On what hike in AZ have you been the most nervous

[JasonCleghorn]

/afraid due to heights or exposure and why? No animal encounters and only non-technical hikes.

This came to mind because I saw the pics for Cheops Pyramid...

[DarthStiller]

When I hiked to the Skull Mesa ruins a few years ago, along the ridge on the way out to the ruins, I took the left (west) side of the ridge instead of the east side. It turned out to be very steep and crumbly. I didn’t really slide very far at any point, but the footing was very loose and it felt like at any time I could start to slide. What made this scary was that the slope didn’t go down very far until there was a sheer drop off. Or at least it appeared to be from my vantage point above, I wasn’t about to get very close to find out. I made it thru without incident, but it was a little dicey there for a bit. I took the east side going back.

One of the more nerve wracking hikes I had was when I did Soap Creek Canyon. It was in July, which was my first mistake. At one point, there is a section where you have to scale down a vertical section, which is about 6’ tall. Some pics of this are posted on that hike. Usually, there is a rope ladder there to facilitate getting down and back up easily and without injury. That day, there was only a rope adjacent to the squarish rock, which was tied in a lasso loop and hung around and egg shaped rock next to the flat rock. I went down using the rope without a problem, and also without thinking. Once I looked back up at how high it was, I got a churning in the pit of my stomach. Could I actually get back up out of here? I went along and made my way down to the Colorado River, rested and had lunch. The heat was really oppressive, enough that I had to refill on water from the river for my hike out. Once I got to that spot again, I tried to get out and couldn’t. to make matters worse, the sweat in my clothes was mixing with the silt on the rocks, turning to a very slick mud-like substance. I paused, composed myself, and tried to find another way around. No spot looked good, and none had any ropes at all. I finally went back and on my 2nd try, barely made it out. I had just got my center of gravity to balance on the edge of the squarish rock, and instantly felt myself sliding back down. There was nowhere to grab onto, so I just moved my arms and legs in a turtle like fashion until I moved up enough to where I knew I wouldn’t slide off the rock. I was pretty exhausted and don’t know if I had the energy to get out after 2 tries.

I used to get nervous about being lost all the time before I got a GPS. Being in the middle of nowhere and not knowing if you’re heading on the right trail or not used to bug me a lot, especially after getting lost once or twice.

And anytime I encounter a rattlesnake that’s too close for comfort before I realize it’s there can get me a bit nervous.

[JuanJaimeiii]

You said not to include technical climbs and technically I don't know how to do technical climbs but I will tell you that on one of my Weavers Needle ascents (without gear) I had the full blown Elvis leg. On another trip up I slipped a little and it rattled my nerves.

The most scared I have ever been while hiking was early on about 5 years ago when I was coming down Humphreys from the plane crash and it got dark on me. I didn't have a flashlight or a headlamp. I was in total darkness and lost. In a panic I called Kyle (toughboots) and he helped me through the situation.

There are others and there will be more but those stand out the most. Interesting topic.

[cactuscat]

Lightning! Right - I forgot about being chased off the summit of Mt. Humphrey by lightning!
Also the time that idiot target shooters were shooting near/across the trail above Canyon Lake ... I don't know how close bullets have to be for you to actually hear them whizzing by your head, but they were that close and it was pretty terrifying.

[JasonCleghorn]

When I hiked to the Skull Mesa ruins a few years ago, along the ridge on the way out to the ruins, I took the left (west) side of the ridge instead of the east side. It turned out to be very steep and crumbly. I didn’t really slide very far at any point, but the footing was very loose and it felt like at any time I could start to slide. What made this scary was that the slope didn’t go down very far until there was a sheer drop off. Or at least it appeared to be from my vantage point above, I wasn’t about to get very close to find out. I made it thru without incident, but it was a little dicey there for a bit. I took the east side going back.

Skull Mesa must be cursed because its the only failed hike I've been on here in AZ but it was from MAJOR vomiting and well, you know, about 400 feet from the summit, but on the eastern approach around the long way.

SpiderLegs went back with me but I was in rough shape...

[cactuscat]

This happened on my first trip here ... seems as though I've been scared more times than I first recalled!

"On this day I set out to find the Thor's Hammer pictographs. Following his "directions" (he never actually found them) and a bit of advice from Hippy, I took the descending path from just West of the pullout ... I do not recommend this route! It is a super-sketchy traverse across steep, loose side slopes and nasty vegetation - the very reason that Tomasi never reached the pictographs. Despite it's short length and seemingly benign location, it was one of the scariest things I've done in the Canyon."

[KwaiChang]

Bell Rock for sure - THAT was nuts - just nuts! All I could remember was the lady at the Sedona Info Center telling my buddy and I it was going to cost something crazy like $7k for the helicopter to rescue us! We made it back down and drank quite possibly $700 of booze in Telequepaque in record time. Thank goodness for the cab! NUTS!

Bear Mtn in Sedona - only reason was that it was my first, well second hike in AZ and I was NOT prepared. Beat up old Nike sneakers, tight jeans and no brains lead me to an area about 30' by 20' of sheer ice just below that goat path to the final summit - slip and it was a nasty tumble - I actually had turned around - walked about 25 yards or so and then said "Ah what the heck can happen?" Went back - carefully traversed it - made it to the top and then made it across again on the way down - heart in throat both ways as that ice was super slippery. Best part of the hike was that I had NO IDEA what I was up against when I encountered 2 gents doing trail maintenance and I asked how far to the top? I made it to just below the first summit in just under 25 mins and they were blown away, but not as blown away as I was when I found out I had 2 more summits to go!

