As is often my practice, I used an out-of-town speech this week to experience another of our wonderful national parks. With my keynote to the Ninth Circuit scheduled for Monday, I used Sunday to explore the rough remote areas of the Cleveland National Park. I decided to get up early an hike the San Juan and Chiquito Falls trails. It would turn out memorable beyond all of my expectations. With a heat wave hitting the area, the hike in the desert environment was well over 100 degrees with no shade. Despite bringing over a gallon of water in my camel back, I ran out of water on the return of the long hike and ended up with heat stroke . . . and had to be airlifted out after taking a tumble into a ravine. More of that rescue later. All I can say is that I can never repay the Orange County rescue team of the Sheriff’s office and fire department. While I wish I was not the subject of their work, meeting these incredibly heroic first responders was an inspiring experience. I will be writing about that experience separately. While I am now recovering from heat stroke in my hotel, I wanted to share some of the pictures before my embarrassing failure just short of the trail head.
I love arriving in Orange County as a Westerns fan to see the huge statue to the Duke at the John Wayne airport:
The 9-10 mile trek up the San Juan and Chiquito Falls is punishing during the summer and clearly dangerous danger a heat wave.
You start at a unique trailhead by buying your Adventure pass across the street at The Candy Store, a established run in 1956 silent movie actor Paul Anhalt and later purchased by a young and dynamic owner, Shannon Rosenberg. Shannon explained that she could hardly let a decades old candy store die in this most unlikely place die. The store is an amazing treat and Shannon is a fascinating person to speak with about life on the mountain. Believe me, half of the joy of his hike is to visit the Candy Store:
This hike is a 9 mile out-and-back route with 1,409′ of vertical elevation gain. It begins with some daunting signs of the rattlesnake and mountain lions prevalent in the area. The sign on the lions advises you “if attacked, fight back.”
The hike up to the highest elevation is punishing in the summer on hot days. It has that stark beauty of the desert hikes. This proved more punishing than my hike in New Mexico on the Pino trail. I will address the ignoble ending a bit later but here are a few pictures:
Your post shows that even with careful planning, you can get into trouble when outdoors in hot environments in the summer, and when you’re not in a heavily-populated area. A few years ago, my family was driving to the Hoover Dam. We had a brand-new rental car. We each had lots of bottles of water. The road was a 2-lane blacktop, but there was a bridge out ahead, so we were stuck for a long time because there was only one open lane. Crews would work for awhile and then let each lane clear by taking turns using the open lane. The new car overheated, so we had to shut off the engine and get out of the car. We ran out of water fairly quickly, and we all got overheated. We didn’t need an air ambulance, but we might have if the car wouldn’t start again or if we were stuck there much longer. We felt crummy the rest of the day. IMHO, hiking in remote areas that get very hot in the summer should be confined to early spring and late fall. There also might not be cell service, even in good weather, so getting help could be dicey. A satellite phone is a better idea. You hear almost every week about someone getting into trouble in remote areas. If you break a leg, you might not be able to get back to a main trail or to a place where a helicopter could spot you. If you can’t walk, you could get injured or even killed by snakes, fire ants, bees and other stinging insects, or other animals. Then, there’s the risk of people. Two girls in Delphi, IN went on a hike on a popular walking trail on President’s Day last year. They were both raped and murdered, so “safety in numbers” isn’t necessarily the answer. As you get older, these are important things to consider. Maybe a nice helicopter tour would be better.
I think your comments are very appropriate reminders. I just left Asheville, NC and relocated to San Antonio, Texas which just broke a record high yesterday. The adjustment to heat has been thoughtful because of the big change in day time temperature. Grocery shopping is now done in the early morning hours. Where I found myself in trouble was trying to load six or seven bags of groceries, and three of those jumbo packages of water bottles in an asphalt parking lot at 3:30 in the afternoon. The temperature was 104 degrees. Silly me! A friend here told me about mountain lions visiting his ranch repeatedly and of course there are the rattle snakes, coral snakes and copperheads to contend. Hopefully, not in the subdivision where I moved but I will be cautious when visiting outlying ranches. Again, thanks for your thoughtful post. It was as good as Turley’s today.
Elise – you gave up gorgeous Western North Carolina for Texas?? That would be a serious adjustment! =)
Elise…I’m not too far from you. You need to watch that humidity, too. If it gets high, and the temp is over 80, you really need to curb activity outdoors. We are also contending with the Sahara sand/dust right now coming over from Africa…..So, take it easy, and welcome to Texas 😊
I see this incident as a metaphor for the Illegal Immigration Fiasco.
