Pilgrim
Lil-Rokslider
BLACKHAWK DOWN! (not the movie) Navigation & Hydration: Personal Lessons Learned
This is not about the movie.
Preamble: I made bad decisions in the planning and execution of this experience. I let my ambition fog my judgment. Yes, it's embarrassing and I'm ashamed because it endangered the life of a family member. I am aware and I own it, thank you for not rubbing it in. However, I hope you can learn something from my experience.
Background: Back in late Jan./early Feb. or so, my wife set dates for her and the kids to go home to visit family. Their trip left my four days off over Independence Day wide open. So naturally, I began planning a trip into the back country. It was going to be a scouting/fishing/adventure trip. At the time, my battle buddy (MANCHOWDER - coworker, friend and hunting partner) was scheduled for a deployment and I knew better than to make the trip by myself, so I called a long time buddy from home (CAVE), who agreed to attend the trip. CAVE and I are 28. Well, a couple months later, my Father-In-Law (BLACKHAWK, 55 y/o) voiced his interest and availability to attend and I did not turn him down. We actually get along great, he is one of my best friends. He has hunted here in CO and spent time in the high country before and is in great shape. But, he's from flat land in the midwest. Then, MANCHOWDER's deployment got cancelled... so we were going in as a full fire team, except MANCHOWDER was coming in a day late and would meet us at our predetermined rendezvous almost 9 miles in one way.
Day 1, 3 July
Trailhead: BLACKHAWK, CAVE and I were anxious to hit the trail. After I got off work, we headed out and were on our way down the trail by 2030.
Mistake 1: I consciously decided NOT to take a map. I had a GPS but the map card isn't working so I was only using it to mark way points. I had poured over maps, trail information and Google Earth so much I was confident in my navigation ability. Nine miles in sounds like a lot, and it is, but the context of the area prevented actually getting lost.
Detour: At about 2230, we should have reached a particular trail junction, but we passed it because: 1) I did not readily remember the distance to the junction and 2) it was dark so we did not see the sign. We should have set up camp at around midnight about half way in, but we ended up having to backtrack 1 mile (2 mile detour). The backtrack killed morale and was exhausting. We set up camp at 0030 a total of about 2 miles from the trail head.
Day 2, 4 July
Morning: Shortly after waking up, BLACKHAWK had diarrhea. Because of that and the late night, we took our time getting around. We got back on the trail at about 1000.
Mistake 2: BLACKHAWK did not take enough time to rehydrate and CAVE and I didn't even think about him being dehydrated. If you get diarrhea on a venture like this, give yourself PLENTY of time to rehydrate. We now know diarrhea is the number one cause of dehydration, and we all know our bodies require even more hydration when backpacking in elevation.
Afternoon: We reached a major landmark at around 1400. Here, BLACKHAWK explained he could not go any further, his feet were in bad shape (no blisters, just hot spots and soreness). CAVE and I neither tried to dissuade this decision nor complained, we decided to enjoy where we were and fish a nearby stream with BLACKHAWK after taking naps. After naps, BLACKHAWK was fishing down the trail and encountered another hiker. The nap refreshed him and the hiker energized his spirits by explaining the destination was a mere 1.5 to 2 miles away. We knew there were two good inclines before the destination, but later learned it was 3.5 miles and the inclines were worse than anticipated.
Mistake 3: It was easy to look down the trail and realize 1.5 to 2 miles was a conservative estimate. CAVE and I, being almost half the age of BLACKHAWK, should have recognized the situation and denied the last leg of the trek until morning.
Evening: It was nearing dark, about 1930 on an east slope. BLACKHAWK was exhausted, but determined to make the destination. He had made it up one of the inclines. I told him to sit tight while CAVE and I finished the trek, which was basically a half mile scramble up. CAVE would set camp and I would come back for BLACKHAWK's pack so he could simply walk in. CAVE had to stop to relieve himself so I just dropped my pack there and went back for BLACKHAWK. When I got there... BLACKHAWK DOWN! He was profusely vomiting.
Nightfall: I walked BLACKHAWK off the rock ledge he was sitting on about 30 yards down to a relatively flat spot. I sat him up next to his pack while I ran, literlly ran, to go get CAVE and my gear. Upon returning, BLACKHAWK was shaking, almost convulsively, from cramps and chills. CAVE and I both have military experience and combat lifesaver training, but CAVE is also in the medical field. Without so much as a thought or question, our training took over. At this point, we finally started making good decisions.
