WanderLost Radical
Well-known member
For the long weekend, I wanted to make a 3 days/42miles trek in a nearby national park. After looking into it, I found out it would cost me like 75 bucks. Ah! Fuck that, Looked on google maps, and found a dead-end near the borders of the park. So I decided to drive there, park my car and sneak in. The fine is only 110$ if I get caught. Versus the 75$ legit way, that's a risk im willing to take! Only problem? I had a river to cross to reach the main trails. Hell yeah! A challenge!!
So I pack my waterproof bag (those 70L bags that you fold the top 4-5 times so it becomes water tight) and drive up there. I see no parking signs everywhere on the street (I guess I'm not the first to try eheh) So I find myself a driveway leading to a cabin, and since I was pretty sure it would stay unoccupied for the weekend, I park there and head into the woods!! I walk around, with my maps and compass, Countless cliffs try to make me change my mind, but hell, I aint giving up. After like 1hr, I see the river I had to cross. But according to my map, I wasnt in the park yet, so I just followed it further in the park. At one time, I see a trail leading to a bridge that crosses the river. But I was in for adventure.... I ain't taking the easy way for sure!! I keep walking along the river.
At one time, I see something that looks like a dirt road on the other side of the river. Which relates to my map, but further than where I thought I was. Am I there already? Hurray!! So I take off my boots and my shirt, I wrap all my electronics (My phone, which i decided to bring along in case my car gets towed, my sister's camera and my keys with my anti-thief thingy) in plastic bags. I enter the water while dragging my bag behind me (found out it floats too!! Sick!!)
FUCKKKKK!!!! It's so fucking cold!! Remember it's still spring in Canada, and it's like 60 outside, cloudy and raining from times to time in bonus, and I don't know how cold the water was, but it was hard to breathe at first. But I cross anyway! Current drags me like 10 feet from where I wanted to go, but I'm on the other side!!! So I get changed, remove all my damping clothes, put some warm clothes on (I'm shivering hard), eat a little and I'm on my way!!
I head for the road I saw earlier. Only to discover that it's not a road. It's a fucking river. I'm on a goddamn island, a bit before where I first thought I was. I'm super pissed, and I start hearing people canoeing, so I crouch and hide (hikers aren't allowed to leave the trails in the park). They sail past me, and I gather the courage to undress once again and cross. Same cold bullshit.
But as I unpack to get dressed again, I notice that my bag took water. Like... A shitton of it. I don't know how, but my sleeping bag weights like 40 pounds, everything is damped, my electronics are fucked despite the plastic bags... Must've had holes in them. Now I'm pissed. I take off the batteries, take off as much water as I can from my sleeping bag, And I realise my father's compass is nowhere to be found. I must've let it on the island... FUCKING DUMBASS!!!
So I don't even bother getting dressed again, I just keep my shorts, and head back. I'm waking around shirtless and barefoot, trying to find the spot I was at when I arrived on the island. Couldn't find it. So without a map or a compass, I wander around the island, trying to find where I crossed, with no luck, So i decide to walk straight to the shore, and follow it until I find it. I meet with a few kayakists... They must've wondered wtf I was doing there, barefoot, shirtless in freezing water to the knees, but at that point, I didn't even cared. I found the right place, crossed back and went back to my pack. ate a little, got dressed in my damped clothes and shoes, and moved along.
At that point, I just wanna find that damn road, and go back home to put my electronics in rice ASAP, and put my sleeping bag to dry so it doesn't rot. That's where I see another awful thing: I was on an island once again... I had to cross it once again!! SERIOUSLY???? That wasn't impossible, because there were 3 islands in a circle where I crossed. At that point, everything's damped, so I don't even bother undressing or even taking off my bag, I cross it. On the other shore, I turn around, and what do I see? THAT DAMN BRIDGE!! I was like 100ft away!!
Whatever, I follow the sound of cars, find the road, and walk back to my car. Luckily, I had an extra anti-thief chip hidden in my car, so I was able to start it, and got back home. Electronics in rice, sleeping bag out to dry, and my fingers crossed
So I pack my waterproof bag (those 70L bags that you fold the top 4-5 times so it becomes water tight) and drive up there. I see no parking signs everywhere on the street (I guess I'm not the first to try eheh) So I find myself a driveway leading to a cabin, and since I was pretty sure it would stay unoccupied for the weekend, I park there and head into the woods!! I walk around, with my maps and compass, Countless cliffs try to make me change my mind, but hell, I aint giving up. After like 1hr, I see the river I had to cross. But according to my map, I wasnt in the park yet, so I just followed it further in the park. At one time, I see a trail leading to a bridge that crosses the river. But I was in for adventure.... I ain't taking the easy way for sure!! I keep walking along the river.
At one time, I see something that looks like a dirt road on the other side of the river. Which relates to my map, but further than where I thought I was. Am I there already? Hurray!! So I take off my boots and my shirt, I wrap all my electronics (My phone, which i decided to bring along in case my car gets towed, my sister's camera and my keys with my anti-thief thingy) in plastic bags. I enter the water while dragging my bag behind me (found out it floats too!! Sick!!)
FUCKKKKK!!!! It's so fucking cold!! Remember it's still spring in Canada, and it's like 60 outside, cloudy and raining from times to time in bonus, and I don't know how cold the water was, but it was hard to breathe at first. But I cross anyway! Current drags me like 10 feet from where I wanted to go, but I'm on the other side!!! So I get changed, remove all my damping clothes, put some warm clothes on (I'm shivering hard), eat a little and I'm on my way!!
I head for the road I saw earlier. Only to discover that it's not a road. It's a fucking river. I'm on a goddamn island, a bit before where I first thought I was. I'm super pissed, and I start hearing people canoeing, so I crouch and hide (hikers aren't allowed to leave the trails in the park). They sail past me, and I gather the courage to undress once again and cross. Same cold bullshit.
But as I unpack to get dressed again, I notice that my bag took water. Like... A shitton of it. I don't know how, but my sleeping bag weights like 40 pounds, everything is damped, my electronics are fucked despite the plastic bags... Must've had holes in them. Now I'm pissed. I take off the batteries, take off as much water as I can from my sleeping bag, And I realise my father's compass is nowhere to be found. I must've let it on the island... FUCKING DUMBASS!!!
So I don't even bother getting dressed again, I just keep my shorts, and head back. I'm waking around shirtless and barefoot, trying to find the spot I was at when I arrived on the island. Couldn't find it. So without a map or a compass, I wander around the island, trying to find where I crossed, with no luck, So i decide to walk straight to the shore, and follow it until I find it. I meet with a few kayakists... They must've wondered wtf I was doing there, barefoot, shirtless in freezing water to the knees, but at that point, I didn't even cared. I found the right place, crossed back and went back to my pack. ate a little, got dressed in my damped clothes and shoes, and moved along.
At that point, I just wanna find that damn road, and go back home to put my electronics in rice ASAP, and put my sleeping bag to dry so it doesn't rot. That's where I see another awful thing: I was on an island once again... I had to cross it once again!! SERIOUSLY???? That wasn't impossible, because there were 3 islands in a circle where I crossed. At that point, everything's damped, so I don't even bother undressing or even taking off my bag, I cross it. On the other shore, I turn around, and what do I see? THAT DAMN BRIDGE!! I was like 100ft away!!
Whatever, I follow the sound of cars, find the road, and walk back to my car. Luckily, I had an extra anti-thief chip hidden in my car, so I was able to start it, and got back home. Electronics in rice, sleeping bag out to dry, and my fingers crossed
