Our summer camping trip came to an abrupt end today. Friday afternoon, while taking a hike along the Nooksack River with friends Marc and Ace, Jean tripped on a rock and planted her face into the rocks. Since we were a bit ahead of her and close to the river, we didn’t hear her cries for help. She got up off the ground, bent her glasses back in shape, and limped to where we were sitting by the river. The sight of her coming down the hill sent me reeling. It was evident that something was wrong. Her face had dark smears and her grimace conveyed to me that I needed to get up that hill. I helped her down to the river where she sat and recovered her equilibrium while we assessed the damages. With bruised and skinned eyes, nose, and forehead as well as a badly bruised rib it was apparent that we needed to get her back to camp.
Jean as she arrived back at camp.
The four of us returned to camp and Ace used her nursing skills to expertly clean Jean’s wounds and apply dressings.
Getting cleaned up
Almost done with the clean up and first aid
We iced her ribs and Jean settled in for the evening dinner with our extended clan and slept as well as could be expected that night.
Ice on the appropriate places
On Saturday she began feeling more pain in her ribs and we decided she could use an elastic bandage. We drove 30 miles to a drug store where we could get a wide elastic bandage to wrap her ribs. Doses of aspirin, ice, and some (legal in WA) hits on a vape pen with high CBD kept the pain at bay for our evening group dinner and music. This also was a celebration of our 28th wedding anniversary.
After a restless night Jean needed to return home. Therefore, at 10:00 this morning I began breaking camp and readying the trailer for our trip home. We left Mt. Baker at 11:30 and arrived home about 2:45. Jean is much more comfortable at home and a trip to our local green store provided a new vape pen. Tomorrow she will see the doctor to further assess the damages.
However, I want to leave you with some photos of a few of the beautiful things we saw since leaving civilization for the wilds of Mt. Baker. It is a wonderful area.
Tomorrow is another day!
Paul
