HikeArizona.COM

Have any of you ever been lost? Way back before GPS was around, I had the pleasure of getting lost 7 times in my teenaged years. The first place I got lost was about 20 miles NW on Flagstaaff at a place called Lava Tunnels. I was with my scout troop and I wondered off looking for the perfect hiking stick. About four hours later I realized I was lost. I had my fannypack with me that had a 72 hour survival kit in it. Nothing like "Being Prepared". Well, about 60 hours later I was wondering around trying to get my position when I came across a dirt road. I followed it for a few hours and it led me to the highway. A while later, Mr.Sheriff found me and took me back to camp. My leaders hadn't even called search and rescue until a few hours before I was found! But in their defense, I did tend to wonder off but always found my way back. Does anyone else have a story?

Well, I have never been lost for more than a few hours - but I have done a SAR (Search And Rescue) for a few boneheads in my time. Intelligent people don't seem to get "lost" so much - they eventually have the sense to get "found" again - real SAR is usualy done for the thick headed or the careless.

Once was at Philmont when I was a ranger (you should be familiar with that Jeremy) and some kid got lost on an orienteering course. A freaking orienteering course! Reflectors for waypoints all over the place. How do you get lost there? At the very least, find a reflector and stay there - somebody will be along eventually.

But no, dude just meandered around aimlessly - we were on SAR for about 30 hours before we found him. He kept trying to chase the sound of the SAR members - yes, very intelligent and easy to do in a mountinous region where sound bounces all over the place. We eventually found him - then we sent him home. He did not finish the trail with his troop.

Now that's funny!

Most search and rescue victims are actually kids, elderly, or mentally hadicapped. The Boneheads just make the best stories. They usually go up mountains and can't get back down or involve beer and a ATV.
There is a good bonehead ranger story. A few months ago at the peralta trailhead a ranger was giving wrong directions and sent over 20 people (3 or 4 groups of people) on an 18 mile loop hike when they asked him for the short loop hike. Everyone made it out safely thanks to a long night by search and rescue, not sure what happened to the ranger.

I think I've been lucky so far (now I'll probably get lost tomorrow!)

The only time I remember the blood presure rising was in the White Tanks. Somehow I lost the trail coming back. What's really sad on my part was this was my third trip in the area!

Like I said I've been pretty lucky. Especially where I got I lost. It was incredible. The last seven photos in the following set are my lost adventure.
http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=133

I just kept saying to myself. "If I only had a clue which way NORTH was!"

Ever since, I totaly plot out the area I'm encountering. I run the area on TOPO! & TopoUSA. I take maps and compass. The cool thing is, now I really know where I'm going and what's truly around me.

--------------

:P I bumped this topic cause I think it's pretty cool Daryl & Jeremy77777 have recently added personal photos! I'm praying if I do get lost again that Jeremy isn't perched in a tree with that SWORD!

PS - No need to tell me it ain't the Mesquite Trail anymore - I KNOW!

teva joe wrote: I just kept saying to myself. "If I only had a clue which way NORTH was!"

I hear you Joe. Several years back, I was in a similar predicament. In rugged heavily forested country I got turned around while bushwacking. Initially I wanted to go the oposite way than I really needed to go. I walked in a couple of directions and backtracked. I kept doing that until I spotted a landmark and it was over in 10 minutes. Wheewh! That was a bad feeling being lost. At first you experience a bit of panic. Now I never walk out the front door without a simple compass.

Can't say I've ever been lost, but I lost the trail once on Humphreys Peak below treeline at about 11,400 feet. It was is may when there was a lot of snow on the trail. I was hiking with a freind and some researchers we met on NAU. They formed some sort of a group hike up Humphreys Peak. Coming down we completely lost the trail and started heading straight down the mountain. The girls I was with was worried we would come to a cliff. (On Humhreys Trail? Yeah right!) So we scerted the mountain untill we found the trail again. The girls we were with was getting really worried. It was kinda rediculous. :roll:

I've mentioned this once before, but there is a spot in New Mexico where almost everyone gets lost - despite the fact that it seems almost impossible to do so.

There is a high tabletop mesa out there called Uraca mesa. It's not very large but the sides of the mesa are anywhere from 300 to 50 ft. clifs on all sides. Pretty impressive looking. The top is only about 1/2 K accross the width and a 1 1/3 lengthwise. There is one trail bisicting the top E - W and another trail that comes in from the N and hits the middle of the bisecitng trail - basically, one fork with 3 directions. Any one of them will lead you to a well marked trail and will lead off the top of the mesa (where there is a longer but well marked trail around the base of the cliff - which, after a particularly freaky trip, became the only route I would take) - and since the distance is short, the longest it could take you to get off the top is something like 15 or 20 minutes. I've hiked that damned place maybe 10 or 15 times. I've gotten lost on at least half the trips, once for around 2 hours. I swear it is the strangest thing ever.

Groups of hikers have been lost up there for upwards of 4 (!) hours. It just doesn't make sense. Just walk in a straight line and you'll find the edge of the mesa (takes, at most, 20 minutes), then follow the cliff till you find the trail (another 40 minutes tops). And yet all these people get lost.

The strangest part is that I've also hiked right over the thing in like 10 minutes without getting lost. And some people have never been lost. Freaky. I've had a few other even weirder experiences up there, but those are for another time.

First time I hiked Ford Canyon trail in White Tanks, I started on the Waddell Trail which crosses Ford Canyon Trail after about a mile; well, somehow I missed it. I was following an old, overgrown Jeep trail thinking, "This must be it, but sure doesn't get much use" After 'bout half an hour I decided to look at the map (You know the old saying, "When all else fails, RTD") Realized I was heading NW (Yeah, unlike Teva :P I had a compass!) and Ford Canyon Trail heading was NE! Instead of backtracking, I just headed due east and eventually came across a well used trail that turned out to be the one I was looking for.

I used to be really nearsighted. We were at Havasu just sleeping out--no tent. I got up in the night and stepped perhaps six feet from my bedroll to relieve myself. There was bright moon light that night and the trees made shadows like one of those thousand piece jigsaw puzzles. I spent several hours looking for that sleeping bag. It was a real nice night so I was not unhappy or concerned but I sure was lost.

I never get lost...just temporarily misplaced.. :roll: ..LOL.
Actually though, I always take a couple minute standing break every 1/2 hour to drink water and I look at the map each time. The times I have been lost, I would always retrace my steps.

On the trail, most people look forward to see where they're going but few look behind them to see where the've been. The trail looks different heading the opposite direction and you need to turn around.

Brian