Since that hike - I MADE sure I was prepared for just about anything - with in reason - and fully prepared knowledge wise (THANKS HAZ!) of where/what/when.

Hoping to make that Cheops adventure before I hang the hiking shoes up tho.....

[big_load]

I can't pick a single incident. Here are a few memorable candidates.

Once I was two days into a trip that included some quasi-abandoned trails and came to a section along a cliff that was washout. What remained was a narrow patch of slippery grus angled steeply toward the chasm, about 20 long. My pack was heavy with two days of water. If I didn't bail out, I'd have to cross it again on the way back, and I don't like exposure. I spent ten minutes thinking about it and somehow got myself across. I wasn't as worried on the way back, because I was so happy to have found the trail again after fighting through a mile of oak scrub on game trails after having lost what was left of the trail.

A couple times I've been high up on things and been unable to find the only workable way down despite an hour of looking. Eventually I succeeded.

I've slipped and fallen on the trail and been unsure for a few minutes of whether I was seriously injured (not so far).

Five or six times I've been very concerned about get a car stuck deep in the backcountry by sand, mud, ice, or high water. One of those was yesterday.

[azbackpackr]

@big_load
Yay! I love learning new words. This word you used was new to me:
Grus is an accumulation of angular, coarse-grained fragments (particles of sand and gravel) resulting from the granular disintegration by the processes of chemical and mechanical weathering of crystalline rocks (most notably granitoids) generally in an arid or semiarid region.

[The_Dude]

Climbing up the west side of Bren Mountain in Tucson this summer. No trail, scree-filled and really steep. When I did this it was mid-monsoon and I had a lightning storm on the next ridge over threatening to make this a really bad choice. All ended up well, but I did hightail it down the other side of the mountain. I thankfully do not have exposure/ height issues, but it is a good idea to be able to get down off of what you climb up.

[RowdyandMe]

Aug 12 2012 First trip on the Superstition Ridgeline
http://hikearizona.com/#T__89049_______1

[autumnstars]

Definitely my first time down Hermit. I didn't pay attention, and my husband lead us seriously off-trail. To the point we were shimmying around loose boulders on the edge of a huge vertical drop. Now, I am not normally afraid of heights or exposure, but it took a lot out of me to scramble back up to the trail with my full pack, around and over loose boulders on scree. Just glad I heard people talking up on the trail - we could not have made it back the way we came.

Lesson learned. Although I still like to bring up the rear while hiking, I watch my husband like a hawk whenever the trail gets indistinct.

[kingsnake]

Any hike involving drunks with guns ...

[rcorfman]

Any hike involving drunks with guns ...

Is that something you do often?

[nonot]

Any hike involving drunks with guns ...

Is that something you do often?

Isn't this every hike in AZ where you pass people camping in the woods?

[Jim]

Probably on a sunny day, no less.

Guns, alcohol, weather and hiking.....Hikearizona.com

[RedRoxx44]

Flash flood Buckskin upper Paria loop
Sliding down a wall in a cave and getting stuck and hanging by my head ( helmet wedged)
Getting stuck getting out a vertical cave entrance then falling about 12 feet onto a wedged rock ( good thing full fall would have been at least 30 feet into a crack)
Various off trail scrambles with exposure ( I don't like heights either)
Trying to get to somewhere to hike and having an angry rancher point a shotgun in my face
Mistakenly on private land, rancher comes in quad and with dog, me full face down in brush trying to hide and hoping it's a city dog ( it was).
Meeting some drug mules on trails, armed, the regular garden variety illegals no problem
I've been lost and while somewhat disconcerting it doesn't bother me ( still don't carry a GPS or spot or anything--maybe a map)
Overexerting myself and feeling like I want to die or something like that, since I am older that can happen a time or two.

[CannondaleKid]

still don't carry a GPS or spot or anything

WHAT!? No SPOT? [-X (NOT! ;) )

I'm with you on not carrying a SPOT Lettie.

[Tortoise_Hiker]

Kyle (toughboots) and he helped me

Awesome!

[Barrett]

Also my first time up Brown's Peak - in the snow - once on top, I was pretty freaked about having to descend what we had just climbed

Same here. I solo'd up Brown's and on the way down I got off course on the wet, cold, slippery rock. I decided to try climbing back up the increasingly steep slope for a fresh course and reached for a hold where a little pincushion cactus was hiding out of view. Involuntary reaction of hand pulling back sharply - weight shift away from the face - the feeling of gravity pulling back toward a fatal fall - three remaining holds tenuous at best. I held on, but felt a wave of panic, then nausea. I slowed down and tested every move, swearing over and over like a mantra, wanting more than anything for this to be over. When it was and I reached the snow-filled gulley, I teared up, full of joy, then anger that I put myself in such a lethal situation. Three points of contact or not, if you're exposed and the unexpected happens (a big hand hold dislodges a heavy rock onto you, a pincushion cactus hijacks your nervous system, etc.), you may not be able to prevent a deadly fall. Game over.
When I read some of the free, unprotected climbs some HAZ members engage in, I realize that it is their choice to make - I just hope they realize how an exposed climb that may be well below their climbing ability can become something else entirely in the blink of an eye.

[Mick]

Beamer Trail -with wind gust of 50mph+ one way followed by a gust 30mph+ from the opposite direction. Wind blew 3 windows out on truck at Tanner TH and toppled bear bin..