we were still heading downhill, going maybe 15-20 MPH...no brakes. Why?? It is so much more fun to go fast!! (OR would that be quickly? I am on an adverb preservation campaign, I think fast defies the rules somehow...) Anyway, the three second rule (you have just 3 seconds to prevent or react to potential catastrophes when bikejoring) went out the window, when a friendly, feisty gray squirrel jumped out, just one bike length ahead of us. We were heading west, the Squirrel was heading south. Guess where the pups went? With no time to slow or stop our drastic change in direction I did what any self preserving bikejoring enthusiast does in a situation like this; Bail OUT!! Seared into my memory is the impact of my athletically built (read 10 pounds overweight) body, hitting squarely on my right leg, which was outstretched, with no flex. BOOM! The impact was intense. I was certain my poor shin bone was history. Then the big roll....er grovel, actually, in the gravel. Once I regained my bearings and dragged the dogs and bike from the middle of the road, I discovered, to my dismay, I could not simply walk this one off. My leg in no way was going to support any weight. With some struggle I managed to remount, and had the dogs haul me back up the road a piece, until I ran into someone with a cell phone. A rescue mission ensued, complete with a trip to ER. I'm very happy (and lucky) to report no broken bones, but some severe tearing in my right leg. The ER Doc said "Stay active." Does he understand what that means to me? I snickered under my breath, trying to envision a way to ride my bike on crutches...Sigh. Three days have passed and besides the obvious pain, swelling and lack of mobility in my knee, I escaped with just minor road rash and body aches elsewhere. My motto is, "If you don't want to get hurt, don't ride!" Could it be time for a change?
On a bright and humorous note; In my recovery, I have been able to view some mushing videos I had on hand. One,"Redington; The Man Behind the Last Great Race" tells the story of Joe Redington SR, who was instrumental in the early days of the Iditarod. He ran the Iditarod for the last time at 80 years old!!!!! In this video, which features many famous and big time mushers, the story of his ascent of Mt McKinley (Denali) with dog sled, is also covered. It was a feat that had not been achieved before, and he and Susan Butcher, with the aide of another mountaineer, made it to the summit with two dog teams. When they reached the top, it was revealed that they had not formulated a plan for the descent! Going downhill with speeding dog teams is very challenging and risky.Their helper was irate! He yelled at them about hunting dogs he knew, that were under the compete control of their owners. Redington said, "Hunting dogs are taught to stop, Iditarod dogs are taught to GO!" Susan Butcher even admitted; "We can't control these dogs!" I guess I don't feel so bad now. Hey, if Susan Butcher (rest her soul) couldn't even control her dogs, I'd be crazy to think I can. Below - The Damage Done...ouch.
