Took me 5 hours to figure out a water crossing that should have been 30 minutes

Last summer I was hiking the Appalachian Trail in Virginia and ran into a river that was way higher than expected from the rain the night before. I spent the next 5 hours walking up and down the bank looking for a safe spot to cross. Turns out there was a rope swing 50 yards upstream that marked a shallow section, but I missed it because I was too focused on the map. My legs were shaking by the time I actually crossed, and I lost half the daylight I had planned for that day. Has anyone else spent way too long trying to find a crossing that was basically right in front of them?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannah_west399d ago

Honestly, maybe the river was just trying to teach you patience.

mileslane9d ago

Ha, yeah right! Nothing like a good dose of patience while your car is halfway underwater and your laptop is floating downstream. I'm sure the river was thinking "you know what this guy needs, a little zen moment with his ruined phone." Seriously though, if the river wanted to teach me patience, it could've started with a gentle rain or a slightly delayed train. A flooded road is more of a "how to file an insurance claim" kind of lesson. But hey, at least now I'm really good at sitting in wet socks and waiting for a tow truck. So I guess thanks, river. Real helpful life coach you turned out to be.

hannahcraig8d ago

Oh man, that reminds me of the time I tried to "learn patience" by baking bread during a storm. Ended up with a soggy oven and a loaf that looked more like a pancake. Sometimes life just throws you in the deep end and calls it a lesson.