Personal Blog
January 12th, 2010
Hiking in Sara Park
It was a beautiful afternoon and we decided that we were going to try to do some of the Sara Park Wash Canyon Trail. Having had to endure fairly significant problems in both knees since a ski accident 12 years ago, we weren’t expecting that we would be hiking for more than 1/4 mile in. I was very impressed with myself and was beaming as I thought about how well I was doing for a lady whose knees are so bad some mornings that I can barely make it down the flight of 10 steps from the bedroom to the kitchen to pour my morning coffee. I continually turned down John’s offers to turn back as we passed the 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 1.8 mile indicators … We had taken some of the most challenging areas of the trail and made the 2.5+ mile jaunt down to the water. We breathed a sign of accomplishment and enjoyed the sights before beginning our trek back to the parking lot (again, another 2.5+ miles back the way we had come) … *IF* we had returned along the same path from whence we originally came.
I giggled to myself as we trudged up and down the gullies, hills, and washes, thinking ‘as soon as I get back home I am going to write to my friends and tell them of this great feat I have accomplished, perhaps I will subject the email: “Surprise – no search and rescue required”, or “The Griswolds do Sara Park Wash”… HOWEVER, and there is always a HOWEVER … we DID NOT return along the same path from whence we came. NO! NO! NO! Don’t ask me where we went wrong, I could not tell you – but it was obvious that the path we were on was not well traveled and we ceased seeing distance/direction indicators along the way.
My knees where beginning the ache and the sun was going down. Signs of panic started to flash across John’s eyes and I could tell he was scared that *I* would not be able to maneuver the terrain ahead – especially in the dark. Adrenalin kicked in and he started running ahead and up and down any mountain peaks he could manage, in the hopes of seeing any signs of civilization. There was only one sip of water left between us and both repeatedly refused to consume it, lest the other need it more, should things turn from bad to worse. Just as I wondered what my friends would contribute to my eulogy, John spotted a power pole waaay in the distance. We focused all of our energy and will to forge ahead and reach that point despite what precarious terrain lay ahead. It’s funny how fear acts as an anesthetic for pain, for suddenly I too was hoofing it at a pace usually seen in thoroughbreds. Finally we reached a paved road and it was only about a mile away from where we should have been. We trudged our way up the black paved road to where our vehicle awaited. We probably put on about 7 miles through some of the roughest terrain I had ever tackled. It kind of makes me queasy to think we didn’t tell a soul where we were going; nor did we have a single emergency supply! Not a mistake we will ever repeat.
Note to Self: In future, take a backpack with the following supplies:
Hiking Supply List
Map and/or GPS
Cell phone (fully charged)
Compass
Whistle
Flashlight (w/extra batteries)
Extra food
Water
Water purification means
Extra clothing
Rain gear
Emergency Blanket
Matches
Hand sanitizer
Fire starter or candle / tin can
Sun protection
– sun screen
– lip sun block
– sun hat
– sun glasses
Pocket knife or multipurpose tool
First aid kit
Pack all items in air-tight containers or zip lock bags.
IMPORTANT: Always tell someone where you are going and/or leave a note (visible) in your vehicle telling where you are going, when you left and when you expect to return. That way if a Park Warden finds your vehicle after State Park closing hours and investigates, they will be aware of possible trouble. However, keep in mind that this is a double-edged-sword because although it may alert good-doers to your need for help, it can also act as an invitation for bad-doers to steal your vehicle. You be the judge.
Please feel free to send your comments, corrections, and/or suggestions.