[at-l] Stupid Hiker Trick

[m_factor@hotmail.com (Mara Factor)]

Stupid hiker tricks, huh?

I gotta bag full of them...  Let's see, where do I start?

I was in high school and trying cross country skiis for the first time (I 
was not a hiker yet).  It was below zero and I had a wonderful time until I 
came inside and realized that I had gotten frostnip on the tip of one 
finger.  Oops!  That finger of the glove had a tiny little hole in it but it 
was enough to be the difference between staying warm enough and losing a few 
layers of skin on that finger.

On my first overnight hike, hut-to-hut in the Whites, I got borderline 
hypothermic in 45 degree rain.  It was enough for me to ask my friend to 
watch out for me but because the day ended at a hut where I could warm up, 
it never became more than annoying when I had to pee and my fingers weren't 
working to undo the button and zipper on my shorts...  If I had been camping 
that night instead of going into a relatively warm, dry building, that would 
have been a problem...

Left my boots in the driveway once and didn't realize 'til I was an hour 
from home.  Oops!  (Actually, that was a stupid hiking *partner* trick - NOT 
MY FAULT - I had put them in the car, he took them out momentarily while 
loading other stuff and forgot to put them back in - ARGH!).

Stopped at Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to for the night.  It was raining lightly.  
Couldn't get across the river in front of us or behind us for the next three 
days.  Hurricane Floyd had come through.

I can think of more but think that's enough for now...  ;-)

Ah well.  Live and learn.  And yes, I think I did learn something from each 
of these stupid tricks.  Ugh!

Mara
Stitches, GAME99

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