ArcticAvenue
Randomly Pawing At Keys
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2013
- Posts
- 1,650
((Closed for mouthwatering))
When he spotted her for the first time, the earth moved. It quite literally moved.
Lou was three days into the hike of a lifetime, and it wasn’t going to plan. He first visited this forest and these hills as a scout, but then for only an overnight just off the parking lot. He returned a few years later with the guys in school, but they only went in on a day hike. Now that he had a real job, his first real vacation was going to be off the grid, completely.
He saved his checks to get the most out of this experience and had packed up with only the best. Willow Brand 3-Season ultralight sleeping bag with boot warmer extension. Keer Oregon Weather-Proof low cut hiking boots, with a traction rating for above average rock grip capabilities, size 10-wide. Gamin Idaho RT hand-held GPS with 3D Base Terrain and 3-axis tilt compensated compass. Nero 1-Man tent weighing in at exactly 2.758 pounds, thank you very much. Jet Blue mini-propane boiler, perfect for the 7.9 lbs of dried noodles, oatmeal, and rice he brought for substance (beyond of course, 20 pack of candy bars). Sahara water purification system, capable of processing 3 liters a minute, opting for the slower model to save 0.67 pounds. Seven pairs of wool-poly blend hiker grade socks, three pairs of fungus resistance undergarments, four pairs of running shorts, and two t-shirts both saying “life is a hike”. Then the best of all, the Orey Aether 76 backpack with 4300 cubic inch capacity, front & side loading zippers, ice-pick/trek pole guides (not that he needed them), hydration pack included, and optional weatherproof cover.
Four months ago, he mapped out the route he took, documenting it so that it is passed to the appropriate park personnel as stated in the “backcountry guidelines”. It included following the Big Rock trail to the junction of Kings Cross trail then onward back to the Jordan Loop. He would hike approximately 15 miles per day, give or take the accurate distance to the assigned camping areas, and allowing a smaller distance on the first day for him to get accustomed to the trail. He trained using similar routes in local parks, and timed is average mileage per hour so he can account for the proper loads and speeds. If all goes to plan … make that When all goes to plan, Lou would return seven days after departing his car in the park office parking lot.
He lived by the simple rule: “There is no such thing as a reckless hiker, only an underprepared hiker.” No one would have mistaken Lou for being unprepared.
Day One went as planned, arriving at Big Rock without a hitch. Then Day Two happened. Kings Cross was not marked as the park map had said it was supposed to, and what the map showed didn’t match his GPS. After backtracking for 1.3 miles, Lou was forced to take a secondary route to make up for time. Arriving after dark, he made camp where he thought was the assigned camping area was but by morning it seemed to not be consistent with the directions given to him three months ago by the park ranger. Also, what was supposed to be a little bit of rain forecasted for Day 3 became a downpour. He took a path that he thought was supposed to get him back to the Kings Cross trail, but it started winding along a steep hillside, thick with mud. He could feel the water start to seep in over the top of his boots, regretting now in skipping the full ankle coverage. His water was getting low, not knowing where the next acceptable spring was at. With every step he made, the mud and earth underneath him sank further.
He circled around a tree, looking out across a treeless muddy stretch of hillside. As he stepped across it, something appeared moving into that same space. At first, through the rain, all he could see was a mass of hair. Then, in the instant he recognized it as a woman, the earth moved. Literally. The ground beneath his feet began moving downhill, pulling him with him. He started cascading down over rocks, shrubs, trees. When he came to a stop, he knew only three things: his pack felt much lighter, he was nowhere near the trail, and his left ankle hurt. It hurt alot.
This was not good.
When he spotted her for the first time, the earth moved. It quite literally moved.
Lou was three days into the hike of a lifetime, and it wasn’t going to plan. He first visited this forest and these hills as a scout, but then for only an overnight just off the parking lot. He returned a few years later with the guys in school, but they only went in on a day hike. Now that he had a real job, his first real vacation was going to be off the grid, completely.
He saved his checks to get the most out of this experience and had packed up with only the best. Willow Brand 3-Season ultralight sleeping bag with boot warmer extension. Keer Oregon Weather-Proof low cut hiking boots, with a traction rating for above average rock grip capabilities, size 10-wide. Gamin Idaho RT hand-held GPS with 3D Base Terrain and 3-axis tilt compensated compass. Nero 1-Man tent weighing in at exactly 2.758 pounds, thank you very much. Jet Blue mini-propane boiler, perfect for the 7.9 lbs of dried noodles, oatmeal, and rice he brought for substance (beyond of course, 20 pack of candy bars). Sahara water purification system, capable of processing 3 liters a minute, opting for the slower model to save 0.67 pounds. Seven pairs of wool-poly blend hiker grade socks, three pairs of fungus resistance undergarments, four pairs of running shorts, and two t-shirts both saying “life is a hike”. Then the best of all, the Orey Aether 76 backpack with 4300 cubic inch capacity, front & side loading zippers, ice-pick/trek pole guides (not that he needed them), hydration pack included, and optional weatherproof cover.
Four months ago, he mapped out the route he took, documenting it so that it is passed to the appropriate park personnel as stated in the “backcountry guidelines”. It included following the Big Rock trail to the junction of Kings Cross trail then onward back to the Jordan Loop. He would hike approximately 15 miles per day, give or take the accurate distance to the assigned camping areas, and allowing a smaller distance on the first day for him to get accustomed to the trail. He trained using similar routes in local parks, and timed is average mileage per hour so he can account for the proper loads and speeds. If all goes to plan … make that When all goes to plan, Lou would return seven days after departing his car in the park office parking lot.
He lived by the simple rule: “There is no such thing as a reckless hiker, only an underprepared hiker.” No one would have mistaken Lou for being unprepared.
Day One went as planned, arriving at Big Rock without a hitch. Then Day Two happened. Kings Cross was not marked as the park map had said it was supposed to, and what the map showed didn’t match his GPS. After backtracking for 1.3 miles, Lou was forced to take a secondary route to make up for time. Arriving after dark, he made camp where he thought was the assigned camping area was but by morning it seemed to not be consistent with the directions given to him three months ago by the park ranger. Also, what was supposed to be a little bit of rain forecasted for Day 3 became a downpour. He took a path that he thought was supposed to get him back to the Kings Cross trail, but it started winding along a steep hillside, thick with mud. He could feel the water start to seep in over the top of his boots, regretting now in skipping the full ankle coverage. His water was getting low, not knowing where the next acceptable spring was at. With every step he made, the mud and earth underneath him sank further.
He circled around a tree, looking out across a treeless muddy stretch of hillside. As he stepped across it, something appeared moving into that same space. At first, through the rain, all he could see was a mass of hair. Then, in the instant he recognized it as a woman, the earth moved. Literally. The ground beneath his feet began moving downhill, pulling him with him. He started cascading down over rocks, shrubs, trees. When he came to a stop, he knew only three things: his pack felt much lighter, he was nowhere near the trail, and his left ankle hurt. It hurt alot.
This was not good.