An idiot in the woods

There’s something magical about getting lost in the woods. In an era of gps, constant cell access, and reductive subdivision mentality in Canadian civic planning, it’s getting increasingly harder to even get lost close to home.

Carless for a day, I decided to walk home and tried a new trail I hadn’t even noticed on my bazillion trips past it. (Granted, it’s a small trail, but that’s what driving a car does for one’s peripheral attention).

Straight up what must be a 20-25% incline I discovered the view you see below. Just over the crest of the hill I found a likely looking trail pointing west to my neighbourhood. My assumption (remember the ass part) was ‘how lost could I get?’… and the answer was enough to get the back of my neck tingling just about time the sun started its crazy winter suicide nightly fall.

The trail was little more than a deer track through cedars and ferns, alder and leaf-slicked mud. I was in there for at least an hour winding around trees and sidestepping mudpits in the middle of the trail, gaily recording interesting images and posting to Facebook about the jolly adventure.

Finally, at about 75 minutes and with only 10% battery left on my phone, in not sprinkles, but RAIN, and less light by the minute, I thought to get mildly concerned. I was walking where no one expected me to be, with no food or water; a few emergency vehicles passing by on Hwy 101 about 1/2 a mile south were my only method of orientation.

I finally emerged from the blackberries, salal and wet leaves… out on to what looked like a log skid road. I couldn’t recall any of those nearby. Fortunately, the heads of two streetlamps showed at the top of the skid road: civilization!

Turns out I was almost exactly where I expected to come out, only it took me three times as long as the teenagers heading to school other days.

I trudged home with Cougie in the rain, stumbling across Walter Burtnick Park as a brief break in the weather bathed it in painted light.

A new trail, a new park, gorgeous views. Pretty hard to do that by accident in Vancouver!