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andy_lemon
Jun 17, 2003, 8:37 AM
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Registered: Sep 7, 2001
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[brown]So much for the gathering... most were scared off by access issues, the others were scared off by rain. However we still had a turnout.[/brown]
DAY 1 (Friday the 13th)
I arrived around 2pm with no one around. Not a sole in the campground area. I started to set up my tent and tarp contraption that consists of 2 tarps, cordellete and some electrical conduent that I purchased at Lowes for the poles. MHR shows up at around 2:45. We finished setting up camp and went climbing, which was mostly wet. When we returned to camp we ate a hearty meal (MRE's rock your dome) and started drinking. Around 10pm a co-worker of mine, Chad Frederick, at Vertical Excape Climbing Gym in E-ville showed up with his chick. They joined in on the drinking and then we crashed. Nothing bad happened to us on Friday the 13th, we then thought the whole Friday the 13th thing was a mith...
DAY 2 (Day of the Epic)
After a night of off and on showers we woke up and started looking for some dry climbing around 10:30 a.m. We arrived underneath an overhang, a favorite spot of mine at Jackson, and Chad prepared for a lead on a 10b-ish route. It was then that he took off his shirt and we realized he had been bitten by a tick a week or so ago. A big huge red welp was left behind... he shrugs it off and starts climbing. He was doing good until the 3rd clip where he ran into a few sloppy wet holds. He wipped about 15ft and hit the rock hard. His ankle broken... keep in mind now, we are in a canyon. So we rap his foot, trying to brace it to the best of our medical abilities, preparing him for a long and tough accent out of the canyon. However, a friend of mine on horseback, Roger Bailey, was guiding a group through the canyon. We asked if he could carry Chad out of the canyon via horseback. Of course, being the nice guy that he is, he said yes. We loaded Chad on the back of the horse, where they carried him out of the canyon to a spot 3 miles up the road from the main parking lot. We hiked out 2 miles back to our trucks and met them about an hour later. At our rendevoue point one of the horsemen said to Chad (who works with me at a climbing gym), "Your not very good at your job, are you?" It was then we sent Chad and his chick on the way to the hospital.
Me and MHR went back and hiked around the canyon, stopping to take a breather by the North Falls which was running strong and beautiful as ever. We headed back to E-ville around 6pm-ish. On the way out of Jackson I believe a passed a few more rc.com'ers. If all goes according to schedule I will see them tommorrow night around 8pm. See you all back here on the net Wednesday-ish, I must now return to my lifestyle of dirtbagging.
UPDATE: Chad's ankle is broken and in a cast... he also was diagnosed with early symptoms of lime desease.
Sunday
Well, I worked, so I don't know if anyone showed or not but they were not there when I arrived Sunday night, like I said I would.
Monday (day of the Copperhead)
Christie, Rusticus (my dog) and me, all out for an adventurous day of climbing and bouldering. We started out bouldering hoping a few climbs would dry. Anyhow, on our way to rope up my dog gets bit on the right side of his nose by a copperhead... I suck out the poison, spitting blood all over the ground. I never did this before but you sure can tell a difference in the thickness of blood when it is a normal bleed compared to a bleed that has snake poison in it (its thinner, like juice). So we practically run to the north falls from Mr. Jimmy area opting for the quicker rope access rather than the dog walk (our normal decent and accent out of the canyon with our companion). We raise him up the rope, head popping out of Christie's backpack. Then run to camp, where I had locked my tent with a Brink's padlock, locking my truck keys in the tent, and also locking the padlock's key in my truck. I quickly wipped out my Ontario knife and made a slit in the side of my tent, cutting a whole through the mesh, right above where my keys were located. We raced to Ozark General Store where we recieved directions to the closest vet... Vienna. Before our arrival, Rusticus's right eye gets this thick sheet of glaze over it, looking like another layer of eye, he is also getting dazed, wanting to pass out as soon as we stop screaming at him to keep him awake, even then, he is passing out on us. His gums were turning colors... We arrived at the vet in Vienna were he was given a couple of shots. In ten minutes he was taking a shit on the vet's lawn and chasing other dogs around the clinic. The vet loaded us up with medicacian and handed us our bill for 50 bucks. We then returned, tired, sad, irritated, loaded with emotion, confused still as to what just happened and what could have happened. We took down our tent and cleaned our gear, headed back to E-ville where I'm sitting here eating a piece of my delivery pizza, watching our movie rental, and making my dog a drug addict.
UPDATE: Rusticus's nose is still swollen from the bite but the Vet assured us that he would live to see another day. We have to return him to our local vet in a couple of weeks for a liver test (poison works the liver hard, too hard at times).
Pictures of my friends broken ankle horse ride, and my dogs snake bitten bloody fang holed nose to come soon!!!
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justsendingits
Aug 14, 2003, 2:00 PM
Post #2 of 3
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Registered: Dec 29, 2001
Posts: 1070
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Wow Andy that was quite a TR.
Were u guys doing Bob Marley when he fell??I have done that route in the rain,there are some wet spots.
Dogs are always getting bit down thjere by snakes,Holy boulders is even worse,and even worse yet is my new secret area.
Glad your friend and your dog are ok.
R
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missedyno
Aug 14, 2003, 3:31 PM
Post #3 of 3
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Registered: Nov 21, 2001
Posts: 4465
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oh my! i hope everyone is healing up okay... i understand why it was an epic fest.... considering the epics i get to put myself in the middle of, may we never meet else it could be the end of the world. :)
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