Last weekend I was in the
Crowsnest pass fishing the many creeks and rivers including (Racehorse,
Vicary, Lynx and Lost creek and the
Oldman river). The fishing was so fantastic that it was hard to sleep at night. Cutthroat trout on nearly every cast
averging 12 inches in length.
On Saturday August 8th after fishing all day Janay and I headed back to our hotel. At approximately 7:30pm I ventured out by myself to fish a few more places near Coleman. After fishing parts of the Crowsnest river and Allison creek I headed back.
I stopped in at Flumerfelt park looked after by the Lions Club of Coleman and decided at about 9:15pm to hike the Miners Path approximately 1.2km to see Rainbow falls. I have herd that this is a very nice hike and it was. The trail is said to be the old Miners path used every day by the miners of McGillivary mines. The trail follows Star Creek upstream to rain bow falls.
Rainbow Falls
After looking at Rainbow falls I continued upstream in search of some more mine ruins before it became too dark. On the way up to the falls I had taken a slight detour and was marveling over some ruins that may have been a part of the
McGillivary coal mine operations. I absolutely love old and historic structures especially abandoned mines.
Looking to the east near the top of a rock face I could see some sort of structure. It appeared that the only way to get a closer look at it before it was too dark was to walk out on a 2 inch wide piece of slate approximately 30 feet above the ground while holding firmly onto some bear berry shrubs. Sounds crazy, believe me I know!!!
Never the less some brilliant thought came into my mind saying it was possible even though it had started to rain and now the rock face was all wet. I remember thinking I won't be on the ledge long enough to worry about it. Famous last words!!! I slipt and while I was falling to the rocks below I remember thinking this is going to hurt, and it did! In fact it hurt alot!!!!!! As I laid their in the mud my first thought was "Get up you idiot, your jacket is going to get dirty!" and second "This better not hinder my field work!" I was exstremely lucky no broken or fractured bones just scrapes, cuts, bruises, and hurt pride. The worst thing was that I had a 1.2 km walk back to the Jeep.
I painfully manged to make it back to the hotel. Initially when I walked in I gave it everything I had to walk as though nothing had even happened so Janay wouldn't suspect anything, until I could get in the bathroom and check out what I had actually done to myself.
The picture above shows a swollen/brused portion on my left shin with a large open approximately 1/4 inch deep wound
Here is a picture of my right leg thigh. It doesn't look all that bad, just a few scrapes but I knew it would bruise. It felt like getting the most painful "Charlie Horse" you could possibly imagine.
Here is the same leg 3 days later. Ouch!!!!!!!!
