Monday, June 21, 2004
Why is admitting we're lost such a hard thin to do? My mom glanced over at me, "you think we're lost?" No, we're just having an adventure, we'll get out eventually. Another hour passes an again she questions "are we lost yet?"
We had started on a closed road figuring that it had to come out somewhere. But the road melted into a trail leaving behind any people (and snakes) we had so far run into. But we kept on, the end of the trail must be closer than the long hike back up the mountain from which we just came. I mean, come on, we were in Mills River, how big could this forest be?
We went up, down, ignored the many bear prints and thunder, only to look forward on what seemed the never ending trail. We made four river crossings. One was so deep we were soaked up to our waists and my poor old dog would have been pulled down river in the current if I didn't have her on a leash.
Okay, so it wouldn't have been so bad if: we had brought a watch, there were no bear prints, we had water, extra socks, aleve, and if neither me, my mom, and my dog didn't have bad knees and had not forgotten our braces. Oh well. Bug spray would have been nice too.
Finally we saw a sign that said: Turkey Pen Parking Lot. We stood staring dumbfoundedly at the sign. That must be one long trail to the parking lot if it goes all the way to turkey pen, so we opted to stay on the trail we had been following. Well, until we saw the bridge 100 feet later. Mom and I have trail ridden in turkey pen hundreds of times and it only took a glance to recognize that bridge. "Oh my gosh, we are in Turkey Pen!" Mom said. Immediately we turned around and within half an hour we were at the turkey pen parking lot.
But it was empty.
So we hiked down the road from turkey pen to 280 and walked to the closest house at the bottom and made phone calls until wonderful Mrs. Sanders came to our rescue.
But, when we got back to our truck, we had a big surprise. The battery was dead. A quick jump and we were finally on our way home.
Now that I know were the trail is and how long it is, and how to prepare for it, it'd be fun to go back and hike it again. But this time I'll start early in the morning so we don't have to do so much running and I'll bring water.
We had started on a closed road figuring that it had to come out somewhere. But the road melted into a trail leaving behind any people (and snakes) we had so far run into. But we kept on, the end of the trail must be closer than the long hike back up the mountain from which we just came. I mean, come on, we were in Mills River, how big could this forest be?
We went up, down, ignored the many bear prints and thunder, only to look forward on what seemed the never ending trail. We made four river crossings. One was so deep we were soaked up to our waists and my poor old dog would have been pulled down river in the current if I didn't have her on a leash.
Okay, so it wouldn't have been so bad if: we had brought a watch, there were no bear prints, we had water, extra socks, aleve, and if neither me, my mom, and my dog didn't have bad knees and had not forgotten our braces. Oh well. Bug spray would have been nice too.
Finally we saw a sign that said: Turkey Pen Parking Lot. We stood staring dumbfoundedly at the sign. That must be one long trail to the parking lot if it goes all the way to turkey pen, so we opted to stay on the trail we had been following. Well, until we saw the bridge 100 feet later. Mom and I have trail ridden in turkey pen hundreds of times and it only took a glance to recognize that bridge. "Oh my gosh, we are in Turkey Pen!" Mom said. Immediately we turned around and within half an hour we were at the turkey pen parking lot.
But it was empty.
So we hiked down the road from turkey pen to 280 and walked to the closest house at the bottom and made phone calls until wonderful Mrs. Sanders came to our rescue.
But, when we got back to our truck, we had a big surprise. The battery was dead. A quick jump and we were finally on our way home.
Now that I know were the trail is and how long it is, and how to prepare for it, it'd be fun to go back and hike it again. But this time I'll start early in the morning so we don't have to do so much running and I'll bring water.
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