Hiking Troubles

[RedRoxx44]

There's a blog called "Hiker Hell" --it's quite entertaining and sad and funny with what can and does go wrong, from mainly US but other countries like New Zealand, areas in Europe etc.

I've been thinking about my little disasters over the years. Some coulda been bad but fortune favors fools---or so they say.

Flash Flood--- Paria Narrows--just out of Buckskin. Unplanned overnight bivouac after cliff climbing out and ending up on the East Clark bench. I'll never forget sunrise and listening to the coyotes' sing and how sweet that was---

Falls-- Black eyes in Anza Borrego, skin tear with bone exposure in Anza Borrego on a solo hike and a three mile hobble out. Impaling cholla in hand leaving it non functional in Anza Borrego with bouldering to get out. Pulled 52 spines out with 4 requiring pliers to get them out. Fell in Utah and almost had my runaway pack pull me over a cliff. Fell in the Dirty Devil River with a heavy back pack. Ruined my camera on that one. Then I started using trekking poles but still fall.

Heat stroke or exhaustion--once in Anza Borrego which I really think was hyponatremia instead and once in Utah. The Utah one I ended up hitchhiking back to my car thank goodness for a nice couple from France.

Out of water---a couple of times. Lost--no
Equipment failures---nothing duct tape could not fix.
Clothing failures--Lost the skin on my heels a couple of times with poor/cheap boots. Once in Death Valley and once in Anza Borrego--fix--better fitting boots.

Caving-- rappel device incorrect rig--fortunately discovered this at the top of the drop.
Rapped into pit in cave with bad air. Good to know your rigging when your trying to ascend when addled with high C02.
Almost hung myself sliding down a crack when my helmet got caught and my body weight was hanging on the chin strap, fortunately the guy behind me helped me out quickly.
Stuck upside down, partner put rope around my foot and hauled me out.

Other--- shotgun in face with irate rancher thinking I was trespassing to do "bad deeds" we settled it with border patrol a few minutes later.
Guy giving me a little trouble at a TH. He almost got the business end of my "little friend", fortunately he backed down.
Dodging some gun toting drug runners in the Huachucas.

Animals--seen a few and no troubles, unlike the humans.


What other tales, experiences are out there???

[writelots]

I remember reading several years ago about some Boy Scouts who died on a trip down into Grand Canyon because they didn't take enough water. The leader said later that he was expecting to get water from the river, but what I guess he didn't know was that the trail they were on stopped a couple hundred feet above the bottom. I dunno, but that kinda sounded like negligent homicide to me.

Unfortunately, this kind of mistake happens to often places like the GC. I read about it as well, sounds like there were more than a couple mistakes on that hike. The biggest was just not respecting the awsomeness and wildness of the Canyon - which also happens a lot. When I hike there, I usually carry a 1l bottle I don't care about full of water I don't need. More than a few times, I've needed it to give to someone who's underestimated the hike (or overestimated themselves). Although, I give it along with an earful of advice and admonishment - I consider it the price of a liter of water for them, and a good chance for me to give someone a piece of my mind while helping them out at the same time...

[Jeffshadows]

I remember reading several years ago about some Boy Scouts who died on a trip down into Grand Canyon because they didn't take enough water. The leader said later that he was expecting to get water from the river, but what I guess he didn't know was that the trail they were on stopped a couple hundred feet above the bottom. I dunno, but that kinda sounded like negligent homicide to me.

They went in with a guide experienced on the route and failed to account for water consumption. Their story was that they didn't expect the heat that hit while they were there. They got split up into a few small groups, and only three reached the river; one of whom was already in shock secondary to severe heat stroke. By sheer luck, a rafting party stumbled upon one of them filling a canteen. The party was comprised of a few physicians and paramedics. They tried to stabilize the the one scout but he died; they managed to help the other two. SAR found the rest of their group after the rafters called for help.

[JimmyLyding]

Someone could write an entire book of "Darwin Awards" dealing with the Grand Canyon. My favorite is seeing people in penny-loafers who've managed to make it down to Indian Garden.

My roommate is a very strong hiker, and he's also a minimalist. In his pack for a dayhike he'll carry a windbreaker, food, 1 liter of water, and that's it. He's also in the habit of hiking as fast as he can, and likes to get far ahead of everyone else. No knife, first-aid kit, flashlight, none of that stuff. My favorite term to describe this behavior is 'selfish.'
I go overboard. 3 liters of water, 1 liter of Vitamin Water (better than Gatorade IMO), 2 knives (1 buck and 1 Swiss army), camera stuff, layer, first aid kit, waterproof sack, space blanket, and God knows what else. He'd better hope he never gets a nasty boo-boo when hiking with me because guess who would NOT be doing household chores for at least 2 weeks?

I know someone who did the Death March (in the Grand Canyon from the river up Tapeats Creek to Thunder River then over to Deer Creek back down to the river), and ran out of water halfway through. In July. She sat on a cactus and started talking about the dog she had when she was a little girl. That's scary. I think it was karma for her dog stealing my gigantic roast beef sandwich (anyone remember Tamborino's deli on Shea?) on the Y-Bar trail.
Water water water.

[Jeffshadows]

It's the only place in AZ that has a full-time "Preventative" Search & Rescue Ranger...that says it all!

[PaleoRob]

Full details on that Boy Scout story are in Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon.

One of my coworkers went down from Monument into Tapeats and ran out of water. Had to trek to the river and thankfully found a river trip. He was choppered out. Pretty intense stuff. And this is a guy who lived and worked at the Canyon for almost ten years. It can happen to anyone, all it takes is one time making a little slip...

