Is hiking dangerous? Sometimes. Here are a few times we got ourselves into trouble.
Hiking is fun. It's good for the soul. But sometimes, you can get in over your head. And I've done that. They say that good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from poor judgment. That's true. Brutally true. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...Or smarter...Or more cautious.
But for Tina and I, the outdoors are everything. And with risk, there is reward. We're self-taught in almost everything regarding the outdoors, so sometimes the lessons are hard. So you do your best to prepare, to anticipate...and then you execute. Mother Nature can be an unforgiving teacher, but for us, it's worth it.
So here are three times we got in over our heads. Hopefully, you can learn from our mistakes and mishaps and avoid them.
There are two major types of accidents in the wilderness. Stupidity and bad luck. We have experienced both.
First, there is stupidity. I attempt a solo climb of Weaver's Needle. With zero rock climbing experience. In the heat. With a heavy pack. It doesn't go well.
Next, is lack of experience. A backpacking trip almost turns into a life or death situation from a single misstep. A lesson learned where Mother Nature was extremely kind.
Then, we're back to inexperience and stupidity, where I find out that hypothermia is very real. And that things change extremely fast.
In all these circumstances, we were lucky. This video isn't about bragging rights or how we skirted death. It's about lessons. It's about humility. It's about improvement. Each of these experiences taught us to respect nature, to take our time and to prepare. You can't let worry consume your life, but you absolutely can do you best to be ready for what life may throw your way.
Be careful out there.