Trailhead Trouble

Trailhead condition requests, questions, alerts, etc.
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Dave B
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by Dave B »

12ersRule wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 9:47 am When I was finishing up a hike on Holy Cross, I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head. Next thing, I knew, I was laying in a bathtub of ice water and the back of my head and mid-section and back were absolutely throbbing. Right in front of me taped to the wall opposite me was a note "Call 911 if you want to live". I called 911 on my cell phone, which was left right next to me. The operator asked me to touch my back, I reached behind myself and felt a long scar down my lower back. After an hour of agony, an ambulance showed up and rushed me to a medical center in Vail. The doctor told me that one off my kidneys had been removed and I was extremely fortunate that more of my organs hadn't been harvested. Needless to say, I haven't been back to HC ever since.
I bet it was those Antifa rabble rousers.
Make wilderness less accessible.
ltlFish99
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by ltlFish99 »

markf wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 6:04 am
JTOlson26 wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 5:28 am
nsaladin wrote: Thu Dec 10, 2020 12:18 pm Left a dome light on in the truck in Lead King Basin, away from the trailhead and across the river. No one was camping in the area when we drove in and setup camp. I quickly realized what I did and tried to start it... dead. We hiked around at like 8pm hoping to see someone near the trailhead, another party happened to arrive sometime after us just down the road and came and jumped us.
I love my 2014 4Runner, but I miss my 1999 4Runner with a 5spd for that reason. Not that I'm trying to drain my battery accidentally, but always felt good knowing in most situations I could at least bump start the old 4Runner.
I carry a booster pack for just that reason. It's a lot less work than bump starting, especially if you're traveling alone.
+1 on the above.
Of course I learned the hard way after paying for someone to come jump start me at the i70 trailhead to torreys.
Only then did I go purchase a rechargeable battery jump device that also doubled as a weak air pump. Thing was great and I utilized it often.
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cedica
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by cedica »

Dave B wrote: Tue Jan 19, 2021 4:41 pm I bet it was those Antifa rabble rousers.
I just assumed that it was an alien abduction, or maybe Albalien. 12ers probably can't comment on active investigation.
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12ersRule
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by 12ersRule »

rijaca wrote: Tue Jan 19, 2021 2:00 pm
12ersRule wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 9:47 am When I was finishing up a hike on Holy Cross, I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head. Next thing, I knew, I was laying in a bathtub of ice water and the back of my head and mid-section and back were absolutely throbbing. Right in front of me taped to the wall opposite me was a note "Call 911 if you want to live". I called 911 on my cell phone, which was left right next to me. The operator asked me to touch my back, I reached behind myself and felt a long scar down my lower back. After an hour of agony, an ambulance showed up and rushed me to a medical center in Vail. The doctor told me that one off my kidneys had been removed and I was extremely fortunate that more of my organs hadn't been harvested. Needless to say, I haven't been back to HC ever since.
Good thing they didn't want your liver. Bad for both you and the receipt.
I'm sure once they cut me open and saw all the subcutaneous fat, they realized that they'd be lucky to get 5$ for the liver. Not worth it!
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Dan_Suitor
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by Dan_Suitor »

I returned to the TH after climbing Culebra and there was a girl sobbing. She locked the keys in her boyfriend’s jeep while he was climbing. After the BF returned, they decided not to break a window but instead call a locksmith. I drove them to Chama where they met a locksmith who came from Alamosa. Ironically, I met him a month later on the top of Capitol. I guess things with the locksmith did not go smoothly. The locksmith could not get his van to the TH and the ranch hands had to assist. Several hours, and several hundred dollars later they were on their way. Personally, I would have taken a rock to my window.

Other than that, just a flat tire once for me.
Century Bound, eventually.
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two lunches
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by two lunches »

Dan_Suitor wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:03 am I returned to the TH after climbing Culebra and there was a girl sobbing. She locked the keys in her boyfriend’s jeep while he was climbing. After the BF returned, they decided not to break a window but instead call a locksmith. I drove them to Chama where they met a locksmith who came from Alamosa. Ironically, I met him a month later on the top of Capitol. I guess things with the locksmith did not go smoothly. The locksmith could not get his van to the TH and the ranch hands had to assist. Several hours, and several hundred dollars later they were on their way. Personally, I would have taken a rock to my window.

Other than that, just a flat tire once for me.
i wouldn’t exactly take pleasure in breaking a window but that guy should have realized it’s a jeep and a window replacement would be a drop in the bucket of repairs for the lifetime of that particular vehicle.. same with the dudes who got their jeep stuck on santa fe and wouldn’t use a hi lift jack to replace their shredded tire for fear of body damage- the owner explicitly said he would prefer to call a tow on a 4x4 road.
“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” – Mary Davis
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justiner
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by justiner »

Dan_Suitor wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:03 am I returned to the TH after climbing Culebra and there was a girl sobbing. She locked the keys in her boyfriend’s jeep while he was climbing. After the BF returned, they decided not to break a window but instead call a locksmith. I drove them to Chama where they met a locksmith who came from Alamosa. Ironically, I met him a month later on the top of Capitol. I guess things with the locksmith did not go smoothly. The locksmith could not get his van to the TH and the ranch hands had to assist. Several hours, and several hundred dollars later they were on their way. Personally, I would have taken a rock to my window.

