One of the reasons that I love going out Geocaching is because it instantly gives me valued insights that I can then pass on to my viewers. This last weekend was no exception, the situation I am about to discuss could have been terrible but by the grace of the Big Guy Upstairs I was not seriously injured. Thank you God.
So there I was all Geocaching and stuff on my birthday. It was exceptionally cold and windy for North Carolina this time of year but I was not going to hear it from GeoSnippits Reboot Podcast host Debaere that the weather got me from Geocaching again. It's not fair really, granted I am from Michigan but he's from Canada where the only thing they play with is polar bears and igloos. I over exaggerate, though it gets mighty cold up there and he is much more aggressive when it comes to winter caching than I, but I digress.
So there I was Geocaching on my birthday and picking up some quick park and grabs. The sun was warmer though the wind chilled air kept any recent snow/ice in that partially melted and partially ice state. I was going for a Geocache that literally had three levels of possibility of which the Geocache could be hid. Ground level I scoured pretty well with the mid level another ten feet above and the top layer another ten feet above that. I was not going to attempt the middle level because the was no rail to speak of and the ground was ice covered. A serious fall possibility and I was caching by myself. So up to the top level I went. It was a parking lot with a rail so I did not have any real fear of falling from there. The ice on the asphalt was slick but I kept my eye on where I was walking and even though I could not find the geocache in the howling wind I noticed a way of maybe checking some of the mid section. It looked safe. On the far side of the area was a steep sloping sidewalk that led to the middle section which was in the shade but seemed like a safe walk. I literally remember looking down at the wet patch and thought, "That is most likely very icy and I should walk around that area". Then I promptly was distracted by my phone and stepped on the slick ice patch anyways...
What followed next was a bit of a blue. I remember falling backwards and landing flat on my back. No real pain but was curious that I felt my right foot underneath me just about where my right shoulder blade was. My initiall thought was, "that really shouldn't be there and why is this not hurting more"? My head started to clear a bit and I rolled on my side while moving my leg down to where it was supposed to be. I didn't hit my head and started looking around. No one was around to see this because it was on the far side of the building, my phone was about 15 feet down the sidewalk and keys about eight feet behind me. Both flew out of my pocket when I hit the concrete. That was when I had the realization of how alone I was in this particular situation. Fortunately when I attempted to get up my leg was uninjured. Don't ask me how because I was sure in the position I was in that something was out of place or worse. Long story short I got up,dusted myself off, picked up my phone and keys and then went to find a few more Geocaches.
The point to this tale? When we go Geocaching it is so very important that we tell someone where we intend to go Geocaching. In my particular situation I was on the far side of a popular shopping mall but no one would have see me if I was injured. My phone and keys went flying even though I thought they were snug in my pockets. If I had been injured with a broken leg I may not have received help any time soon and the cold weather conditions would have complicated things even more. So I guess what I am trying to say is be careful out there when Geocaching. Even in areas you are less likely to get hurt doesn't mean you can't get hurt. Be extra safe, let people know where you are at and give times for them to be concerned if you don't show back up. How many times are we just out of view from the public and unknowingly just out of view from help as well?
Food for thought by example from your friendly, neighborhood, geocaching Headhardhat.
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1 comment:
You were so lucky you didn't get hurt. Happy birthday!
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