# When life gives you lemons



## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

So, I started this river season in high spirits. I added a new raft to my fleet. Got some new fun gear (new Partner stove). And had a great first trip (Deso 2 weeks ago), with many more planned (Main Salmon in June, etc.). Then life threw me a giant curveball. A nanosecond mis-step and wipeout, and here I sit with a broken leg  Mega suck. Not even a cool story to tell, just a clutzy slip and fall. Oh well, I guess my Higher Power had other summer plans for me. So I will live vicariously through the exploits of my Mountain Buzz brothers and sisters. Keep those trip reports and pictures coming so I'm entertained and stay safe out there.
KJ - the busted cata-rafter girl


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## 86304 (Apr 15, 2008)

ouch!!!!!!

i don't know know you personally but i'm so sorry to hear that.

hope you heal fast and still get a chance to get another boat wet, soon.

bob


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

)-: 

Sorry to hear. I'll break that raft in for ya. Its the least I could do... (-:


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

dirtbagkayaker said:


> )-:
> 
> Sorry to hear. I'll break that raft in for ya. Its the least I could do... (-:


Thanks for the offer, but the new raft got it's maiden voyage on Deso 
At least I got one trip in before my clutzy move. Fingers & toes are crossed for a swift and uneventful recovery. Perhaps a fall float is the cards for me.


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## TriBri1 (Nov 15, 2011)

That's a horrible way to start the season. Depending on how bad the break is you may luck out with an easy end of season trip still. When I broke my leg I was back on the raft after 4 months. I could do everything except carry it up from the river. I still had to take it easy of course and rely on the help of my crew, but at least I could get out there.


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## LongmontRafter (Jun 12, 2008)

*clutzy moves...*

I feel your pain..

Right at the beginning of the 2011 season I injured my hand kayaking (class ii - to add insult to injury) and ended my 2011 season...7 months of occupational therapy before I could get back in the boat ... 

not as bad as a broken leg but the effect was the same...


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Bummer!

I will make sure to make a few vids this summer for your entertainment


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## Monto (May 15, 2012)

Sorry to hear that, good luck on your recovery! 

A few years ago I took my girlfriend on a Smith trip when she had "the boot" from a broken leg. With a little extra help she had a great time, so maybe you can still get on some flat water


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## wildh2onriver (Jul 21, 2009)

Really sorry to hear that--I hope you heal fast to salvage some boating in the fall.


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## spider (Jun 20, 2011)

Damn cat girl, sorry to hear. I'll keep the vids coming. You will still be able to fish the SFS.


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

cataraftgirl,

I understand your pain, but there is more fun days to look forward to.

Sept 14, 2012 Horn Creek, GC handed me broken tibia left leg, broken femur right leg required a titanium rod, three fractures in pelvis, 12 fractured ribs and two crushed vertabrae required a cage to fuse T7-T10. Excellent work by NPS rescue chopper, Dr John Hall - Flag Medical Center and Mt View Rehab Hosp in Prescott and rehab here in Okieland. Last week, I was able to do low water laps on Pilar then a three day good flow multiday on Rio Chama in my newly acquired ThrillSeeker IK. Bottom line is you do the rehab and then when you do get back on moving water you realize just how rewarding our sport is and how caring our boating buds are when we do get back boating. Now I am excited to the max to spend a week in June with friends on Smith River MT. ThrillSeeker may not be my Remix 79 but might be a better fly rod casting platform.

Bottom line is, do what the Doc's say and before you know it you will be back. My Doc's told me broken bones that heal the right way are stronger!

Keep your spirits up, heal those breaks and think of how much fun that boat is gonna be in a few months.

okie dave


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## brandob9 (Jun 13, 2010)

okieboater said:


> Sept 14, 2012 Horn Creek, GC handed me broken tibia left leg, broken femur right leg required a titanium rod, three fractures in pelvis, 12 fractured ribs and two crushed vertabrae required a cage to fuse T7-T10.