We, as a nation, are Prof. Turley, and we think we have plenty enough resources (water) to get us thru a journey (taking in a gazillion low-skilled illegals). But we don’t. And one day our Nation will suffer a heat stroke, and there ain’t no Rescue Team to come and pick us up.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Professor Turley, I am so sorry to hear about your misadventure. Your love of hiking shines through this story, as even though you ended up being airlifted out, you still described the wonder and beauty of the location. Glad you are on the mend, and looking forward to hearing more about your escapade.
It was indeed extremely hot in Southern California. Our horses had salt on their backs just from standing around, and they have shade and unlimited water. Believe it or not, it’s even hotter and drier in the interior. Dehydration comes on rapidly. So glad you are OK, because this could have easily ended differently.
This could have been so much worse. Thoroughbred horse Bobby Abu Dhabi had a heart attack and died in Del Mar, fracturing the vertebrae of cocky Victor Espinoza, who will recover. One wonders if heat played a part.
Stay safe out there!
JT, it’s time to cool off at a pool party on a hot summer day
Rocky the alligator snapping turtle & a Nile crocodile will be waiting for you
Professor Turley,
So glad you survived!! One summer, when I was a youngster in my 40’s, I hiked the Grand Canyon (Bright Angel Trail) to the bottom and back up in one day, all by myself. Not bad for aTexas housewife 🙂 The GC Park Rangers don’t allow you to hike it in one day now, btw. But, I took more Gatorade with me than water. (It was over 100 degrees at the bottom of the Canyon). Such a thrilling experience……..and I never even got a headache, thanks to the Gatorade.
Water is important, but it is critically important to replenish those electrolytes you lose perspiring!
P.S. I also packed 4 Egg McMuffins and lots of Trail Mix for that hike!
Wear a wide brim hat, like the cowboys do. It’s not for show.
That’s the other thing about hot weather hiking in remote areas: you have to wear a hat and sunglasses (protection against cataracts and sunburn), and should wear long sleeves (protection against sunburn), long pants, heavy socks and heavy boots, (protection against ticks), all of which make you even hotter.
(music– to the tune of Macho Man-)
Heat stroke, heat stroke, heat stroke!
I wanna be…
A heat stroke man!
I don’t need no sunshine…
I just need heat waves in Japan.
Heat stroke, heat stroke, heat stroke…
I’m gonna be a macho man!
JT, Relating this embarrassing incident elevates you in my mind. About 4 years ago the same thing happened to me. I was hiking a trail in Wisconsin in 90’s heat. I too thought I had enough water but was wrong. A couple hikers found me laying on the trail semiconscious. They gave me water but I had trouble drinking. They called for an ambulance. An airlift wasn’t required. The trail is an old railroad bed and an ambulance came. MY BP was very low. IV fluids and AC @ the ER for a few hours was all I needed. A few people knew this happened but I think this is the first time I’ve related it. My bride has told the story a few times!
Oh my gosh, Nick! What a close call! So glad those hikers found you.
Nick….You were lucky!
I have never been to Wisconsin, so don’t know about the elevations. Elevation is critically important to consider, esp if you’ve just arrived from a fairly low elevation environment.
Nick, was that old railroad bed between Neenah and Oshkosh? I’ve been on that trail.
Historically Wisconsin rarely saw temperatures over 90. In fact, temperatures stayed below 80 for most of the summer. That was always Wisconsin’s lure for tourists from Chicagoland; ‘cool summer temps’.
Nick you cheated the Grim Reaper with that one. Stay safe — and indoors.
Thanks all. Karen it’s a pretty busy trail of bikers and hikers. I don’t know how long I was laying there, but I doubt it was very long.
Cindy, You’re correct about elevation. I was less than 1K above sea level.
Peter, Wisconsin is usually temperate in the summer. But 90’s and sometimes 100’s occur most every summer. The trail was the Glacial Drumlin Trail, which stretches from Dane County to Waukesha County.
mespo, I have cheated the Grim Reaper a few times. I feel like I’m playing w/ house money
So luck!
I meant “lucky”
Glad things are working out after a horrible ordeal. I wonder if the libertarian minded among the readers here think about things like this when they talk about smaller government? Are EMTs, Search and Rescue a good use of tax dollars? In my view, most definitely yes.
Be well.
I wonder if the libertarian minded among the readers here think about things like this when they talk about smaller government?
Not at all. We don’t call for a smaller government. We want a constitutionally limited government. Size is a product of function. Do the math.
