When someone seriously says "You're crazy!" and you somewhat agree, then you know you have taken a risk that might have turned out disastrous. At the end, I knew I had accomplished something, and felt good about my conquest.
For many years the abandoned ranger tower has beckoned to me. Hidden deep in the forest on a hill 1600 feet high, actually about 500 feet in elevation higher from my house where I started, it was there, and I took the time to hike to the top of the hill anyway. It wasn't like I planned it. I told my wife and sister-in-law only that I was going for a walk. They had no idea which direction I was walking, how far, or how high. They may have assumed that I would be hiking the main roads. A mile and a half in one direction, and back, three miles, one hour.
That was my intent until I decided to take a short additional jaunt down a dirt road. I wanted to see where the road was that led to the tower. so that added about a half mile onto the journey which was already more than two miles. I got to the road, and curiosity was getting to me. I wondered how far along the ranger tower road, the tower actually was. So I meandered down that road, up hill ever slow slightly, no cars, no people and thank goodness, no animals. The farther I walked, the bigger the commitment. I knew it was a long way back the way I had come, and since I had come a long way, it would be a shame not to get to the tower.
So I pushed on. It was a pleasant day, but a gusty wind. And the investment in this walk grew with every step. What if something happened to me... a fall... an animal attack. No phone. No one knew.How long would it take to find me, and when would they begin looking.
Eventually, I came to a sign: Fire tower, .5 miles, and the arrow pointed up. I pushed on. I got there. It was cloudy and windy. The ultimate risk would have been to ascend the tower in the wind. I didn't do that. A nice fall day would be better for that. But that was not the only risk.
As I hiked that last half mile, I noticed a sign that said "Barrett Pond, .9 miles." That became my next goal. The pond was just off a main road on the other side of the "hill". I launched into the new heavily wooded trail which had a steep decline. It meandered a bit, but for the most part the markers were visible. There were streams to ford, branches to trip on, leaves to slip on. No one would find me here, for days.
I arrived at the pond about 20 minutes later. No falls, no wild animals other than a few ducks on the pond. And then I was on a main road. I could be found if needed; even hitch a ride.
The final part of the journey was about 2.5 miles to the point where I began. The total trip was about 7 miles. I walked into the house, made believe I was not exhausted and I drank a lot of water. It felt good to accomplish this walk. Worth the risk. But I found out that the tower is high enough to have cell phone service, and the next time I went with a partner, I did take a phone, and I had a walking stick for balance and minimum defense.Anything to reduce the risk!
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