When we get back from our hike there is no sign of Tom. Helene finds a note that says "Back pain worse. I think it is a ruptured apendix. I've gone back to Boise". We throw everything in the truck and head down the hill. We get in touch with the Sheriff, and the whole story becomes clear.

Clutching his side, Tom had headed towards Boise as fast as he could go. Boise was five hours away. Nearly an hour passed as he headed down the lonely dirt road back, and there had not been any traffic. Suddenly out of the dust a Conservation Officer truck passes. Tom waves and then stops. The Officer had not seen the signal.

Crawling further on Tom sees a Sheriff's truck in time. He flags him down and within a short while paramedics arrive and the Life Flight helicopter is called.

The pain is severe and Tom vomits a time or two. It feels like he has been shot in the kidney.

After a 90 minute flight, the evacuation helicopter arrives and then heads back with Tom to Saint Alphonsis Hospital in Boise. Being strapped to a board on a helicopter is not the most comfortable thing, but after several shots of morphine Tom decides to at least go with the flow.

Tom's dog Grim and his truck are left behind for Helene and I to pick up.

The first two hours of Tom's hospital stay were spent being questioned, jabbed and xrayed. It was then decided that the pain had came from three stones that were passing from his kidney and that they had all safely passed.

During the next two hours of his stay Tom was threatened with a catheter for a urine sample. The doctor told him, "If you don't pee in the bottle soon, I'm going to have to send around the girl with the funny red hair".

Tom finally passed muster and then headed safely home to his own bed.