Scary Moments

[zuma]

I experencied lately another scare. I was hiking with the kids a rather difficult path on a steep slope above a river. You know the thing, small path rather big drop and some iron stairs and such. Not really things that cannot be controlled even with some small kids. But the we came across a small gully right through our path. You know kind of a bowling ally down slope to the water. We had a decission moment. Pushing on or return? Ofcourse the ego won and we did the most sensibloe thing we could make up. But oké it was scaring putting your kids through this dangerous situation. I had some rope with me (I knew we might encounter some surprises) and I crossed the gully, secured the rope and came back to get to kids and my wife one by one all roped in. This way the risk was minimal except for something comming down that gully. Kids had a blast they thaught it was the best moment of the vvacation while I almost shat my pants and decided to return.

[jetmom2]

Lying in a tent as a 15 year old girl with a bear sniffing around our tents, hearing the park ranger's truck arrive, listening to his footsteps and my first ever gunshot at close range. Then hearing crashing through the trees as my tentmates sobbed...

[ndflatlander]

[fairhill hiker]

This one is not that bad compared to some. Backpacking around Mount Rainier. Hiking an open ridge line probably around 5,000 or 6,000 ft elevation, Storm with Lightning moved in. The trail followed the ridge line for quite a distance. When we got to the Ranger Station, we found out that they had a direct hit on power or phone lines somewhere. We were lucky that nothing was close to us. External Aluminum frame backpacks not the best to be carrying during lightning storms. Might as well put the umbrella up too.