BLACKHAWK was fully coherent, but the cramps were extremely painful. Never in my life have I seen such severe dehydration and cramping. CAVE gathered wood and built a fire, which was challenging due to 20 minutes of rain less than an hour earlier. I set up the shelter and warmed some water with energy powder in it for BLACKHAWK. We got BLACKHAWK sipping water and began conversing about the situation. The latest information I had from MANCHOWDER was that he was aiming to meet us at the rendezvous between 0100-0300. He was making a 9 mile bonzai hike so he could be there to rest a little then fish with us at first light.
We knew the trip was over already, we had to get BLACKHAWK up and off the mountain. We had to try to get BLACKHAWK in a good enough condition to walk out. We intended to divvy out his gear between CAVE, MANCHOWDER and myself and take as much time as needed to walk him out. By this time, we had BLACKHAWK wrapped up in all three of our sleeping bags and encased in a bivy sack; he was still badly shivering and had lost color. It was clear, he was now pre-hypothermic.
As minutes passed, BLACKHAWK's condition worsened. He decided to press the "Help" button on his SPOT beacon. He didn't want to, but it wasn't hard to realize that a 9 mile hike out, even without a pack, was unrealistic. It was only a few minutes later when BLACKHAWK was in enough pain and chill that he decided to push the S.O.S. button - it was only 2030.
S.O.S: The S.O.S. signal sent an email message to BLACKHAWK's wife and my wife. You can imagine the kind of panic that caused. Knowing his plans, my wife immediately called MANCHOWDER. MANCHOWDER did an excellent job of attempting to calm the ladies down. Knowing the mountain rescue team would be responding, MANCHOWDER did not carry out his bonzai. At one point in the night, BLACKHAWK expressed he might vomit again. In the event he vomited again, CAVE and I prepared and staged a water bladder in order to force hydrate BLACKHAWK. Vomiting again would likely have been life threatening.
Day 3
Midnight: At this point, BLACKHAWK had begun to show signs of rehydration and warming up, but the cramps were still unbelievable. CAVE and I had been taking turns verifying BLACKHAWK's breathing and consciousness while the other rested. We let BLACKHAWK rest, but woke him every 30 minutes to hear his voice. BLACKHAWK had managed to sip down about one half quart of the water mix, we had kept it warm to help stabilize his core temperature.
0130: We heard the coach's whistle from the quick response mountain rescue team. We made contact while they were still about a quarter mile away. Upon their arrival, BLACKHAWK was able to clearly communicate the situation and answer all their questions. About twenty more mountain rescue volunteers arrived within the next hour carrying an incredible amount of rescue gear. They came in through a private ranch, the owner cooperates in that manner with the county Sheriff's office... this was an immense blessing.
0400: BLACKHAWK had received two liters of IV fluid, one salt solution and one sugar solution. After a couple lightning strikes just above us, the leader of the mountain rescue team decided to see if BLACKHAWK could walk. BLACKHAWK walked out 3.5 miles to the rescue ATVs.
0800: CAVE and I picked up BLACKHAWK from the nearest E.R. He received a precautionary EKG exam, another liter of hydration and a blood test revealed a stomach virus. No, it wasn't giardia.
Summary
I feel like I rambled, but I just wanted to tell the story. I learned very valuable lessons, I hope this might prevent someone else from experiencing something similar. It's been said, and I believe it wise, to always err on the side of caution. I had anticipated this trip for months and deeply desired to see this place. A former Commanding Officer used to say, "Have a plan, make sure it's a good plan, and execute that plan." I thought I had a good plan, but ignored the fog of my own ambition and desires... which is essentially selfishness. This situation could have ended much worse. I'm thankful to God CAVE was there and thankful MANCHOWDER was able to communicate back to our wives. I'm thankful it wasn't worse. Thank God for mountain rescue volunteers. Hats off to mountain rescue volunteers. These individuals gladly take on adverse conditions and situations for one reason: to help a stranger. If it weren't for them, this would be a different story. Appropriate comments are welcome. Happy trails!
-Pilgrim
P.S. - You'll see in the pictures how the Kifaru Megatarp - borrowed from MANCHOWDER - became a field hospital. The mountain rescue teams were very impressed by this shelter.
