The hike down was straightforward, quick and unventful. Uneventful, that is, until shortly below the junction with the spur trail to Wright Peak. There is a short steep step at one spot, and today this steep step was an ice slope. Below the ice slope was a benign bit of flattish snow. Why go around this, I thought? I'll just slide down it -- no problem! I proceeded to do this. The slide down the ice was quick and easy. Unfortunately, one of my snowshoes smacked flat onto the snow below the ice slope, and it's multitude of teeth and edges caught fast. The rest of my body, having gained a substantial amount of inertia, did not. My body compressed down hard onto my now-stationary foot -- which emitted a disconcerting gristly/crunchy sound -- then continued on, flipping me over. Pain and annoyance!
I knew that I'd done something to my ankle, I justed didn't know how much. Fortunately, I was able to bear weight fully on it, so I knew it wasn't broken. After some careful testing, I was relieved to discover that nothing seemed to be fully torn, either. Lucky. I should have known that that was an unwise little maneuver, and now I was going to pay for it.
After taking a few Ibuprofens to control the inevitable swelling that was to come, we continued down, now at a much slower pace. I borrowed Jenn's ski poles for extra support and managed to hobble down the final 3.5 kilometres to the trailhead, probably consuming an extra 30 to 45 minutes of time in the process. Much better than having to be carried out in a litter, though!
All in all, a great outing. The Shepherd's Tooth is a great little spot, and I was pleased that we were able to find our way up from Cold Brook Pass. As of the writing of this report, my ankle is still sore and sprained, but steadily improving. Well worth it! (I mean the hike, not the ankle sprain)
Interactive Trackmap & Photo Points - Shepherd's Tooth via Cold Brook Pass - Click link below to expand
Hike Data - Shepherd's Tooth Loop via Cold Brook Pass
Start Time:
7:20a.m.
End Time:
5:27p.m.
Duration:
10h7m
Distance:
19.41 km
(12.06 mi)
Average Speed:
1.9 km/hr
(1.2 mph)
Start Elevation:
2207ft
(673m)
*
Max Elevation:
5163ft
(1574m)
*
Min Elevation:
2071ft
(631m)
*
End Elevation:
2175ft
(663m)
*
* : +/- 75 feet
Total Elevation Gain:
3608ft
(1100m)
*
Total Elevation Loss:
3634ft
(1108m)
*
* : +/- 75 feet
Elevation Graph
