Contact
Brian Gawley
P.O. Box 1046
Port Angeles, WA 98362
United States
Phone: 360-643-1119
E-mail: wabbles2001(at)yahoo(dot)com
"By the third night, not only were the muscles in my legs shot, so were those in my arms and shoulders. So I would pull myself up partway, then turn halfway around so my hands and feet were on the ground. Then I would slowly straighten myself up. If I walked at all by this point, it was baby steps solely for the purpose of keeping the blood circulating in my legs. It was becoming incredibly difficult to just remain standing. I would waver back and forth, using my walking stick to keep myself upright.
"My brief naps continued, now more frequently. Fortunately or unfortunately, squatting with my elbows on my knees meant that if I began to sleep too deeply my elbows would slip off my knees and wake me up. I continued to keep the teeth chattering at bay, although it was becoming more difficult. Dawn on Wednesday morning was even less exhilarating than the previous morning. I was relieved I had survived a third night outdoors and it still hadn't rained. But I was becoming mentally exhausted. This was getting old. It also was colder or maybe it was just me that was colder.
"I remained determined that I was going to find my way out of here. Once again it was another hour after sunrise before the air was warm enough to continue hiking. I had been outdoors for three nights now. It was time to get the hell out of here and get my life back."
From Chapter Thirteen
"By early Wednesday afternoon, I had been lost for more than two and a half days. The water bottle I had relied upon not just for hydration but also a food source had been gone for about 24 hours now. So not only did I have to dunk my hands into the cold water for what was a small drink, I also couldn't drink while hiking.
"As it got later and later into the afternoon, I began to realize I was lost.
"There's a difference between being lost and just not realizing it — thinking the freeway on-ramp is just down this way a little bit — and KNOWING you are lost. The first is just frustrating. The second is demoralizing and, depending upon where you are, terrifying."
From Chapter Fifteen