| Blogs > starwomyn > un·a·pol·o·get·ically STAR!!! |
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Adventures of Being Lost in the @#!#!%!!!!! Forest I tend to be a directionally challenged person, even with a GPS. I like doing Geocaching in the late afternoon to escape the heat so Ferlin the Mutt and I jumped in the car and I drove to the Greenbrier forest at about 5pm this evening in search of Black Bear's Cache N 37° 43.977 W 080° 21.066 I found this one last year but wanted to drop a travel bug in it - so this was a return trip. Easy I thought. Ho! Ho! Ho! The last time I learned that one coordinate will be spot on but to stay on the trail when it changes and it will eventually get to where it should be with both coordinates. I found the spot and started down a hill toward the second coordinate. There was a great big fallen tree in the way so I went around the tree. The coordinates were way off so I decided to head back to the trail. I turned around and no trail. I kept heading up. Still there was no trail. I got a message on the GPS. Batteries are low. Suddenly, I am lost in the Forest, my GPS is running low, and I am running out of light. Eventually, the GPS said Power extremely low - turning off. Gadzooks. What a mess I am in. I anticipated spending the night in the forest with the bears. I Oh Joy! There was a dried stream. I decided to follow the stream. Eventually that stream would get me someplace. Tony Tony Turn Around - What is Lost - Must Be found - Maybe I wasn't lost - I just didn't know where I was. About two minutes after the prayer, Ferlin headed up the side of the stream. Lo and Behold, there were the signs pointing the various directions of the different trails. A couple of things I learned from this experience. Never Never - take off when the batteries of the GPS are low. Mark the coordinates of the location of where the car is parked before starting the hike. Mark the coordinates at the trail before walking off the trail. and ideally have a hiking buddy - preferable a nondirectionall challenged male with benefits  Abracadabra  |
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If I recall, Blackfeet Indians are from Montana. I am not certain that they even have forest in Montana but they do have Grizzly Bear. You can say boo to most West Virginia Black Bear and they run but I still don't want to encounter one. Still, it was my tracking abilities and not the GPS that got me out of that darn forest. Most likely, I will be headed back there tomorrow with extra batteries for the GPS. I can get lost in the city too - especially if I pay attention any attention to Map Quest. Abracadabra
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6/5/2006 6:01 am |
Star...i'm also "direction" challenged. Admire your tenacity. Glad you home safe. Ferlin is adorable!
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