Re: it is pretty easy to get lost in the woods :o)
- From: Strabo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2006 01:53:56 -0400
On 7 Jun 2006 11:45:31 -0700, lucianir@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
I went looking for mushrooms in a wooded mountaineous area
between Pontremoli and Borgotaro (Italy) and I got as lost as
more I could not be. I entered the wood at 7a.m. and got out
at 7p.m. ; my plan was to be home by lunch time with the
mushrooms I was supposed to find !
First thing I am not much phisically fit since during the
last year my longest walk was from the kitchen to the
bedroom. So after three ours of (slow) walking up an down
the hills between bushes and trees, away from roads or trails,
I was about done, ready to go home and hit the bed.
That's when I pulled out a map, studied it carefully, and
decided I had to go north to cross the existing road , which
roughly had a direction west-east. I even heard the loud noise of
cars nearby shifting gear so I really believed the road was
just a few hundred yards far.
So I merrily started walking downhill (that's easy) and
after half an hour or so I realized that:
a) the downhill was steeper and steeper
b) mo more car noise was heard
at that point I was too tired to climb back uphill, so
I decided to keep going downhill, still believing that
"the road can't be far".
To make the long story short I ended up in the dry bed
of a small creek with the sides so steep and so full of thick
thorny bushes I was not able to get out. Good enough the creek
was dry. At that point:
c) I did not have the slightest idea where I was
d) it was hours I could not see even a bit of sky
because of the thick and tall trees , and there
was no man-made noise whatsoever
Direction: Get out of the creekbed and get to higher ground
to see the sun. Determine the north side of trees
by the mosses or the south side by heavier foilage.
Following the creekbed downhill would have eventually taken
you to water.
e) my cellphone was useless since there was no field
I have extended cell phone range by throwing a thin wire
(antenna; about 25 feet) over a tree limb with the other end
attached to the phone antenna.
f) all my clothing was wet from sweating
Always wear multiple layers that can individually removed
to accomodate temperature and conditions.
f) my only one sandwich and water bottle were gone
Keep the bottle in case you encounter a water source.
g) I was supposed to be home at noon , it was 5 o'clock
in the afternoon and I was very tired and didn't
know where I was and what to do
You can survive for over a week without food. About
three days without water.
h) I was no more convinced that "the road can't be far"
It probably wasn't. The question is, which direction?
i) I couldn't care less about mushrooms: all I wanted
was to get out of the mess
Always think food and water. Mushrooms, certain roots, insects,
small mammals.
j) I also managed to slightly strain my back jumping
from rock to rock in the stream bed..
Minimizing stress and injury when lost is critical.
I can assure that the creepy sensation of fear that got
at my stomach is something I won't forget. I kept walking
downhill in the narrow and deep creek bed mainly because I was
tired and the only direction I could make mileage
was downhill .
Well, you were in Italy. As long as you could move south
you would eventually find a flowing stream, river or road.
Every once in a while I had to cut through thick bushes
that were occupying the whole bed of the stream...I
ended with pretty many scratches on arms and face but
I realized it later , so worried I was then.
Symtoms of fatigue and panic.
Finally I met the blessed road!
Ha! what a joy! Roads are a great invention!
I kneed down and kissed it!
I also found a local who gave me a ride
back to my car, almost 10 miles far uphill
(instead of the half mile that I had planned
while I was carefully studying the map).
Not a bad hike!
I guess you cannot trust the direction and distance
of a car's noise if you hear it in a wooded
mountaineous area :o)
One can easily become disoriented.
Never take nature lightly. Always carry a lighter,
a good knife, string, a watch, and a compass in your pockets
and a knapsack with a rain jacket, flashlight, signal mirror,
whistle, etc.
The first rule, and the most difficult to follow, is don't panic.
Had you gone back up the hill and started over, you
might have found the road sooner.
Given the rocky nature of those mountains, the
car sounds probably reverberated giving a false
indication of direction.
In the worst case, given your northerly location, in
a day or two walk south you would have reached civilization.
Of course that presumes a high level of fitness.
By the way, the mushrooms I was after has the
.latin name : boletus aedulis.
Do you have it in the US ? If yes, what's its name
in english?
The greatness of Latin is it's universality in science.
We in America do tend to drop the dipthong. We call it,
boletus edulis, or as you, Porcini.
A picture...
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/sept98.html
A summary...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis
Salutations
r.l.
Well, at least you now know where to go if you want to be
alone. :)
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