Claire Draginis and her husband, John, had gotten married at the end of May 2015 and had planned to go on a hiking trip with his family to one of their favorite destinations, Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana.
Everything was set for the family bonding activity which was scheduled over the 4th of July holiday but hours before the trip, Claire broke her ankle. Considering that she was going on a hiking trip, the broken ankle was a major problem especially because the doctors told her not to put any weight on it.
Still, even if the broken ankle was painful, she also wished to join the hiking trip. After all, she had so excited about it since it was her first time to visit the park and John’s family had always been telling her a lot of awesome things about the Glacier National Park. She certainly did not want to miss the trip.
Photo credit: Facebook/Claire Draginis – Love What Matters
So, she and John decided that they would get there, anyway, and see what happens from there.
After hours of using the crutches, Claire got comfortable with them and thought that she could go on short hikes. As expected, John was very supportive and would carry her on his back during times when she felt like she couldn’t take any step further.
Yet what was truly amazing was that it wasn’t just him who pitched in and helped Claire! John’s stepdad and uncle also took turns with John in carrying Claire across creeks, over rocky terrain, and up the steps!
Even if, somehow, she was literally a ‘burden’ for the family to carry, they pitched in to help, anyway, because as Claire had put it, “They refused to let me miss out on the beauty of God’s creation in Glacier.”
Common Hiking Injuries
Hiking is a fun sport and recreation activity yet it can also bring about a number of injuries, especially if the terrain is quite rough, the weather is not favorable, and other factors. Here are the 10 most common hiking injuries:
- Twisted ankle
- Muscle cramps
- Minor scrapes and abrasions
- Sun burn
- Blisters
- Chaffing
- Bug/insect bites
- Poison ivy (and related plants) problems
- Exhaustion
- Constipation/diarrhea