Realizing midway that it was a bad idea - How was your weekend?

NowIamMrsKlein

Good Morning!

So this weekend FI and I went on some backwoods hiking. We're 'moderate' in our skills and thought we had chose our hikes well. We did two seperate 5km hikes on saturday and stayed in a hotel that night.Saturday was amazing. It was super hot out but we had dressed accordingly, had plenty of water and snacks and backpacks full of supplies. Saw some really awesome stuff.

Sunday however was probably one of the worst experiences of my life. Both of us were tired in the morning, but nothing out of the ordinary. FI was having some allergy issues so he was a bit foggier than normal which was the start of our downfall. We drove to the trailhead in the middle of no where and started this 11km hike. It was +35C out. Mid-way FI realises in his allergic haze this morning he hadn't taken the sandwich and fruit out of the cooler and put them in our bag. So now we are in the middle of nowhere on a 6 hour hike with only granola bars and almonds. at about km 4 I got an ominous cramp and sure as shit, ladytime has started. 2 days early, and of course i have nothing on me as I'm never early. 

by km 7 we realise that the water level is super high where the trail crosses the river. Being super short, the water wouldve been thigh level. So now we are going off the track to try and find a better spot to ford the river.

By km 8, we're out of water. Km 9 was a relentless steep up hill climb and now i'm pretty sure I have heat exhaustion and I am bawling the entire climb. Poor FI. He was such a trooper. He kept calm and managed to calm me down and encourage me to persevere. Km 9.5 we found a stream and used our shirts to filter the water into our bag. and we washed down and wet our bandanas. We made it back to the car 6.5 hours after we started. 2lbs lighter too. Yikes.

FI told me last night he had actually been full out panicking when I was sobbing on the hill. He was seriously concerned about my health with the heat and lack of water and food, and he was freaking out about what he would do if I fainted or couldnt keep going. But never once on the hike did he show that to me. He stayed so outwardly calm and composed and encouraging, and honestly because of that I was able to push through. That man amazes me. Poor guy too. I felt so bad last night for putting him through that.

So anyone else ever make a poor choice that you had to push through because theres no turning back??

How was everyone elses weekend?? 

lovemesomemonster

I'm sorry all of that happened, sounds like at least day one was good though! 

I took a trip a couple summers ago to a cabin in the mountains with my cousin. We took my dog and she's up for a hike that is max 9ish miles. We picked out a hike that said "8 miles" well, apparently that was one way, not round trip. We couldn't figure out why it was taking so long to get to the lakes and ended up doing about 7 miles of the hike, hitting 2 out of the 3 lakes. The dog at this point is pissed and tired, so we ate lunch, then started back and she wouldn't move. She weighs 20lbs so not exactly pocket size and easy to carry! We ended up tying her to the top of my back pack to carry her out and I managed to roll my ankle (couldn't fall with it because of the dog). By the time we got back to the car we were tired, cranky, and my ankle was about the size of a soft ball!

luckya23

I've never been hiking, but why can't you turn around and go back?

NowIAmSyp

Oof.  That's a rough day.  11km = 6 miles or so (I think), so you would have been fine without food, but it's the running out of water that's scary, especially on a hot day with a rigorous climb.  Glad you were able to refill at the stream.  

I've definitely found myself on some ski runs where I've locked up with fear- the only thing I could do was talk myself through it and just get.down.the.mountain.  Short of taking off your skis, there's not much else you can do at that point, lol.  I hate that fear though....  

hellohkb

Oh no! Thats absolutely terrible. I had a great Saturday and a bad Sunday as well.

Saturday FH and I met up with friends and went rock climbing. Then one of our friends came home with us, we hung out, and everyone met back up for dinner and drinks. After, the friend, FH, and I went to a show and saw some bands play.

Sunday I had to catch up on coursework and had an exam. The exam had only a few questions and I totally failed it. Ugh. My stomach hurts just thinking about the grade I got on that. It's a statistics class and I have barely passed every math class I've ever taken since... The beginning of time. This is my second to last semester and I'm trying to just pass so I can take my last 2 classes and senior seminar so i can be done by the time the wedding rolls around!

lyndausvi

Yikes, that is scary.  DH and I set out for a few mile hike.  Then next thing we know we hiked 10 miles.   At least we brought a sandwich with us and snacks.

