Never hike alone.

Rachael has been pestering me to share this experience I had while at the Bennett Family Reunion. A group of us (woman and children) hiked up Timp's trail about 2 miles. We were going to see some impressively glorious waterfalls. We had arrived and enjoyed the falls and rested while eating granola bars and drinking some water. It was at this point I realized I would soon need a restroom. I told Jillene that I thought I had better start back for a bathroom after inquiring whether everyone was ready to start back and she told me "no." I said that I must go then and jokingly said, "If you see me laying along the trail, pick me up and drag me back to camp." As I turned to go, the thought came, "You shouldn't go alone." So I turned back to Jillene and asked, "Do you think there is anyone else that needs to go now, too?" She responded, "No, go ahead."

I then had the dismissing thought, "Jillene is always alone. She would not think twice about going alone." So with that thought, I turned and went on my way with a quick prayer in my heart that I would be okay. I found myself analyzing how I was walking and what could happen to me while going down this good trail alone. I told myself to take my time and to step carefully.

Along the trail there are several waterfalls that cross it. Coming up the trail I was able to cross each watery area by stepping on stones. This was my plan for going down the trail too. As I came to one such waterway I saw a large boulder to step on. I thought, "This crossing will be easy enough. Just one step on the boulder and I will be across." As I stepped, however, the boulder teetered and as quick as a flash, I was toppled over the side of the mountain. It happened so fast I had no time to grasp for anything. Just...down I went. My little back pack purse cushioned my fall and caused me to stop--with my head down hill and my legs and feet uphill! I was in a predicament for sure for the mountain was very steep and each time I tried to right myself I started sliding down the mountain more. Remember, too, that I was laying in a waterfall's path. (It's pretty comical to me now but at the time I was scared and shaking and had to use the bathroom badly.)

I gradually maneuvered myself around so that my head was upright (I quickly realized that I had to move slowly or I slid further down the mountain), and then I was able to get footing on the side away from the waterfall's trail and climb up and onto the trail. Wet, shaking, thankful that I was not 200 feet down the side of the mountain and alive and relatively well for such a fall, I started back down the trail--needing to use the restroom worse. (Many people have asked me why I didn't go in the trees. Know this dear reader, the next time I would!!!)

Starting down the trail again, I saw moose tracks and remembered that Dale Chadwick had seen a baby moose and its mother 2 days before and then I remembered that moose are very threatening--especially with their young.

On top of this thought, I remembered that it was in this area last year that a little boy had been dragged from his tent and killed by a bear.

My thoughts were now to get down the trail as quickly and safely as I could. I wanted to run but I couldn't because I knew it wouldn't be safe and because I had an elbow that was throbbing and an ankle that hurt if I stepped on it at a wrong angle.

I decided to sing right out loud because I had remembered hearing that animals don't like to be startled. I figured if they heard my singing they would know to leave. And, for me, singing brings peace and comfort. So, for probably 2 miles I sang and raced down the mountain as fast as I dared with my aching body.

I made it to the bathroom with great relief (No pun intended). Can you believe there was no toilet paper? My back pack came to my rescue again. I had a couple of packages of tissue in it. Before finishing my hike to our campground, I washed my face, combed my hair and drank some water.

By this point I could hardly wait to get to my motor home, eat lunch and take a nap.

On the short distance back, I took one wrong path and had to retrace my steps in the Timpanoke campground. Then when I was a short distance from our camp, I saw a leather-clad, long-haired motorcycle man come up and out of the area I was headed for. I just about turned and went another way but then the man saw me. So I went straight toward him. He crossed the road and leaned on his motorcycle and watched me. So I turned toward him and said, "hello." He smiled and greeted me back. I then went down from the road onto the trail and hurried to camp. I didn't look back until I was far from motorcycle man. He still leaned on his bike watching me.

May I just say that I was grateful to get back to my motor home! I went in, locked the door, ate a sandwich and lay on my bed. This was at 12:30 and at 4:00 Rachael knocked on the door and I woke from a deep sleep.

I have thought about this experience and realize how blessed I was to make it back safely. No one should ever go off alone on a mountain trail. I could have fallen a couple of hundred feet and no one would have found me very easily. No one came back from the hike to our campground and checked to see if I made it back safely. (This should be something for me to remember.) The simplest, unsuspecting thing can happen (a boulder rocks beneath your weight & topples you over the side of the mountain even when you are being very cautious) and your life can change forever. I realize I was not alone, however, because I had prayed as I started the walk down the trail and asked Heavenly Father to protect me. He allowed a lesson but he did protect me. I am still amazed that I wasn't hurt worse.