“Figure It Out” was a throwback for me. Thruhiker Alex Maier had almost made it to the terminus of the infamous Hayduke Trail went he took a wrong turn. This error ultimately cost him another night on the Virgin River. In Episode 10, the look of utter frustration on his face was easy to see. The eyes told the story of his inner feelings.
Many years ago I became disorientated in the jungle. Exhausted and alone, darkness was setting in. A feeling of helplessness washed over me. I worried about matters I could not control. Fortunately my training kicked into gear. Accepting that I would spend another night before pickup, I prepared a hooch and ate what food I had. After some sleep, I awoke to a passing storm. The freshness of new rainfall combined with a little sleep and nourishment changed my disposition. At first light I was fresh again.
You certainly read my feelings correctly at the end of the Hayduke haha. That was a lot of frustration that even turned into some fear. Sounds like you know what that feels like! I’ve never been to the jungle but it scares me from what I’ve heard about it.
The South Kaibab Trail from the South Rim did a job on our legs. We weren’t prepared for the step downs that had been constructed for the mule pack trains. We learned the hard way that shorter doesn’t necessarily mean better. We pushed through our pain and returned to the rim on the Bright Angel. We were both toasted, but extremely proud of our accomplishment.
As a fourteen year old, I walked to the Colorado River, slept on the river bank and walked out the next day. That was a turning point in my life. It ultimately led me back to the southwest upon retirement.
How many rim to rims did you finally hike before turning north to Jacob Lake on the Hayduke Route?