  I never go hiking without this:

I love it.  I always make the bladder is filled with water and snacks.  The bottom part has a tool case, which I use to put TP, napkins, a few bandaids and a tampon.   JIC. I even have a rain coat that reduceds down to the size of my palm.

kaitlynmichelle

I would turn around on a longer hike if I wasn't already past halfway if I was low on food or water. I usually bring a bit more water than I need as well. We did a 20km hike on Friday and it was SO hot.

Picture is of the view at the lake we hiked to.

NowIamMrsKlein

luckya23 said:

I've never been hiking, but why can't you turn around and go back?

It was at the mid-way point that we started having problems so it would have been the same distance forward or back. It was a circular route and we had just descended the ridge via this very precarious slope. We knew eventually we would have to go back up the ridge, and turning around and going back up the way we came was near impossible. We were hoping that the way up on the other end of the circle was safer. (it was, there were knotted ropes pegged into the ground to help hoist yourself up the incline).

lyndausvi said:

Yikes, that is scary.  DH and I set out for a few mile hike.  Then next thing we know we hiked 10 miles.   At least we brought a sandwich with us and snacks.

  I never go hiking without this:

I love it.  I always make the bladder is filled with water and snacks.  The bottom part has a tool case, which I use to put TP, napkins, a few bandaids and a tampon.   JIC. I even have a rain coat that reduceds down to the size of my palm.

We each had a backpack similar to that, just in the heat i think we needed more water and sustenance that a couple granola bars. And definitely raided our first aid kit for a gauze pad lol.

We had all the necessary survival tools (knife, bear spray, first aid kit, rain coats, extra socks etc), it was just that damn heat. 

NowIamMrsKlein

Here's the waterfall we were hiking too! It was about 6km to the bottom of it, and then you hike a pretty vertical incline (using embedded knotted ropes) up to the top of it.

redheadbride15

Ugh, sounds miserable. Yay for your FI keeping his cool! I always hike with water treatment tablets and electrolyte tablets - they're cheap and tiny/light and have gotten me out of trouble in cases just like this on at least two occasions.

NowIamMrsKlein

redheadbride15 said:

Ugh, sounds miserable. Yay for your FI keeping his cool! I always hike with water treatment tablets and electrolyte tablets - they're cheap and tiny/light and have gotten me out of trouble in cases just like this on at least two occasions.

We have put these on our shopping list and will be buying them asap to put in our first aid kit!

jenna8984

Oh fuck that!! I'm all about casual trails with feet on the ground but I do not do vertical!! haha Glad you made it ok, and I'm sure you'll never make the same mistake again with the food & water, so that's a plus!

I freaked out DH last weekend, we were on a trail and I said "So what would we do right now if we saw a bear?". He was like um holy shit, I don't know, I don't have my gun or anything, yea let's turn back! lol

novella1186

Holy crap that would be awful. I'm glad you guys made it back ok! 

bethsmiles

SO and I always throw a lifestraw in our backpack when we go hiking. That way if we didn't bring enough water we still have safe a way to get more. I also always make a checklist that I make sure I see each item in my backpack before checking it off the list. Small mistakes can get you in big trouble out in the wilderness.

@jenna884- I've actually run into a Grizzley bear while hiking. It was quite uneventful. We were sitting, taking a break and he walked by. We just stayed very still and quiet until he was out of sight then continued on our way.

[Deleted User]

Sorry all of that happened, but I would have turned around as soon as I realized the food was forgotten.  A lot of very experienced hikers, climbers, etc. perish because they push on instead of stopping and/or going back... 

I keep telling my fiance I want to go camping and such again (haven't been in a LONG time) but told him I'd want to renew my CPR and first aid training before we did.  I'd hate to be the only one out w/ him and incapable of taking care of something that might have been avoidable / treatable simply because I was too lazy to take a class before going out.

bethsmiles

FeeleyToBe said:

Sorry all of that happened, but I would have turned around as soon as I realized the food was forgotten.  A lot of very experienced hikers, climbers, etc. perish because they push on instead of stopping and/or going back... 

I keep telling my fiance I want to go camping and such again (haven't been in a LONG time) but told him I'd want to renew my CPR and first aid training before we did.  I'd hate to be the only one out w/ him and incapable of taking care of something that might have been avoidable / treatable simply because I was too lazy to take a class before going out.

