5:27 p.m., Wednesday the 26th
Wow, that Timp hike proved to be quite an adventure. The closer I got to the top, the more I wanted to get to the top, as I got more and more exhausted. It didn't occur to me that if I got up there too late, I was going to lose daylight on the way down. It didn't occur to me because I wasn't in my right mind. What with the altitude, exhaustion, and I was badly dehydrated. (Missed the last spring on the way up.) So I summitted at 5:00 p.m., and things were so bad by then that for every 25 yards I hiked, I had to sit down for a considerable rest. My brother (Derek) observed this during my descent, he was waiting for me in the High Meadows and he could see me once I crossed the Saddle. He could see me struggling and long story short, search and rescue was called. They met up with us in the Middle Meadows and by then, I was quite beat up. My legs were rubbery and I couldn't stand up without help.
Earlier, Derek hiked up from the High Meadows to rescue me. By then I had slipped on the snow, and slid down to a ledge where I could not see the trail. Once he started yelling my way, I saw him on the trail, and with some difficulty was able to make my way down to him. He took me to that last spring, and got me a bunch of water. I tell you, water never tasted so good. But after that, he was a slave driver. He was totally freaking about the waning daylight, and wanted us to get to this or that point before it was gone. He did have a flashlight, but it was going to be Hell trying to get down. Well actually it was Hell. At one point my legs got so rubbery that I just collapsed. And even after Derek helped me stand again, I just immediately collapsed again. I couldn't get my legs to work. He was freaking so bad, it was a terrifying moment. Finally I was able to stay standing -- barely -- and we continued our descent.
I felt funny about accepting help from search and rescue, but once they met up with us, man were they a godsend. I've never had so much attention lavished on me. They were all standing around me (while I sat on a rock), asking me questions about how I was doing, and running various tests on me. They removed my shirt, and replaced it with a sweatshirt. Then they accompanied us the rest of the way down, and whenever I had to step down a rocky step, one or two of them would take my arm/s or hand/s and assist me. And they were totally cool about it all, they were super nice. They gave me (and Derek) lots of words of encouragement.
They would have carried me down in a stretcher, but luckily the assistance they gave was enough. So we made it to the bottom in one piece. I just had a massive cut on my left hand (from falling down), and the skin torn off my elbows (from sliding down the snow). And my arms were badly sunburned, that's the biggest problem I'm having at the moment. I can't even rest them on my computer desk without it hurting. But the important thing is that we got down, safely, and the minor injuries will heal in due time. My legs still hurt, and I am moving around like a cripple, but they're not so rubbery like they were before.
All in all, that hike was the hardest thing I've ever done. Ever. I was totally out of shape for it, a hike of 15 miles round trip, summitting at 11750 feet above sea level. I was really glad to make the summit this one last time -- but I wouldn't want to do it again. My days of summitting on Timp are over.
I'd tell you more details, but I want to get this entry posted before dinner. I guess we are having takeout from a really good Thai place. I'll take it.
en.wikipedia.org
Sounds like an interesting cover of a classic theme. I have put it on my movies-to-see list.
