Scariest moment
at the time: I was hiking along in Ocala National Forest, on my first long solo hike. I ducked under a deadfall and stood up into a banana spider web. Now, those things aren't particularly venomous or aggressive...but they set traps for hikers, right at head height. So, I straighten up and have
this hanging from the brim of my hat,
two inches from my eyes!:
Scariest moment
afterward: I was--again--hiking in ONF, this time seeing if I could cover thirty miles in a day. Well, being stupid, I didn't pack enough water to cross Farles' Prairie. I started to suffer from heat exhaustion, given the 90*+ temperatures and lack of water. I ran out of water approximately 3 miles (an hour) from the next water source. By the time I reached Farles Lake (the next water source), I had
stopped sweating. That's a
really bad sign of heat illness. I almost puked on the side of the trail, from my internal thermostat going haywire. At the time, I was just miserable. Looking back on it, though, it could've been the end of me, had I not soldiered on. Lesson learned: carry enough water!
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