SO has this crazy beacon thing that has an emergency button it that we can press if we ever get into real trouble. I don't think we'll ever need it but it gives me some peace of mind to know that if something ever does happen that we can call in for help no matter where we are.

lyndausvi

Back in November we were walking around Aspen at mid-night and a bear just came strolling along.   It was like he was window shopping as he was walking on the sidewalk by some stores.   It was pretty uneventful.  

There are 2 cubs who hang out on our golf course.   

NowIamMrsKlein

We definitely took safety precautions going in too. We had texted my parents the name of the hike and it's GPS coordinates and how long we expected it to take before we headed out. So they would have raised the alarm if we were really late back. We also both wore bright clothing and had signal mirrors and stuff to make campfires.

We are going to the outdoors store tonight to look into the lifestraws and purification tablets. live and learn! We spent so much time prepping for the hike and going through checklists of safety things, I can't believe that we missed one of the most important things!

We've run into bears in the past too, one hike we did we turned a corner and he was sitting on the path. We simply backed away slowly and then turned around and went back the way we came. Other times when we've come across a lot of fresh scat we've given up on the hike as well. We both have bear bells on our bags, have bear spray on us and have a large knife on our belt too (last chance defense). 

jenna8984

@bethsmiles oh no shit! I tried to tell DH that, I was like honestly how many times have you heard of a bear attack? not many because they generally leave you alone if you're not trying to fuck with them. so that's really good that it worked that way for you!

@lyndausvi that's hilarious. I'm totally picturing him like Smokey the Bear with the hat.

lyndausvi

jenna8984 said:

@bethsmiles oh no shit! I tried to tell DH that, I was like honestly how many times have you heard of a bear attack? not many because they generally leave you alone if you're not trying to fuck with them. so that's really good that it worked that way for you!

@lyndausvi that's hilarious. I'm totally picturing him like Smokey the Bear with the hat.

There is a bear up near a reservoir not too far from me that has bit 2 people (different times) in the last few weeks.  I know one had left food out.   Not sure what was up with the other case.

You see bears in the trees up in Aspen.   You will just be walking down the pedestrian street and there they are.  Just hangin in the trees.

Wegl13

When we went to Alaska last year, we took out an untested tent like dummies and it rained about 5 minutes before we got our tent up. And the tent leaked. And it rained for a solid 18 hours. So we were wet from the leaky tent and then just wanted to GET OUT NOW. My shoes were soaked, my socks were soaked.... I was soaked. My husband had purchased a poncho for himself and offered to let me use it but I'm hard headed and made him use it because I was the idiot that thought I'd be fine with just a raincoat (I wasn't). So we hiked all day in the rain, on top of the mountain, with no shelter in sight. We stopped finally for something to eat and I just bawled because I was so cold, and so wet, and so sore. And PS also, the wet shoes and socks were making the worst blisters ever. And we COULDNT turn around, because we'd hitched to the trailhead. Luckily we got out of the trails and back onto the highway and were able to hitch the last few miles back pretty quickly.
1. Test your equipment before you use it.
2. Don't be an idiot and get a damn poncho even if they look stupid.
3. Don't be a martyr.

But it was a fine and pleasant misery.

redheadbride15

Black bears are pretty benign - I've seen many, many on our hikes and backpacks in Yellowstone and Montana, as well as back out here on the east coast. The only time to be scared of a black bear is if she has cubs. Otherwise just keep your food out of reach and respect their space.

Grizzlies are another story... Never seen one (kinda want to!)

kaitlynmichelle

I have every safety gear thing imaginable at this point for hiking and skiing. Working at an outdoor store means you get a LOT of gear.
I'd also recommend the lifestraw. I still carry tablets too but the straw works great and the water doesn't have a weird taste. Plus you can just drink straight from the source, instead of wsiting 30 to 60 minutes for the water to be safe to drink with a tablet.

kaitlynmichelle

jenna8984 said:

Oh fuck that!! I'm all about casual trails with feet on the ground but I do not do vertical!! haha Glad you made it ok, and I'm sure you'll never make the same mistake again with the food & water, so that's a plus!

