Man Down!

As the year 2015 wraps up I guess it was time to pay the 'fun tax'.  While out riding the Black Canyon Trail with a couple of buddies; Ray and Eugene I went down pretty hard in a corner crashing doen on the sharp basalt rock. It's similar to lava rock. It's like riding on marbles but sharp as razors.

I wasn't feeling all that great the entire ride due to a sinus issue I have been fighting with for nearly two weeks. After about 60 miles I did start feeling better and as we turned into a fast fun single track section of the BCT I jumped out front to let it rip. I'm pretty fast downhill but as I went hot into the second corner I was down on the deck. Dick in the dirt! As soon as I hit the ground I knew I was injured to some extent. I landed on my right arm and hip with my hands on the handle bars and feet clipped in.

I performed a quick assessment taking my cycling jacket off to find my right arm with a nice gash in it. Fuck me. I got my first aid kit out as well did Ray. As soon as I got somewhat of a bandage on my bleeding arm I reached down to feel my hip..... Oh crap.... I felt a hole in my flesh. I took my Jersey off and pulled down my bib knickers to find a huge gash in my hip. Now shit was getting serious. Stay calm I told myself. Easy to say. Ha. I pulled more first aid crap out as well did Ray and I pulled the flesh together to attempt to close the wound and stop the bleeding.

With the wounds covered I called my wife Laura to tell her I had been hurt. Ray, Eugene and I conversed on the quickest way out of there...... We were closer to highway 69 than where our cars were parked down at Rock City TH. We backtracked up to a dirt road and rode down to the junction of Cordes Ranch. We saw some dudes in an ATV. We told them what was up and they offered me a ride up to the highway. They were able to strap my bike on the back and I squeezed in with the two jolly fellas. I had them drop me off at an out of business gas station where I was to wait for Laura. It seemed like an eternity waiting for her to get there. I hobbled up to the highway as I was antsy and laid along the side of the highway putting pressure on my hip wound. I wasn't ready to pass out from a loss of blood. I managed to stay calm. Going into shock was not an option.

Laura finally showed up and we made tracks to the nearest emergency room located in Prescott Valley 25 miles away. The staff at the hospital were wonderful and had me stitched up after a morphine drip. Xrays. Etc..... 20 stitches total in the arm and hip.

It could have been worse..... I've been fortunate enough to never been seriously hurt,.... Stitches and never a broken bone. Knock on wood. Be safe out there. I carry a SPOT and
various first aid items.

Here are the gory pictures Laura took. Viewer beware.