I was climbing up between the volcano and the pad through the grasslands, at lunch time on Fri 9/15, when I came upon a bearded dude in a tractor and someone in a 1/2 ton pickup. Beardman was nice but told me I needed to head north.

Should’ve ignored him. Rode CCW around the volcano and crashed HARD coming down the fun rutted fall line on the southwest side of the volcano.

Long story short. Once I gained my breath, I walked down to the gravel road and rode out, drove home and managed the pain with ibuprofen. Woke up 2 am Sun unable to breath, 911, ER, four fractured ribs and left hemothorax, chest tube and five days in the hospital.

Not sure I’ll be riding the Filthy 50 at the end of October as planned…

_________________
It is not enough to fight for the West; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. -Edward Abbey

Holy bajeebus. Hope you heel up quick!

_________________
_______________________________


"it can go full porno alley"

- Kimba - One love, many bikes - 2020

That sucks.
Heal up soon.

_________________
I never would have thought that Harley would end up being my inspiration. (well..maybe a little).

avidtest


"it makes mountain biking fun again"

Ozzer

Oh sh*t!! Really sorry to hear this Aaron. I’m impressed you managed to self-rescue by riding out, as the broken rib crashes I’ve witnessed produced really intense pain. Take it easy, rest up, and maybe it will be time for a slow recovery ride with an old guy.

[I moved this over to Hurt Locker - seemed appropriate and about time I actually did a moderator job]

_________________
Thus, if we are to understand the world, we should live somewhere between judgement and amazement — Alfredo Lopez Austin

Sorry to hear about the fall - I hope you heal up soon.

I noticed those tractor marks on the fire roads by the pad last week. Where were they exactly? And what were they doing?

I bet the Gnat Catchers breading grounds loves having a giant tractor around digging up dirt.

https://maps.apple.com/?auid=1666469257 ... %20Pin&t=h

Who knows. I made a sarcastic comment along the line of, “No bikes; but tractors and pickups are good, gotcha?”

Beardman said something like, “Official Habitat Management.”

_________________
It is not enough to fight for the West; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. -Edward Abbey

F****ck! That sucks!!

Having flashbacks to broken ribs.

Too painful to squeeze out a good dump and God help you if you have to cough let alone sneeze!

Hope you recover fast with as little pain as possible.

Vitamin I (ibuprofen) is doing a decent job with controlling the steady state pain; but yeah those unexpected moments suck, for sure.

Biggest limitation at the moment is my lung capacity/recovery. Get winded with even the lightest of efforts. Gotta go at <<<50% effort. Doing breathing exercises/diaphragmatic breathing to improve/minimize strain on my ribs.

A week and a half out, gotta say I’m doing pretty good. Will likely visit the ER immediately after any future such crash as who knows what may have happened if I didn’t wake up/call 911 Sunday morning.

_________________
It is not enough to fight for the West; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. -Edward Abbey

Thanks for the link. that is a really weird place for them to be using a tractor - not ruts right at that spot to fill.....

I think someone else had it right - they are just making the fireroad wider and easy for them to drive their trucks on around the property.

Beardman is a fooling himself if he thinks bringing a tractor into an ecological reserve is Habitat Management. The hypocrasy is beyond words.

Funny how Fish n Game has no idea what the spirit of the law is verses the letter of the law.

Not sure how mobile you are but keep an eye out for cellulitis if you are getting swelling in your extremities due to the bruising you took.

Ask me how I know.

Dang, that is serious. Hope you heal up well!

_________________
"We'll ride it until they pave it."

-Big Clyde