Wilderness adventure

1
Wilderness adventure

• By Dave Dunphy (a.k.a. Double D) and Ian
  Thompson

2

• Its a lovely cloudy day, in late fall. The
  temperature isnt to hot or to cold about 50
  degrees, a little on the cool side. As your car
  bumps up to the service road you think, I really
  havent heard from my friend today? but that
  thought quickly goes away as you pull into the
  dirt parking lot of the trail head. As you scan
  the number of cars there you dont see your
  friends car. Dang it he has ditched you again
  without calling either! As you park your car you
  sit and think to yourself, Man I would really
  love to strangle him right now, but on the other
  hand you think that its a lovely day for a hike
  and you kind of like being alone.
• Do you turn Around go home and curse your friend
  out for ditching you?
• Or do you just go your hike, its a lovely day.

3
Go on a Hike

• Your not going to let your friend stop you from
  having a good time but just as you star to gather
  your gear your cell phone rings and you see its
  your friend calling on the phone. You hear your
  friend barely through the static Dude.
  Illtherein.fewwait... just after barely
  hearing those few words the call is dropped. Well
  you mine as well wait for your friend. Hell only
  be a few. You continue to grab your gear as your
  friend pulls right next to you. He is all ready
  and you run by him. He says your all packed and
  you guys head off. The guy gives you two routes
  to the top one that is a little less treacherous
  but shorter, and one that is longer but less
  difficult.
• Do you go the shorter more difficult path?
• Or the longer more docile path?

4
Go home

• As you sit in silence your thoughts of lovely day
  and going on hike quickly deteriorates into
  thought of calling your friend and cursing them
  out. As you throw your car into reverse and pull
  out of the parking lot the only thing you can
  think about is your friend being a flake. The
  whole car ride home is spent in silence
  contemplating what to say. Do I get mad? Do I
  play it off like nothing happened? but as you
  pull into your drive way those angry feelings
  slip into relief in that it starts pouring when
  you get home. Good thing you didnt go on that
  hike! ?

5
The difficult shorter path

• Your friend wasnt Joking. This is a difficult
  trail. Its only 3 miles long with a mile of
  elevation And you can tell this trail is less
  taken care of the hazards arent marked and it is
  definitely more rocky. After an hour of walking
  you guys are getting pretty tired. And your
  friend presents the idea of a water break. Now
  you have been drinking you water along the way
  but you may definitely need a break from your
  strenuous hiking.
• Stop for a water break, youre getting pretty
  tired and you may need this?
• Not enough time for that keep going and take a
  break when you get to the top?

6
The more docile path

• Well the scenery is nice and the trail is well
  maintained, and it is so flat and gradual you are
  making great time, even though the trail is 6
  miles instead of the 3 miles that the shorter
  path that your friend gave you. But not to worry
  you are strolling along and you come to a vantage
  point and you really enjoy the view. Your friend
  tells you that you need to get going you dont
  have enough time for you guys to get to the top
  and back, the trail is WAY to long for you guys
  to stop its about to get dark and you guys need
  to get moving.
• Do you convince your friend to stop and smell the
  roses?
• Or do you continue and get to the top?

7
Stop for water break or stop at vantage point

• You stop and set your pack down and as you get
  the water out of your pack you stop and look at
  the view. And as you lift your bottle up to your
  lips you notice the weather starting to turn the
  sky has darkened and the slight overcast has
  turned into a storm of black and angry clouds. As
  you take the final sip out of your empty nalgene
  you feel a rain drop on your head, thats your
  cue to get your shell out. And after you get it
  on the weather gets ugly on you. You dont mind
  it at first but when the rain really starts
  coming down you question whether you want to be
  there.
• Do you turn around?
• Or keep going, the summits only an hour and a
  half away?