Gosh, maths is so hard. I mean if I pay an extra 5$ per year for EMTs will I get to by my Xboxs?
Don’t think that there isn’t a bill coming for that ride in the ambulance.
I read recently that an airlift ambulance is about $25,000.
I just paid a client’s airlift bill of $21,000.00!
Also, in a town, you get to vote when a new apparatus is requested. When was the last time you got to directly vote for a govt. waste your money project?
Paul:
That is a straw man argument. You are fighting a position no one made. Has anyone suggested that we get rid of all government services, like EMTs and Search and Rescue? That would be anarchy.
Paul – as a libertarian I am guessing he will be paying for the rescue under the “stupid hiker” law. 😉 Wait until he gets his bill, those choppers don’t come cheap.
Dear Professor; I certainly understand the lure of the trail and its rich rewards, but please be safe out there! The world needs you right here—trailblazing in the legal domain. Glad you’re okay and it sounds like that speech to the ninth circuit just got a lot more interesting!
The Perfesser is a lucky man.Looking forward to the rest of the story.As my oldest daughter continually reminds me,”Stay hydrated”.
It’s not just hiking where you may experience a heatstroke out west. I have seen people experience heatstroke rafting the Main Salmon River in Idaho. Just know that the direct rays of the sun from 10am to around 5 pm can be dangerous. And once you have a heatstroke, you will be prone to others. Careful out there.
“With a heat wave hitting the area, the hike in the desert environment was well over 100 degrees with no shade. Despite bringing over a gallon of water in my camel back, I ran out of water on the return of the long hike and ended up with heat stroke . . . and had to be airlifted out …”
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OMG! Please be careful out there. At 100 degrees with even moderate paced walking (not to mention any serious inclines) your body needs 2-3 liters of water PER HOUR. We would never let our football team composed of healthy athletes do anything in heat like that. At 90 degrees we took breaks every hour and they got water whenever they wanted it plus the last half of practice was in shorts and shimels. Heat stroke can kill even without the fall down the ravine which is scary enough. You’re not 20 any more. Yeesh.
Get well soon.
Sorry. Not seeing the ‘beauty’ there. Seems like something you’d do for a penance.
I tend to agree. Growing up in the rural South walking in the woods was fun — for a while. Once you’ve seen one mountain, river, forest or holler, you’ve pretty much seen them all. People like nature but it’s worth remembering our species spent considerable time and effort getting away from nature in air conditioned living spaces free from mountain lions, snakes and the worst predator of all, the damnable mosquito!
Many of us have even evolved to prefer concrete, neon, 24/7 and air conditioning.
I hate mosquitos. But the ticks were common, as well. Every time I came home from the woods, Mom would check my head for ticks. And all the little kids in school knew if you found a tick in class, to walk to the nurse’s office in that funny tipped over way, with their little fingers on the tick so they could find it again, easily.
I don’t remember any cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or other tick born illnesses in my area, but maybe I just didn’t hear about that as a kid. We were all warned about such illnesses but never knew anyone who got it. Seems like Lyme is so much more common now.
But I do so miss the fireflies.
I lived in southern CA for 11 years. I’ll take the forest over the desert.
I’ll take a room at the Four Seasons with a good minibar and a nature show on the cable. Bring on the Badlands!!
mespo……sounds like a plan!
American Plan!
I’ve lived in SoCal for 40 years and I’ve never understood the draw to these National Forests. I expect forests to have tall trees, lakes, creeks, grass, etc. People out here tell stories about hiking these trails (like JT) as if they’d survived Hell Week at BUDS. At least BUDS has a point.
Having grown up in the South, and currently living in Southern California, I greatly miss the tender spring green you only see in the verdant South and East Coast. You drop some zucchini or tomato seeds, or plop in a tulip bulb, an it just grows. Like magic. The North has its blazes of fall color and silent snow. The Pacific Northwest has blueberry bushes growing profligate on the side of the road and deep green conifer forests. Even Northern California has the Giant Sequoias and Mount Shasta.
Southern California has desert, dusty sage scrub, and creosote. The very few, rare patches of old growth chaparral can be beautiful, yet totally impassible. They call a loose collection of Joshua Trees and Junipers “Woodlands”. The Angeles National Forest has virtually no trees. There are a few sparse trees on the mountains in the area, but that’s it. I recall being astonished upon viewing the “forest.” There were no trees, just brush and some manzanita. Oh, and most of the brush out here are invasive aliens, such as grasses, which fuels all of these wildfires. I have come to appreciate the desert, but it does not make my heart sing like a broadleaf deciduous forest.
