Living Alaska — Getting Lost in the Alaskan Wilderness
How Would You React if You Were Lost?
I was out having the time of my life. I was on a new trail, having fun, enjoying the scenery, taking pictures of a Porcupine, a waterfall, and a sign that pointed the way. I kept going until the trail washed out, and the only way around was a rope hanging over a ten-foot cliff. It ended in a shallow creek and went up the other side in a similar fashion.
It was close to my designated turnaround time, so rather than scale a cliff using a rope while carrying a fifty-pound mountain bike on my back, I called it a day and turned around. Somehow the trip back turned into more than an adventure.
I made it back to the third washout and recognized the turnoff. I ventured another quarter mile, and my trail simply disappeared. I was dumbfounded. I backtracked. I saw the trail veer down a ditch to my right and wondered how I missed it. I went down a hundred yards and quickly realized something was wrong. I walked back to the top, leaving my bike a hundred yards down the hill.
I looked left, I looked right, I looked back, and I walked slowly along the trail. It…
