What the derailleur!?

I had my worst bike damage today. And the sad thing is, there's no cool story to go with it. I wasn't jumping a ledge, I did not bunny hop a Sasquatch or anything like that. I was rolling slowly, waiting on some friends, when I hear a crack and my rear tire comes to a quick stop.

Apparently, a small stick (really just a skinny twig) got kicked into my rear derailleur. The stick got caught in the spokes which pulled the derailleur up and into the spokes also. The derailleur got caught in the spokes and was yanked around about 180 degrees from its normal position.

Luckily John had his tool kit. We broke the chain, making my bike a single speed. We did not have a knife to cut the derailleur cable, so used Wendy's watch strap to secure the derailleur to the frame so I could ride out. Wow, in all the years I owned this bike, this was the single worse incident to the bike (there have been several incidents the bike came out better than the rider).

In all, I'll have to replace the derailleur hanger, purchase a new chain and true that back wheel. I think the derailleur might be salvagable. If not, that's a new derailleur. Really, it could have been a lot worse. Now, here's a great photo of John at Grassy Creek Falls studying the map of Dupont.