I freaked out DH last weekend, we were on a trail and I said "So what would we do right now if we saw a bear?". He was like um holy shit, I don't know, I don't have my gun or anything, yea let's turn back! lol

You would not enjoy the hike H and I just did! Almost 20km round trip, and you hike I think over 1000m vertical from the start to finish. Not an easy day trip, but the views make it worth it!

jenna8984

Sorry I'm not an real outdoors person so I have to ask- what is this Lifestraw? And if it provides instant purified water, why do we not send a billion of them to Africa?

WinstonsGirl

I'm glad you're ok.  The heat out here has been insane this past week.  

DH and I did the West Coast Trail about 6 months into dating.  We almost bailed at the ferry, but didn't want to wait 8 more hours for it, so kept going.  I was miserable the entire time, but at the end, I figured that if DH could put up with me in the most miserable state I have ever seen myself, he was a keeper.  

kaitlynmichelle

jenna8984 said:

Sorry I'm not an real outdoors person so I have to ask- what is this Lifestraw? And if it provides instant purified water, why do we not send a billion of them to Africa?

Literally a thick tube that has a filter built into it. You have to sit it in the water for 5 or 10 seconds (can't remember), and then start to drink. Takes a few strong sucks to get the water going, but you can either drink right from a source of water like a stream, or fill a bottle to take with you and out the straw into the bottle. I drank from a lake with some gross stuff in it, and I was fine! I think there's a few things it doesn't kill but for my backcountry purposes its wonderful.

I believe it was designed for third world country use as well. I know some program exists that they donate a bunch of them based on sales. For $20, it was a great buy for us. I have a photo of me using one, I'll dig it up once I'm home.

redheadbride15

WinstonsGirl said:

I'm glad you're ok.  The heat out here has been insane this past week.  

DH and I did the West Coast Trail about 6 months into dating.  We almost bailed at the ferry, but didn't want to wait 8 more hours for it, so kept going.  I was miserable the entire time, but at the end, I figured that if DH could put up with me in the most miserable state I have ever seen myself, he was a keeper.  

I love this story! I've often made the point that surviving hardships in the wilderness is one of the greatest tests of a relationship. H took me on my first ever backpacking trip in Yellowstone after 9 months of dating. We spent 5 days and 4 nights in the backcountry hiking our butts off with 40 lb packs and sleeping together in a tiny tent - all with no electronic gadgets, no facilities, no shower. And we had the time of our lives! I think I knew I wanted to marry him after that trip. Since then we've logged hundreds of miles of hiking and backpacking together. Each of us has stayed calm and stood by the other one when we felt that our limits were being tested. But at the same time we've encouraged and guided each other outside of our comfort zones and we've been able to achieve things we never would have dreamed of before. And throughout it all we've loved each other's company. Definitely a keeper!

ETA Also, I just googled the West Coast Trail and now I want to hike it!!!

WinstonsGirl

redheadbride15 said:

ETA Also, I just googled the West Coast Trail and now I want to hike it!!!

It sucks.  But everyone else seems to like it.  

VulgarGirl

jenna8984 said:

Sorry I'm not an real outdoors person so I have to ask- what is this Lifestraw? And if it provides instant purified water, why do we not send a billion of them to Africa?

Well Africa is a continent, so you can't just send it to 1 Africa Way, Africa. Not all African countries have the same issues with purified water. It's kind of like saying the US, Canada, and Mexico all have the exact same issues because we're all North America. We're three individual countries that make up North America. 

Also: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4967452.stm

$3.50 sounds like very little to you and me - but most people in those countries earn less than one dollar a day, with which they have to feed their families," he said.

He added that he felt the problem is that many people live very far away from their water, often walking a total of 20km or more carrying a weight of 25 kilos.

"That's what takes it out of them - the long journey," he explained.

"The LifeStraw isn't going to prevent that long journey, even if it does improve the water they drink.

"They're not going to have the education, because they're not going to have the time. It's girls in particular who suffer, because it's women and girls who have to collect the water.

"It only costs a charity like WaterAid £15 per person to provide them with water, sanitation and hygiene education, which, provided there is decent water resource management in the country, will last them a lifetime.

"At that rate, $3.50 is expensive." 

jenna8984

@vulgargirl Great info, thanks! I didn't mean to generalize, as I know there are plenty of countries like South Africa and Morocco that probably have cleaner water than my own town. I also thought there were more local water sources such as ponds. Again, not trying to generalize but the few "survivor-man" type shows I've seen seem to have a lot of water holes for wild animals (unsanitary from the animal feces).