8
Keep going for both docile and dangerous path

• Well dont worry about water or a pretty view you
  got to keep going. As you continue you dont
  realize the angry clouds that have moved in and
  it has started raining on you. But you and your
  friend both agree that its to late to stop your
  already pretty wet and plus its only going to be
  a day hike being wet makes it more fun. But as it
  starts to transition from the day to the evening
  the temperature starts to drop and you start to
  feel a chill in the air. You dont let it bother
  you but you think that you should at least stop
  and take a map check and maybe even turn around.
  But you have to convince your friend to do so.
• Do you stop and take a map check
• Or do you turn around
• Or just keep truckin

9
Turn around for both

• Well you tell your friend that it might be a good
  idea to turn around. And as you guys snake your
  way back to the parking lot. You guys seem to be
  just fine and you make it to the parking lot and
  you simply drive home. ?

10
Map check

• You decide to take your bearings but as you
  rummaged through your backpack you remember
  sorting your gear out with your partner before
  the hike and you remember your friend telling
  you, you dont need that darn map its only a day
  hike. As you kind of think to your self why did
  I listen to him? you contemplate your options
  but after this trip has gone sour there is only
  one option. Turn back. But as you pitch the idea
  to your friend he says, we dont need to turn
  around the summit is so close lets just make it
  there and then we can at least say we made it.
• Continue (to keep going)

11
Keep Going 2nd slide

• You and your friend are now cold, wet and tired.
  You guys have been hiking for about two hours.
  And going way slower than anticipated, maybe its
  the terrain, or the distance, or a combination of
  the both. But this trip has taken twice as long
  and its starting to get dark and the rain is
  stronger than ever. And as you and your friend
  get out your tiny flashlights and keep going. and
  everyone knows that when it gets darker it get
  colder. You and your friend did not expect this
  and are ill-equipped for this cold an
  environment. You dumped most of your clothing
  back at the car. But at this point you turn to
  your friend and say this isnt fun anymore and
  you want to go home. But your friend responds We
  have to keep going, but with these stupid little
  flashlights I can barely see, but I can still
  see. But you are right its getting way to dark
  to carry on, its getting to the point of being
  dangerous to go either direction to the summit or
  back to the car. Maybe we should stop and just
  wait for daylight. Ill leave the decision up to
  you.
• Your gut tells you to turn around
• Your friend is right moving is a little
  dangerous, just wait it out and hike down in the
  morning
• But the summit is so close, lets get there first
  then we will make a decision.

12
Turn around the bad one.

• Both you and your friend universally to follow
  your gut feeling and head down to the cars. And
  as you follow the trail back stumbling through
  the terrain. And suddenly your friend trips and
  sprains his ankle. stay with me and help my
  ankle, someone will know we are missing and will
  call us missing. But you think otherwise that
  maybe you should go down and get help. Your
  friend exclaims that that is not a good idea and
  he is anxious with you leaving him alone and
  pleads you to stay.
• Listen to your friend.
• Or do you head down, it may be your only chance
  to let search and rescue know that your friend is
  down and injured.

13
Stay put

• You and your partner decide to stay put for the
  night. You make a fire. Eat the last of the food.
  The night is pretty cold and wet but your fire
  takes care of the cold. You and your partner are
  up all night discussing what to do when morning
  comes. And when morning comes you simply walk
  down. Boy this is going to be a good story to
  tell to the guys when you get back to
  civilization. ?

14
Continue to the summit.

• As you stumble around with only your tiny Mini
  MAG Lites guiding you. You soon find yourself
  hiking longer than you need to. Something must
  have happened you think to yourself. But you must
  carry on the summit is only a little bit away and
  from there it will be easy to guide your way
  down. It makes perfect sense!
• But after about two and a half hours of
  wandering in the heavy rain you realize that you
  must have walked straight off the trail. Now you
  wander aimlessly but miraculously you find your
  way to the summit. There is no view but you can
  see he glint of lights from the highway, in the
  distance, but that is way too far. you either
  need to head back to the parking lot or just wait
  and bed down for the night.
• Bed down
• Continue down to the parking lot

15

• You tell your partner to stay put and help will
  arrive and you will not fail. And you walk off,
  hearing his cries of despair and anguish in the
  distance. To travel faster you ditch you pack and
  take only the essentials, rain jacket,
  flashlight, the clothes on your back and not much
  else. But as you snake your way down you realize
  that its going to be a lot longer than you
  expected. But thats ok youll just be a little
  longer than expected. But you cant help but
  think about your poor friend whom you just left
  lying alone on a trail you kind of wish to turn
  around and go back to him but part of you says to
  keep going, youre his and your only hope.
• Do you go back to your buddy
• Or keep Going?

