It was 1 year ago today.......

[Mountain Mike]

Glad you are still with us Socks!

[Train Wreck]

Those photos are amazing. They show a real eye for composition and the color and detail is excellent. You shot these with a digital?
You ought to write an article about your hike and submit it with the photos to outdoor magazines. It sure made me want to go hike the area.

[Mountain Mike]

Still planning the extended hike?

[turtle fast]

Once you get your affairs in order, it sounds like you have a thru hike with your name on it. Just remember to go at a slower pace to smell the roses.

[Hairbear]

to the many trails to come.................

[Different Socks]

Still planning the extended hike?

Yep! Been so long and longer still that i've been on a long hike that the next won't be months long, it will be almost 2 years long. Got the cash saved up now, but wish to pay off some of the med bills created when saving my life.

[Wise Old Owl]

Different socks as a motorcycle rider I understand just a little what you are going thru... I have hit deer, raccoons (speed bumps) and bounced bats off the fairing. I have had several wonderful hours taking to police in hospitals with candid observations about how f....in lucky I am ... nope.

Do the best you can to make your life as optimistic as possible. You ever need a help PM.

[Capt Nat]

Wow Mr. Different Socks! Thank you for a beautiful post. I'm glad you're still with us. From reading the other replies, I'm not the only one that was inspired by your sharing. Thank you...

[Different Socks]

My continued thanks to everyone. reading your replies brings such a wondrous smile to my face that it is a pleasing pain.

[Different Socks]

Okay, it's not pretty, but here's a shot of when i was still in ICU. You can see the surgery that was on my nose and head. what you can't tell is that the ear was reattached. Hope this didn't freak anybody out or seem too gruesome.accident.jpg

[Heald]

Inspirational event. I don't know what to say but that. See you in the mountains.

[Waynesboro]

Wow. That was one serious impact. Your post had me visualizing hitting a large animal at 70 mph. I couldn't really imagine what that would be like, but your picture certainly focused my imagination. I think the deer suffered less.

Greg

[TOW]

that I was in a horrible accident and almost died.
After a wondrous 20 mile back country day hike beyond Hidden lake in Glacier NP, I was on my home riding my wheels and I hit a deer at 70mph. Split the deer in half, wheels totaled and I was seriously hurt. Was told weeks later that my brain tried to shut my body down during the flight to the hospital. Strong belief that I had suffered severe brain injury. Within only 3 days I was displaying many normal functions of health, nerves, cognitive abilities, body coordination, etc. But it took a 3 week stay in rehab to convince 9 doctors that I was fit to leave the hospital.
My helmet, leather jacket, steel toed boots, gloves and layers of clothing saved my life. My left eye is a wandering eye now, possibly won't heal for 2 more years or never. My head and nose required plastic surgery. My ear needed to be reattached and I have many scars that will never go away.
A year later and I am feeling good, though I still deal with the mental/emotional/psychological aspects. The only peace I can seem to find any more is being on a trail, listening to the music of the trees, watching the rythmic flow of the waters, inhaling the silence of a forest, letting my mind be overwhelmed by the sights at an overlook or the top of a mtn.

So I'd like to thank all of you out there in WB Land for your direct and indirect assistance. Part of my recovery for the past year was being able to read many of your comments and thoughts and humour.

Hope some day I can give something back.

Different Socks

we are glad you are still with us, your words are an inspiration

[jerseydave]

Wow, photo sends the message home for sure.
I doubt I'll ever be able to climb on the bike without giving that a bit of thought.
Out of curiosity, did your helmet shatter or were you using a smaller style helmet?
I currently ride with a full face and have considered going smaller...... maybe not a good idea.

jd

[Hoop]

DF,

Glad you're here to tell the tale.

When you said, "hey let's go see the sunset", that gave me pause. Will be doing more of that. Thanks.