What caused your worst trail day?

Getting rained on for four days in Vermont … or should I say Vermud.

A nest of angry hornets. YEOW!!!

I got bit by a freakin’ snake. Fortunately it wasn’t poisonous, but it scared the hell out of me when I stepped on it and it stuck me.

Big Sur California. A place where it NEVER rains. It was my first hike EVER. My ex-wife was asthmatic, but my friend INSISTED we could make this hike. less than 20 minutes in to a 9 mile hike she had an attack. We let the group go on ahead because we were slowwing them down. It rained for the next 48 hours. Our gear was nothing but rental stuff, so it wasn’t any top brand waterproof stuff. The next day when we finally made it out, the other car of hikers was gone from the trail head. They had made it back earlier, re-fueled, contacted the rangers, and headed back out to look for us. Its funny now to look back on, but it wasn’t funny at all at the moment. ALWAYS BE READY FOR RAIN!

My worst day on the trail was in North Carolina in the summer. It had rained three days straight, and it was very hot. I learned that : Hot + Wet + 35lbs. pack + slippery trail = misery. Somehow though we forget the pain and still head for the trail.

Man, the rain can be a real drag. I agree with you on this one. Once in Tennessee, I got caught in a major storm that poured on me for hours. It was so wet, I didn’t want to pitch my tent and get everything soaked in the process. I ended up racing toward an A.T. shelter and was never so happy to see such a simple structure in my life. But once I was warm and dry, it was actually pretty cool laying in my bag with a cup of hot soup and watch the carnage outside.