16
Stay with your buddy

• As you lye there with your buddy you guys start
  to get cold really fast. Being static really
  doesnt help but as you lye there you keep
  thinking that you have to get moving and help
  your friend as best you can.
• Head Down with your friend and help him
• Stay Put

17
Bed down for the night.

• As you bed down at the summit you start to feel
  the cold set it. You try to make yourself as warm
  as possible but, the lack of gear really
  restricts that, and being at the summit really
  doesnt help either. The wind is racing across
  that barren patch of land. You find a log to lay
  down on and you close your eyes.
• The lack of tree cover really has the rain
  pouring directly on you. And as you become numb
  you slip into a fatal sleep. The next day your
  body is found by your partner who got through the
  night hypothermic but alive.

18
Go back to your buddy

• As you stumble back to your injured comrade you
  start to realize you are more lost than he is.
  You wander every which direction but everything
  looks the same and you have an eerie feeling that
  you are going in a big circle. But you shrug it
  off and keep going. As you wander around you
  Miraculously wandered your way back to the
  parking lot! You rush to your car and grab you
  cell phone and quickly grab your phone and call
  911.
• 911 response how may I help you?
• Oh thank god! Please send people up to the
  mountain trailhead immediately! My friend is
  injured with a sprained ankle!!
• Ok sir, help is on their way.
• Thank You!
• You are very concerned about your friend who is
  still up there. But you cant do anything about
  it now. Little do you know your friend tried to
  stumble down and after you had left your friend
  had traveled about halfway down. And he
  tragically died from exposure.

19
Help Him down

• You decide its time to fight and if you are
  going to die from hypothermia at least you tried
  to fight your way down. You tell your friend to
  get up and tough it out and you loop his arm
  around you and start to help him down as you lead
  him down he start to give up but after a couple
  hours of pain and suffering you make it down to
  the cars and you rush him to the hospital.

20
Stay Put

• As you tell your friend that you guys are going
  to wait out the night, the only thing that you
  can do is try to help your friend tough the night
  out and when you help him you see a team of hiker
  calling your names out. You are elated and you
  get up and shout back. You hear quieter talking
  and then you hear them say they are here to help
  you. You cannot contain yourself and you jump for
  joy. You own your lives to these gallant people
  who came out to rescue you.

21

• You found the perfect shady rock to drop your
  pack and pull out your pink nalgene water bottle.
  As you enjoy your much needed break you being to
  catch your breath. You start to notice that
  spectacular view that you had neglected in your
  hast. After 10 minutes your start to get cold
  and notice large black clouds rolling in off in
  the distance. You suspect that the weather wont
  hit for several hours, you start contemplating
  what to do next. You could just keep trekking,
  you been through plenty of weather and this one
  might not even hit until your back in the car or
  maybe we should just play it safe and head back
  now REI was having a sale. Or maybe you should
  keep heeding up your just getting colder waiting
  here.

Turn Around
Wait
22

• As you sit in wait for the weather to give you a
  clearer indication, either way you realize how
  cold your getting. You start going through your
  pack looking for your fleece jacket. As you throw
  on your jacket your food bag rolls out on to the
  ground. You reach in for that some delicious bar
  of sawdust, known as an energy bar and realize it
  was your last one! You had forgotten to throw in
  new bars after your climb of Mount SI. the
  previous weekend. There is still several hours of
  hiking ahead of you if you choice to continue.
  Or you could turn around now and call it a day.
  That weather sure isn't looking any better.

