# Osprey Pack saves rider from "Cowboy Killer"



## Mad.Mtb (Aug 4, 2014)

If you are not from the southwest, you may not know what a "cowboy killer" is (see photo below), but is a wicked, agave cactus with blades so unyielding they function like they are made of steel. Certainly not something you want to land on during a crash sequence, because this ball of blades will skewer your soft tissue, hence its nickname.

Unfortunately, my wife had such an encounter this weekend. However, the good Lord saw fit for to roll her into this evil bush backside first. Her helmet and her Osprey back prevented any blades from penetrating her body. After my friends and I un-impaled her, I removed her pack and water drained rapidly from the bottom of the pack. I pulled our the bladder to find three punctures in the bladder. Needless to say, we were all grateful for the barrier it provided between her body and the plant, while Osprey just earned themselves a couple of lifetime customers.

Sadly, my wife still torqued her knee severely enough that she had to be stretchered & Razored out by the Sedona FD. We were on the Chuck Wagon trail, not riding anything beyond her capability. Her rear tire just slid out from under her while negotiating a mild, ledge of slick rock and over she went. Be careful out there friends, it's a dangerous sport we embrace.


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