What an ordeal today was. I left camp at 6:30 this morning with an Outdoorsmans Optics Pack fairly loaded down with 10X EL's on a Manfretto Carbon tripod in my hand. My destination was just over a mile into the Wilderness are to locate the two pigs I saw last weekend.
I was about 400 yards in when I stepped on a baseball sized rock on my right foot and lost my footing. Next thing I knew I was laying flat out and my ankle hurt. I looked over and saw my foot bent at 90 degrees to my ankle and thought god don't tell me I just broke my ankle! I laid there for a minute to regain some composure and then sat up, grabbed my foot by the ankle and bent it straight. After a couple of more minutes of cussing myself I thought, I hope I have cell service.
I did and texted my son. A few minutes goes by and I call him but it went to voicemail so I called his mother and told her what just happened. She was out making her rounds on the Salt River Res when they farm cotton and went and woke up my son. The left Mesa about 8:45 and headed my way. I used my tripod as a hiking stick and started back toward the road. About an hour and 100 yards later I found a large flat rock and sat down to rest. My ankle was really uncomfortable and felt like it had pressure on it. After 30 minutes I got up and lost my balance and came down on the ankle. I then figured that it might be best to wait there and took my pack off and drank a little water. I was concerned that if I ate anything and had to poop I might not be able to. They text me when they were leaving Wickenburg and then a while later when the left the pavement. When they got to my camp my ex stayed there and packed it op including a 10x14 Kodiak. When My son got to me it was about 11. He gave me some crutches they borrowed from a friend and he took my pack and out we went. It took 90 minutes to cover about 300 yards not having a clue on how to use crutches. The last 50 feet was downhill and my son went ahead to get his truck and move it closer. I was about 20 feet from the fence and one crutch slipped on the loose gravel and I crumbled like a house of cards landing on my side and sliding about six feet. It took me a few minutes to get up but at least I didn't do any more damage to my foot. I finally made it to Banner Desert about 4:30 and after about a 30 minute wait go in to see a doctor. They managed to get the Under Armour boot off but cut the Smart Wool sock. My ankle was pretty swollen and there was a black and blue streak in the arch but I could move my toes. They took a few xrays and then gave me an IV so naturally since they were doing an IV i thought I was getting admitted they also took some blood. They were going to give me morphine but I said no as the pain was bearable. They did give me saline and Toridol for the swelling. 90 minutes after the xray the doctor came over and said the foot was fractured on both sides and was either dislocated or broken on the top, I don't remember the actual term. He also said I would need to have surgery and gave me the name of an orthopedic surgeon to call o Monday. I finally got home at about 10. My son stopped and bought a LIttle Caesers Pie and helped me get settled in. The pizza was the first thing I had to eat since last night. Glad to be home and my niece is flying down in the morning to nurse me for a couple of days then my sister will come down for the rest of the week. Definately stinks but on the upside I didn't make it all the way back to where I wanted to go and get hurt because there isn't cell service there. Thanks to Big Browns, Del, Flatlander and One Ugly Dude for reaching out.
