2021-09-14 Lost?

Our hard hitting reporter is back today.

HHR: I am here to find out if you completed the St. Mary’s waterfall hike. Were you able to get a parking place or did Debbie hold everyone up by sleeping in again?

Debbie: I didn’t sleep in yesterday. I was ready when Joyce said to get up. We left at 7:00 A.M. this morning.

Joyce: I did tell them that they could sleep late yesterday but did mention that we might not get a parking place. Just saying.

HHR: So you did get a parking place at St. Mary’s?

Larry: Yes, we did. We started out to St. Mary’s Falls and I was worried that it was all down hill.

Jerry: I noticed that too.

Debbie: We made it to St. Mary’s Falls.

Joyce: We felt so good that we decided to go on to Virginia Falls

Larry: There were more waterfalls along the way.

HHR: Can you tell us what went wrong on your way back?

Debbie: Nothing went wrong. Larry just wanted to walk couple of miles further than everyone else.

Jerry: Well, it was very steep coming back. Debbie and I went a little faster than Larry and Joyce. Debbie did shoot past the parking lot turnoff and I had to call her back.

Debbie: I watched for Joyce to make sure that she turned but didn’t see Larry. I though he was with Joyce.

HHR: So when exactly did the three of you determine that Larry was missing.

Jerry: I think the first clue was 30 minutes later when we were sitting in the car without Larry.

HHR: What did you do when you do?

Debbie: Well, I hiked back down the steepest part of the trail (color me very sad) and tried to call. Of course, we had no reception. I called and called until he answered. I knew there was a problem because I heard crunching like someone walking. I yelled “Turn around turn around – You missed the turn”. Then the phone went dead.

HHR: Larry, what happened?

Larry: Well, Debbie yelled at me over the phone and then it went dead. I wondered because I hadn’t seen anyone I knew for the last 30 minutes. Anyway, I turned around otherwise I would have walked all the way to St. Mary’s.

HHR: Didn’t you notice that you had walked a long way?

Larry: No, I enjoy hiking up hill so much that I just didn’t think about the time passing.

Debbie: I kept sitting at the turnoff sign, pacing up and down the trail and trying to call. I did get some weird looks from other hikers. I finally got through on the phone again and found out he had turned around. I think he almost made it back to the first waterfall yesterday.

HHR: And Joyce / Jerry what were you doing during this nerve racking time? Were you helping?

Joyce: Well, I was sitting in the car in the shade reading but Jerry was playing a game.

Jerry: I had complete confidence in Debbie’s tracking ability. I was relaxing.

Debbie: Larry came back after another 30 minutes or so and we climbed the hill (third or fourth time for me). Hike closed.

Here is a fun fact: In Montana, burgers by law have to be well done (at least that is what they told us maybe it was a way to cook our burgers how they wanted0.

We drove back thru the park at dusk and saw 3 black bears by the side of the road.

Travel Tip: Know where your hikers are ?

One thought on “2021-09-14 Lost?”

  1. This looks like a lovely hike. Beautiful streams and waterfalls, and the art shots are extraordinary. Kind of sad to see the areas that have clearly endured forest fires. I can totally relate to Larry’s concern early in the hike that it was down hill. I had this issue just the other day. I commented early on that it was concerning that there was so much down hill at the beginning of our hike, and one of my fellow hikers had the nerve to comment on the way back that he was surprised by how much uphill was required to get back! I am sure that people should pay more attention early in the day’s adventures. I am glad that Debbie’s group persevered, and ultimately found Larry in the end.

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