Day Hike Mentality by Peter M.
“Wait, just wait. Shut up for a second! I can’t hear anything when you’re all talking at once!” Lee barked back at the others. “Look, the camp site has to be just around that big rock!”
“That’s what you said at the last rock.” Angela whined.
Lee’s disorientation was compounding with every fast moving step. Each panicked breath attracting more mosquitoes and each bead of sweat making them stick to his face. Each familiar tree or turn of the trail becoming unfamiliar. With every wrong judgment his frustration exploded and the group… They degenerated in to crying, yelling and doubting each other.
“Anyone have phone signal?” Josh growled. The series of “Nos” was frustrating and redundant. “This is f##king unbelievable! No signal in a National f##king Park?!”
“Stop yelling! I don’t remember the rock Lee’s talking about. The camp is near that little stream thing.” Angela said.
“Wow, helpful.” Lee spit back dripping with sarcasm.
Josh snapped “LEE! Cut the sh!t!” Josh drew a breath and tried to seem calm. “Ang is just freaked out. Look, we can’t be that lost. We only walked like twenty minutes away from camp…”
“Then we went a million directions instead of listening to ME!” Lee condescended. “We were not lost — we’re not lost now! It’s this way!”
Angela’s hopelessness shown through her swollen eyes — strained through wheezing sobs “We need to listen for that stream.” snif “Lee, we’re lost! We have no phone service, no food, I’m freezing — Jenny‘s wearing f##cking flip-flops for God‘s sake… what if…”
“Hey!” Josh called out “Hold up — there’s a road up ahead.”
Angela asked “What road?”
“How the f##k should I know!”
There’s a name for this: Day Hike Mentality.
Can sharks attack people in ten inches of water? Yes.
Can people become hypothermic in eighty five degree water? Yes.
Can campers get lost a few hundred feet from camp? Yes.
Why would any normal person pack a whistle, energy bars, water, a compass and a map to go look at the view a hundred meters away from the camp site? Most don’t. Hundreds of intelligent, experienced people get lost or turned around on short hikes. Naturally on more complex hikes people are better prepared but on the short walks in the woods people strike out grossly underprepared. The irony is that the easier the hike the more statistically dangerous. As in most aspects of life, we are our own worst enemy.
Most people do not recognize the fact that they are lost. It’s a time when our confidence works against us, our experience offers invalid insights and our anger does little good. If one is alone anger clouds judgment, causes us to rush decision making and waste energy. In a group, the frustration can be multiplied. Often causing fighting and blaming in all forms. Anger, doubt and disbelief block off our best tool — thinking. Even with no gear, rational thoughts and reasonable actions will lead you out of the woods.
That’s what happens with us in scouts sometimes we had guys who get lost out in the woods I always mark a tree with a knife before we head out and on the hike
I’ve heard this story in one form or another from many people. My girl friend got lost as a Girl Scout too.
Great Job, Peter. Rating = 10.
I had a similar experience. No one would listen to me about bringing supplies, and when we got lost they were yelling and whining and I stopped listening because I was warm, fed, and knew if it came right down to it, I could set up a lean to. And this was on a trail I’ve hiked several times before, but you never know. That day, there was no trail as it had been washed away almost entirely by an ice storm a few days earlier.
Wow!!! Very insightful, I don’t think people realize how quick that can happen. Well done, 10 out of 10.
Great job!! 10
Outstanding work. 10 out of 10.
Great job Peter! 10.
A truly innovative and unique entry. I truly felt as if I was one of the members of the lost group and now much more aware of day hike mentality. Easily a 10 out of 10.
Very impressive, who knew, 10 out of 10. Job well done
Great story 10 out of 10
Please let me know where else I can read other stuff you have wrote.
Better then 127 hours. Which I might add was 125 hours to long.
Nice, Not to be redundant but I too shall give you a 10 on this one.
Peter – way to bring it home (so to speak)! This composition gets right past the “It wouldn’t happen to me” mentality – very nice piece of work. 10 out of 10 from me.
Very well written, I felt as if i was part of that group and I could feel the panic rising.
As stated, it is often emotions, that cause us to make easily avoidable errors.
10 out of 10!!! Pack for every contingency, plan ahead and be aware!
Great job showing how easy it is to get lost quick ….8
Al the cussing was in character for those in the story. Thanks Link.
At least this guy tried to make and exciting story. I read blogs here and there and so many are borring! I won’t give a 10 cause a 10 just means I know Pete and don’t read the entries. 9ish thanks for adding a little drama to hook the reader.
Unfortunately, the voting ended a few hours ago. But, I thought Peter would like to hear what you had to say anyway. Thanks for reading and posting.