By Clara Glendale | Beacon Equniox reporter

It began innocently enough. But shortly after it started, six Spring into Spring participants were on their way to the hospital.

The celebration of the end of winter/beginning of spring has become an annual rite of passage in Bass Lake. Participants literally spring into the air and shout “spring into spring.”

The shouting  at Saturday’s event went off without a hitch. The springing proved more elusive. Six people injured their feet in an attempt to gain liftoff. All six were residents of a local nursing home.

“It was a disaster,” said Spring into Spring event chair Vernal Clampett. “We thought we’d include some older folks this year. Get them out of bed and such. That backfired.”

While none of the elder-folk attained significant earth-foot separation, the mere effort caused the snapping of metatarsals and the tearing of ligaments. One victim lost her balance and toppled over her walker.

Luckily, the event was held in the parking lot of the Out to Pasture Retirement Home where a fleet of ambulances is on-call 24/7.

“We were lucky in that regard,” Clampett said. “I guess next year we’ll just leave the oldsters to their puzzles and spring into spring someplace else.”