A great date with your friend and lover can be enjoyed in the wild desserts on a hike. Don’t forget to include the human’s best friend, a dog if you have one. My husband and I attempted hiking Fossil Springs with our German shepherd, Arnold for our two year anniversary weekend. We packed a cooler of gyro meat, tzatziki, and fresh blueberries and wore our swim wear. I have done a lot of hiking with my father growing up but didn’t ever plan the specifics or details that go into a hike. Some foreshadowing of our adventure, we are new as a couple to hiking.
Our hike to Fossil Springs started out with us driving through this beautiful scene.
Oh…wow we look so happy. Those faces turned dismal and humble in about another hour or two from this picture.
The hiking trip quickly turned into a humbling experience. The morning of the trail my husband Denny asked me if we should look up information about the trail. I told him no because I was making assumptions. My husband and I have had friends hike this trail. I assumed the trail was no more than 2 miles, more like 1 1/2 miles because I thought those people did easier trails. Well, big mistake on assuming.
When approaching the entrance to the trail there were two forest rangers warning hikers to be carrying enough water since it was a really warm day. They noticed our dog and asked if we had water for him. Uh……no. My reasoning. Again I assumed the trail was no more than 2 miles and thought Arnold could drink at the spring when we got there. ERRRT…… wrong answer. Very shortly we found out the trail one way was 6 miles.
My husband and I thinking and the facts:
FACT-my husband and I shared a water bottle in the car from a gas station
THOUGHT- the trail was a 15 minute drive to the nearest place to get water
FACT- we have one water bottle
– [my thinking] for a four mile hike I alone could survive on one water bottle
FACT- we drove 2 1/2 hours to this spring
THOUGHT-we don’t want to drive back into the city so let’s hike it
[where was our thinking?]
As we steadily descended into the canyon Arnold panted more and I got thirsty from the heat. Approaching about a half a mile into the canyon half a bottle empty I realized this was stupid.The recommended water amount was two water bottles. We had about three lives on one bottle. I couldn’t last 5 1/2 miles more without water let alone two other lives. The math did not add up.
It took a lot of stomping on our pride to turn around and to miss out on seeing the spring. We did a total of about 1 mile. Arnold was grateful. Like I said a very humbling experience.
This is a very tired Arnold. He was warning us he was hot. He stopped many times on the trail.
Arnold’s expression, ” What were you humans thinking?” This is Arnold in the car after we left the trail and got water at a secret goat cheese farm. He gobbled the water up ferociously.
The Fossil Spring Hiking Lesson:
1) Be humble. It’s okay to admit your wrong and to fix the problem
2) If going on a hike, look up the total of miles
3) For every life hiking have two to three water bottles
4) There is no such thing as too much water when hiking- over carry- the weight is good for you
After we left the trail it was our mission to get water. While driving we ventured into a goat farm. We bought some delicious goat cheese. Afterwards, we parked in a parking lot that stared off into the forest and ate the delicious Greek lunch we packed.
Our adventure ended up at a Payson’s park.
Arnold loved the water. He was determined to never be thirsty again.
My best friend and husband chilling in the shade.
Remember readers when you hike over pack on water. Readers: When did you have to be humble about a mistake? Have you ever had a crazy hiking adventure?
.jpg)
