Coyote Gulch ---> Surgery

Coyote Gulch

We squished in the car, packed all our bags and drove to Escalante. The trip was supposed to be 3 days of fun and excitement in the beautiful Coyote Gulch. A memorable spring break trip. That wasn't what happened.

This is what it was like before.

Chris, Nick, Kim, Alaina, Me, Christine and Jake

Then Jake decided to step funny, carry too much weight and be a complete idiot and we ended up with a torn ACL and one messed up meniscus. 

This is the after.

Jake somehow screwed his knee up to the max. We went to the tiny clinic in Escalante, UT. The couldn't do anything but prescribe pain killers. We picked up the pain killers. We went to a doctor in SLC. He couldn't do anything but take x-rays. We talked to a doctor at The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital. He wasn't a surgeon. We talked to the surgeon. We had to wait a few days for surgery. So finally, April 3rd rolled around and Jake was able to get surgery on his damned knee.

So instead of an ideal spring break trip, I ended up driving this cripple to and from SLC, around Logan and taking care of him post surgery. I shouldn't complain, we spent a lot of quality time together. And, by quality, I mean drugged up time. He was a great patient and I'd like to think I was a decent nurse.  Surgery went fantastically. He was in a full leg/no movement brace for about a week. Then crutches along with physical therapy and now he is almost back to normal. I'm glad he got it done - I can't imagine the pain. But what a lousy way to spend the spring and early summer.

The sexiest shorts at the doctors office. Visit one.

Pre surgery. Obviously not on drugs yet.

Also pre-surgery, although it's hard to tell.

Showing off the swollen/shaved knee and hospital gown.

Ready to rock this surgery.

This is real. Messed up on the drugs. He looks dead, but not really.

And this is the first week after. Swollen had gone down but the bruising was gnarly and the smell... well just say I'm a fan of showers.

Spring Break 2010

Havasupai Backpacking Trip
(the pictures are in backwards order)

Out of the Canyon after a great few days

The group on our way out

Havasu Falls



Family pictures, below Mooney Falls

Walking down river - it was like neverland

On top of Mooney Falls

In camp- group stretch after a long day of hiking

Navajo Falls

Going into Supai Village

At the top of the canyon, before we started

Stopping at the Hoover Dam

Spring Break 2010 brought a great adventure. The inital planning was quite involved but finally we got a group together and took off with all 6 of us in a truck and headed to northern Arizona. We passed over the Hoover Dam and had a tourist moment and checked out the lake and dam.

We slept the night in a hotel before our trip and got everything ready to go in the morning. We got up early and headed to the trailhead. It was pretty cool to know that we were going to be into the Grand Canyon. The hike down was steep switchbacks for about 2 miles then another 6 to the little town of Supai. It was probably close to a 3rd world country. There were small little holmes with yards that were just dirt with lots of garbage. It was a beautiful backdrop, but a village that the natives lived in. A strange place indeed.

After the village is another easy two miles to the campground. We got into the campground and found a site that seemed to work for us. We had to move a picnik table to a cleared out area, but it worked for the 6 of us. We set up tents and our kitchen, filled our bottles with spring water and stretched before crashing after a long day.

The next day we went to Mooney Falls and Havasu Falls. The water was blue and beautiful and the weather was great. We hiked down the side of the canyon to the bottom of Mooney Falls. Then we waded down the river. After that we hiked up to the Havasu Falls.

That night we played card games and told crazy stories. The next day we got up and out of camp by 7 am. We hiked out through the river bed and up the steep switchbacks. Then we got in the truck and headed to Vegas for much needed showers. We stayed with a friend and had some delicious food and great beds.

All in all it was a pretty sweet spring break! I hope next years is just as adventurous.