The National Park Angels

Along the Hole in the Rock Road a pre-dawn light filled the sky with high fidelity streaks of purples, pinks, and striking cloud formations. West of us blue shadows hugged the Kaiparowits Plateau of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, and three times I pulled the 4-Runner to capture landscape photographs with Jonathan Hart who was with me for some post production training.

More miles down a wash board road to Twenty-Five Mile Wash and the Peek-a-Boo Canyon trail, our ultimate destination. We spent a few minutes rigging up our back packs, doing camera checks, and headed down a steep trail of slick-rock and sand. Light was ascending in the east and shadow details sneaked out from the rocks and sparse cedars. All was going well and then two thirds down trail I stepped on a patch of sand covered slick-rock, spun, and crashed onto the unforgiving granite.  Within seconds I knew the day was over. Sharp pain in my left hip, unable to move my left leg, unable to sit up, labored breathing were all indicators of something broken or severely bruised. Jonathan, who has many years of experience leading Outward-Bound Classes and Cross-Country Bike Tours took all the appropriate actions— back pack removal, position stabilization, situational awareness checks, and water, were all critical tasks as we were many miles from help.

Laying there, unable to move and seeing more sky then ground, I realized I would need significant medical help. I could not stay here, and I began to contemplate if there was something that could be fashioned into a crutch that would allow me push or drag my way up the one-mile granite slope. There was not— but an Angel arrived instead, and then many more.

Moments later Kayla and Carson Wright came down the rock face. Kayla is an ER RN and works in a Level One Trauma Center in Charleston WVA, and Carson is a hydrologist. They are an outdoor couple and spend their free time camping, hiking and capturing our amazing national parks with their cameras. But they were so much more— Kayla was an on-site Angel, and Carson jumped in to help Jonathan.

While Kayla examined and worked to keep me comfortable Carson and Jonathan hiked out to reach a 911 signal at the top of the mesa. Another hiker joined in, and hiked back up to guide the Sheriff’s Rescue Deputy.  The level of outdoor community support in the National Park and BLM back country is truly unmatched. As a landscape art photographer, I know you can roll up to any trail head, crag, or mountainside and form friendships in minutes that will last a lifetime, and so it was here. Other hikers came down the slope too, Carson ran up canyon and down to bring Tylenol. A 1000 mg of commercial pain killer never felt so good as it moderated the pain. Soon we had a community of hikers holding me in place under Kayla’s direction. As outdoor people do many gathered around to talk about the fall, offer help, and discuss photography. To keep my mind off the pain I gave directions to others heading for Peek-A-Boo until Sheriff Budnick arrived. His quick assessment told us that I needed a rescue helicopter and he launched the call.

It was not long before another Angel arrived, this one with rotary wings, a Classic Air Medical Team helicopter began to circle above us in search for a landing zone (LZ). Since we were on a rock face, landing close by was not possible and the Pilot tucked the helicopter into a sandy draw down canyon.  RNs Terry and Mary hiked up the canyon from the LZ with a liter and medical supplies. They scrambled over the slick rock and found plenty of help from the hikers/photographers to slide me onto the stretcher board. Fentanyl or maybe it was morphine along with other meds was pumped in through an IV and the pain subsided to a tolerable Level 3. After securing me and doing the all-important vitals the S&R team and Volunteers grabbed onto the stretcher and bit by bit hoisted me over craggy rock faces and down onto the sandy trail. It was a long hike out and each of the Angles took turns with the stretcher carry. Brush slipped by and I could hear voices on each side encouraging each other, giving directions to step over this, dodge that and sense their heavy breathing as the rescue team worked their way to the helicopter. I could only see straight up and through a pain killing fog I noted incredible white clouds and it was then that I knew more than one Angel was watching over me. Onto the snug helicopter stretcher I went, and I remember the Classic Air Medical Team, putting the headset over my ears and telling me we had a 45-minute trip to the Cedar City Utah Hospital. Dust surrounded us for a few minutes as the air ambulance lifted out of ground effect, then higher, and finally, we were headed west over snowcap mountains. Time evaporated into the clouds and pain meds and then I sensed our gradual descent and finally a gentle thump as we touched down on the ER pad at Cedar City Hospital.

The Air Ambulance door opened, and I was able to turn my head and the team awaiting me reminded of the Med Evac Troops in Mash 401. They whisked me into the ER and after more IV and X-rays, it seemed that with a time fraction too short to recall, I was introduced to Dr. Nakken, Orthopedic Surgeon, a man with a reassuring posture and voice full of confidence. “This is a bad hip break; its serious business, but we will get you back out on the trail, because it’s what I do.” Onto the snug helicopter stretcher I went, and I remember RN Tracey putting the headset over my ears and telling me we had a 45-minute trip to the Cedar City Utah Hospital. Dust surrounded us for a few minutes as the air ambulance lifted out of ground effect, then higher, and finally, we were headed west over snowcap mountains. Time evaporated into the clouds and pain meds and then I sensed our gradual descent and finally a gentle thump as we touched down on the ER pad at Cedar City Hospital.

The Air Ambulance door opened, and I was able to turn my head and the team awaiting me reminded of the Med Evac Troops in Mash 401. They whisked me into the ER and after more IV and X-rays, it seemed that with a time fraction too short to recall, I was introduced to Dr. Nakken, Orthopedic Surgeon, a man with a reassuring posture and voice full of confidence. “This is a bad femur break; its serious business, but we will get you back out on the trail, because it’s what I do.”

I woke up in Pac U and then a transfer to Med-Surge and a team of wonderful nurses. Things were a bit of a blur that first day until the afternoon when I had two visitors- Kayla and Carson Wright with a bag of goodies.

Today I am in Stonehenge Rehabilitation and doing all the things I need to do with the therapy teams so that one day soon— I can get back out there.

I want to take a moment to recognize all the Angels who helped when help was needed most.

Jonathan Hart, Kayla Wright, Carson Wright, Chris Seesuh, Matt Pulsifer, Lisa Mattson, Andie Mattson, Deputy Dunson, Terry Conover, Brad Hawker, and Mary.

I am sure we have missed some, but we would like to thank every single one of you. Please let us know if your name is not spelled correctly.