Lost in the backcountry: Passing the point of no return
Sometimes this is what happens when you try to ride the trail less traveled (click to enlarge).
At what point do you decide to turn around on a ride in the backcountry? Everyone has a different comfort level when it comes to getting lost. But after emerging from a drainage after four hard fought hours of bush whacking with my bike, I was wondering where that point was for me.
Was it after the 4th or 5th crack of thunder? Was it when the trail just petered out and became too over grown to follow? Was it the moment I decided to walk my bike down into the steep embankment into the abyss? Maybe.
Or was after crossing the 100th downed tree? Or maybe it was when my sunglasses were ripped off my head and lost in the creek? Or was it the rain and hail that accompanied me the whole way down? Or maybe, just maybe it was cliff that I ran into half way down. Hmm. I don’t know exactly where that point was, but leaving the trail and bush whacking in the backcountry was an adventure.
Rugged mountains in these parts (click to enlarge).
I didn’t die or even have to spend a night in the forest, but I took away some valuable lessons. Maybe you stick to the trails you know, but most likely everyone has a story of getting lost, or being in a situation where just getting home was the only goal. It’s the feeling of being lucky because many things could have gone worse.
After starting my 3-hour tour just outside Durango close to the Purgatory ski resort, I encountered an intersection with no signage. Of course I guessed wrong. After figuring out that the trail I had chosen was heading the wrong direction I turned around. I ran into my wife who was hiking with our dogs. Maybe this should have been a sign. But I said goodbye again and continued westbound on my intended loop.
No roads to be seen (click to enlarge).
Finally I found some flow and was feeling pretty good. I saw some signs and figured I was back on course. With my short detour, I was an hour into the ride, ready to rip some downhill. Just another sweet weekend ride in Colorado. Then I heard the first crack of thunder. After the 2nd and 3rd crack of thunder I was pretty sure I was going to get wet. I had checked the weather before I left. They were calling for just a chance of T-storms. As it turns out the weather was the least of my worries.
Continue to page 2 for more tales from being lost in the backcountry »
The post Lost in the backcountry: Passing the point of no return appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.