In July 2013, Geraldine Largay got lost in the Appalachian mountains. She veered off trail and began texting her husband for help. Her texts read: “in somm trouble,” she texted on July 22, 2013, the day she left the trail. “Got off trail to go to br. now lost. can you call AMC to c if a trail maintainer can help me. somewhere north of woods road.” A day later, she again pleaded for help: “lost since yesterday. off trail 3 or 4 miles. call police for what to do pls.” However, the texts to her husband warning that she’d become lost were never actually delivered. After she missed a rendezvous with her husband, he reported her missing on July 24, 2013. A large search effort was launched but Geraldine wasn’t found. Her body was found over two years later on October 14th, 2015, less than 3,000 feet from the Appalachian Trail. Her journal revealed she had survived for 26 days. One of her final entries, dated 6 August 2013 read: “When you find my body, please call my husband George and daughter Kerry.”
PRO TIP: If you get lost when hiking, just hike downhill. Find a stream, even if it’s dry, and just keep following it down. When it merges with another stream/river, keep following it down stream. It will inevitably cross a road or pass through a settled area, all waterways in the US eventually do, and this will ensure you do not “walk in circles” but will make steady progress toward civilization and being found.
@SomeDadIKnow @Morbidful I mean good advice but many hiking areas area are flat which is part of their appeal as hiking areas.
All areas have a watershed. Meaning there is a natural pathway for rainwater water runoff in the area you are in, you just need to look for it. Illinois is one of the flattest states in the country and you cannot walk half a mile without crossing a watershed feature that you can follow “down stream”. In nearly all areas, you can’t go very far in any direction before you cross a dry wash, creek, or other watershed feature. There’s no such thing as too flat for watershed in nature unless you are in a desert basin like the Bonneville salt flats or the Mojave desert/Death Valley area. Swamps might be another rare exception in that the “down stream” direction might not be discernible.
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful I’ve spent a lot of time in the woods and have only been lost once. My friend and I were hunting grouse in the Nemadji State Forest and we walked off the trail to make a loop and I never made it back at least in the time I should’ve. It’s scary when you’re actually really lost.
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful Exactly what I was thinking. If you are in an area that has no watershed, you are in a swamp or lake.
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful Yeah, I’ve heard of people getting lost in the swamp too. I think you’re supposed to look for moss growing on trees and follow the direction the moss grows to keep from going in circles. 🤷🏻♀️
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful The Mojave desert even has rivers they just only appear when it rains.
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful If you’re lost in a swamp u got a lot more to worry about than getting downstream lol better just not get lost in there
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful 30 years ago, I took my 10 & 7 yo kids for a hike in the woods. On exit, I realized my son the compass guide had us going w toward the sundown, but we needed to go s. I took charge and used the sun direction. At dark we hit a cornfield & I knew we were safe. Quite scary, 32F!
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful That method doesn't work so good if you're lost in many parts of the Australian Blue Mountains as the towns are built at high elevation with creeks going in all directions. If you can find a valley it might be easier to rescue you, otherwise hike up!
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful Ahyyy i rather just be in a beach !
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful You could also just you know… use the sun to maintain a somewhat straight path and eventually find a road.
@SomeDadIKnow @BryceYourselves @Morbidful Tha ks for the tip..I'm a city slicker and never knew this info.