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Tried a shortcut on the Timberline Trail and ended up bushwhacking for two hours
I was hiking the Timberline Trail around Mt. Hood last month and saw a path on my map that cut off a big river bend. It looked like it would save maybe three miles. The path vanished after 20 minutes and I was in thick brush and downed trees. My buddy and I had to use our GPS to slowly pick our way back to the main trail, which totally wrecked our schedule for the day. What's the dumbest trail shortcut you've ever taken that backfired?
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max_davis5mo ago
Ugh, that sounds brutal. My version of that was trying to skip a switchback on a steep hill in the Rockies. The straight line looked so easy on the map. Ended up on a loose shale slide, basically surfing down on my butt while my backpack tried to pull me over. Scratched up my legs, tore my pants, and had to hike the last four miles looking like I lost a fight with a mountain lion.
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jamieh765mo ago
Yeah, that "surfing on your butt" part is what gets you. It's more like an uncontrolled slide on gravel. Hurts way more than it sounds.
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miles_campbell395mo ago
Oh man, gravel is the WORST for that. It just grinds right through everything. @max_davis is totally right about the backpack making it a whole different kind of scary, like you're getting pulled over backwards. That feeling of no control is what really sticks with you. Makes you check the map twice next time for sure.
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