Other than that, just a flat tire once for me.
I was hoping that this story ended up with girl sticking around with the locksmith and you stumbling upon both on Capitol.
Lioness
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by Lioness »

Dan_Suitor wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:03 am I returned to the TH after climbing Culebra and there was a girl sobbing. She locked the keys in her boyfriend’s jeep while he was climbing. After the BF returned, they decided not to break a window but instead call a locksmith. I drove them to Chama where they met a locksmith who came from Alamosa. Ironically, I met him a month later on the top of Capitol. I guess things with the locksmith did not go smoothly. The locksmith could not get his van to the TH and the ranch hands had to assist. Several hours, and several hundred dollars later they were on their way. Personally, I would have taken a rock to my window.

Other than that, just a flat tire once for me.
What was ironic about the meeting them on Capitol?
ker0uac
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by ker0uac »

Dan_Suitor wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:03 am I returned to the TH after climbing Culebra and there was a girl sobbing. She locked the keys in her boyfriend’s jeep while he was climbing. After the BF returned, they decided not to break a window but instead call a locksmith. I drove them to Chama where they met a locksmith who came from Alamosa. Ironically, I met him a month later on the top of Capitol. I guess things with the locksmith did not go smoothly. The locksmith could not get his van to the TH and the ranch hands had to assist. Several hours, and several hundred dollars later they were on their way. Personally, I would have taken a rock to my window.

Other than that, just a flat tire once for me.
That's why I always carry a spark plug in my pack

https://youtu.be/ArUnuEUd4VU
Those who travel to mountain-tops are half in love with themselves and half in love with oblivion
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mtree
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by mtree »

ker0uac wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 3:44 pm
Dan_Suitor wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:03 am I returned to the TH after climbing Culebra and there was a girl sobbing. She locked the keys in her boyfriend’s jeep while he was climbing. After the BF returned, they decided not to break a window but instead call a locksmith. I drove them to Chama where they met a locksmith who came from Alamosa. Ironically, I met him a month later on the top of Capitol. I guess things with the locksmith did not go smoothly. The locksmith could not get his van to the TH and the ranch hands had to assist. Several hours, and several hundred dollars later they were on their way. Personally, I would have taken a rock to my window.

Other than that, just a flat tire once for me.
That's why I always carry a spark plug in my pack

https://youtu.be/ArUnuEUd4VU
Looks like you'll also need a hammer.
Actually any hard, sharp object will work. Save yourself the hassle and cost and keep a spare key hidden under your vehicle. And don't take your girlfriend to just sit in your vehicle while you climb. That's lame. Really lame.

For me, zip, zero, nada, never an issue. Boring I know.
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.
AccidentalColoradan
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by AccidentalColoradan »

This is my trailhead trouble story:

I was trying to do Castle and Conundrum this past summer. I have an Outback so I figured I'd at least be able to get near the river crossing at 1.3 miles so I could have a shorter hike the next day (I was camping the night before). As I started up the FR102, I somehow began scraping the bottom of my car on the road almost at the beginning, and did that several more times before I finally reached a rut I couldn't get past, not even a mile in. Guess I'm just not a great dirt road driver. I ended up backing down 2/10 of a mile or so to an empty campsite. Of course, panicking that I had managed to rip something off the underside of my car on my ill-advised drive up the road, I immediately looked under my car for dangling parts or dripping fluids. Finding none, I relaxed, set up camp, and summited the next morning. (Unrelated, but my pack came open at some point on the hike the next day and I lost my favorite Eddie Bauer Arkansas Razorbacks jacket, if anyone has ever found one of those I guarantee it's mine. Was a real bummer).

After I got back to my car and took down my tent, I started driving back down the dirt/gravel road. As I would go over any big bump, I started to hear a rhythmic, rocking metal sound like metal was banging against metal. My terror that I had torn something important off my the bottom of my car (that is not even paid off yet!) had surged back with a vengeance. I continued the 8/10 of a mile down the road, wincing at every bump and clanging metal sound, when I got down to the bottom and parked in the let to investigate. I got under the car and again found no signs of damage. Finally, I got the idea to look under the driver's seat (where I thought the sound was sorta coming from) and found... an Arizona Iced Tea can that was bouncing back and forth between the rails the driver's seat slides on. #-o #-o All that worry for nothing!

I suppose I've been very lucky that that's the worst I've encountered with vehicle trouble so far. Although I've barely gotten started on climbing in Colorado!
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dwoodward13
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Re: Trailhead Trouble

Post by dwoodward13 »

I was so worried about marmots chewing my wires at the Grizzly Gulch TH, that I wrapped my car in a tarp (layed out the tarp, drove over it, folded up and secured with rope). After getting back from Redcloud/Sunshine the next day, I opened my trunk and discovered a half eaten banana and a chewed up canvas cooler among other chewed up things. I started taking everything out of my trunk and found a mouse. I didn't want to drive back into town as I was doing Handies the next day, so I removed all food and hung it from a tree.....a bear hang to protect it from a mouse. I also attempted to kill him with a bagel soaked in stove fuel, which I now realize would have probably just killed him and left to rot deep inside the car! After Handies, being a Sunday after Labor Day there was nothing open in Lake City. Luckily I got the last pack of them at the grocery store. I set them out with a whole lot of PB on them while I was gone for two days backpacking in to the Wetterhorn/Uncomp. I got back...no mouse. He must have scurried out. I again set the traps out while I hiked Pikes two days later and what do you know, I got one. No idea if it was the same mouse, or if he left and another had found its way in.

I now carry mouse traps in my car every time I go hiking and keep all food in a rubber tub.
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