back in the saddle...TR 12.01.06

**reidhresko** · 12-01-2006, 04:52 PM

Vicious, reidhresko
somewhere hopefully you'll never find...

At the end of May, in Bolivia, I was lucky enough to survive a should-have-been fatal fall while doing a ski mountaineering descent of Jhanko Uma (6429m, 21409ft) in which I blew out my right ACL. below are a few pics I never posted of climbing the mountain with BROS, a summit shot and the line I skied. I skied the line marked in red, coming to a crevasse gap, which at that altitude I decided I would just send. Never able to regain control after the 45% bullit proof landing, I fell off the largest vertical drop in the center-bottom of the photo. (this and the epic dh riding in Bolivia are all presently being edited into a webumaentray that will be up on the web hosted by stellarmag.com in a month or two)

at about 20,500 ft

21,200ft

summit

the line of descent - red marks where I skied, then I sent the first drop it crosses about 30 ft out by 25 ft down, then proceeded to fucking fall off the ginormous cliff below that. The run was terrible: two inches of rotted surface hoar on bullitproof suncups 45%+, I fell off the largest drop in the lower-center of the photo-about 150ft...

After having knee surgery August 2, my surgeon said I might be lucky to make some turns in March... bummer...
I started riding my roadie at day 7(inside) and after one month (outside). In the past three months, 2439 miles of loving knee rehab.

A trip to the surgeon's yesterday went something like this, "Uh, what kinds of activities have you been doing exactly? Your muscle recovery and knee stability are better at four months than most I see at 8/9 months. I AM SURE YOU COULD GET AWAY WITH GOING SKIING TODAY, but I would rather you waited another month." I stoped listening after the first half. This last big CO dump completely broke my spirit and it was time for turns to be made. With a tentative yellow light from the surgeon, Vicious and I headed out for a little early morning chowdah and to test out the knee (with Asterick brace in action).

All pics below are of Luke, but he should be posting more into this thread later today.

just a bit windy with flat light to start things out

we searched around a bit and found the best way I could have ever imagined to spend my first moments back on skis and to plug my soul into the energy we all seek... needless to say, I skied conservatively, but was beyond stoked just to be alive, to be back out there, to be there with friends, and to feel the cold smoke on my face again...

Luke in the white room

**Below Zero** · 12-01-2006, 04:57 PM

Great news Bro! Glad you are back skiing! Thanks for the pics.

**Cirquerider** · 12-01-2006, 05:02 PM

Bravo! for the record recovery and getting into the colorado stoke.
How did you get off Jhanko Uma with no ACL?
BTW, you seem lucky

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 12-01-2006, 05:06 PM

Yeah man!!

Welcome to the world of coming back strong(er)!

Git sum!

**Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo** · 12-01-2006, 05:17 PM

Well played sir. Good to see you're back to skiing. I suppose if you have to tell a story about blowing out an ACL, one that starts "Well I was sending this crevasse gap in Bolivia..." is better than most.

**robokill1981** · 12-01-2006, 05:21 PM

Very well done guys. Wish I could have met up with you two for some turns this morning, but work got in the way.

Did you catch up with Marshal?

**jrbd** · 12-01-2006, 05:22 PM

Congratulations on the quick comeback. Did anybody else think of "Touching the Void" when they saw that picture with the route?

**squirrelmurphy** · 12-01-2006, 05:25 PM

congrats on the recovery, and way to go git sum as soon as you could. kickass!

**Vicious** · 12-01-2006, 05:31 PM

It doesn't get any better than this. Great to have Hresko back on the team.

John getting back after it:

Options, options, options...the man was STOKED!

Not bad for a freeheeler in alpines...

The dude was grinning ear to ear all f'ing day, but then again, so was I.

And more deeeeeepness...

Anxiously awaiting Round 2!

**Tri-Ungulate** · 12-01-2006, 05:33 PM

Freaking pansy. What a wuss line. Jamie woulda sent it - I guess your excuse is you're a hippy-ass tele skier.

Even so, good thing you're still here, and sure glad you're back on that hoss.

**Fatty** · 12-01-2006, 05:46 PM

awesome - way to make a quick recovery

Thanks for the stoke!

**keksie** · 12-01-2006, 05:50 PM

whoa, scary fall and impressive recovery

**MarsB** · 12-01-2006, 05:52 PM

I've been wanting to see that Bolivian DH footage ever since your earlier posts. Congrats on your recovery and way to get back at it!

**Crinkle** · 12-01-2006, 06:07 PM

so fucking stoked to see this

lets get some soon.
Your story is just unreal, happy to see you are making uber headway in the rehab.

and sweet christ on a pony, luke has more outfits than Liberace

**cloudpeak** · 12-01-2006, 06:12 PM

Congratulations on the awesome recovery! Nice pics!

**skierX** · 12-01-2006, 06:20 PM

i see u have struktura lights
how do u like them?
are they better then regular strukturas?

**freshies** · 12-01-2006, 06:26 PM

**Vicious** · 12-01-2006, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by Crinkle

and sweet christ on a pony, luke has more outfits than Liberace

What can I say, it's the hawtness...I saw the way you looked at me in my fartbag!

**beaterdit** · 12-01-2006, 06:42 PM

WAy to go. That's pretty much a miraclulous recovery. I'm ahead of the curve at six months and I'll ski on wednesday.

**Pow4Brains** · 12-01-2006, 06:44 PM

Nice work fellas and congrats on a speedy recovery!

**Tri-Ungulate** · 12-01-2006, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by skierX

i see u have struktura lights
how do u like them?
are they better then regular strukturas?

Those aren't Lowas.

They aren't even AT boots.

**truth** · 12-01-2006, 06:53 PM

That's awesome.

**schwerty** · 12-01-2006, 06:55 PM

Great PIcs!

**iskibc** · 12-01-2006, 07:00 PM

FKNA. Great to hear you are back at it again. Nice read too.

Let's get out soon.

**Dside11-11** · 12-01-2006, 07:25 PM

I am so FUCKING STOKED to see that you are back at it, John. You worked so hard at rehab and suffered many an iskibc TR to get here. Here's to ya, bro. Cheers!