If You Are Not Feeling Well: Don't Push!

IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL - -OR IF YOU ARE INJURED --DON'T KEEP PUSHING FARTHER INTO THE WILDERNESS!
Prior to my recent Isle Royale trip, Ken Smith suggested a blog idea for my Isle Royale website (but I am going to post it here instead). I would encourage Ken to post the longer version of his story in the comments, but the shorter version is this: Ken woke up at Todd Harbor feeling nauseous. He was already camping and set up at Todd Harbor. Todd Harbor has a dock, a wooden shelter, and typically has fellow campers available to help out a sick or injured person.

Instead of "staying put" at Todd Harbor, the nauseous Ken chose to pack up his campsite and press on further into the back country--and head to Little Todd Harbor. En route to Little Todd Harbor, Ken's nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, exhaustion, and dehydration got so bad that he was actually falling asleep right in the middle of the trail. He could barely move down the trail at all. He eventually had to push his emergency beacon for rescue. It took 45 minutes to get a response to his request for help and another 2.5 hours for help to arrive. He was told that the help would be arriving at Little Todd Harbor and would come down the trail looking for him. Ken managed to stagger to Little Todd Harbor and he met the rescuers when the arrived there. The rangers took him to Windigo. Ken sums things up by saying (in retrospect) he should have stayed at Todd Harbor when he first started feeling nauseous--and not pressed on (further) into the wilderness and away from the campground where he was already safe and set up and near a dock.

Ken's advice and warnings were in my mind when I arrived at Windigo on August 16th. I had experienced back issues off and on for much of this summer. It was nothing bad--just annoying and uncomfortable. However, on August 15th--I felt the best that I had felt in months. During my long drive to Grand Portage, I was slightly uncomfortable from sitting--so I slightly stretched my back while I drove. As I stretched my back, something in my back "popped" loudly --and IMMEDIATELY my back felt the best it had felt all summer. My back felt GREAT for almost all of August 15th. Something that was "out of whack" was finally back in place.

I woke up in my hotel room on August 16th, feeling somewhat sore again. I just figured it was due to me sleeping in a hotel bed, me being nearly 62 years old, and me having traveled 570 miles by car. So, I left my hotel and boarded the boat for the Island.

My pre-decided plan was to NOT leave Windigo that first day. I also figured that this already planned overnight at Windigo would give me and my back more time to rest. It rained fairly hard overnight, so I decided to spend Day # 2 at Windigo also. (I had a 14 day trip and a very flexible schedule). I intentionally woke up long before sunrise on the morning of Day # 3,--with plans to start hiking prior to dawn using my headlamp. I wanted to cover at least 25 miles that day. (which is not unheard of for me). Hence, the pre-dawn start. My back was slightly "sore" but nothing unusual for an old guy sleeping on the wooden floor of a shelter.

I cleared out my shelter. I hiked to the Windigo dock area--because I wanted to start my hike at the Windigo sign. My back started feeling slightly "uncomfortable" as I walked from the Washington Creek Campground to the Windigo dock with my pack on. After being by the dock, filling my water containers at the spigot, and taking a flash photo of the Windigo sign, I started to hike back toward the campground and toward the start of the Greenstone Ridge Trail. My back was NOT feeling better. In fact, it was feeling worse. Thus, I went back to the campground. I reclaimed "my" shelter, and I went back to sleep. When I woke up, my back was still "uncomfortable".

My choices for the coming days were: OPTION # 1: Push on with my original plan to hike across the Island on the Greenstone (and then hike BACK to Windigo via the Minong Ridge Trail). OPTION # 2: Play it relatively safe. Rest my back a great deal. And, (due to consecutive night stay limits) spend the next two weeks doing occasional 4-8 mile hikes from Windigo to places like Huginnin Cove, Island Mine, or Feldtmann Lake (and then back to Windigo). OPTION # 3: Try to see if I could get early transportation off of the Island.

If my back (while carrying a pack) was sore and uncomfortable--just hiking from the Washington Creek Campground to the Windigo dock--then Option # 1--seemed extremely foolhardy and unsafe. Option # 2 seemed probably "doable"---but uncomfortable and with the potential for even worse back issues to emerge at places away from Windigo.. Thus, I opted to pursue Option #3.

I learned that the Sea Hunter III had one or two available seats for their trip that day back to Grand Portage (and back to the place where my car was parked). Thus, I vacated "my" shelter for the second time that day and took the Sea Hunter III back to the mainland.

I spent a day on the Minnesota North Shore--and spent the next 9 days--dividing my time between my brother's cabin and my sister's cabin -- both in Northern Wisconsin. I got home after 10 p.m. on August 27th.

I think Ken Smith's recent rescue experience ... and my recent back issues -- illustrate the importance of NOT pushing farther into the wilderness when you are ill or injured. If at all possible, try to stay where you are --in a safe place that has the best chance of rescue and relative safety.

Thankfully, Ken was able to use his rescue beacon and he got to Windigo with the help of rangers--and he got early transport off of the Island (and he didn't die while passed out sick, exhausted, and alone on the Minong Ridge Trail). And, I was able to slowly and painfully carry my pack to the Windigo dock (and then to my car) and I relaxed in the safety of some northern Wisconsin cabins that had cell phone and internet access if needed (and, I was under the watchful eyes of family members). That is far more desirable than being carried out of the wilderness on a stretcher or backboard.

If you are sick or injured, try to not push farther into the wildreness--hoping that things will somehow magically get better. Play it safe. "Stay put" at an established campground where help and rescue (and fellow campers) can be of assistance.