Thanksgiving

It is all too easy in this day and age of intense consumerism to get caught up in the things that we don't have: the hottest car, newest electronics, best job, etc... However, this Thanksgiving as I sat in the recovery room of the Shady Grove Hospital in immense pain, I had the chance to realize just how thankful I am for what I have been blessed with. Just after waking up from surgery I was in extreme pain. In order to try and keep my mind off of the present I thought about everything that was good in my life. I have an amazingly supportive family who is always there for me. I have awesome friends who share my love for adventures and good times. I have good health, a college education and tons of ideas. Without the support of my friends and family I don't know where I would be. I want to say thank you to everyone who has played any part in my life for being who you are.

I finally decided to go through with the surgery on my foot that I have been putting off for a while in hopes it might magically get better. I have been awkwardly and painfully getting around over the last two years since my fall while climbing down at Looking Glass, NC.

So, in the final days before my surgery I decided i needed to go out and try and clear my system as much as i could. I had the chance to get out on Great Falls a lot. I got to paddle the Maryland side of the Falls at a higher level than I have ever paddled it, as well as some good days on the Virginia side. I always enjoy paddling the falls and it was just like the "good old days" of the last year or two being back here paddling with friends and leaving work to go fire up the falls.

John Haddock on The Spout - VA Side Great Falls

Scott Anderson on The Spout - VA Side Great Falls

John Greer on The Spout - VA Side Great Falls

I was hoping to get in some creeking on the Blackwater with some recent snow in WV. However, the weather stayed very cold and the snow, instead of melting, just piled up. So i figured if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I headed out to Caanan Valley Friday morning after they had received about 24" of snow in the week prior and about 8-12 more inches Thursday night. It was snowing most all of the day and was a total whiteout. The wind was blowing hard and the air was about 15 degrees, not including wind chill.

I rented some snowshoes and ended up snowshoeing up to the top of Bald Knob with some other folks i knew from kayaking and then snowboarded down in what turned out to be waist-deep power in some places. The hike up was awesome. I can really sympathize with the saying "Earn your turns." I gained a new appreciation for the downhill after snowshoeing the whole way up.

Whitegrass is a very awesome place. Everyone out there was having a great time regardless of skills or experience. Its hard not to have a good time when you are romping around the snowcovered woods of West Virginia.

Every now and then during the ascent you could hear random people letting out yelps of cheer. It was not uncommon to hear a few "Whooooohoooo"s or "Yeeeehaaawwww"s while making the climb up to the top of ny of the surrounding balds.

Earning the turns - Justice skinning up a really narrow steep trail we took to the top on Friday

Celebrating small victories at the Round Top shelter - about halfway up to Bald Knob

The view of Bald Knob from the shelter

Me with an icy beard

Whitegrass...what a cool place

Saturday turned out to be an awesome day. The weather got a little warmer, in the 20s and the snow and wind subsided. I met Billy in the morning and I got some XC skis and he decided to try out the "Guides," a Telemark setup. XC skiing turned out to be quite interesting for me. Not only was it quite uncomfortable for my foot, but i was also quite bad at it. We managed to make it up to Bald Knob, where you could actually stand for a few minutes, as opposed to Friday, and we enjoyed a beer. Meanwhile, Billy had managed to break the bindings off of his rental skis and faced a one ski / ski sledding decent. I just fell pretty much the whole way down. I am glad I can laugh at myself. Doing the pizza with XC skis with no metal edges barely slows you down, and puts you in a very weird position to fall i found out.


All Whitegrass Pictures

Billy, chatting it up about the Guides with innocent bystanders.

The view from Bald Knob, Saturday

Blackwater Falls

One last day...I was lucky enough to get ut on the falls with John, John, Billy and Brett one more time before my surgery. We met in the Maryland Parking lot and got all geared up for a cool evening run. The level was just right for a medium Maryland lines run and a lower water run on the VA side. We started off on the MD side with awesome lines off Pummel; which is an amazing boof at higher water. Then we hit Z turn and the left side of Horseshoe, which is also a great boof when it is at the right level. Then we headed over to the VA side, ran U-Hole at the top and then all the other standard lines.

Gearing up at the put-in

Mayer prepares for Takeoff on Pummel

Weird effect with the flash, but Billy is nailing the boof at U-Hole

Well, my foot is all cut up, in a cast and i am now on crutches. Its not for good and I am very excited about the fact that I will soon be able to walk normally again and enjoy all the things once again that had been bothering me so much over the last couple of years.


All Pictures from the Potomac

I will keep posting in my recovery.

Here is a sweet X-Ray of my foot with the two screws in it: