Bad Back Camp, page 12

Bad Back Camp

Then I saw the small, weathered wooden sign I had apparently walked right by on the way in: ‘Fragile area… Please camp elsewhere.’

I felt horribly guilty.

In reflection, I think I would have camped there even if I HAD seen the sign. I simply hadn't been able to go a step further. It was a genuine emergency situation, not simply a matter of wanting to stop before I got wet from the rain. Yet I still felt guilty as I crawled back into the safe, warm refuge of my sleeping bag.

I kept up the dosage of codeine and the frequency of the really sharp pain lessened throughout the day. I was able to sleep and felt good enough towards evening to boil water for my first meal in two days – Sweet and Sour Pork! Unfortunately, I had to give most of it to Mica as I wasn't able to force it down.

“Depends on how you look at it!" says Mica-Eiger.  “I thought it was pretty darned fortunate!"

That's why I bring her along on these hikes – she's smarter than I am.

Anyhow, all I wanted at the time was water, painkillers, muscle relaxants and aspirin.  Not that much to ask for … right?  Every muscle group on the back of my leg, from the hip on down, was in spasm. It really was a pretty miserable 36-hours. But I got through it by reminding myself how I could have just had aspirin ... like the year before.

– Keep reading.