Beautifully expressed Karen. People out here make the wintertime pilgrimage to the desert to see the wildflowers in bloom similar to those in the northern climates going to see all the vibrant colors in the Fall. I’m from Minnesota and the crisp fall temperatures are one thing I miss every year. Out here, we get the opposite experience in the fall. Santa Ana winds come in and at best we can expect extremely low humidity and 90 degree temperatures. At worst, we also get wildfires. Stay tuned.
Olly, the first year I was out in CA and experienced the Santa Ana winds was crazy. All night long I was wondering what the hell was going on. I woke up to no sun just on orange-ish glow and little white ashes falling everywhere. I remember thinking, “where the hell am I? They didn’t put this on the brochure”
Are you a Vikings fan? I grew up in NY but for some reason always routed for the the purple.
Jim 22….I loved Bud Grant…….great guy.
Are you a Vikings fan?
Absolutely! I cannot bring myself to adopt another team. Maybe it’s because I grew up with them in the 60’s and 70’s. I got to meet Tarkenton at a Big Brothers banquet. I bagged and carried out Allen Page’s groceries numerous times and competed in a regional Punt, Pass & Kick competition at old Met Stadium.
That’s awesome on all accounts. I still had my 70’s Sears viking helmet and #10 jersey that I had when I was a kid until I lost it in a fire about a year ago. I love watching the old games on youtube. I saw a great NFL films on Bug Grant. Interesting that before all of the anthem controversy of today, he made the Vikings stand on the side line helmet to the side decades ago.
Indian Summer.
Out in CA, it’s fire season every day except when it’s actually raining. And even then it can burn if it’s not really soaked.
Since we don’t often have dry lightening in CA, almost all of our ubiquitous fires are human caused – either fire bug or accident or downed power lines. I honestly don’t know why we bother with clean air initiatives since we cause massive amounts of smoke and soot to pump into our atmosphere every year. During wildfires, our air looks like Industrialized Birmingham.
Karen……I understand how you miss the South. But the one thing I love about the West is the aroma when the hot sun hits that soil, especially if the soil is red and there are pinon needles scattered on it.. I wish I could bottle that aroma. It’s wonderful, in my opinion.
“Having grown up in the South, and currently living in Southern California, I greatly miss the tender spring green you only see in the verdant South and East Coast.”
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Come on home, Karen S.
😊
In case you’ve never been to a church picnic in Virginia, the Carolinas … pretty much anywhere in the South, you owe yourself something. Forget the carbs and dive into the fried chicken and bar-b-que. Coconut cake and some deviled eggs and you just got a preview of Heaven. The spiked watermelon and peach cobbler are not to be missed!
mespo – and then you are back on your diet for 6 months just to get even. 😉
Wow. That is one festive stadium! The colors are beautiful. I know you’re proud.
That is wild about your friend Steve, might be a cousin!
I have an old friend who taught Philosophy at Radford U. next door to Va, Tech
Hubby and I stopped at the Old Madison Inn in Madison years ago. And our daughter, who is now 42, took her first steps in Bristol. Small wonderful, world!
mespo….. oh my, yes! The Baptist picnics were the best imo. Because of no alcohol, they substituted MORE sweets!
I have my grandmother’s antique pump organ from the 1800’s. It’s portable, so it was for parlor use, or picnics, baptisms, camp meetings, etc.
My father’s Welsh family came to Virginia (Henrico Co) in the 1650’s as indentured servants, so they may not have gone to too many picnics LOL But I do love Va. ( I.taught school in Fairfax Co. in early 1970’s) It’s a gorgeous, gracious state…..As are the Carolinas and the rest of the South! yaaaaahooooo,! 🙂
I knew I liked you. We live in Henrico!!
mespo…Oh my word! I don’t believe it! Well, if you meet any Roberts’, they’re probably mine…LOL. Some came on down in the early 19th century, through Georgia and all, and settled for good in Louisiana.
Ah, “Virginia, Virginia, earth’s only paradise” That’s from a gorgeous cantata that my father used to conduct. I know y’all love those Autumns up there!
One of the guys I coached with is Steve Roberts who was a fine fb player at Va Tech. He’s a local who played his hs ball at Douglas Freeman. I’ll ask Steve if there is a connection. As for the Fall. I graduated from JMU (nee Madison College) in Harrisonburg. I can tell you about Autumn. We do love our Fall colors: https://media.thetab.com/blogs.dir/139/files/2016/08/3.jpg
mespo…….I responded to your comment about your friend Steve but It’s up above the other comment for. s some reason…hope you find it!
