6
Lost a boot in a bog on the Slickrock Creek trail and still finished the loop
About three miles into the Big Fat Loop near Tellico Plains, my left foot sank past my knee in this muddy spot. Pulled my leg out but the boot stayed down there like it was buried on purpose. I hiked the remaining 8 miles with one hiking boot and one sock covered in duct tape and trash bags. Has anyone else lost gear in the backcountry and just had to make it work?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
xena_murphy1mo ago
Man, that duct tape and trash bag combo is a classic move. I lost a trekking pole tip two miles from the trailhead once, and just whittled a stick to jam in there. It's amazing what you can MacGyver when you're stuck. You gotta respect the commitment to finishing the loop with one boot though. That bog probably has a whole graveyard of lost gear by now.
10
aaron_gonzalez1mo ago
That bog sounds like it's got a whole ecosystem of abandoned gear at this point (probably a few socks that got sucked in too). I did something similar on a rainy hike in the Whites last fall. My boot sole started peeling off like a banana about three miles in, so I wrapped the whole thing in a grocery bag and electrical tape. Looked ridiculous, but it got me to the top of the mountain before the tape finally gave up.
6