sardog1 said:
1. Cost of sturdy boots: $125-300. Value of feeling your foot stay where you placed it among the ankle- and knee-breaking boulders: Priceless. Tain't no place for trail runners, IMO. (Yes, I'm sure some will disagree.)
Not me. I'm with you on that. Even if you're on the banks, the moisture from the water source seems to create more soft soil and mossy voids. Ankle breakers.
sardog1 said:
2. Eye protection is a must...."no one will hear you scream."
Second that. They hear don't hear you scream.... And I did scream bloody murder when a spruce seemingly swung out and slapped me in the eye this past spring. Hurt like a mother. I couldn't see clearly for three days. Just glad it healed alright.
sardog1 said:
3. Remember the advice from Roy Scheider to Robert Shaw: "You're going to need a bigger hiking pole."
Not so sure about that one. I tend to use my poles less when off trail. Tho I'm thinking about hiking banks, not
in the water.
sardog1 said:
4. There are drainages and there are drainages. This year, with all the rain we've had, it can be difficult at times to know which appear on the map and which are seasonally ephemeral. It's important to keep close track of your position and route, using map and compass.
Ah,
here is my dilemma -- you're hiking a brook bed and come to a fork. I've done well following a) the intended compass heading when the fork clearly shows two specific directions; or, if not, b) following the most vertical flow; or c) following the greatest volume of water.
I've also noticed two other curiosities:
1. After struggling along the bank, if I wander off enough, I sometimes find an old trail, logging road, or bootleg trail I could have used for at least some distance. Grrrrrrr.
2. More often that not, the side of the bank I choose always looks worse than the opposite bank. If I cross, that side soon becomes a tangled mess. The grass is always greener????
Obviously, yes, I am one of those people who just follow water because it's there.
Foremost, my time spent following various brooks, streams, and rills has lead me to the conclusion that you
don't want to know where your water comes from. I've found everything from animal-track covered muddy tarns to "springs". And the springs are usually bubbling up from mushy, swampy leaf filled holes. There are few pristine gushing sources. Most are gross. You'd never ask "is it safe to drink the water?" again after seeing the sources.
As for wildlife, be careful what you wish for. Most of my scary encounters have been near water. The most recent was a too-close-for-comfort bear scare along a noisy river. We didn't hear each other until it was too late. I was so close that he turned and reared before he bolted. Scared the [you know] out of me.
The worst was having my dog startle a pretty big river otter inhabiting a very small rill. Totally unexpected and very scary. It took 50 staples to close my dog's chest wounds.
The gross and scary factors aside, mostly I've enjoyed my time exploring every little bit of running water in my area. It's been an education and an adventure. I just try to be more aware of what's around. I've learned that we're not the only ones that appreciate cool mountain water.