Of course, travel is all about new experiences; which is simply my way of rationalizing our recent near-death experience. After all, we were experiencing Death Valley for the first time; which is to say, we had no idea the real dangers of hiking in 116 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. So says dumb and dumber!
Let’s do the math; that I know. We had 12 ounces of water between the four of us. There are 8 ounces in a cup; 2 cups in a pint; 2 pints in a half gallon.
Sorry, I went into auto mode after years and years of kitchen duty, not to mention all the years of teaching math. The bottom line: hiking a hot desert canyon in the middle of the afternoon necessitates a minimum of 32 ounces of water per person per hour to insure proper hydration. The alternative; heat stroke, possibly death.
Our experience was as timeless as it was educational.
“I’m feeling a little dizzy.”
Actually, I wasn’t exactly empty-handed. I had remembered my camera.
I know; apparently I was dehydrated long before we’d headed into that canyon. It’s the only rational conclusion for the choices I made that day; that, and my lack of experience when it comes to the desert.
We did make it out of that canyon the same way we went in; on our own steam, an hour later.
My son Ryan, the youngest, healthiest, and obviously smartest member of our group, the one carrying the water, came through the experience unscathed.
Lesson learned: it sucks to be old, dumb, and dehydrated. Drink lots of water! Eliminating two out of three ain't so bad, after all.