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Mammoth Trip, 2021

September 28

Sabrina to Midnight



I sped along the slabs and the dirt paths between boulders. After a while, I realized that the "paths" had no footprints on them. The "line" of stones was just a random pattern of fallen rocks. When I tried to backtrack, I couldn't find the way back. Yup, I was lost. I climbed up to some high points, trying to get high enough to see the trail, but all I saw were rocks and trees. The trail couldn't be far away, but which way?


A night in the woods wasn't appealing, and if I didn't show up at the car, Frank and Bill would be really worried. 15-20 minutes of scrambling and self-reproach followed. Only then did I remember that my GPS showed the track and I could hike toward it. Duh! I oriented myself and started bushwhacking directly toward the track. Finally, I stood at the top of a steepish drop into a dry creekbed. If I went down, I wouldn't be able to get back up. I slithered down the slope and across the creek, up a shoulder--and there they were, footprints! I was back on course. -S.