Hi Everybody,
From time to time, things happen in life that really make me wonder. I went on a bike ride in the woods this morning, got irrevocably lost, found multiple survivalist shelters, a bunch of great mountain biking, and eventually, my way out of the woods. I was supposed to go to a concert today, leaving sometime around 1. Instead, I got lost in the woods, found some amazing things, and was helped out of them by multiple good Samaritans.
It all began as a normal Sunday bike ride - we discussed routes, decided terrain, and then hoped for the best. The first guy we passed was a hiker who had clearly spent the last evening in the woods. He stopped us, informed us that he just had passed a bear and her two cubs, and to be careful. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SIGN. We didn't find a bear, but about 10 miles later, we were pretty lost with no real way of getting out. The ride borders a dam, and there used to be roads at the bottom of it before they flooded it. So, after a few hours in the woods and no signs of the outside world, we found one of these roads which led into the water. I saw a way around it, and my uncle said it wouldn't work. Having had a difference of opinions, he went his way and I went mine. I forded the stream, hiked up and down a steep gulley, and then noticed a path in the woods. I followed it and ended up at a survivalist hut, a la Bear Grylls or Les Stroud. It had a lean to made of pine branches, a tarp roof, a fire pit and a stocked woodpile. I took some pictures, marveling at how deep in the woods I must be, and then set out. I saw blazes on the trees, and followed them through a briar patch, ripping my poor legs to shreds. Eventually, this led me to the river, almost exactly where I started. Ugh. Maybe my uncle was right (but please don't ever let him hear that).
I followed the coast of the river through some of the best biking all day - mud and stone that had clearly been underwater in earlier parts of the spring. I was breaking new ground, having a blast, until I got to some rocks that were too bumpy to keep riding on. I walked my bike for a few minutes, and saw two blue herons that I had startled wing their way across the water - and over a bass fishing boat near shore.
As politely as I could, I said, "Sorry to interrupt your fishing, but do you happen to know how far up the next road is?" He replied in a slow drawl that it was at least 3 miles to the nearest road that he knew of, then another 2 or 3 to the paved road. From there, I knew I had at least 2 miles north, 4 miles west, and then 10 miles back down south to my house. I had long since given up any ideas I might have had about getting back to my car first.
He pulled his boat in to shore, and despite my protests, said he'd ferry me to the other shore. This saved me, by my rough estimate, at least 10, but maybe up to 20 miserable miles on top of my already epic 15 mile bike ride/hike/pocalypse. He introduced himself, talked about his kids and grandkids, and leisurely putted us across the previously insurmountable river/lake I'd been wrestling with for two hours at this point. I replied in kind, with great gratitude, and tried to help him with his docking procedure, but he waved me off. I explained that I believe in Karma and that he was certainly due a boatload of it, but again he modestly shrugged me off and wished me well.
I hopped back on my bike and sprinted the 5 miles left on my ride. Now I knew where I was going, and was determined to get back in time to help my uncle find his way out of the woods and safely home. A mile from home, I stopped and called my aunt to let her know what was going on, and while on the phone with her, my uncle rode in the driveway. Somehow, he had beaten me home! Against all odds, he had found the exact way out of the forest, gotten on pavement and beaten me home.
I learned/remembered a few life lessons today. I) Appreciate the grand beauty and power that nature offers, and how quickly it can win. II) Don't let disagreements force you to separate in the woods, and III) Never underestimate how kind strangers can be.
I'm always impressed when I travel with how much nicer people seem to be, but it's not just that they're nicer. It's that I have to ask them for things, and they almost never disappoint me. People are almost always nicer than you think they are, if given the chance to be and asked respectfully. My take away in terms of my daily life is that I should ask for help more often - needed or not - because it gives others a chance to shine, and reminds me how good people can be.
