Forests Play Tricks

Forests are often depicted as magical places, where fairies, goblins and other crazy things. Although I can't say I've verified this, I do know that forests have a certain mystical property: they play tricks.

Thru-hikers spend much of their time thirsty because water is extremely heavy. 1 liter of water weighs 2.2lbs. 2.2 lbs ways almost as much as my cooking kit. To give you an idea of how heavy that is, I've ran into hikers with 5 lb base weights; their packs weigh 5 lbs before food and water is added. These hikers will nearly kill themselves to avoid carrying over one liter of water.

Most of my grudge against forests revolves around water. I am by no means an "ultra-lighter", as described above. I was ecstatic when I got my base weight under 30 lbs. As such, I am willing to carry extra water from time to time; generally four liters is my upper limit. Yet, I try to avoid carrying this much and generally stick with a liter unless I know a dry stretch is coming up. I am also a pioneer of the "camel strategy", which involves getting to a stream, drinking two liters and packing out one. This strategy was born out of my college days, when I would chug a liter before going out drinking, then chug a liter when I got back. My brain cells thanked me profusely. Using this strategy out here, I can generally go half a day without having to refill.

Nevertheless, there are times when I get thirsty. Damn thirsty. These are the times when the forest gets frisky. From a dry ridge I've looked down to see a shining pool of crystal cool water, only to find upon my arrival that it was just a weirdly colored rock. Verdant ravines appear more often when you are thirst, but they always turn up dry. Yet the most frustrating is the wind. I swear, the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves of a forest sounds exactly like a cool mountain stream, regardless if were talking conifers or deciduous. I've spent 10 full, thirsty minutes expecting a raging river around the next bend, only to have my hopes die along with the wind. That was the longest, most even, most sustained wind I've ever heard...

So, take this as a warning: don't get tricked by the forest! One minute it will be all beautiful, green and sunny, but as soon as you drink your last water it turns into your worst enemy.

-Bear Bait