Today's Hike: Ended up in in 3 feet of MUD

[LynneSin]

UGH!!!

I was at Gunpowder State Park in Maryland and unfortunately I couldn't find a better map of the hiking trails so I relied on the book that I had. The hike was pleasant and ran along a trout-fishing stream. But the trail started to die off and practially stopped and an extremely steep unhikeable uphill cliff. So after scratching my head, I decided I better go back and try the other trail and see where that leads.

But getting to where I was required me to crawl over a massive treetrunk so I decided to hike down to the creek just below and follow that back to where the trail started up again.

:cry:

First foot I knew I was in trouble because I just SANK up to mid-calf. And since I was coming down a steep hill I had no choice but to let the other foot get into the mud (I hike with these really great Columbia hiker/water shoes).

I took one more step and next thing you know I up to about mid-thigh in MUD and I still felt I could sink more. After about 5 minutes of absolute panic I remember that with quick-sand you pretty much have to go horizontal in order to get out of it. So after tossing my backpack and cell phone to high ground (I carry my cell phone around my neck in a pouch), I leaned forward into the mud and basically had to crawl to get out of the mess. Fortunately I did not lose any of my shoes (I thought the one would come off) and I managed to crawl about 6-8 feet through the mud to dry land. Then after hiking back a 200-300 feet I was back at a part of the stream that had a beach covered with shale stone. I looked really silly sitting in the stream fully clothed bathing myself but how else was I to get all this mud off of me. I crossed the stream and picked up the trail back to my car.

YUCK YUCK YUCK - but in a way - it was fun too!

[ewagner]

1. You'll tell this

story to your grandchildren....it was an adventure and you'll remember it always.

Glad you had fun>

[LynneSin]

2. Maybe my grandnieces & nephews

but even still - it's a good story!

[BikeWriter]

3. Great survival story! :-)

[LynneSin]

4. Oh yeah - you know how the wilds of Maryland can get....

...biggest worry out there is the assholes with F150 trunks on 4-feet mega wheels with a confederate flag plastered across the back

[BikeWriter]

8. I used to live near a bad dirt road that type could not resist...

I'd crank up my tractor and go offer to pull them out for twenty bucks. I made a lot of beer money that way. :)

[BrklynLiberal]

5. What? No pics?

:shrug: Sorry. Couldn't resist. Glad you made it out safe and sound.

[supernova]

6. MMmmmm.... mud

:D

It's good you didn't panic. :thumbsup: Sounds like fun. I have't been in MD for about wow 15 years.

[salinen]

7. Yesterday's hike

came across a dead cow in the middle of a stream. It was bloated and had the grossest stuff flowing out of it's ass. Downstream is a State Beach where kids play. Yuck. The smell was epic.

[Redneck Socialist]

9. Keeping with the dead animals theme...

ran across a dead dog whilst fishing last week. Long time dead, not much dog-like about it anymore, just enough to figure out what it was. Kind of gross. I'm still wondering what happened to it.

[Nay]

10. A letterboxer I am acquainted with did the same thing. She could

not get out, though -- rescuers couldn't reach her without trapping themselves, so they jerked her up out of the mud with a line from a helicopter. She was in waist deep and not much was left on below the waist!!