Tuesday, April 06, 2010

This injury is no April Fool's joke

Gorgeous conditions, but skiing cut short by back injury
I may have suffered a ski season-ending injury April 1 when I wrenched my back adjusting my bindings after a backcountry run off the "Black Forest" on Porphyry Peak.
I made one other run, off the north side of Porphyry, which probably exacerbated the injury.
My climbing partner and chiropractor Mark Hertenstein, who is treating me, says it is a "back sprain" in some lower facet joints that are swollen and causing spasms and pain.
With some luck and good snow, perhaps I'll get a run or two in again this season, but I'm really not counting on it.
I've spent five days now in deep pain and walk with difficulty.
Nonetheless, the ski trip, with Wayne Phillips and Jim Heckel, opened up a new way of looking at lift skiing.
Phillips, as always, has figured out that you can use the lift and get pretty good backcountry runs in at the same time.
He has routes off the north and south sides of Porphyry that end at the ski hill, where you pick up the lift and return to the top.
It isn't exactly an "earn your turns" kind of experience, but it gets you off the ski hill and into the backcountry quite quickly.
Unfortunately for me, the snow was absolutely perfect for backcountry that day, with about a foot of new powder. It was holding well on the north side.
It will be additionally painful to know that there are a couple of good storms headed that way this week.
Here's hoping I heal quickly!

2 comments:

Mose said...

Some joke, eh? Sorry to hear about it Tom, and I hope you're on your pins again quickly! Mose

Dave K. said...

Rotten luck, Tom; hope you're on the mend soon and ready in time for drier trails. Dave K.