| Monadnock Memoirs
In the Fall of 2005, three of us set off from RI and looked forward to a hike up Mt. Monadnock in Jaffery, New Hampshire. We all felt the need to get some outdoor exercise and God had given us a beautiful, sunny and comfortable morning to get ourselves to the base of the white dot path prepared with water, jackets, and small packs. Actually Stacey was using a waist pack, and I couldn’t decide if I needed one jacket or two as the breeze seemed a little cool. Lois Chavez the High School Spanish teacher was our other hiker and we all seemed proficient enough though we hadn’t been as active during the winter as we saw ourselves being, maybe we’ll do some winter hikes in ’05-’06. I’m telling this story because I think it is an example of God putting us in the right place at the right time and to explain why I’d like go back and make it up to the top of the mountain About an hour into our hike we had passed the halfway point and were enjoying being on this special mountain. There were occasionally hikers that passed us, or ones we passed, and likewise some coming down the path. It didn’t seem unusual when we saw a group of four guys working their way down the rock slab 20 feet above us, except that this fellow Steve seemed to slip on his butt. He said he was ok, Stacey asked,” how’s your tailbone?” Steve said he hadn’t hit that, brushed himself off and continued down. I will point out this was a steep section but the rock has plenty of fissures and being a frequently used trail there is a flow to the path you’ll take through the rock which gives you footing and handholds if necessary. About 2 minutes later Steve slipped again and cried out loudly as his foot was contorted and Stacey said she could hear bone snapping. This was no joke and denial would not work which were the first things I tried in my mind to sort out, so within 30 seconds it became clear that rendering aid was the only option. I had a clear signal on my cell phone and was able through calling 911 to contact the ranger station. Stacey is an Emergency Room registered nurse and has helped many hurting people, but this was of a more immediate nature and without any needed supplies like a splint or pain-killers. Still she was immensely useful in three big ways. 1)To keep well meaning volunteers from moving Steve or otherwise adding to the trauma 2)Assuring Steve that there was an RN present and that his medical situation wasn’t being given anything less than a high priority, this was a way to show God’s timing and the love and empathy we can give others 3)Letting the rangers know that a nurse had determined there was a break below the knee with a distortion at the ankle, a broken Fibula.. We waited, ate lunch and chatted, and soon the first of three rangers hiked up with a Box splint. As time went on and a litter came up in two sections and got assembled, the rangers asked for volunteers as it takes eight people at a time to carry the litter and sixteen more are needed for handing off and relief. It went very well and was very warm, no jackets required. Lois especially saw to it that we were informed and did not need to remain distant. Lois and I noticed that while Steve’s brother did a lot to help, his cousins stayed away and seemed to buy into denial and not wanting to see any suffering. I don’t know what dysfunction exists there, but it reminds me of one’s that are present in my family, that is simply built of human stubbornness. Let God come through to these people and light their way. Perhaps that flow to the trail isn’t clear to everybody or even always to me, but on a good day it is so clear and beckons, in a sense. I thank my companions and hope we can return on a Saturday in May, would anybody care to join us? Martin Glasser |