Turn Back
Keep Going
23

• Still not sure that you made the right decision
  you start back down the whined switch back that
  will eventually lead you to your car. Thirty
  minutes down the trail BOOOM! What was that,
  thunder maybe? There it was again. It was coming
  closer to you. Was it alive? Could it becoming
  closer? You stand there petrified. It is always
  very eerie when you hike alone. Now the dilemma
  plays in your mind. Do you investigate the noise
  and put your fears to rest or is it time to book
  it down the hill.

Keep Heeding Down
Investigate
24
Another Noise
There is defiantly something big out there and it
coming towards you. What should you do now? You
can seem to remember what to do in animal
encounter. Is it a bear or cougar? Should I run
back down the trail. There could be people to
help me further on? Or may I need to make noises
and make myself big to scare it off? You hear a
brushing noises that sounds like foot steps get
closer. You start to wonder what that things is?
Now what?
Run Away
Go Investigate
Make Noises
25
Fear has gotten the better of you and you turn
and run as hard as your can jumping rocks and
fallen trees alike. Thump, Thump, Thump is that
your heart or is the animal following you? A
trail marker, only two miles to the trail, but
your exhausted and sopping wet from sweat. Then
you trip on a tree root and twist your ankle, now
you are in trouble. You pick yourself up out of
the mud and sit on a rock and try to decide what
to do next. Your ankle is throbbing and it hurts
to put weight on so you think you might just wait
for help but you are torn. The cool autumn air
that had been so refreshing earlier in the day
now has chilled you to the bone. You change into
your extra set of clothes and try to decided what
next, down the trail or wait for help.
Trip and Fall
Hobble Down
Sit and wait
26
Hobbled Down
Four miserable hours later you have reached the
car. You must have fallen over a dozen times
before getting there. You discovered that you
wont be able to drive with your right foot
swollen like it is. So you call a friend to come
pick you up. That was a long day as you sit at
the trail head in your Explorer. It was well
after dark before your friend arrives but you had
gotten down and was glad because the rain kept up
all night and you dont think you would have made
it up on the trail. It will be awhile before you
go hiking alone again.
27
You huddle under a tree for what is sure going to
be a long night. You try to stay warm the best
you can. You have all you clothes on and even
your wet synthetic ones were offering a little
insulation. However you feel yourself getting
colder and colder. You regret running from that
noise now it properly wasnt anything. You fight
to stay awake and just as you think you can hold
your eyes open any more search and rescue shows
up. Luckily you had told your friend where you
would be and when you were to come home. Your
friend felt guilty and he had called you to go
out to dinner, but you would did not answer your
phone, so he called 911. That was a close call
you think, as you are loaded into the ambulance
to go get checked out.
Wait for help
28
You muster up all your courage and you hold your
ground. With your trekking poles over your head
to make your as big as you can you being to call.
HEY THERE ! I HEAR YOU OVER THERE! You continue
calling out until you dont think your voice can
take it anymore. You keep it loud and calm. It
felt like two hours but really about 10 mines
until your sure what ever was making that noise
was gone. Shaken you take a break and drink more
water. You realize it is starting to get dark and
you dont want to waste any more time on this
cold wet mountain.
Continue Down
29
Out after the thing encounter
Luckily you always bring your head light just in
case this very problem occurs, with its strong
beam you are able to get to your car. It is very
late now and your just about exhausted. It had
taken another two hours of stumbling down hill
before you reached your car. Your surprised to
see a sheriff car in the parking lot. He informs
that you have just been found. Realizing that it
was 1000 pm, you figure one of your friends had
called search and rescue, concerned that you
might have been hurt. Gratified, you thank the
officer and head home. You promise yourself that
when you going hiking your will always let some
one know where you are.
30
For reasons unknown you decide to act on your
curiosity and press your way into the darkening
forest to see what that noises was. Oblivious to
the changing weather condition, you spot a larger
hairy man like object in the distances. Still
unperturbed in continue to stealthly track the
beast. You pull out your camera and fallow it
ever deeper into the wood. The trail far behind
