How to spend a miserable
“It isn’t always inexperienced
couch potatoes who get lost
night in the bush
or stranded in the woods.
Consider what happened to a
even a walk in the park can go wrong
couple of seasoned hikers in
pleasant late summer weather.
By JuDITH AND PETEr HAWKINS
Think about their prospects
WE didn’t actually get lost but it was a tough night anyway. under winter conditions, and
We were in the Lake George region of New York in late September 2008,
take their lesson to heart. “
sightseeing as well as hiking. We decided to hike to Montcalm’s Point, about midway
down the west side of Lake George. Easy in, easy out, from a parking lot on Highway
9N. The 17-kilometre round trip was posted as four hours. We had gone on a few
hikes in that area and the posted time was always generous.
The day was beautiful, sunny, hot and breezy and we dressed for the weather in
shorts and moisture-wicking shirts. We carried just waist packs with lunch and two
750-ml water bottles. Part way into our trek we decided add on a path would take us
up and over the Fifth Peak, then rejoin our original route, and add about three or four
kilometres. We knew time would be tight – we had a late start – but we certainly
believed we could do it.
Then plans started to slip. Peter’s water was gone before we got to Lake George.
When we did reach the lake at we were both dry, so we refilled our bottles from the
lake itself.
The add-on was taking much longer than planned and the sun was starting to set.
The hills to the west cut the light early, and so did the forest around us. We knew we
were on the trail back to the car, with only 15 minutes further to go, but it was night.
Pitch-black. Can’t see your hand in front of your face black.
No problem, except.
Except, we didn’t have flashlights, or bug spray, or an emergency blanket, and we
were wearing only shorts, T-shirts and hiking sandals with no socks.
Except we were both out of water again. Except we had no food. Except we lost
the trail in the dark and were thrashing about in the woods trying to find it using the
glow light from our watches, on our hands and knees, groping for the hardness of
the path.
Peter found a candy in the bottom of his pocket covered in fluff and said we could
share it, Judith first, then Peter. No dice, Judith said, it’s all yours. The night was
miserable with lots of mosquitoes, temps down to 17C, chilly when you are wearing
light summer clothes. Sleep? Forget it. Just before 6 a.m., it started pouring.
We headed, we thought, back to the car but after 1½ hours in the pouring rain,
there was Lake George and we knew we had gone in the wrong direction. But at
least we could refill our bottles.
We retraced our steps (it was still pouring) to the place we had spent the night and
another 15 minutes saw us out.
Looking back, it’s been embarrassing to tell our hiking friends, but we suffered no
real harm. The worst thing was that we consider ourselves fairly experience hikers.
But an unplanned night in the woods teaches anyone to be better prepared:
On any hike anywhere anytime, carry a small set of survival stuff – small cheap
flashlight, 99-cent poncho, one-time-use space blanket, power bar. That said, better
not to have to do it at all.
.
c
om
t
o
Peter Hawkins is treasurer and past president of the Rideau Trail association, a
P
ho
hiking club; both he and Judith lead hikes for the Rideau Trail group and the Ottawa
t
ock
Ramblers.
our99-is
c
ont
: v
t
o credit
Pho
18 OTTAWA magazine fall/winter 2009/2010 www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
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