Scary mountain storm
Yesterday we went on an incredible hike. I say incredible for several reasons - one of which you can read more about in Steve's blog (see idiots!).
For me, the hike was especially memorable as being the closest to death I have felt in a long time. On the way down, we got hit by a bad storm. Steve and Anya had already headed down the mountain before me, Mark, and Erica, so the three of us got caught in the worst of it. I'm not sure I have been that scared for my life in a really long time or possibly ever.
I don't even know where to begin to describe why it was so scary. We were being pelted by rain and tons of hail and it was thundering and I think I saw lightening once. I knew enough to know that lightening or the possibility of lightening was bad, but I had no idea when you should just keep pushing on toward your car or when you should get down and try to protect yourself in some other way. Luckily, I did have the right clothes. Sadly, I did not put them all on before the storm got really bad. I had my rain coat on, but not my rain pants and by the time I even knew I needed them, my hiking pants were soaked completely through and I was too scared to even stop for an instant and delay getting back to the car. At some point I just couldn't take it and I took off in front of Mark and Erica and started going as fast as my body could go short of running. I was already exhausted from our hike up and down and the hail was really painful as it hit my body, even though I had no exposed skin that it was hitting.
I'm not sure why I got so terrified. I think I just felt so helpless and alone and I didn't know what to do and I wasn't sure that what I was doing was the right thing. And at the same time I was so glad that Anya had already been taken down the mountain by Steve, I desperately wished that Steve was with us. I knew enough to be scared, but not enough that I knew how scared I should be, so I guess I just opted for really scared. I don't think I ever really thought I was going to die, but I do know that I said out loud at one point, "Please, don't let me die. Please let me see Anya and Steve again." It sounds pretty dramatic right now, but it really felt that bad.
I obviously made it safely back to the car, but it took me a little while to calm down and feel okay. Thinking back on it afterwards, it doesn't seem so bad, but I think all these bad things crept into my head while I was out there and my mind kept making it worse and worse and I couldn't stop myself from getting really worked up.
So, from now on...
I will never complain about having to get up early to go on a hike. I will always be satisfied when we decide to turn around because of threatening weather. I will continue to always carry my rain gear, but more importantly, I will put it on at the first sign of rain, even though it is annoying to stop and even though I might be hot with it on and even though we might have to stop again in five minutes to take it all off if it doesn't end up raining much. I will continue to be thankful to have Steve as my husband. And I will be grateful that I am alive and safe.
For me, the hike was especially memorable as being the closest to death I have felt in a long time. On the way down, we got hit by a bad storm. Steve and Anya had already headed down the mountain before me, Mark, and Erica, so the three of us got caught in the worst of it. I'm not sure I have been that scared for my life in a really long time or possibly ever.
I don't even know where to begin to describe why it was so scary. We were being pelted by rain and tons of hail and it was thundering and I think I saw lightening once. I knew enough to know that lightening or the possibility of lightening was bad, but I had no idea when you should just keep pushing on toward your car or when you should get down and try to protect yourself in some other way. Luckily, I did have the right clothes. Sadly, I did not put them all on before the storm got really bad. I had my rain coat on, but not my rain pants and by the time I even knew I needed them, my hiking pants were soaked completely through and I was too scared to even stop for an instant and delay getting back to the car. At some point I just couldn't take it and I took off in front of Mark and Erica and started going as fast as my body could go short of running. I was already exhausted from our hike up and down and the hail was really painful as it hit my body, even though I had no exposed skin that it was hitting.
I'm not sure why I got so terrified. I think I just felt so helpless and alone and I didn't know what to do and I wasn't sure that what I was doing was the right thing. And at the same time I was so glad that Anya had already been taken down the mountain by Steve, I desperately wished that Steve was with us. I knew enough to be scared, but not enough that I knew how scared I should be, so I guess I just opted for really scared. I don't think I ever really thought I was going to die, but I do know that I said out loud at one point, "Please, don't let me die. Please let me see Anya and Steve again." It sounds pretty dramatic right now, but it really felt that bad.
I obviously made it safely back to the car, but it took me a little while to calm down and feel okay. Thinking back on it afterwards, it doesn't seem so bad, but I think all these bad things crept into my head while I was out there and my mind kept making it worse and worse and I couldn't stop myself from getting really worked up.
So, from now on...
I will never complain about having to get up early to go on a hike. I will always be satisfied when we decide to turn around because of threatening weather. I will continue to always carry my rain gear, but more importantly, I will put it on at the first sign of rain, even though it is annoying to stop and even though I might be hot with it on and even though we might have to stop again in five minutes to take it all off if it doesn't end up raining much. I will continue to be thankful to have Steve as my husband. And I will be grateful that I am alive and safe.
posted by Lara at 10:12 PM
1 Comments:
Seriously, even though I heard the story from you yesterday, Lara, I got tears in my eyes thinking how scary that would have been. Especially when you wrote about wishing you would see Steve and Anya again. WHOA. That's major! Good lessons learned I guess...but whoa.
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