In a Battle Against Nature, Nature Always Wins

My hubby is an outdoorsy kind of guy. This never fails to surprise me, as he is normally found holed up in front of a computer monitor…but mention the word hike or canoe to him and he’s all over it.

I am not an outdoors person unless I am sitting outside reading, or behind the lens of my camera. I do enjoy going for walks, leisurely, unchallenged walks…and I enjoy swimming. Beyond that though, not a fan.

But since I am living in an area that is so abundant in ourdoorsy activities…I’ve been trying to cultivate an interest. And, as I’ve already established that I enjoy walking…hiking seemed like the best gateway activity for me. The fact that Amazon had a very awesome sale on hiking shoes a few weeks ago sealed the deal and as soon as the boots arrived, we planned a trip to Giant Ledge.

We probably should have researched this trail before setting off as this is NOT a good beginners trail, especially for someone who suffers from inner ear issues that screws with her balance (that would be moi)…and who also hates heights (holy crap, did you see those pictures on that link!). But I mustered up some bravado, pulled up my big girl panties and we took off. Slowly. Very slowly as I carefully plotted each step. 

As we inched our way up the trail, I started getting more confident…which obviously spelled disaster. Just as I thought I was kicking the trails ass, my foot slipped while trying to climb over a sizable rock…and well, my face broke my fall. Blood was everywhere. Dripped on my already beat up glasses (which miraculously survived) my hands and arms. My jeans. Somehow my shirt managed to avoid the gore…

My first reaction was to freak the eff out. I do not handle pain nor my blood very well. In the past, I have been known to pass out/throw up from much more minor things (TB tests, getting stitches removed, spraining an ankle, etc) but my big girl panties stayed on and while I cried…I managed to stay conscious and not throw up. Even when hubby announced that he did not have magical abilities that would be able to summon help and/or a quick, pain free trip back down the mountain to the car. So instead Hubby helped me clean up best as he could, and some helpful hikers gave us some extra first aid supplies. Then we turned around and painstakingly made our way down the mountain.

Of course all the confidence I had on the trail earlier was completely shattered. It was one thing to go up the mountain, but now we were going down the mountain and the threat of gravity was just too strong so I decided that I would crawl down the mountain on my ass. And yes, it took forever but I managed to get off the mountain without any more injuries. 

We then drove to the nearest ER where I was taken right in. I guess when your face is scraped up and your lips are fatter than Angelina Jolie after botox it looks super bad. Thankfully nothing was broken. My teeth however are loose so I went to see a dentist on Tuesday, and I go back on Monday. So far they are intact, but loose and out of place. I’m hoping the dentist can help as my parents spent thousands of dollars worth of orthodontia when I was a teenager, and I’d hate like hell for my teeth to be ruined after that…but I guess I’m fortunate that having a snaggle tooth is preferable to a head injury or a facial fracture. I’m also thankful that my pain has been fairly manageable…or at least nothing a few Aleve haven’t been able to keep in check. 

I will probably go hiking again…but trust me, I will be doing my research first.