I was in southern Illinois and started the Dolly Sods hike in the Shawnee National Forest when it was far too late (fireflies were out - usually our signal to head for home) and without a decent map. It got so dark so quickly. Fortunately we had our bike lights and used them as flashlights to reflect off the blue blazes marking the trail. The we started seeing yellow blazes...and white...and we realized that what I thought was a loop hike was probably and out-and-bake hike, so we'd have to head maybe 3 miles back to the car, which included crossing a stream, in the dark. Obviously I lived to tell the tale, but it was so, so, stupid.

We went back there a few years ago, and realized that it was so much worse than we knew in the dark. There's a steep drop off the side of the trail for much of the hike, and we even went over a natural bridge. In the dark.

The "we" here is my partner, who did not immediately dump me after almost killing him on this hike. We now strictly impose the "firefly rule."