Trail running is a difficult sport, jogging over mountain trails. But you don’t think of it as necessarily life-threatening. Gabe Joyes, of Lander, Wyoming, found out differently after he fell while running downhill. He was carrying his trekking poles, and in the fall one of them jabbed into his thigh. Blood was gushing out as Gabe tried to put pressure on the wound and slow the bleeding. Luckily, his cellphone had a signal and he called his wife to alert search and rescue. The accident is a reminder to be prepared for the worst, even when you are close to the trailhead as Gabe was.

To read more about the harrowing incident, check out my story at https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/endurance-runners-fall-nearly-proves-fatal-after-trekking-pole-stabs-leg/article_5645fb8e-f325-11ec-8748-a766fa77837a.html.

Brett French | Outdoors editor | Billings Gazette