Sorry to hijack, but can you tell the rest of that story?


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## Avatard (Apr 29, 2011)

Sounds like life gave you a turd sandwich


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

okieboater said:


> cataraftgirl,
> 
> I understand your pain, but there is more fun days to look forward to.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the story and good vibes. Too bad your GC trip got so messed up. I'm hoping to be healed in time for an end of season float. Even a Southfork Snake float & fish would be great. My break is a femur fracture about three or so inches above my knee. I had that knee replaced three years ago, and unfortunately this kind of break is an uncommon but possible result of the knee replacement.


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## Anchorless (Aug 3, 2010)

Horrible news!


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## yetigonecrazy (May 23, 2005)

So sorry to hear.  Like others have said, I may not know you personally but I never like to hear other boaters getting bad luck. Here's to a quick recovery and some fall low water floats to ease back in. Even though you can't be with us physically you will still be there with us spiritually!


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## Kendi (May 15, 2009)

Sorry to hear your news. That sucks.

On a brighter note- all of a sudden my shoulder injury isn't seeming so bad- so thanks! Seriously though, you will be on the water in no time. One way or the other, you will get on the water soon. Everyone I know has been super helpful getting me back on the river even though I can't do as much as I could do before I hurt my damn shoulder. It feels weird asking for help doing simple things, but what goes around comes around. Let others help and then you can return the favor when you heal.


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

Sorry to hear the bad news. At least you got one trip under your belt this year. I hope your recovery is a speedy one. Best wishes catgirl!!


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

cataraftgirl, oops that is where my right femur broke. Surprised something else did not break as my Doc said it takes a lot of force to break the femur. Dr Hall in Flag Medical center put a titanium rod in my femur break and that has worked well for me. I am not a Doc but based on my healing, it will take a while for that femur break to heal up.

Don't know if it will still work but we (folks on my GC trip) did a in detail write up of my accident and partial recovery on my Microsoft Skydrive. It is a pdf file with several videos and lots of pictures so it takes a while to down load. Might work with a Mac but best results so far have been on a fast connection and a desktop.

Any way, Cat Girl, stick with the Doctor's rehab and physical therapy helped me a ton, I am a big fan of physical therapy. My physical therapy coverage ran out and I am in "gentle" yoga and that is a big help as well. Hope to see you sometimes on a river, my big Aire 18 cat rowing days are over but I am enjoying the IK route and looking at a JPW Cutthroat rig for fun runs. I feel I can row that and with light loads still enjoy multidays.

http://sdrv.ms/VjpNSP

above is the URL for the SkyDrive down load


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## yojimbo (Oct 12, 2003)

Ouch. So sorry to hear that story. Appreciate your contributions to MB and hope for many more to come.
Best wishes on the rehab trail.


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## daveb1 (Jul 18, 2008)

So sorry about your injury, and best wishes for a full healing. I haven't met you either but we swapped a few posts about the Main Salmon earlier this month. I haven't had a femur fx, but based on what I have fractured, I learned that a good physical therapist is so important.


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## spider (Jun 20, 2011)

I hear you catch more fish with a bum leg. Less rowing means more fishing!


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## wildsoles (Feb 20, 2013)

I only know you from the posts on this forum, but... Oh no! Say it isn't so! So sorry cataraftgirl. Think of it as a temporary slow-down, that's all. There will be other trips, I'm sure. Hang in there.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

Hi KG- ouch, I am so sorry to hear this! Hopefully it is at least comforting to hear that you aren't alone and others share your pain. And perhaps a good reminder that someday this will have passed, all things do (good AND bad).... Hang in there, I hope you can make the most of your summer. I had to back out of every single river trip this spring and summer, and it does suck! My husband and I have decided to take a completely different type of vacation this summer, go somewhere we would never otherwise go. So even though I am missing 80% of my usual boating, hopefully we find something enjoyable and a new experience. Let's see, with a broken leg, how about a nice beach resort that would cater to you with lots and lots of pampering? Sounds crazy, but what the heck! 

