Note to self: never take a shortcut through the mountains (mistake #1). Yesterday, my original planned route from Corona to Silverado, CA was through a gated community; therefore, I had to find an alternate route last minute. I came across a 14 mile road that went through some mountainous terrain in Cleveland National Forest, but vehicles were prohibited (mistake #2). I confidently started hiking through the mountains with all the gear I would need for a typical 14 mile run despite my spotty cell reception (mistake #3). I was following my location on the map and noticed that at mile 15, I was only a third of the way there. Low on water and food, I panicked and turned around as the sun began to set. I began running as fast as I could up and down the hills I had recently conquered, making sure I didnt take any wrong turns. I stopped at the only snow patch I found and grabbed handfuls to stow away in my hydration pack. Chris and I had been in touch when I had service and he discovered that the map we had relied on was faulty and drove back to Corona. And then my phone died - it never crossed my mind to bring a flashlight (mistake #4). I slowed my pace to make sure I didnt fly off the side of the cliff or roll my ankle on any of the downhills. After 2 strenuous hours of backtracking in the dark, I saw a flashlight in the distance. Chris had inquired with every hiker/cyclist coming down and retraced my steps and found me about 5 miles up. After 9 hours, 30 miles, and singing Shell Be Comin Round the Mountain to myself a dozen times, I was finally back at the base of the mountain. Needless to say, I am no longer taking shortcuts... #runshelbyrun
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 04:14:51 +0000
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