[desert spirit]

Oh, I guess I had the Boy Scout story wrong. I thought they never made it to the river. But even so, anyone who's going to lead inexperienced hikers into the desert should have a better idea of how much water to carry. If I had been those boys' parents, I would have been very, very angry.

[Jeffshadows]

Oh, I guess I had the Boy Scout story wrong. I thought they never made it to the river. But even so, anyone who's going to lead inexperienced hikers into the desert should have a better idea of how much water to carry. If I had been those boys' parents, I would have been very, very angry.

Yea, it was pretty bad. They made a lot of miscalculations...

[JimmyLyding]

http://hikearizona.com/phoZOOM.php?ZIP=1966
Link is to a picture of the boy scouts' memorial on the Old Baldy Trail. If you want to read more about it Google 'bonnie henry trapped by snow.'
You never know what will happen, so always be prepared. Even the strongest hiker who is loaded for bear can still get in trouble. Mama Nature has a mind of her own, and everyone who spends time outdoors will be reminded at least once of how insignificant they are in the grand scheme of things.

[desert spirit]

When I hike there, I usually carry a 1l bottle I don't care about full of water I don't need. More than a few times, I've needed it to give to someone who's underestimated the hike

That's a great idea!

Mama Nature has a mind of her own, and everyone who spends time outdoors will be reminded at least once of how insignificant they are in the grand scheme of things.

So true. (I still would have been majorly angry at that Scout leader).

[Jeffshadows]

(I still would have been majorly angry at that Scout leader).

You would have had a right to be; they hosed things up really elegantly. I just try to withhold judgment until I'm walking in their shoes

[JimmyLyding]

Some poor guy died hiking Camelback today according to the AZ Republic. It appears he may have had a heart attack. Just another thing to keep in mind.

[rushthezeppelin]

Well my new easily most miserable hike happened today. http://hikearizona.com/TLOGS_JUMP.php?ID=40681 Check out day 2 of the trip. I'm extremely surprised none of us needed to goto the hospital after this cold, wet bushwhack.

[PaleoRob]

Also heard on the news today that there's two missing hikers out from Lost Duchman State Park; hiking troubles continue for some. All we can do is try to be as prepared as possible.

[desert spirit]

You can also have troubles with pack stock, or if you're on horseback.

I was in the Tetons, resting beside the trail one afternoon when some people approached on horses. I'm a horse person myself, so I knew not to stand up suddenly and also to talk out loud a bit so the horses knew what I was. It wasn't enough for the first horse, however. As he walked past me, he suddenly decided I must be some kind of horrible predatory monster and spooked, throwing the woman who was riding him.

Luckily, she wasn't badly injured, but she sure could have been. We did everything right ... but horses are quirky animals sometimes and they don't know their own strength.

Then this past year over in Saguaro East, I was holding a woman's horse for her as she was taking some pictures. A similar thing happened ... for some unknown reason, the horse suddenly spooked and took off running down the trail, dragging me along with him. Again, I wasn't hurt but easily could have been.

I got him stopped before very long, but everyone asked me why didn't I just let go? Well, the reason I didn't -- which I decided not to tell them -- was that I didn't want to look like a greenhorn, not being able to handle a horse.

So what I'm saying is that vanity on my part could have gotten me seriously hurt. That's a sobering thought.

[Jeffshadows]

This seemed like a good time to redirect this thread over to a topic that is near and dear to my heart, nowadays...Over-exertion and over-training injuries. The nasty falls and risky situations are dramatic, but I think injuries from the repetitive movement from hiking and training to hike are by far more common. I've recently added a fibular stress fracture to my long list of injuries that have come from roughly two decades on and off ropes and trails in the mountains. I see a lot of discussion out on the web in running and marathon forums about training injuries and was surprised that there is very little out there in the hiking and mountaineering communities. Is this worth talking about?

[dysfunction]

I think it's probably worth talking about. Stress fractures suck, along with pretty much every other over-training injury I can think of. Problem is, it's sometimes so easy to put yourself at additional risk for no reason. All too easy to think "it's just a bit of pain, I'll just tough it out" ;) When do you call it quits?

[fricknaley]

i never call it quits until it's too late...that's why i've had posterior tibial tendonitis for 2 months now. the thing is over the years i've learned to accept the rest once the injury occurs, but i still seem to get them anyway....very frustrating indeed

[Jeffshadows]

Now I'm at the crossroads of knowing the fracture has healed and dealing with residual pain that might indicate an injury that was primary to the fracture itself. The whole thing is maddening!! It makes fierce debates rage in your head about whether to just ignore the discomfort and see how much you can handle or wait a while longer to be safe. All the while you lose conditioning. Frustrating...

[dysfunction]

I know what you mean, I've ended up with plantar fasciitis a couple times now. I know that I could have stemmed things off by taking it easy when the pain first started.

Now, I broke my pinky toe on my right foot about a month ago. I determined I can still run if I shorten my gait, great. Can hike too if I'm not going up too steep a hill. Awesome! About a week ago, I think because my gait has been thrown off, I did something to my soleus and tried (unsuccessfully) to just 'run a bit on it'. Ended up with a full day of pain on Bellota. It's seeming better now that I'm going easy on it, but have a 3 dayer this weekend.. so I hope it stays that way.

Feh, I've rambled... sufficeth to say, you're not alone. I too am that fool

[Jeffshadows]

How much do you taper your runs off before a big hike? I'm struggling with that metric right now...