(no subject)
We started the main part of the hike by walking from the parking area up along the roadside to the trail entrance. It being a somewhat busy road and a sprinkle in the air, I told Sam a story to pass the time.
"Have you ever heard of 'To Build a Fire'?" I asked her.
"No, what's that?"
"It's this story by Jack London, I read it in like 8th grade or something. Basically, there's this guy who gets stuck in the middle of the Arctic and is trying to make his way back to civilization before he freezes to death. He's kinda running through in his mind what he needs to do to survive.
"He works his way out onto some ice because he has to, but he knows he can't get his feet wet. So, of course, the ice breaks and his feet are soaked. Now, he's got to get a fire going quick before his feet freeze. He sets up a fire and he's got to take his hands out of his gloves to get the fire going quick, before his hands go numb on him and he can't light it. Basically, he can't do it and his hands go numb and he freezes to death.
"There's parts of the world where exposed skin can get frostbit in a couple minutes."
By the end of that day, we were both half-frozen in a snowdrift tent halfway up a mountain, both of us spending the night awake and scared to sleep for fear of the bears that prey on campers who sleep with their food.
I regretted telling that story.
"Have you ever heard of 'To Build a Fire'?" I asked her.
"No, what's that?"
"It's this story by Jack London, I read it in like 8th grade or something. Basically, there's this guy who gets stuck in the middle of the Arctic and is trying to make his way back to civilization before he freezes to death. He's kinda running through in his mind what he needs to do to survive.
"He works his way out onto some ice because he has to, but he knows he can't get his feet wet. So, of course, the ice breaks and his feet are soaked. Now, he's got to get a fire going quick before his feet freeze. He sets up a fire and he's got to take his hands out of his gloves to get the fire going quick, before his hands go numb on him and he can't light it. Basically, he can't do it and his hands go numb and he freezes to death.
"There's parts of the world where exposed skin can get frostbit in a couple minutes."
By the end of that day, we were both half-frozen in a snowdrift tent halfway up a mountain, both of us spending the night awake and scared to sleep for fear of the bears that prey on campers who sleep with their food.
I regretted telling that story.