Kerry,
Your snake/ridgeline story got me thinking. I've had a couple interesting
run-ins with snakes, but they pale in comparision (I think). Like the time
in Virgina I stayed overnight in this really old (200+) log cabin in
Highland County. Snakes were rampant, both poisioness and non. It was hot
that night so we slept in the screened in porch. About 1 AM I looked up and
saw the ceiling moving. I turned the flashlight on and there were several
snakes directly above our heads! One of them dropped down on the other guy.
Needless to say, we trashed a few snakes that night!
Another time I was mountain biking in Michigan and a snake got picked up by
my tire and slung around my ankle.
Finally, a ridge story: I was out in New Mexico in the Red River area one
late fall. I was photographing for a fishing article. We were camped up at
a small glacial lake completely surrounded on three sides by a 600 foot
ridge. I noted that according to the map there was a trail that zigzagged
up the cliff face to the ridge. I located the trail and proceeded to set
out on the trail. This trail went up at between 45 and 60 degree angle up
this nearly vertical wall. When I started out, it was about 40 degrees and
partly cloudy. By the time I reached the top the temperature had dropped a
couple degrees, it was sleeting and the wind was picking up. A mountain top
was about a half mile hike from there, so I set out for it, making note of
where I had emerged from the trail. Before I reached the top it started
snowing and the temperature dropped to around 30. I'm wearing a Goretex
wind/rain jacket and sweatshirt, light gloves and windpants, but no hat.
Being from Michigan, this was no big deal--until the wind and snow turned
into a full-blown whiteout. Before leaving the top, I checked my watch and
set the stopwatch. I calculated that since it was almost exactly a half
mile, I would return to the trail in almost exactly 30 minutes. (slower
pace, due to the now icy conditions).
Unfortunately I have to walk on the windward side of the mountain as the
leeward side was slippery and if I fell, I could slide off the cliff. After
15 minutes, the wind was really howling and my entire right side is frozen.
I have slipped and fallen a couple times and turned my ankle.. I seek
shelter behind some rocks and pause the stopwatch while resting. Visibility
is about 20 feet and there is now three inches of fresh snow on the ground.
I resume and continue on after eating a Snickers bar--aware that I only have
one more left.
At the thirty minute point I stop. I could swear that I've been hiking for
3-4 hours, but I had to continously remind myself to trust my watch. I
carefully make my way down the leeward side of the ridge to the cliff. I
can't find the trailhead! There is only one way off this ridge and I can't
find it! I say another prayer (actually, I've been doing that the whole
time!!!). I set my watch on the 3-minute timer and walk one direction.
When the alarm went off, I reset it to 6 minutes and walked back the other
direction. Just before the alarm goes off I locate the trailhead. Boy am I
glad I spent time studying orienteering.
Finally, out of the wind! That is a relief, but I know that the decent is
going to be wild. First of all, my body temperature has dropped and I'm
shivering uncontrollably. I take a few swallows of water from my bottle and
I realize that I'm dehydrated too. I know that I have to get my body
temperature up before I decend so I do some jumping jacks and running in
place. It helps.
Going down this trail had me about the most scared I've ever been. Twice I
slipped and slid almost 20 feet. The trail is now icy and my gloves are
fingerless (for shooting) so my fingers are flozen and bleeding. I fall and
slide off the trail, but past training taught me to always have three
contact points and one of those saved my hide. It takes me almost two hours
to decend this trail and by the time I reach bottom I am cut, oozing blood,
bruised, wet, frozen and humbled.
For the most part, I didn't sense much danger in the entire adventure, but a
couple times I did think that this really was a matter of life and death.
Had I not utilized the stopwatch I would never have found the trailhead.
Going down the zigzag I was absolutely terrified a couple times and actually
used the camera strap to snag on rocks to give me a handhold that would have
been out of my reach.
Hot soup never tasted so good!
Olympus Content: OM-1, Tokina 35-70, and 24/2.8 were in the pack.
Ken N.
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