you see the creature enter a larger cave. excited
now to be the first to capture the Iconic Big
Foot on your camera you race to the cave to get
there final perfect proof that big foot is alive.
Entering the cave you contemplate grabbing one
Big Foots hair sure that your Biology teacher
Mrs. Vonbergan could classify this best. Or maybe
you should stop her while you still can, is now
the time to turn back.
Investigate the noises
Turn around
Enter the cave
31
Quietly you approach Big Foot intent on that one
hair. You slide closer and closer to the beast,
asleep on the floor . You dare not make the
slightest sound. You grab hold of one of the
hairs. O no! Big Foot turns over, possibly more
scared than you and he hits you across the cave
before you can even turn to run. As you lie on
the ground semi- conscious, you look down at your
hand and smile at the clump of hair you have in
your hands. Proof at last, you think to yourself,
I am going to be famous! You close your eyes and
bleed to death on the cave floor.
32
Finally, reason prevails as you turn away from
the cave. As you look around wondering were the
trail is, you wish you hadnt wasted so much
time. It was noticeable dark now. All of the
sudden, WACK, you had been hit from behind by Big
Foot. You had just sustained serious injures and
lay on the ground with out the energy to move and
then WACK. Big Foot has just finished you off.
Your body still lays by the cave entrance that
you dared not enter.
33
As you move closer you hear the noise again and
again. You dont think that sounded like thunder
at all, that sounds like somebody shoveling. You
move closer and closer and you become more
certain that it must be another person. You
finally locate a man planting trees out in the
woods. You wonder who is this dedicated woodsmen,
out revitalizing this struggling forest and then
he looks up. You dont believe it, it is Al Gore.
He greets you and beings to talk to you about
trees and how great they are at reducing carbon
in the atmosphere. Al Gore ask you if you would
like to join him in tree planting on this glories
rainy northwest afternoon. Are you going to help
save all humanity from certain destruction by
planting some trees or are you going to decline
and head back down the trail?
Plant Trees
Head Back Down
34
You thank Mr. Gore for the offer but insist that
you really must continue down if you want to
reach your car in time to meet up with your
friend later. With a sadden face, you leave Al
Gore in the midst of tree planting. You make your
way back the trail and are sure to cut every
switch back on the way down. You figure somebody
has to off set the work of conscientious minded
citizens. On the way done you find a twenty
dollar bill on the trail, you grin thinking that
this will pay for gas of your Lincoln Navigator.
You reach the car several hours later excited at
the prospect of getting home early.
35
You in bark with Al Gore on his tree planting
mission you two against the world. After several
hours of hard work you final had planted all the
trees that Al Gore was able to bring up. During
these hours of work you were able to convince Al
to run for president in 2008. Your impact was
going to be much further reaching then the trees
you had found the next president of the united
states. You turn to head down the trail to enjoy
the last hours of your hike in peace and reflect
on the change that the country might expenses
under Mr. Gores leadership As you say good bye
al gore offers you a ride down puzzled you look
around for a car. Do you head down by yourself or
hitch a lift with all gore?
Down By yourself
Head Down with Mr. Gore
36
You enjoy a long peaceful hike down the Cascade
Valley. You see several animals and think over
many things in your life. You decide to work hard
to become a carbon neutral person. You reach your
car with a new sense of peace. You are ready for
another week of teaching at Skyline high school.
You stop by the store on the way home and buy all
new light bulbs for your house. When you finally
get home you turn off your heat and jump on the
internet and buy some solar panels for your house.
37
You accept politely and continue to look around
for some sort of mode of transportation. Al Gore
whistles into the woods and a small bird whistles
back. The animal sound continues to echo all over
the forest in many different tongues. Al Gore
just stands there as you look still puzzled.
Then, minutes later a deer and a bear come
running out of the woods. Al Gore jumps on the
bears back and you after some encouragement jump
on the deer. They take you down the mountain and
you are back at your car before you know it. You
thank Al Gore for a great day and you head home
to tell everybody who will listen to you about
your adventure with Al Gore.
