Late March or early April, I am thinking it was…
It all started with wanting to go for a ride. I was bored with working in the garden, preparing for the early planting. About then, the phone rang and it was Kel asking if I wanted to take a run up to the West Fork. “Sure!” He didn’t have to ask me twice! As we prepared to leave, it became evident my dog, Bill would not be able to come along. I recall him whining up a fuss.
Kelly had a small mining project on a piece of land up there. So, off we went in Kel’s Jeep. It was about 50 degrees out, but by the time we went all the way up to the cabin it seemed a lot cooler. I had worn a light jacket, just thinking I was along for the ride. Kel quickly finished his work at the mine and we decided to head back down.
The nearby West Fork was looking swift and cold. It was too early for trout season, but I recall there was a place just east of the lake where yours truly would stand and cast down stream during trout season. So, being the adventurous type, I decided to climb down the bank and perch upon a big rock. What a day to sit out and just enjoy the scenery! Kel obliged me and got the food we brought, and the two of us settled down to eat PB&J (one of Kel’s favorites). The water was swift, and boy did it look cold!
We were there about 20 minutes and I was getting too cold to stay out, and told Kel I was going up to the Jeep. He was trying to feed some little critter he saw scampering around, and said he’d be along in a second. He was sitting in my path so I had to climb across him to get to the Jeep. I was in the water before I even knew what happened! Kelly had chosen that exact moment to decide to come too, and stood up sending me flying!
I hit the creek like a ten ton truck! Once in the swift water, my survival skills kicked in, and I gathered myself as I floated downstream ‘til it flattened out about 25 yards down stream. I made it to the side. Kel was calling after me and running. When he finally fished me out, I was shivering and stumbling and my lips were blue. Kel retrieved a sleeping bag from the Jeep and wrapped me up. Then he made a fire. No bleeding injuries, but in the semi darkness, it was hard to see the scrape up the whole side of my hip. It stung like mad! Wrapped in the sleeping bag and warming by that fire Kel put together, I finally got warm. He kept saying he was sorry, he felt so bad.
It could have been a tragedy for sure. For us situations often presented themselves in the outdoors. We learned how to handle ourselves in the wild so to speak. We shared our experiences with each other and learned through what if’s. The bruises took about 10 days to go away, and the broken finger still gives me trouble.
Kel is gone now, of course, but the one thing he did do was teach me how to help myself when things like that happened. Also, my good friend Wayne had taught me how to avoid panic when falling into a river. Wayne’s lessons helped get me safely to the bank that day and Kel’s quick responses helped me avoid hypothermia. Thanks Wayne, thanks Kel…You were good mentors. It pays to take survival classes… anything that gives one an advantage when something comes up! It pays to surround yourself with strong, smart people comfortable in the wilderness. Oh, I milked that incident for a good many years, letting Kel know he almost cost me my life…he would wave his hand in a dismissive way and say, ‘Yeah, yeah’. Love and misses to those strong men.
Creekwalker
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