Headed out for a quick day hike at Zion National Park, thinking it’d be an easy in-and-out kind of adventure. Did I check the trail details? Nope. Did I bring enough water? Also nope. But somehow, the desert gods decided to let me live.
First lucky break? Forgot my sunscreen—but somehow found a full, barely-used bottle sitting on a rock at the trailhead. (Trail magic is real.) Second? Took a wrong turn, which should have led to disaster, but instead brought me to the best hidden viewpoint I’ve ever seen—zero crowds, just me and the canyon.
Then, just as I ran out of water and accepted my fate, a friendly hiker walked by, took one look at my melting, dehydrated self, and handed me an extra Gatorade. Sir, you are a legend.
Final score: Poor Planning - 0, Dumb Luck - 10. Would I do it again? Absolutely. But maybe with more water and some idea of where I’m going.
Anyone else been saved by luck on a hike?