After reading the latest edition of Rv Dreams Journal and how Big Bend teaches hikers and campers who is boss, we just have to share and invite you to share memorable experiences.

Some of our most memorable experiences involve hikes and camping trips that didn't go quite right.  Sometimes the reason for the experience is adverse weather or conditions but more often than not it has to do with operator error.  Let us give you some examples.

After selecting a beautiful campground in the Sacramento Mts in NM we decided to take a hike in the cool and cloudy mountains after a few weeks of life in the 100F temperatures of the NM desert.  We took a cross country ski trail down the mountain on a 3 1/2 mile loop.  Foolishly we thought we would make a quick loop even though we weren't in very good shape so we didn't take our fanny packs which would mean water and rain gear.  A cool beautiful walk down the meadows to the bottom of the mountain went fine but when we started on the upward part of the loop it started raining.  Tennis shoes not hiking boots didn't work so well and as we slipped in the mud the rain increased and it got considerably cooler.  Soon we were making it just from one big tree to the next which really didn't help our soaking wet, cold, and rapidly degenerating cold leg muscles.  The 1 1/2 hours up the mountain wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the 45 minutes down the mountain.  Needless to say we returned to our 5th wheel looking like a couple of wet rats totally exhausted and chilled to the bone.  We were glad to have such nice accomodations to return to, but we were so worn out we did little the rest of our 3 days in the mountains because of a couple of foolish decisions.  Everytime we return to that campground we laugh and remember the experience.  Especially when we learned that we should have walked the loop in the other direction to get the steeper part of the trail in the down side of the walk.   But we should have known better.

Several years ago while camping at Bryce National Park after a glorious houseboating week on lake Powell the whole party including my parents in their 70s and two sons in their teens decided to walk across the rim 3.5 miles which was pretty flat and easy to walk.  It was so beautiful and easy at the end we then made the "decision" to walk  back via the 5.5 mile trail down into the canyon.  The sign at the trailhead mentioned that the walk was strenuous and included 750 ft change in altitude.  Foolishly we headed down the warm trail with only 2 quarts of water for 6 people.  Well when we reached the bottom of the first of what turned out to be many 750 ft altitude changes the sun came out and the clouds cleared but we were in good spirits so we continued down the trail climbing up on side on switchback after switchback pausing to rest in the shade and realizing we weren't going to have enough water.  The boys took off ahead much to their mothers chagrin and we trudged from shady spot to shady spot.  Needless to say my mother was near heat exhaustion as we slow hauled ourselves up the now 95F+ trail.  Each time we thought we were almost there we would see another set of switchbacks which indicated another 750 ft climb.  The whole group was dehydrated and sat around the water fountain at the top for almost an hour trying to get some energy.  Needless to say we spent a couple of days in the campground recouperating before we took another walk.

Unfortunately we could go on and on about our foolishness but we will stop here and just say that we have fond memories of such follies.

If you would like, share your "Memorable Experiences".

Larry and Jacki