Wow. That is one festive stadium! The colors are beautiful. I know you’re proud.
That is wild about your friend Steve, might be a cousin!
I have an old friend who taught Philosophy at Radford U. next door to Va, Tech
Hubby and I stopped at the Old Madison Inn in Madison years ago. And our daughter, who is now 42, took her first steps in Bristol. Small wonderful, world!
I’ll check with Steve today.
Mespo,
Like it or not we a called to lead & lead I will.
It’s “The Intimidator”!
Olly – yeah those Seals are tough, which is such an understatement. Isn’t Hell Week supposed to be just the introduction to Seal Training, so they don’t waste time training those who can’t cut it? Those Seals can git er done.
So sorry, Jonathan. Be well! I did that hike as a kid in Boy Scouts – it’s tough!
There is no more boy Scouts. now it’s the LBGTQ+Girls BSA Scouting FKA Boy Scouts.
And they don’t hike or camp out much anymore, I think, mostly working on earning stupid merit badges like this one
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/21/local/me-scouts21
Boy Scouts can earn badges for woodcarving, raising rabbits and firing shotguns.
But in the Los Angeles area, Scouts will now be able to earn their stripes by proselytizing about the evils of copyright piracy.
Officials with the local Boy Scouts and the Motion Picture Assn. of America on Friday unveiled the Respect Copyrights Activity Patch — emblazoned with a large circle “C” copyright sign along with a film reel and musical notes.
The 52,000 Scouts who are eligible may earn the patch by participating in a curriculum produced by the MPAA. To earn the badge, Scouts must participate in several activities including creating a video public-service announcement and visiting a video-sharing website to identify which materials are copyrighted. They may also watch a movie and discuss how people behind the scenes would be harmed if the film were pirated.
Welcome to the desert, tinhorn. Glad you got out alright. Now that you have had heat stroke, you are more prone to it. Keep that in mind. Listen to Peter Hill, and I would add finish your hike by 8 am or 9, 10 is starting to push it. Don’t do this again. Don’t hike alone. The West is not for wimpy Easterners. Always let someone know where you are hiking and when you should be back. We need to know when to send out rescue teams and where. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate before you start the hike and keep hydrating during the hike.
He has hiking experience and simply misjudged this outing. It happens.
And I didn’t realize that no one in the West ever experienced heat stroke: just incredible. Here in the East, hiking doesn’t exist. We just have office buildings.
Dave137 – I do not hike anymore, but when I did I followed the rules that I gave JT. I have had heat stroke but I got it from trying to chip the concrete out of a swimming pool in Scottsdale in mid-summer. My wife got it at a baseball game sitting in uncovered seating during a mid-afternoon game. The sun is a killer in the desert! We have Gila monsters here as well as the rattlesnakes and mountain lions.
But it’s “dry heat,” right Paul?!! Bwahahaaaa… of similar, we did a fairly short mountain bike ride with a guy from central-western Norway recently. Upper 80s here in the Appalachians, but the humidity was ridiculous, and he was very forward with what he thought about it. It did catch up with him, we realized he was in trouble when he stopped talking. But we were close to parking, so it wasn’t a major issue. Had we been further down in WV, it could have certainly been. Need to stay hydrated, but for long periods of time electrolyte replacement becomes important as well.
slohrss29 – the monsoon is here so we have the heat, dust storms and rain. It is no longer a dry heat. Hot and muggy (at least for us).
Hi PaulCS!!!
I have a kewl way for you to keep cool. There is this thing called Great Courses Plus, where you can pay $19.99 per month and have access to all their lectures. I am listening to one about Mesopotamia, and think there are maybe 24 30 minute lectures. I am into number 8 so far. The professor is a very smart lady, and believe me, this stuff is addictive!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky – just got a Great Courses on the Met Museum from my library where the price is FREE. 🙂 I also use my 1 credit per month with Audible to get a Great Course CD course and I am working on two now that way. I have about 5 going and have been through about 6 more. The part I like best is no exams. 🙂 Thanks for the tip though. BTW, got a Fire during the Prime Days so I have been playing with my new toy. 😉
There are all kinds of free classics you can get on your Kindle. Plus, over in Digital Music, there is a slew of 99cent classical music collections. I have like 9 kindles and I use them for dedicated tasks. I keep one in the bathroom, and one in the kitchen area with a bluetooth speaker, One by the bed, one in my “outside” bag. One to control a Line 6 guitar amplifier, one to watch TV and movies on. Etc.
