Bruised but not Broken

How do you describe an event in life that completely makes your heart sink, your stomache flip, and your brain can't stop. As you play the events of the day through your mind, or try to explain it to another. It just doesn't all come out, the emotion of the day doesn't even begin to show. I am not sure I know where to begin, or how to explain. Because each sentence begins and ends with we are so fortunate. so lucky, so blessed, etc.

The events that played out on July 17, 2011 were miracles, blessings, and tender mercies. As I start to describe or list the events of the day, I learn that again another blessing was there, another tender mercy, or maybe even another miracle. My heart is full, and I am unsure how to express any part of the event. For I know Gods hand was involved in our life yesterday. Not just for the safe return of Rob, but for the events that led up to that day, on that day, and now today.

So there he is on top of the ridge, he looks pretty dang good!!! I think I will keep him around. Rob started hiking this morning at 4:00 am. He called me around 4:30 pm to tell me that they had made it, and were on their way down. He thought he would be home by 6:00 pm...Wahoo! The kids and I had had a good day too, and it seemed perfect he would be home for dinner. Well, that wasn't the case. His friend called his wife around 5:00 pm to let us know that Rob had fallen and would need to go to the hospital to get stitched up. We didn't know much more except that it would take a couple more hours to get out.

So I headed home from our friends knowing it would be a little longer but he was ok. Later I got another call telling me that something else had happened and it would be closer to 10:00 p.m. before they would get off the mountain. Well, I did what some might think is crazy...I didn't panic not one bit. He said he could walk and get back to us so I didn't worry. I fed the kids dinner, cleaned up the house, tucked them into bed, all the while convincing others that he would be O.K. and he didn't need Search and Rescue. His parents made their way over to our home to watch the kids, and his Dad, my sister, and me headed off around 9:00 to Big Cottonwood Canyon. After picking up some food and water for Rob and his friend I decided to drive up the Canyon just a bit. The plan was that I would meet another friend of ours at the base of the Canyon to take Rob to the hospital, but we were early so I thought I would see if I could see this friends car. I knew ONE detail as to where the trailhead was, and that was...the trailhead is about 5 miles up the canyon. So I watched the mileage tracker on the car and as we reached 4 miles I started looking. I really believed that there wouldn't be very many cars, but I was wrong. This was the first moment I started to panic, it was dark really dark. We were told that if they weren't out by a certain time then to call for help, had I waited to long...it would be hard to locate them in the dark. I pushed this feeling out of my mind and focused.

I pulled into area that had a lot of cars so I could look around, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a road. I asked my sister, and Father-in-law, "is that a road?" We weren't sure, so I backed up the car and decided to drive up this road. Sure enough right in front of me was the friend of Rob's that was going to be picking the guys up. I started to talk to him, when I looked up and saw two headlamps coming down the mountain...IT WAS THEM!!!

This part of our story this night testifies to me, that God's hand was involved in the days event. This didn't need to happen, but it was a blessing to me to see them firsthand, and be led to find him. Although, the miracle on the mountain was more than enough for my heart to be forever grateful. I will always be grateful for this moment when with only one small detail, I found him, and boy was I glad to see him.

I took him to the hospital, minor cuts that needed stitching, lots of scrapes and bruises, no broken bones, and a cat scan. After 5 hours of getting him cleaned up we headed home.

So the details to the best of my knowledge, since I wasn't the one hiking. Rob and his friend were glissading down a mountain, I believe that means purposefully sliding down a mountain with an ice ax. Rob lost control, couldn't stop, or slow down and slid into a boulder. It appears that most of the impact was on his face, and his knee. As you can see from the pictures above. After calling us, they continued on. This time the tied themselves together, the idea being that one would anchor into the snow, while the other hiked. This is actually why they were moving so slow they were trying to be careful, and take their time. I really thought it was because of Rob's injury, but back to their story. His friend lost his footing, and Rob's anchor gave way. The two of them started sliding down the mountain, nothing they did could stop them, but miraculously they did stop. This is a picture of some of the snow fields they were crossing. This is earlier in the day.
Boy, it looks like a straight fall. This is definitely a hard picture to look at. Both of these guys really thought that they had no chance once they started their fall. I can't believe that Rob lived through either one of these falls. Hitting a rock at a such a fast speed, head first. How Rob, doesn't have head injuries. I will never know. And then to stop, for no reason, just stop. All we can do in thank our Father in Heaven for this. His hand once again was in this day of our life.

Here are a few more picture of Rob:

Well, after time to reflect upon this day in our life. I have to say it is true he was bruised, but not broken. Not even his spirit, that spirit we love so much about him!!! We are so grateful for all of the blessing of that day, and we have learned so much of the journey of life in this event. We will, and especially he will get up and get back on the horse as people will say.