A Cautionary Tale on snow kayaking

[elduderino]

First, let me say, I'm usually an intelligent guy, and this is one of the few times I've been more confident than I should have been in my boat.

A week and a half ago, as part of the snow fall, I went with a group to sled down an impressive hill. Of course, I brought my kayak and gear so I could enjoy that greatest of pursuits on water that is white: snow yakking. The first few runs were fun and fast, and I started looking at a small jump that had been constructed about 80% down the hill. I lined up, hit the jump, landed forward with a thud and coasted out with style. Once I got out, and back up the hill, I decided I wanted to do it again. This second time, I got turned slightly, came off the jump sideways, continuing to rotate, and landed backwards. The impact that followed gave me the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life. After a few minutes of trying to get my breath, and trying to recover, I relented to be taken to the hospital.

The x-rays showed I had a compression fracture in my L2 vertebrae. The doctor told me how lucky I was to not have injured a disk, and I counted my lucky stars it wasn't worse. While the pain diminished, I started to realize how serious it was, and how injured I could have been.

So, a word to the adventuresome: don't be stupid like me. If you're gonna snow yak, don't take it off a jump. If you're gonna take it off a jump, land in something soft like water or a mattress factory. If you're not gonna land in something soft, don't get turned around.

I'm praying for a fast melt of some rain, so I can get my boat going off of drops it was meant for.

[jermdog]

Or just lean forward when you land. Sorry bout the back though.

[lalyle]

Ooooooh, that bites! Take real good care of that lest it haunt you for life. I can vouch for the woes of untreated back and neck injuries. Sitting here as we speak with an icepack on my neck and shoulder, having had to take a sick day for chiropractic care, a walk, on and off sitting and icing, and all kinds of measures to relieve pain and immobility. It's all from a neck injury I suffered in 7th grade that was never treated, not even with an icepack or meds. All it takes is a fun day of sledding, too much driving, a night in a cold bed . . . or a combination of them all as is the case this time, to aggravate the mess out of my spine and shut me down for a few days.

My son begged me to take my kayak to the sledfest at Conway Country Club and now I'm really glad I didn't!

Take care, amigo(a).

[DanMo]

I hope you heal up soon bro. Good luck.

I tried to call you last time we did a bear creek run, But we never connected. Next time.

Dan

[panicman]

I probably should have busted out my kayak when we went sledding on our hill and I would have avoided the swim I took in the lake at the bottom.

[Sir Kayakalot]

Details please?


Tommy

[panicman]

Well, we have a nice steep hill by my house that sits above our small lake. When the snow gets good and packed down you get cooking down it real fast. You either put the breaks on with your feet or jump off before you go into the water.

Mind you we usually do this at night with a few/many cold ones in us.

Anyway it was 1 of the snow events where we had more sleet than snow so it was a hardpack sheet of ice and was real difficult to dig in with your feet. I kinda rolled in but several others including my wife & 2 others on an innertube road it all the way in head under the water. Brrrrr. I think we counted 8 people getting wet in some form or fashion that week.