The following is Kelsey’s journal entry of the mountaintop rescue. This story tells much of what happened while I was in and out of consciousness, a “crazy” dynamic missing from my version of the story. If you’re just tuning in, be sure to read my story (starting with A Slow Pitch to Karma). The discussion will continue next week.
Kelsey’s Story
A sunny Sunday morning. The perfect day for hiking with friends, and we were conquering a big one. Preparations had been made by leaving a car at the mouth of the canyon we planned to end our hike in, and we had plans to hitch-hike down once we crossed this beautiful peak. Our journey started up the trail, and once we made our turn-off, things became decidedly steeper. They stayed that way until the very top. Dan, Reuben, and I were troopers, though, and we made it to the top without too many hiccups. Our good friend, Mr. Pearce, was having some leg cramps towards the peak but was able to carry on.
Our reward for climbing this 6 mile, steep devil was the most breath-taking view I have ever seen. At this point, we were all very excited to have reached the top, and stayed a while to take pictures and enjoy the view.
Once we began to move down the other side of this mountain, it became apparent that Dan’s leg cramps were getting worse. We took it slowly, fifty to a hundred feet at a time, and took breaks but not much was helping. We even called Noah’s mom at one point and asked her to google some charlie-horse remedies, but the best we could come up with was bite your lower lip or massage your upper one. Neither of which did any good. We were now down to our last 2 bottles of liquid- one bottle of water and one bottle of Gatorade. We pushed the Gatorade through Dan, and he decided that he would like to try and push through his cramps so that we wouldn’t get into a bad situation by running out of water. Doesn’t sound like the best idea to me, I’d said. “What’s the worst that could happen? If it doesn’t work we’ll just be stopping again anyway.” Famous last words, Mr. Pearce.
So Dan pushes along a few hundred feet, the whole time muttering words of encouragement to himself and willing his legs to work. Then he moans and collapses on the side of the trail. His legs were completely seized up. Reuben sat with him for a few minutes while I hiked up to find some shade, and I found a good place a little ways up the trail. Reuben went back towards the peak to get some better cell service to call Search and Rescue, and I helped Dan to the shady spot.
He plopped down in the weeds and didn’t look good at all. “Kelsey, I’m sorry, but I just put on my blogger-hat and I think you need to take a picture of me dying.” Oh, Dan. So, I got his camera and snapped a couple shots. “OK, I think I got some good ones…” here Dan starts mumbling and looking really pained. I quickly ditch the camera and kneel down. “Dan, what did you say?” I ask.
His head lolls a bit and I could just make out, “I think something…”
“You think something…?”
“I… I think something…” Out. Dan’s head falls to his shoulder and he passes out.
I slap him lightly and call his name. His eyes pop open and stare into mine, but he’s not really looking at me. He’s not really seeing anything. I try to ask him questions- what’s wrong, what’s he feeling, but he can’t answer me. He’s just looking at me with dead eyes. I call out to Reuben some couple hundred feet away on the phone with Search and Rescue. “Reuben! Something is wrong with Dan! Really wrong!”
“Ok,” he responds, but continues his conversation at the peak.
I think Kelsey is a brave Rock of a FRIEND!! She obviously loves you and knows you well. It was a good thing she was there, and Reuben, too. Thank God for having the Right people in the Right place at the Right time!! The only thing I think I would have added is that I would have been praying to God the whole time, myself...cuz He's the One who always walks me through the difficult stuff and settles me down with Peace when a situation is potentially overwhelming. ♥
Next time I go hiking, I want Kelsey along!!! Scary. So glad you have such awesome friends!
I really liked having her addition to the story and DAN PEARCE you should send that woman some flowers, because if it weren't for her you could have walked off a cliff. Thanks to Kelsey for sharing her journal.
Wow. This is amazing and frightening. Y'all did such a great job getting through this ordeal. And thankfully Dan is okay. That had to have been terrifying.
As a former EMT, in Colorado, I have to say that Kelsey did a good job at staying calm. Thank goodness you had cell phones that got a signal to reach SAR. In the future, I would recommend water during the hiking and the Gatorade afterwards. That and maybe not hiking in such high heats! Please take care!
Wow ! Keep in mind your brain was low on water and over heated and that would cause your hallucinations. I don't think the lady in the woods was anything but a sign that your brain was being slowing cooked and drying out. I have had heat stroke and have been so sun burnt it was coincided to be secondary burns. I have learned to stay out of the sun and keep my activity low key when its very hot. I think you get a very clear look at how serious your situation was with Kelsey's story. I'm glad she shared it.
Wow - I can't imagine how scary it would be to see a good friend talking like you were talking. It sounds like you've got some good friends, Dan!!
You have the most amazing friends! Wow!!!! I hope that if I were ever in that situation, either in your place or in her's, that I would have such amazing people with me and be able to keep my cool. So glad everyone is okay.
Glad you and your friends made it down ok.... I tried to make it up to Mt Adams over here and discovered I get altitude sickness... I started bawling and hyperventilating halfway up the last stretch out of nowhere. It was my bodies way of sucking in the oxygen it was being deprived of... I had heard of and read about altitude sickness, but don't we all believe it won't happen to me? Crazy how our body's will do what they have to, to keep itself alive... The things we learn when living, huh? ;)
glad everyone got off the mountain and are doing better. Kind of scary about the women in the woods. Spooky.
Isn't it interesting to watch from the "real" side, when you know there is so much more going on with the woman in the woods than we can ever know. I've been lost on what turned into 12 hour hikes, with no cell phone reception at all. It changes your perception very quickly about life in general. So glad you had your friends, and search and rescue, and even the woman in the woods. :)
You probably kept him from going off with the "woman", good job Kelsey and Rueben. Good friends, keep them.
wow ...just..wow
I read someplace that if someone is in trouble physically, near death, and they start talking like you describe,...it you'd left so the women could come get Dan...she probably would have. So Kelsey probably saved Dan's life. I wondered in the story how 2 of 3 hikers were ok and Dan was so extremely not OK. Reading Dan's post about discovering an underlying medical condition that had gone unnoticed makes sense now. Better to have discovered that in the ER than in the morgue. I'm so glad you all made it out safely. Your 5 blogs so far have done a lot to educate people. You did a lot of things right, and a few things went wrong. Thanks for sharing.
I read someplace that if someone is in trouble physically, near death, and they start talking like you describe,...it you'd left so the women could come get Dan...she probably would have. So Kelsey probably saved Dan's life. I wondered in the story how 2 of 3 hikers were ok and Dan was so extremely not OK. Reading Dan's post about discovering an underlying medical condition that had gone unnoticed makes sense now. Better to have discovered that in the ER than in the morgue. I'm so glad you all made it out safely. Your 5 blogs so far have done a lot to educate people. You did a lot of things right, and a few things went wrong. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, What an adventure! I glad you are safe and sound and made it home to Noah! I have to ask one question though; did you really dream of a this "women" in the past? or was it all a hallucination?
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/dual-survival/videos http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/man-woman-wild/ for when you go and try again ... : )
I know this was a horrible and horrifying experience in the middle of it, but since everything turned out okay and no one has any lasting damage, I can't help but laugh.
Good grief! So glad it all worked out and that you have such wonderful friends who stick by your side during life's more hairy moments!
Wow. You were trippin' big time! Glad you're okay.