Hang in there, fast and thorough healing.

PS. We LOVE our cots!


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

lhowemt said:


> Hi KG- ouch, I am so sorry to hear this! Hopefully it is at least comforting to hear that you aren't alone and others share your pain. And perhaps a good reminder that someday this will have passed, all things do (good AND bad).... Hang in there, I hope you can make the most of your summer. I had to back out of every single river trip this spring and summer, and it does suck! My husband and I have decided to take a completely different type of vacation this summer, go somewhere we would never otherwise go. So even though I am missing 80% of my usual boating, hopefully we find something enjoyable and a new experience. Let's see, with a broken leg, how about a nice beach resort that would cater to you with lots and lots of pampering? Sounds crazy, but what the heck!
> 
> Hang in there, fast and thorough healing.
> 
> PS. We LOVE our cots!


Thanks for the good vibes. Right now I'm catching up on a lot of reading. My doc hasn't totally ruled out fall trips, but it all depends on how the healing goes. I don't want to push it too hard until I'm ready. Maybe a weekend Southfork Snake float??? Until then I will follow orders. No weight bearing for 6 weeks, then start the PT/ rehab process. One good side benefit is that I'm really working my arms, shoulders, and chest muscles pretty hard. 
Glad you like the cots. Once you go cot you'll never go back. I can't imagine ever sleeping on the ground again.


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## Sjschulz05 (May 6, 2013)

good luck with the healing process!!!


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

*Busted river girl update*

Tomorrow will be a sad day My posse will be heading for the Main Salmon. This was my permit......sniff sniff. The North Fork rangers were great in helping me get it transferred to another group member so that my friends could still go. We fretted over what the late June water level would be when we got the permit back in the spring. The water level at Corn Creek yesterday was 2.05 ft. Can't get much better than that. So I'm sure I'll shed a tear tomorrow. First missed MS trip in over 10 years  Oh well, back to mending my leg. Doctor visit next week, and I'm hoping to at least go to partial weight bearing. Hopping around on one leg for 6 weeks has sucked a lot. Scheming & dreaming about a possible new raft in the fall/winter has helped with my river withdrawl. And of course, reading all the MB posts and watching the river videos helps a lot too.

KJ - The busted but healing river girl


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

I'm so sorry! My friends are running the SF salmon this weekend. I am making cake for a pity party if you want to come over..... Just joking, it is tough. But you'll be back, and your new raft is going to be so sweet! Are you planning a frame yet? I built mine twice, it's still pretty close to my original design I posted, but I swapped out some lopros for speedrail to save weight, and now have a dry box in the front bay on multidays. I don't run a cockpit floor any more either, since I went away from heavy rocket boxes. I dream of an aluminum captain's box. 

Well hang in there, keep your chin up, enjoy time with your mom. Sometimes serendipity does us favors in ways that seem cruel at the time.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

lhowemt said:


> I'm so sorry! My friends are running the SF salmon this weekend. I am making cake for a pity party if you want to come over..... Just joking, it is tough. But you'll be back, and your new raft is going to be so sweet! Are you planning a frame yet? I built mine twice, it's still pretty close to my original design I posted, but I swapped out some lopros for speedrail to save weight, and now have a dry box in the front bay on multidays. I don't run a cockpit floor any more either, since I went away from heavy rocket boxes. I dream of an aluminum captain's box.
> 
> Well hang in there, keep your chin up, enjoy time with your mom. Sometimes serendipity does us favors in ways that seem cruel at the time.


A multi-state pity party. What fun. We shall eat our cake, dry our tears, and wish our friends a safe and awesome trip. Even though it won't be nearly as much fun without us along 

I'll probably stick with an NRS frame. I'm terrible about fiddling with my set-up, so it works well for me. I already have a lot of NRS parts, (side rail racks, oar towers, etc).. I like that I can tear it all apart and store all the lighter weight parts on an upper shelf in my garage over the winter.

