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Monday, September 28, 2015

Genie’s Disaster Hike

If you don’t feel like reading the story I am telling here, just flip thru the pictures. You will be able to figure it out. It wasn’t a good day for Genie :-) I used larger type so it would be easier should you desire.

Sunday was our day to take our grandson, Henry...a freshman at James Madison University...and two of his friends on a hike. We’d been planning this for weeks, and then the yucky weather hit us with a vengeance. This is a picture of our destination borrowed from the internet...High Knob Fire Tower located at 4,050 feet at the WV-VA line. There were two ways to go...the RECOMMENDED and easy 1.3 mile way along the nice fire road, or the other treacherous 3.5 miler straight up hill all the way. Due to all the fog, we could not find the point of entry for the fire road (we drove 50 miles or so back and forth up and down the mountain looking for it)  so ended up opting for the toughie. Stupid me, I did not want to be an "old granny, Baga" for my grandson, so I decided to make the “Forced March" much to the horror and concern of my husband who knew what was ahead and that I was going to be in for big time trouble. Rain, fog, slippery wet leaves, and trees down did not help. Bud says I made it 3/4 of a mile before my disaster, but to me it felt like five miles of horror.



O.K., Genie...just follow the "Yellow Marked Road”, and you will reach the Emerald City aka Fire Tower.

Bud was just puttering along waiting patiently for me to huff and puff it up the mountain.

I had given my Leike hiking poles to the boys, so I was left using my pink flowered cane..hehehe. Well, that was definitely not doing the job, so Buddy gave me his real hiking stick leaving him stickless.  I was moving very slowly, and you could probably hear me huffing and puffing a mile away.



The further I hoofed, the more exhausted I got...plus my back was starting to yell at me...”Stop, woman, or you are going to pay the penalty for not listening to me." That would mean nerve spasms and lying out in the middle of the wet woods with out a heating pad or a bed. I was heading for this broken off tree knowing it would provide me a place to lean that was not sopping wet.

 Selfie Time 
Well, as you can see, I ALMOST made it to the tree but not quite. My feet went out from under me and plunk...down I went. Luckily I missed a huge broken branch and fell into the wet leaves and dirt. My rule for falls is to not move, access the damage, and then slowly come up knees first and the rest of me afterwards...very slowly.

Selfie Retatke  
After I saw that grim look on my face, I decided to look at the hilarity and stupidity of my situation and just laugh at myself thinking...When are you going to learn, Genie, that you can no longer do the things you used to do?  Grow up you silly lady, and face the music of life. Still, as my mother used to say...it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

I did try to play a bit with my iPhone while lying there in the yuck.


I got a real bang out of this one of my super duper hot pink hiking sneakers with the heavy duty treads on them.  Well, hey sure did not do the job I paid the big bucks for them to do. I definitely needed my heavy old hiking boots this day.

 I finally pulled myself up and headed back to the car with Buddy. I know he wanted to say...I told you so...but he was nice and said nothing other than cheer me on while helping to get me down that steep mountain.  I managed to get this close up with a reflection in the rain droplet which made me happy. I have a hard time doing that.

Then I spotted this leaf that reminded me Halloween is coming before long. If only it had turned orange. 


When the boys send me the pictures they took up at the fire tower - IF they ever send them... hehehe - I will post them. As it turned out, Bud and I sat in the car for about THREE hours waiting for them to make the trek up and back, and it was almost dark when they reappeared. Needless-to-say, I was frantic. No reception on the XM radio, so iPhone music on his and the books on mine saved the day. The guys had a great time...Me, not so great...and Bud, well, he can handle it all. He’s always having fun when he is in the woods. He's just an old mountain man. Still it was beautiful and peaceful out there where we would rather be than anywhere.

Luckily, today I am hurting bit, but I did not do any serious damage to the old back...just to the old grandma ego. Bud and I are hanging out with me on my heating pad watching ClinkEastwood in “Any Which Way You Can.” In retrospect, that could have been my motto for yesterday...Genie, just get out of this mess any which way you can.

"You’re lucky if you have someone who always tries to understand you, your mistakes, your anger, stupid decisions and never gets tired of it.”

~Tinku Razoria


This post is linked with Our World Tuesday


22 comments:

  1. Oh, I am so glad you are okay ~ What a trooper you are and what a 'spill' you took ~ Great shots of it all ~ Sending you lots of healing energy and hugs, xoxo

    Happy Week to you,
    artmusedog and carol

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  2. OH Genie....this was the best read of the day! LOVE the selfies and you honest humor.
    Now, if you ever want to go back and hike the easy road let me know. I might just tag along.

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  3. Wow, I am glad you were not seriously hurt. I learned to take thing slow and easy on the trails, onlu because I am somewhat clumsy. I enjoyed the walk, post and photos. I hope you feel better, have a happy week ahead!

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  4. What a fun story - and thank goodness no permanent damage! I fell this week and did what you did - stayed there on the ground, took a few photos from ground-level, got up and had a few aches and pains the next day. Keep on keeping on, Genie!

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  5. Great photos and a wonderful tale of your walk in the woods. I must have been a really tough hike if your boys took that long to come back.

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  6. That's a little too much excitement for one day. But it looks like a beautiful area!

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  7. That is very exhaustive trip. I am glad you are fine.

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    1. Oh, Genie! I'm so glad you are not seriously injured but just have a few aches and pains that will heal relatively quickly. It's such a temptation to do what the younger generation can do, isn't it?

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  8. Love the bright shoe and leaf. You look happy down there!

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  9. O help Genie... It is so hard to grow older carefully. Somehow being careful makes you feel like a woos and that's not a good feeling. I would have done that walk too... just like you... my pride...my stubbornness or whatever... would have made me go...Glad you are OK. And what spirit to keep smiling.

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  10. Glad that you were not seriously injured and able to see the humor in it all! :)

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  11. Cant help but smile on this one! And I like the idea of 'if I'm going to be on the ground, I may as well take some macro shots' kind of approach - I may have to adopt that one!

    Glad all was well(ish) in the end!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  12. Great shots - and sorry about your mishap!
    I hope you'll come link up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/09/shake-those-tail-feathers.html

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  13. you know i love your humor. you always keep me in smiles but you need to watch out girl ... don't want ya getting hurt. injured. the positive side of things ... you got some awesome shots. ( :

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  14. Oh Genie, that's a heck of a hard way to get some lovely nature shots . You are such a good sport ... And I agree it is hard to accept the changes life throws at us. The last quote is lovely and a nice tribute to Buddy and to you! A great partnership!

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  15. I have to admire your grit for giving it a go in the first place!

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  16. Very aggravating when your mind says I can do this no problem, and your body brings you back to reality. Sorry about your fall, but glad you weren't hurt seriously. Also so great to have a partner that "has your back"

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  17. That you made some photo's lying in the leaves made me laugh, you are a tough woman with lots of humor! Loved to read the story.

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  18. Just finished reading "A Walk in the Woods" and saw the movie. Your story reminded me of that. - Margy

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  19. I hope that you are okay. You are very patient waiting for three hours. I have fallen a few times while hiking and I don't like it one bit. I've been out of commission for three weeks from running or even walking very much because of a fall I took Labor day weekend on a trail race. It is wearing on me waiting to heal.

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  20. Well you did get some awesome captures. I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt.

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  21. I sure am glad you did not get seriously hurt!

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