This is not about the movie.
Preamble: I made bad decisions in the planning and execution of this experience. I let my ambition fog my judgment. Yes, it's embarrassing and I'm ashamed because it endangered the life of a family member. I am aware and I own it, thank you for not rubbing it in. However, I hope you can learn something from my experience.
Background: Back in late Jan./early Feb. or so, my wife set dates for her and the kids to go home to visit family. Their trip left my four days off over Independence Day wide open. So naturally, I began planning a trip into the back country. It was going to be a scouting/fishing/adventure trip. At the time, my battle buddy (MANCHOWDER - coworker, friend and hunting partner) was scheduled for a deployment and I knew better than to make the trip by myself, so I called a long time buddy from home (CAVE), who agreed to attend the trip. CAVE and I are 28. Well, a couple months later, my Father-In-Law (BLACKHAWK, 55 y/o) voiced his interest and availability to attend and I did not turn him down. We actually get along great, he is one of my best friends. He has hunted here in CO and spent time in the high country before and is in great shape. But, he's from flat land in the midwest. Then, MANCHOWDER's deployment got cancelled... so we were going in as a full fire team, except MANCHOWDER was coming in a day late and would meet us at our predetermined rendezvous almost 9 miles in one way.
Day 1, 3 July
Trailhead: BLACKHAWK, CAVE and I were anxious to hit the trail. After I got off work, we headed out and were on our way down the trail by 2030.
Mistake 1: I consciously decided NOT to take a map. I had a GPS but the map card isn't working so I was only using it to mark way points. I had poured over maps, trail information and Google Earth so much I was confident in my navigation ability. Nine miles in sounds like a lot, and it is, but the context of the area prevented actually getting lost.
Detour: At about 2230, we should have reached a particular trail junction, but we passed it because: 1) I did not readily remember the distance to the junction and 2) it was dark so we did not see the sign. We should have set up camp at around midnight about half way in, but we ended up having to backtrack 1 mile (2 mile detour). The backtrack killed morale and was exhausting. We set up camp at 0030 a total of about 2 miles from the trail head.
Day 2, 4 July
Morning: Shortly after waking up, BLACKHAWK had diarrhea. Because of that and the late night, we took our time getting around. We got back on the trail at about 1000.
Mistake 2: BLACKHAWK did not take enough time to rehydrate and CAVE and I didn't even think about him being dehydrated. If you get diarrhea on a venture like this, give yourself PLENTY of time to rehydrate. We now know diarrhea is the number one cause of dehydration, and we all know our bodies require even more hydration when backpacking in elevation.
Afternoon: We reached a major landmark at around 1400. Here, BLACKHAWK explained he could not go any further, his feet were in bad shape (no blisters, just hot spots and soreness). CAVE and I neither tried to dissuade this decision nor complained, we decided to enjoy where we were and fish a nearby stream with BLACKHAWK after taking naps. After naps, BLACKHAWK was fishing down the trail and encountered another hiker. The nap refreshed him and the hiker energized his spirits by explaining the destination was a mere 1.5 to 2 miles away. We knew there were two good inclines before the destination, but later learned it was 3.5 miles and the inclines were worse than anticipated.
Mistake 3: It was easy to look down the trail and realize 1.5 to 2 miles was a conservative estimate. CAVE and I, being almost half the age of BLACKHAWK, should have recognized the situation and denied the last leg of the trek until morning.
Evening: It was nearing dark, about 1930 on an east slope. BLACKHAWK was exhausted, but determined to make the destination. He had made it up one of the inclines. I told him to sit tight while CAVE and I finished the trek, which was basically a half mile scramble up. CAVE would set camp and I would come back for BLACKHAWK's pack so he could simply walk in. CAVE had to stop to relieve himself so I just dropped my pack there and went back for BLACKHAWK. When I got there... BLACKHAWK DOWN! He was profusely vomiting.
Nightfall: I walked BLACKHAWK off the rock ledge he was sitting on about 30 yards down to a relatively flat spot. I sat him up next to his pack while I ran, literlly ran, to go get CAVE and my gear. Upon returning, BLACKHAWK was shaking, almost convulsively, from cramps and chills. CAVE and I both have military experience and combat lifesaver training, but CAVE is also in the medical field. Without so much as a thought or question, our training took over. At this point, we finally started making good decisions.