Down with Al
38
You start off up the trail thought the dark
forest up the switchbacks. After several minutes
the weather is the last think on your mind. You
have gotten into the zone and you fell like you
could keep trekking all day. The rain slowly
starts to drizzle barely even noticeable but as
time goes on it begins to become apparent. It
time to decided now is it time to turn around you
are out here alone and not really prepared for
much worse then this. Of course then again it
could stop any minute maybe I should just press
on or then again I guess I could put on my North
Face jacket.
Tough it Out
Jacket Time
Turn Around
39
You made the safe choice better get home in one
piece to hike another day. You hope that the rain
will let up soon but unfortunately the opposite
happens. The rain begins to poor you through on
your jacket and need to decide how fast to go
down. You sure would like to get out of this wet
miserable rain fast you dont want to get
hypothermia so you think about just running for
the car. But at the same time these rock as logs
are getting wet would it be worse to fall?
Start To Run
Keep the Pace
40
Finally making some progress down this disaster
of the mountain. You get into you stirred and you
can almost taste the cheeseburger waiting for you
at the north bend café. As you were jumping over
a fallen tree your trekking poles slipped and
crack! You hope that it was just the poles that
made that horridness noise. As you stop to the
ground in pain now you really need to decide what
to do. You pull out your first aid kit and take
some IB profane and tight your boots to keep down
the swelling but your not sure what to do next.
It hurts to move around so maybe its time to wait
for some on to get you but who knows how long
that will be or is it time to tough it up and
just walk to you dont want to get hypothermia.
Keep Moving Down
Stay Put
41
Ever step send shooting pains up your leg but
some where inside of you find the will to keep
movie. This is the only thing to stay warm and
you dont think the car could be to far away. You
final are able to make a phone call to your
friend who is heading to the trail head right now
to get you there no way your able to drive. You
final emerge at your car after the longest two
miles of your life but thankful your not up on
the dark could mountain tonight. Your friend
arrives and you spend the rest of your Saturday
night at the warm and clean ER wait to see a
doctor.
Hobble down to your car
42
You get colder and colder waiting on that log
hoping somebody is going to show up soon. At nine
o-clock you fuggier one of your friends would
have called search and rescue by now. And indeed
they have but it will still be hours before they
find your body. You find yourself so tired you
cruel up under a tree and being to doze off. You
quick awake yourself desperately try to stay
wake. You get up to move around to stay warm but
you no logger can the swelling has gone up.
Panicking you try to recite the information once
learned in school but nothing seems to keep you
up. After you eat the last cliff bar in your pack
hoping your metabolism will jump start your body
your time is clearly up you fall asleep never to
wake again.
Stay Put
43
You solder on through the rain and the wind. You
stopped having fun hours ago and all you want to
do is be warm again. After an hour you come a
crosses another hiker on the trail limping. They
clearly have twisted there ankle you want to help
but your not sure what the best way is. You start
talking to them and your realize that each step
they take brings tears to there eyes but what
will be best Should you become another lag and
stumble down the mountain together ensure that
they dont get any more hurt or is now the time
to race ahead and call for help.
Walk Down With Them
Go for help
44
Several hours later the both of you reach the
trail head tired but in more or less one paces.
The person is vary grateful and offers to buy you
dinner some time. The friendship develop and you
dont go hiking alone anymore. There are some
ordeal you go through where you can help but
becoming close friend.
45
Determined to find this person help you set off.
You gave them your trekking poles and have all
their personal information in order to make the
call into 911. you start to make pretty good time
fill with adrenalin. On one of your short water
break you realize you have a single again on your
cell phone you call search and rescues. Before
you reach your car search and resource paces you
heading up with a stretcher. You describe the guy
to them and they thank you for calling in. you
make it to your car after one rough day on the
mountain. Later that night you see a news story
about the guy being carried down and you were
glad you made a wise choices.