 |
| Desert Willow |
Dr. K, the Heelers and I drove to the end of Geothermal Drive, parked the CR-V at the western gate and hiked up the road a piece before turning south to reach the northernmost east/west dirt road. Just after ascending the steepest climb I stepped awkwardly on a rock and lost my balance.
Tripping forward I tried in vain to get my legs and feet in front of my torso to break my fall, but in doing so propelled myself forward more quickly. I realized immediately I was going down. My old Aikido training kicked in and I rolled left, took the brunt of the impact on my folded left arm and shoulder--thereby avoiding damage to my camera inside its case--and continued the maneuver across my back. Unfortunately I was carrying a daypack with gear inside, and I felt the collision with the ground most forcefully there.
Afterward, I got up slowly with Dr. K's help. My left shoulder hurt badly, but I could move my arm without pain. My right-side rib cage felt sore, and it got worse during the rest of the trek which I refused to abbreviate. Miraculously there wasn't a speck of dirt on my camera case, proving my instinct to protect its contents had paid off.
Now (early afternoon) I feel pretty stiff and sore, mostly in the area of my ribs. I've taken several ibuprofens to alleviate the pain. I don't think I broke anything, but I sure as hell bruised myself up pretty good. The cuts and scrapes on my arms and legs have already begun to heal.
 |
| This and the next 5: Heelers |
 |
| From the northernmost east/west dirt road |
 |
| West of Tortugas Mountain |
 |
| Yucca and observatory |
 |
| Dr. K, Willow and Frio |
 |
| Br'er Rabbit's credit rating |
 |
| This and the next: Desert Willow flowers and buds |
 |
| This and the next 2: Desert Bird of Paradise |
 |
| At home in the desert |
 |
| Stages |
1 comment:
I like the photos of the beautiful desert willow flowers, Packrat. I'm glad you weren't badly hurt by your fall on the trail.
Post a Comment