Lucy goes backpacking
Before I left, my co-worker Barbara Anderson said she'd never do anything like this because she would be like an "I Love Lucy" episode, getting into all sorts of scrapes. It must be a redhead thing, because I did the "I Love Lucy" big time.
The problem is, that in the wilderness pratfalls hurt. Darrell and I were climbing these really steep switchbacks on the way to Long's Meadow. I needed some food but there was just nowhere flat to stop. I told him that I just had to get something to eat, go ahead and I'd catch up.
I got my bear canister out and opened it, carefully laying the penny I'm now using as a tool to open it on top of it. I had a few dried apricots, drank some water, took off my boots and wiggled my toes. Within five minutes, I began to feel better. But when I reached for the lid to the bear canister to put it back on, I knocked it off somehow and it flew over the rock and hit the trail upright like a wheel. At first I don't move, because "how far can a bear canister lid travel?" But this thing was gathering speed. It was like the mountain bike of bear canister lids.
I struggled into my boots and ran after it. When I finally got it, I then had to climb all the way back up the switchbacks.
Before I left town, my neighbor Slaten told me about hitting the wall and how to get through it. I wish I would have listened better. Because by the time I got back to my pack, I was banging into that wall. My muscles were depleted. I had one more lucky penny in my pocket, so I used that to put the dang lid back on. I got everything packed, and then I just couldn't lift my backpack.
I ended up pushing it up a rock, struggling to get in front of it. I put one arm through a shoulder strap and boom! Me and the backpack fell over backward. I'm pretty sure I did a cartwheel. I definitely hit my head.
Of course, even there, in the middle of the wilderness, the first thing I did was look around to make sure no one saw.
Comments
Darrell missed the shot of the trip. You falling backward off that rock. Take care you guys!
Posted by: Craig | August 10, 2006 04:22 PM
Hey "Lucy," Lesson learned...keep your backpacking partner within shouting distance in case you need help. You'll hit the wall many times on your trek, but when you're done you'll forget the tough times and bask in the glory that you did it. Keep on truckin'
Posted by: Patti Ogden | August 10, 2006 04:42 PM
Patti is right on, except that your partner should be closer than shouting distance. It is easy to get disoriented and injured when you don't stick together. I once made the mistake of hiking over a mile ahead of my hiking buddy on a week trip in the Sierra. I stopped to wait for him then double backed to see if he was ok. He wasn't doing well at all. I felt pretty bad. To this day I have made it a rule to never separate in the trail. Be Safe! Stick together!
Posted by: John | August 10, 2006 07:46 PM
Ah ha, you've learned the old - back-pack-on-the-rock trick. I'd forgotten about that but when your pack is heavy, that is the only way. By the end of the trip, you'll have learned to grab one side and swing that sucker onto your back.
Posted by: Ruth Smith | August 10, 2006 08:37 PM
Diana! For goodness sake, be more careful. You're acting like me up there. Face forward. Have a buddy. Forget the red hair!
He he he he
Posted by: Larry | August 10, 2006 09:29 PM
Could not help from smiling at Diana, about putting you pack back on. That was one of the first things I learned, how VERY important it was, as to the location of were you took off that Heavy pack,,,,,GO Girl,,,you'll make it.
Posted by: Rob | August 11, 2006 06:48 AM
I'm trying my hardest to laugh... this sounds way to painful. I was afraid you'd say the racoons stashed your lid in a tree. be careful up there.
Posted by: Das Standridge | August 11, 2006 07:12 AM
All of you guys have more guts than me. Next time take more pennys & listen to hints from other. :-)
Posted by: Terri | August 11, 2006 12:26 PM
All of this talk about keeping partners within shouting distance, getting disoriented, and falling over makes me want to shout, "Why?! Why oh why do people stray from the comfort of paved sidewalks and airconditioning?!" I'm proud of you Diana, you're a better sport than I.
Posted by: Amanda | August 11, 2006 01:15 PM
Many of us have been following this JMT Project. With lots of hype and building excitement, each day would bring a new adventure. So it has been several days without an update. This is like dead air on a radio and i am about to delete the radio station from my preset stations. so you have technology issues on the mountain-- the three people still left to hike do not have any right now. fill in the with what is on their minds. Something. ANYTHING!!!! An empty blog is a DEAD blog. Readers must be tuning out left and right. Proud of Diana---but NOT proud of the BEE for their lack of having contingency plans for dead air. Give the readers Something---ANYTHING (except lame filler) but even that is better than nothing. Diana is working so hard and the Bee "appears" to be just sitting back and watching the launch of this Blog literally DIE. AND while i am on my soapbox, DO NOT give fluffly and lame blogs like the one posted yesterday by Mark Grossi. So he is a nature boy. So he sweats too. Someone at the BEE should be sweating right now knowing that they had no plan in place to fill the DEAD AIR. A potentially GREAT project is floundering. Again it is not the hiker (her blogs are fun when they post). It is the lack of planning to fill the dead air because of technology challenges that sucks. Make a good plan for the next three hikers or all of your readers will be blogging something else.
Posted by: *****SOOO Frustrated with this Project******** | August 14, 2006 06:47 AM
give them a break, "soooo Frustrated" They're in the wilderness, for goodness sake! You're lucky to get anything. Go do something constructive for a few days and come back to check the web site. and don't complain when the pictures start looking alike to you. It's hard to appreciate until you've 'been there, done that'.
Posted by: jeannie | August 15, 2006 06:27 PM