Man, I hate to see that. On a positive note you have a nice fill port for the front diff.
Stuff like this is a reminder to really look over the fine details of your suspension before heading out. I'm guilty as anyone, if I didn't mess with it, it should still be tight right? I've personally seen wheels come off, brake lines get cut, A-arms / ball joints like this all come unglued because the nuts spun off. Makes me cringe sometimes.
Glad you made it back, OK