[cyclotic]

Ten essentials is really a thing.

We were hiking in the Smokies a few years ago. There’s a 1 mile trail that goes deep into a valley to a waterfall. It’s heavily traveled. we were prepped with water, food etc. So many people wearing flip flops, maybe a 16 oz water bottle, carrying a baby, 90 degrees, high humidity.

The walk down was fun, the walk back not so much.

Years back, I was on a hike and we crossed paths with 3-4 teenage boys, Again, very hot day. I was almost out of water but the end of our hike was 1/4 mile or so. One of the boys we passed was looking pretty rough and had an empty water bottle. I offered mine to him several times and he refused.

Found out later he ended up in the hospital that evening. Since then, I’ve become more forceful at offering help.

[Maigrey]

I've stopped a few times and rendered aid to someone in need, whether from an Endo off their trail bike (he needed cleaning up and getting the sand out of his cuts) to a young lady a mile from the closest exit point (and yet still 3 miles from their car) who hadn't eaten before the hike and was having a hypoglycemic incident - and a Mom who wasn't being helpful and downright difficult.

At least she was until I did check her pulse and vitals and told her Mom she was close to passing out from heat exhaustion & low blood sugar.

I walked her the mile to the road & watched her get in and get a quart of Gatorade before I continued hiking and before they departed.