Gothic Basic has always been one of my favorite destinations. Summiting one of its peaks, Del Campo or Gothic Peaks is just icing on the cake. This Sunday it had been pretty cold for a day or two, so much of the tail above 4000 feet was pretty icy, especially the section above the falls. In the basin itself, there was about 10” of power snow that had been blown around, so every once in a while you could sink to your waist. I made it up to the peak in pretty good time and met a father and son just coming down the summit block. I spent about an hour enjoying the view and taking pictures. The talus slopes up to Gothic were especially precarious since you didn’t know what you were stepping into with each step, due to the layer of powder snow. I had made it up and almost completely down the steep talus slope when my foot slipped into a deep hole and the rock hit my shin. It hurt pretty bad at first but once I started walking again, it didn’t seem so bad. I thought I had just bruised it since I had on pants and gaiters to protect my legs. When I got back to the trailhead and took off my gaiters, the bottom of my pant leg and sock was soaked in blood. The rock had cut through my gaiter and my pants. The shin looked pretty bad, but figured home was a better place to investigate. It turned out to be a pretty deep gouge and require 4 stiches the next day to close the wound. All and all it was still a beautiful day for a hike to one of my favorite areas on the Mountain Loop Highway.