If you like the Fire, check out ebay and try to find a used 10 inch hdx. They are less than a $100, and these were the very best kindles. If you get a 4th gen one, it will have 32 gig of sd card. If I only could keep one kindle, it would be the HDX, even though I have newer ones.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky – I got the HD 8 w/Alexa. I also have a Paperwhite. My wife kept buying art books and I could not see the picture in color on the Paperwhite. 😉 I have apps where I can read on my computer and on my phone. So, I guess I have 4 Kindles.
I have 2 of those HD8’s, different generations. I didn’t really need the second one, but Amazon usually runs those 5 payment thingies around Christmas, and it was cheap, so I said what the heck. One is my kitchen area Pandora Kindle, and I keep the other one by the laptop to check the weather and stuff.
Last week I replaced the battery on my First Generation Fire, which is the bathroom Fire. It is not as sophisticated as the newer ones, but it is actually a pretty easy one to use to read books on, or play Spider Solitaire.
Having several of them is nice when the power goes out. I can recharge them off my Halo, but when storms are expected, I make sure they are all fully charged. So far, I have never need more than two of them.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeks – you can also pick up Great Courses CDs and DVDs super cheap at library book sales and thrift stores. I have amassed a great collection which I take with me to listen to on road trips. One of my favs is a literature series by Professor Rufus Fears
Autumn – what is the series? I will put it on my list.
Paul,the series is “Books That Have Made History: Books That Can Change Your Life”
Autumn – thank you, I already have that on my list. I have Turning Points in Mideastern History coming next. I will move yours up. 🙂
Thanks Autumn!
I never thought about that. I will check some out.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Autumn – did you get your computer problem settled with your husband?
Paul, my nephew spilled water on my keyboard and I took out the battery and turned it upside down – after two day against all odds (!!) it is working again. Husband still highly ticked off that I posted under his name =)
OK, I just bought a used Great Courses thingy on physics! Thanks again for the tip!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I second Paul. Don’t hike alone. You could be bitten by a rattler or have a run in with a mountain lion. You could slip and fall into a ravine.
Perhaps you were not alone, but in case you were, get a hiking buddy from now on.
True. Maybe a person should also take one of those Laser Pointer Cat Things, so that a mountain lion could be tricked into chasing the red dot instead of eating you.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky – I carried a very thick walking stick. It could ward off mountain lions and rattlesnakes. You just flick the snakes out of the way. Mountain lions are usually not aggressive with humans. It is bears you have to watch out for. Curling up and playing dead is supposed to work.
Well, I always have a gun with me, and usually a knife or two. Sooo, I would hate to use them on a poor little animal, but if it came down to it, I would before I would get mauled.
Speaking of getting mauled, I have a new kitten. A little tortie. Who has mauled my legs. She was one of 4 fosters, and we found homes for three of them. We didn’t try too hard with the tortie, because I really like her.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky – it may come down to a new pair of legs for you or a new home for the tortie. Glad you are having fun though. Look for ads for sales on band-aids.
Paul C. ….one summer I was in Sedona, and I hiked Bear Mountain with a friend. We got to the top and only then did we wonder why it was so named! We descended quickly and cautiously…LOL. Never saw a bear, but a Big Horn sheep literally raced in front of me and scaled the mountain wall while I was hiking the Grand Canyon. That was so thrilling.
Cindy Bragg – sure added to the thrill. 😉
You have to stop. No more.
While I applaud you for enjoying your life, you are more than yourself.
You are the Duke to us.
We love you and we need you. Don’t do this again.
Thank you.
FROM AN EXPERIENCED CANYON HIKER:
HIKE EARLY OR LATE
For 30 years I’ve been hiking canyons in L.A. It’s like my second ‘career’. And one thing I learned early: ‘Complete your hike by 10 am. Or, start after 4 pm’.
These rules are especially true during California summers (July thru October). But even in the winter months they mostly apply.
It’s simply a matter of U.V. rays; they’re too strong from 10 – 4. What’s more those U.V. rays reflect off rock and gravel. Meaning they hit you from all angles on California trails.
Even movie location shoots can be dangerously hot. Production Assistants are trained to make sure no one’s in the sun too long.
PH:
Judging by recent tweets and statements, those Hollywood production assistants aren’t doing their jobs.
Thanks for the pointers, hope to hike out west someday soon!
That’s good advice.
howd i just know you were from calilfornia