Left or Lost?

[oldranger]

The list gets longer every year.

First major "forget" was a few years into backcountry rangering. I generally started my season on Memorial day weekend. Typically I would drive to the park pick up my gear and pack the night before I hiked in. In the repacking I neglected to put in my long underwear bottoms. This left me with a pair of Gortex side zip pants as my only long pants. Usually this would not be a significant problem but this was one of those years where it not only snowed but was really cold--didn't get above freezing during the day! Necessity being the mother of invention I spent a good deal of time in my sleeping bag and visiting w/ backpackers who built nice fires!

A couple of years ago my oldest daughter and did a fairly impromptu 4th of july trip to the Eagle Cap wilderness. When I set up to cook dinner--no pot or pan to cook in! The last day I took out the freezed dryed scrambled eggs to discover I had mistakenly packed a dessert! Later that summer on a trip with my wife I set down my new titanium spoon--yes another spoon story--and it walked away. I spent over an hour looking for it before guiltily giving up. oh I bought the outrageously expensive spoon after two plastic sporks broke early on previous backpacking trips. Using a spoon with a 1/2" handle really sucks!

On two occasions I have washed my socks in the afternoon and left the following day with my dry socks on and the damp ones hanging on a bush (haven't done that for a couple of years).

This year on a trip with my son I opened up my fishing gear bag and my lure box was missing. This was not critical because I had stocked my son's lure box quite well. This was not entirely my fault as a few days earlier markskor had asked if he could steal a fly or two before we headed different directions. Emptying my fishing gear bag to get to my fly box I took out my lure box and, distracted by Mark drooling over my collection of flies, neglected to return the box to the bag. As soon as I was out of the backcountry I called rlown (who was also present when I left the box) and he knew what I was calling about before I asked and kindly shipped the lure box to me.

Finally, during the 80's when I was a backcountry ranger I left a pair of addidas running shoes that I wore when fording streams (long before crocs) at creek crossing after putting my boots back on. I returned a couple of weeks later and someone must have recycled them.

Oh jeez, one more thing lost. On a horse packing trip my old Fenwick Voyager spin/fly combination rod slipped out of the rod case that I had tied on behind my saddle. The next day I came down with a UTI and was barely able to ride out a couple of days later so I was never able to go back and look for the rod.

The good news is that I am never lost and I have never forgotten the 151!

Mike

[rlown]

Starting to sound like we're misplacing a garbage dump out there, one at a time. One of my friends left a cache of clothing near Barney Lk in '79. Pack was heavy, so he ditched some pendeltons, etc, and couldn't find it on our way out..

Mike, some of that is sounding like senility. No pots or dessert for breakfast? Older people love sweets.. maybe it was a sign..

[windknot]

Haven't lost anything major, but I did misplace a fly reel cover on a backpack in Kings Canyon NP this June and was pretty sore about losing it. Mostly for practical purposes; now I'm using an old sock as a reel case as I procrastinate on getting a spare.

I don't make checklists before I leave so I occasionally forget to bring something, but usually it's minor. This past weekend I left the thermal underwear and warm pants at home, but luckily it was a very warm night and I was fine in shorts. Forgot the IsoPro stove fuel last month on a backpack to the Silver Divide area and had to revise the intinerary to stay camped below 10,000 feet so we could cook over an open fire. Forgot to restock on matches before an overnight backpack in Desolation a few weeks before that, but luckily I was able to bum some off another group at the trailhead. Nothing bad enough to have to turn back, although I always have worries about losing my keys or something or the sort when I first head out. The only things I'd really be upset about leaving behind would be the boots (I wear sandals in the car, so I can't hike in those), the sleeping bag, or the fishing gear. Everything else is (sacrificing a certain level of comfort, to be sure) relatively expendable.

[sierramel]

Same place about 3 years apart - Cedar Grove/Paradise Valley & JMT junction.
Time #1, my girfriend and I found a rainfly (during a VERY rainy summer) left out on a rock to dry.
Time #2, a couple of friends and I, packing up to leave, late as usual (about 10AM), checked out the bear box (es) before departing. There had been a Sierra Club group staying there the night before doing a section of the JMT. They had bailed out of camp around 6AM. Lo and behold we found a stuff sack, a good three pounds worth, of M&M's, a big salami, and about 12! airline sized bottles of Jack Daniels! We had been out on the trail about 3 weeks about that time and were we happy.
We just felt sorry for the poor individual who was in charge of carrying this particular bag of goodies for the group. It was WAYYY too late for them to come back and get it by the time we found it.

[sierramel]

.....Sorry, that was FOUND. It was what someone ELSE lost.

[AlmostThere]

Not something I lost, but I sure hope whoever left their pants at the intersection of the JMT and the trail to Ireland Lake found them. It looked like they had the keys to an entire subdivision tied on the belt loop. We left the pants draped over the sign so they'd see 'em better.

I have never lost my pants. Every once in a while I'll drop something off the pack - a sock that's drying, my hat, or a croc - never take off my pants! At least not until I'm in camp.

And I have a buff, but I've managed to lose it somewhere here at home, despite its being red. That's rather upsetting, I used it for so many things!

[quentinc]

The FOUND part of this thread is almost more fun than the lost. AT, I think you win -- how someone could forget their pants is hard to fathom. Last weekend, I found a stick of deodorant at Mulkey Pass. I hope whoever lost it was hiking solo.

[cmon4day]

Last year I lost my sleeping bag. I had an old bungy that lost its "bungy" and my sleeping bag fell out when I put my pack back on after a break. The sinking feeling of realizing I lost my bag was dreadful. However, survival instinct set in and I kicked out a trough in the needles in a tight stand of lodgepoles where I spent the night.

Home sweet home1 .jpg

I made a blanket of elephant grass with my rain poncho to help keep me warm.

Elephant Grass Blanket1.jpg

[

Blanket folded over1.jpg

The next day I retraced my steps and within 45 minutes I found my bag and was able to continue my trip.

[sierramel]

Whoa...... Resourceful, Dude!

Before we were married, my husband and I did a hike into Iva belle. We had his tent, and I had the rainfly.
I lost the rainfly on the trail, never to be found again.
He married me anyway.

[balzaccom]

Last weekend in Yosemite was not a good one for my wife.

She lost her favorite bandana somewhere on the trail to Dewey Point, and left her closed cell foam sit pad at Lukens Lake.

Neither is irreplaceable...but she felt bad about leaving stuff where other people would find it...