An unhappy unexpected turn of events took place this weekend while on our way home from Central city and a visit to the ER would provide us with new baby information. I am due in 2 weeks, not 4! Looks like we're due around Oct. 27th.
After a fun filled time with friends in town and a few busy days with baby and YQ race related appointments & meetings, we made one last trip to Central/Circle city about 140 miles from Fairbanks on Saturday/Sunday to meet with locals about the 09 Yukon Quest race and trail. It was great to spend time with Central lodge owners Paul, Beth and their daughter Paige and to meet and reconnect with some of the locals in the area I've met in previous years through the Quest races. It felt like home away from home while there- and we even got to visit DeGaw! He's Paul and Beth's Great Dane. I fell in love with him 3 years ago!
After a successful trip to both communities, we took off for Fairbanks about 3pm Sunday. It had snowed a little in the area and temps were on the rise, warming, thawing, and freezing. John was driving my Land Rover, I was belted in the passenger seat and my girlfriend Anita was taking a little nap in the backseat. We were heading up Eagle Summit at 35 mph(about 22 miles from Central) when we hit the glare ice that sent my Land Rover over the edge.
I saw the trees coming head on as we spinned out of control and flew over the edge of the road. We crashed into the trees and rolled over, crashing down and landing hard in the upright position. We were down quite a ways in the trees and off the road down a steep bank about 100 feet. Passing traffic couldn't see us from the road and the only thing keeping the Rover upright were the trees. It was a long way down on my side but the trees were thick and firm holding us up. It was now about 4pm and snowing lightly. The wind was very cold. John got out on his side and dug out all of our emergency gear and bags. I couldn't stop asking him if he was okay. The woods felt quiet all of a sudden. I was shaky, nervous but calm and in survival mode. What could we do. I prayed that our baby was ok as I picked glass out of my hair and clothing. She was quiet when it all happened and then after we had hit down hard, about 10 minutes later, she was moving again--- shifting and kicking like normal day to day movements---everything felt quite right, inside me.
I kept praying as i gathered more glass.
John head hit the sun roof breaking it open with his head, suffering very minor cuts and bruises. Anita got beat up as she crashed up overhead jamming her arm, neck and hand on the roof. I have sore spots around my tummy, neck and arms, and small cuts on my feet and hands from all the glass. My tummy was sore from the seat belt but otherwise I felt physically okay. The Rover was crunched bad looking more like a honda civis now from the side but still operational-we were able to keep the heat on for warmth and John got the wench going and the cable out and up to the highway for later towing. No cell reception out there--and hardly any traffic. Anita and I were in the truck -- praying for someone to come by sometime soon.
I walked out about 45 min later to pee when a semi truck was heading down the summit for Central. He couldn't stop on the ice and slowed at the bottom of the hill when he had better control. John ran down to explain our situation.
To make a long night/story short.....we got back into Central and later into Fairbanks about 10pm spending the next 4 hours in the Er room with fetal monitors and then a new ultrasound around 1am.
I went into light contractions for just over 2 hours but with lots of water and rest, things settled down by 2am. The ultrasound/measurements show me at 38 weeks-the baby had dropped over the last 2 days making walking....more s-l-o-w and visits to the ladies room, more frequent. We are so very thankful to be OK.
It'shocking to go through something like this- you just don't think it can happen to you. One minute we're laughing and talking about things to come and the next minute we were flying off into the trees off Eagle Summitt face to face with a very ugly situation.
Please be careful this winter driving, even if you think you've got it all under control going slow--have good warm winter gear with you, water, food, extra gas, etc....just be careful. This was VERY scary!
We can't ever thank the good people of Central enough for all their love & support, they really made things good for us, making sure we got into Fairbanks safe soon after the accident...the State went in front of our friends truck with the grater/plow through Eagle summit keeping the pass open...it has been snowing and blowing hard on top and wasn't pretty.....local EMT's came out to do a routine checkup, more locals came out to help wrap up the broken windows on the Rover and the semi truck (craig) from Fairbanks loaded up the Rover and hauled it to fairbanks that evening.....we're very fortunate.
We hope to be back at the kennel in a few days. We hear it's been snowing. I swear I can hear the dogs barking to go......
zsd