BLACKHAWK was fully coherent, but the cramps were extremely painful. Never in my life have I seen such severe dehydration and cramping. CAVE gathered wood and built a fire, which was challenging due to 20 minutes of rain less than an hour earlier. I set up the shelter and warmed some water with energy powder in it for BLACKHAWK. We got BLACKHAWK sipping water and began conversing about the situation. The latest information I had from MANCHOWDER was that he was aiming to meet us at the rendezvous between 0100-0300. He was making a 9 mile bonzai hike so he could be there to rest a little then fish with us at first light.
We knew the trip was over already, we had to get BLACKHAWK up and off the mountain. We had to try to get BLACKHAWK in a good enough condition to walk out. We intended to divvy out his gear between CAVE, MANCHOWDER and myself and take as much time as needed to walk him out. By this time, we had BLACKHAWK wrapped up in all three of our sleeping bags and encased in a bivy sack; he was still badly shivering and had lost color. It was clear, he was now pre-hypothermic.
As minutes passed, BLACKHAWK's condition worsened. He decided to press the "Help" button on his SPOT beacon. He didn't want to, but it wasn't hard to realize that a 9 mile hike out, even without a pack, was unrealistic. It was only a few minutes later when BLACKHAWK was in enough pain and chill that he decided to push the S.O.S. button - it was only 2030.
S.O.S: The S.O.S. signal sent an email message to BLACKHAWK's wife and my wife. You can imagine the kind of panic that caused. Knowing his plans, my wife immediately called MANCHOWDER. MANCHOWDER did an excellent job of attempting to calm the ladies down. Knowing the mountain rescue team would be responding, MANCHOWDER did not carry out his bonzai. At one point in the night, BLACKHAWK expressed he might vomit again. In the event he vomited again, CAVE and I prepared and staged a water bladder in order to force hydrate BLACKHAWK. Vomiting again would likely have been life threatening.
Day 3
Midnight: At this point, BLACKHAWK had begun to show signs of rehydration and warming up, but the cramps were still unbelievable. CAVE and I had been taking turns verifying BLACKHAWK's breathing and consciousness while the other rested. We let BLACKHAWK rest, but woke him every 30 minutes to hear his voice. BLACKHAWK had managed to sip down about one half quart of the water mix, we had kept it warm to help stabilize his core temperature.
0130: We heard the coach's whistle from the quick response mountain rescue team. We made contact while they were still about a quarter mile away. Upon their arrival, BLACKHAWK was able to clearly communicate the situation and answer all their questions. About twenty more mountain rescue volunteers arrived within the next hour carrying an incredible amount of rescue gear. They came in through a private ranch, the owner cooperates in that manner with the county Sheriff's office... this was an immense blessing.
0400: BLACKHAWK had received two liters of IV fluid, one salt solution and one sugar solution. After a couple lightning strikes just above us, the leader of the mountain rescue team decided to see if BLACKHAWK could walk. BLACKHAWK walked out 3.5 miles to the rescue ATVs.
0800: CAVE and I picked up BLACKHAWK from the nearest E.R. He received a precautionary EKG exam, another liter of hydration and a blood test revealed a stomach virus. No, it wasn't giardia.
Summary
I feel like I rambled, but I just wanted to tell the story. I learned very valuable lessons, I hope this might prevent someone else from experiencing something similar. It's been said, and I believe it wise, to always err on the side of caution. I had anticipated this trip for months and deeply desired to see this place. A former Commanding Officer used to say, "Have a plan, make sure it's a good plan, and execute that plan." I thought I had a good plan, but ignored the fog of my own ambition and desires... which is essentially selfishness. This situation could have ended much worse. I'm thankful to God CAVE was there and thankful MANCHOWDER was able to communicate back to our wives. I'm thankful it wasn't worse. Thank God for mountain rescue volunteers. Hats off to mountain rescue volunteers. These individuals gladly take on adverse conditions and situations for one reason: to help a stranger. If it weren't for them, this would be a different story. Appropriate comments are welcome. Happy trails!
-Pilgrim
P.S. - You'll see in the pictures how the Kifaru Megatarp - borrowed from MANCHOWDER - became a field hospital. The mountain rescue teams were very impressed by this shelter.
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