As McClish told it, the 34-year-old outdoors enthusiast from Boulder Creek, California, lost his bearings after beginning his hike the morning of 11 June. He had not informed anyone else of his plans, so it would not be until the afternoon of Thursday, 20 June, that the unkempt-looking hiker was found at the bottom of a remote canyon and rescued.
McClish spent much of the interim going up and down canyons, sitting by waterfalls and using his boot to collect water to drink and keep himself hydrated. He also sustained himself by collecting and eating berries, he said.
At one point, McClish said to KSBW, a mountain lion began following him – but the creature kept its distance and showed no interest in harming him. He said he would sleep on a bed of wet leaves, intermittently yell for help and think of what he would do to provide himself his next meal.
How tf is an “outdoors enthusiast” not bring water bottle and have to resort to filling his boot for water. This is some bs
He’s enthusiastic, not experienced, about the outdoors. He told no one, had no bearing or equipment, and got lucky that he was found. The article was being gracious about his abilities to be outside - and he survived a week and a half with nothing so the article can’t say he’s bad at it.
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I think it makes more sense if you read “outdoors enthusiast” as outdoors “enthusiast.”
Im 99% sure the author is just engaging in some dry wit and being sarcastic about his outdoor prowess, seeing as he was so deeply unprepared that “boot cup” became his primary means of survival.
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He was so enthusiastic that he forgot the bottle!
Because he had done it before, and just like a worker does a singular job often or you drive the same route to work all the time, familiarity can breed complacency. That’s when accidents happen.
None of this is an accident though. He knows he’s going on a 3 hour hike, only brings a flashlight folding scissors, but no water?! This guy is a moron
He was complacent, believing because he’d done the route often enough he’d be safe.
I mean how could he get lost when he said he’d done it before? Because he was so familiar with it his mind wandered and he wasn’t paying attention.
The same thing has happened to me when I’ve been driving the same route home after a long day at work. All of a sudden I ‘wake up’ and realize I don’t remember the drive at all.
Do you not see an issue with driving and not paying attention?
Ofc I did. But I also didn’t realize I was doing it until it happened for the first time.
If it’s never happened to you, good. But it does happen to a lot of us.
There is a difference between not paying attention and not registering memories. Millions of people operate cars a little zoned out every day. With both hands on the wheel and a decent level of experience, your muscle memory and natural reactions will operate the vehicle adequately.
Zoning out a little on the road does not equal distracted driving like text messaging, loud kids, or fiddling with screen controls. Your mind is still focused on the task, even if you aren’t registering memories about it.
What hes describing above is common enough to have a term : highway hypnosis.
It’s well passed “zoned out.” I’ve personally experienced it. Youre on such autopilot that you dont even recall the drive. Its more likely to happen for routine or monotonous drives.
I’m guessing “enthusiast” really doesn’t mean “goes hiking all the time”, but rather “likes the idea of going hiking all the time”,
Bet he watched a lot of videos about it on YouTube though
Yeah, that’s insane. If he even set foot in Colorado, I think he’d be issued a mandatory water bottle…
Overconfidence, and hubris.