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Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 3:58 pm
by limpingcrab
I think the term "adventure" is overused. It's great if a trip has unexpected elements or is great for one reason or another, but "adventure" should be reserved for something really out there. I'm not saying other types of "trips" or "vacations" or "explorations" are something less than adventure, but only different. For the most part adventure should include risk, big unknowns or suffering because that's what is implied when a trip is labeled as an adventure.

If someone goes and hikes a trail that they've never been on and encounters some beautiful sights and sees unexpected wildlife they had a great trip and did some exploring. If they get lost off trail and had to cross a raging river and a bear ate all of their food they had an adventure. Again, not a judgement of quality of experience, just categorizing the type of experience.

I guess I'm in the camp that doesn't really consider an adventure to be a relative experience from person to person, but an objective word for times when there was a chance you wouldn't make it home in one piece. Some people love adventure and some don't. It's not like you have to have a true adventure to have a memorable or enjoyable trip.

Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 5:51 pm
by oldranger
If someone goes and hikes a trail that they've never been on and encounters some beautiful sights and sees unexpected wildlife they had a great trip and did some exploring. If they get lost off trail and had to cross a raging river and a bear ate all of their food they had an adventure. Again, not a judgement of quality of experience, just categorizing the type of experience.
Sounds like you have to be incompetent to have an adventure.

Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 8:05 pm
by LMBSGV
Sounds like you have to be incompetent to have an adventure.
If you're sufficiently incompetent and still survive, you might even get a book deal and even a movie made from the book.

Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 8:10 pm
by rlown
Don't we just go and if it works, it works. If it doesn't we learn and lucky enough sometimes to come back and talk about it?

Many adventures where you just do it, even if the first time; all good learning experiences. Point is not to be overly stupid about choices.

Don't need the book deal. :)

Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 1:10 pm
by oldranger
If you're sufficiently incompetent and still survive, you might even get a book deal and even a movie made from the book.
Or a TV show. Just spent a week clearing non wilderness trails in the N. Cascades with a chainsaw. This was really intense because it was in an area burned by the Wolverine Fire 2 summers ago. My partner was the owner of a logging operation that was filmed by the "Ax Men" series. But they never made it to TV because they didn't yell at each other, spoke educated english and had no accidents or near misses. Competence is boring I guess, though I love playing and working in the woods with people that are really competent because I learn things the easy way, by observing things done right and asking questions. Why I even consult with markskor occasionally about route selection when off trail!

Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 1:18 pm
by AlmostThere
LMBSGV wrote:
Sounds like you have to be incompetent to have an adventure.
If you're sufficiently incompetent and still survive, you might even get a book deal and even a movie made from the book.
Perfectly competent people have them too. Some of them even make a point of telling their own story to inform others that it takes no great ignorance or expertise to make mistakes.

I like to come back from things without suffering, but sometimes that doesn't work either. Ticks happen. So do malfunctions of gear and sudden acts of kindness to people who make mistakes. I think I may have done more SAR work while off the clock and pursuing my own adventure than I did while actively training to dangle from helicopters or cliffs.

Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 1:45 pm
by Jimr
Well, let's see here:

Goddard Creek

Was it hard or dirty or uncertain at times?
Yes
Did you think you were going to die?
No
Did you get some minor injuries?
No
Did you cut off your own arm?
No
Did you get lost?
No
Did you see a bear?
No
Did you get scared?
No
Did you get cold?
No
Did you run out of food or water?
No
Did you just do it for the instagram?
No
It was a good adventure

Tehipite Valley

Was it hard or dirty or uncertain at times?
Yes
Did you think you were going to die?
No
Did you get some minor injuries?
No, unless you count poison oak.
Did you cut off your own arm?
No
Did you get lost?
No
Did you see a bear?
Yes
AWESOME
Did you get scared?
No
Did you get cold?
No
Did you run out of food or water?
Well, ran out of water for a short time.
Did you die?
No
It was a good adventure.

I guess you can be competent and have a good adventure.

Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:38 pm
by Cross Country
When I think of adventures I think of the stupid things I did. On about my 4th trip (of more than 100), I did something really stupid.
I was alone. I hiked to Horse Creek from Atwell Mill (Mineral King). I got there early, cooked, ate, and proceded to fish the creek. Around the creek it was heavenly wooded. I fished to the end of the fairly level part and it was close to dark.
I decided to fish a hole I saw below. When I got there I saw another below. I did this severel times until it was almost completly dark. I felt somewhat panicked and really stupid when I started up the steep climb WAY to fast. If I had fallen (a serious possibility) and been hurt I could easily have died.
I could find my way not so really badly because of the rocks and starlight but still almost fell a few times (haste makes waste and way worse). Stupidly I had climbed down with nothing more than my pole. Before I got to the "top" I knew I would be in big trouble there. The thick canopy blocked almost all the starlight. After trying entering the forest severl times to absolutely no avail I decided to use the only starlight available - on the creek. I basically stepped from stone to stone (luckily without falling into the creek). I vaguely thought I saw a clearing to my left. I tried it and it was the trail. I hiked back to my camp sight.
I was REALLY lucky.

Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 11:24 am
by rlown
Any trip is/was a good adventure.. Met any challenge and came home to remember it..

Re: Was it a good adventure?

Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 12:06 pm
by Jimr
I dropped acid in Dusy Basin many years ago. Now THAT was an adventure.