Until someone gets hurt – Part 2

Dear Faithful Blog Reader,

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt at the ADVrider Fuzzy Beaver Rally.

The morning started with a cold but pleasant ride up to the overlook.  As I’m coming down the mountain, something doesn’t feel right.  The only thing that changed is David put some air in my tires.  As always, I have too little tire pressure.  The front brakes are sticking so I automatically think it’s the lever getting caught in the bark buster.  I bang up and down on the bark buster.  No change.  I give it a couple of squeezes, it seems to be stopping the bike okay.  As I progress down the hill, the bike feels like it’s fighting me more and more but I don’t know why.  I round the corner (a left hander into the mountain thank goodness) and a car is pulled over to kindly yield the bikes.  I give the front just a tiny squeeze and the next thing I know, I’m on the ground.  The entire front brake locked up, tucked the front and pitched me over the bike but to the side at the same time.  I’m not sure exactly what happened but there was some contact with my left leg.  Perhaps the bike slammed down on my leg first and then the two of us parted ways.  The next rider behind me carefully scoots around my downed bike.  Jeff, the sweeper appears on the scene and thinks I was hit by the car.  At this point, I’m laying in front of the stopped car and the bike is close to the edge of the cliff.  Read on for the rest of the story…

Yours truly,

The Antirider Rider

The fellas immediately jump into action.  Evidently my front brake was engaged the whole time and is so hot that the plastic rotor cover has melted off.  If you look carefully, you can see where Mike is pulling the melted cover off the bike.

These kind ladies Flora and Daphne are on a genealogy trip and stop to help.

Mike, Jeff, and Jerry stay with me.

Our ride leader Blue returns to help.

They prop up a helmet behind my back so I have something to lean on.

Jeff inspects the bike as Jerry looks.

Jeff and Mike rest along the mountain and some other bikers stop to offer help.

Daphne and Flora made it up to the overlook and transport me back down the mountain by car instead of bike.  Everyone is standing around the car trying to decide what to do.

I’m just sitting in the car alone trying to rest my leg.  At this point, I couldn’t put any weight on my left leg and had to be carried.

We are in the middle of nowhere.  The closest hospital is 20 minutes away but our campground is closer to an hour the opposite way.  Brian is brought up to help ride my bike back down the mountain.

Mitchell is chosen as the ambulance with the most comfortable pillion.  I get to ride in style to the closest hospital which interestingly enough is in Tennessee.

They transfer me to a wheelchair and I’m still in gear and holding my stuff.

The nurse has to take off my shin guards and full motocross boots.  With it being so cold, I have on two layers of Under Armor tights and padded bicycle shorts under my Joe Rocket ballistic over pants.  I think the nurse is surprised by how much gear and clothing I have.

After a very painful process, I am able to take off my boots and tights.

The nurse helps me take a dramatic photo as I’m all hooked up on the machines.

Kevin (Mike Honcho) and Turner arrive to see what’s going on.  Mitchell stays the whole time to make sure I’m okay.

Dr. Doogie and the x-ray technician tell me there’s a reason I’m hurting.

The x-ray on the left shows the clean break in the bottom third of the tibia.  Perhaps the motocross boots saved my ankle.  Even all that gear won’t save the leg if the bike drops on it.

Turner, Mitchell, and Kevin are just getting to know me and are surprised by pedicure and lotion comments.

The Japanese tourist is documented with her leg broken.

Dr. Doogie tells the fellas the situation.  See my nice red toe nail polish.

The nurse and doctor and put me in a temporary splint until the swelling goes down.

I’m getting lessons on how to use crutches.  This is my first time.

I get back to the camp ground and meet Frank who tells us of his TAT travels.

Jason arrives bearing gifts of gummy bears!  Evidently he and Kevin have some adventures back in the dirt to get the truck.  They haul my bike back and run to the hospital.  Unfortunately he misses me leaving the hospital by 5 minutes.  Life with spotty cell service is hard especially when everything is over an hour apart.

We all finally reunite when David, Mark, Kevin, and Bob return.

Here I am with Mark and bundled up with my pink lemonade and gummy bears.

People start returning to the campground from the day’s ride.

It’s as if the crutches make me look like a child or is it the red hat?

Turner is in charge of the fire.

Everyone gathers round to watch the trials bike at the former Jeep rock garden.

See Bob on the trials bike

David on the trials bike

Jason on the trials bike

The crew unloads the beer.

Mark enjoys the warmth of the bonfire.

The store had four nice hot showers, washers, and dryers.

Grub is served with some tasty fudge brownies!   Danny and his family did a great job hosting us at Crawford’s Campgrounds in Murphy, NC.

Kevin allows me the honor of drawing names for the raffle.

It’s bonfire time!

Andrew must have started early because around 8pm, he’s asleep on the bench.  The only way you could tell he’s there is by the snoring!

I’m trying to dry my splint by the fire.

The next morning, the bikes are ready to roll.

The trials bike are out.

Home sweet home at least for a couple of nights.

The campground and me and my crutches.

Kevin (Wicked Thunder) is eating the breakfast of champions.  He said he couldn’t resist buying the Cheetos because they were only $2!  Kevin teaches us the word for “annoying inconsiderate Harley riders”.

We’re chilling while Mark is tidying up.  Kevin yells to Mark, “Let us know when you’re almost done so we can come help you!”

Mark has a new friend and also a dry sac thanks to the raffle winnings.

We catch Bubba relieving himself outside.

David represents the home town crew by winning the Trail 81 challenge!  He wins a purse… not a cash purse.

The six hour ride home was excruciating as my broken leg was only lightly wrapped in a splint.  Lunch is my favorite Cracker Barrel with a side of pain meds.  Now this is a lunch of champions!

A big thanks goes out to the entire ADVrider community for coming together at the Fuzzy Beaver Rally to help especially:

• Jerry, Mike, and Jeff for sitting with me at the accident site
• Blue for coming back to help and coordinate the other folks to get me and my bike
• Daphne and Flora for transporting me down the mountain
• Brian Mahoney for riding my bike down the mountain
• Mitchell for being my two wheeled ambulance and sitting with me at the hospital
• Kevin (Mike Honcho) and Turner for coming to the hospital to help
• Jeff for taking me back to the campground and having to pick me up everywhere
• Kevin (Wicked Thunder) and Jason for riding back to get the truck to load up my bike

Our two wheeled community is truly the best because it took all those people to come together to get one gal with a broken leg back home safely.  Not only did everyone make it happen but they all did it with a smile!  Thank you again!