About that serendipity thing...... God works in mysterious, but sometimes unpleasant ways. There were definitely more important things I needed to pay attention to, that I wouldn't have if I was on the river, and not at home.
KJ


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

Our raft frame is a self built nrs hybrid. Nrs pipe, lopros and then some speedrail, and I definitely liked tweaking with it the first few years I had it. I'm likely not done though. I bought the fittings to make a flip seat that didn't need a cooler under it, and then decided it is just easier to bring the big cooler on day runs. Since we don't use it all that much, it's not too big of a hassle. We're actually talking about r2'ing it a bit this year on some easy runs with the pups, but we just found out one of them is dying. So I really could care less if I boat, and will not until she is gone. R2 might still be fun when we are down to one dog, and since lila doesn't like the oars she might enjoy it more than having the frame.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

lhowemt said:


> Our raft frame is a self built nrs hybrid. Nrs pipe, lopros and then some speedrail, and I definitely liked tweaking with it the first few years I had it. I'm likely not done though. I bought the fittings to make a flip seat that didn't need a cooler under it, and then decided it is just easier to bring the big cooler on day runs. Since we don't use it all that much, it's not too big of a hassle. We're actually talking about r2'ing it a bit this year on some easy runs with the pups, but we just found out one of them is dying. So I really could care less if I boat, and will not until she is gone. R2 might still be fun when we are down to one dog, and since lila doesn't like the oars she might enjoy it more than having the frame.


Sorry about your pup. That's a tough one.
NRS stuff is so easy to fiddle around with. I like that I know exactly what I'm getting when I order. I know the specs and how things will go together. I've seen what a friend went through with an expensive, custom made frame. Lots of e-mails, phone calls, drawings, discussions, and it still wasn't right when he got it.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

And the pipe is so easy to cut. That is one benefit of using some speedrail, you can make your own sections without needing to drill the pipe for the lopro, which really takes a drill press or more skills than I have. At least it's an easy way to be able to play around, but the fittings have to slide in over the end of the pipe, which is more disassembly/assembly. SR does make some split fittings so you don't have to do this, buy it means more bulk on the side smashing into your tubes creating a pressure spot. Raft footbars are fun to make too, you can copy cat designs.


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## wildsoles (Feb 20, 2013)

cataraftgirl said:


> Tomorrow will be a sad day My posse will be heading for the Main Salmon. This was my permit......sniff sniff. ....Scheming & dreaming about a possible new raft in the fall/winter has helped with my river withdrawl. And of course, reading all the MB posts and watching the river videos helps a lot too.
> 
> KJ - The busted but healing river girl


 
Sympathies and good wishes for a healthy recovery. There is plenty of life to be lived off river, as you know. And even then, even when it's good, the change of pace makes one appreciate the river even more! 

I'm sure the river gods have a permit in the hopper for you for 2014...


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

lhowemt said:


> but we just found out one of them is dying. So I really could care less if I boat, and will not until she is gone.


Nooooo! What is wrong with Hazel?


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## spider (Jun 20, 2011)

When life gives you lemons, we give you more video. Here's our buzzard run on the gally. 

Galatin river Mad Mile with Pro-Loks - YouTube


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

spider said:


> When life gives you lemons, we give you more video. Here's our buzzard run on the gally.
> 
> Galatin river Mad Mile with Pro-Loks - YouTube


Thanks spider!
I like the "park on a rock" moment. Nice clean run past house rock this time....maybe because you didn't have your helpful paddle passenger on this trip?
Today, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I'll continue working on my Deso video. A compilation of pictures & video from my friends of our early May Deso trip.
Here's my favorite picture of me & Little Blue.


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## spider (Jun 20, 2011)

I've only run into house that one time. That other rock has always pushed me out river right, not at these flows I guess. It's 1000cfs less than last time I ran it with said passenger. 

That is a nice little boat you have. Loaded perfectly.


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