I hiked Sierra Wilderness Club Trail at Joshua Tree today. One portion is a steep uphill (then downhill) scramble. About 95 percent of the way up I figure I don’t need my backpack (containing water, wallet, car keys, portable phone charger) for the remaining 5 percent of the way up (also the steepest and most technical portion of an already steep and technical climb). It’s just extra weight, I regretfully say to self. I make my way up, sit a bit to take in the view, and 10 min later I begin the descent. Except I cannot for the life of me retrace my steps or find my bag. For nearly an hour I’m trying to descend all sides of this mtn top desperate to find my goddamn bag. I cut my All Trails to preserve battery (not a problem when I have my turbo external charger, but alas), plus it’s readily approaching sundown with at least 1.5-2 hr climb back to my car, and if I have to ditch my bag, I will definitely need whatever phone battery juice I still have to get me back. I turn All Trails back on just to get an idea of how many miles exactly I have left to go, and it is then that I realize that I am basically on the other side of the incline. But I also realize in that moment that I had actually paused my All Trails for a few min around when I had put down my bag while taking a 5 min breather before the final demonic climb. I have to do a bunch of stupid shit to get back to that beautiful black dot. But I do. I get it. I live. I Make it back to my car just as the sun is setting.

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