How Mom found me
I was lost, and she was 1,500 miles away. But all it took was one word.
Photo illustration by John Kehe
鈥淒o you want me to send the Alpine Rescue Team to get you?鈥� John asked, his voice firm, friendly, and far away.聽
Pausing, I thought, 鈥淚 bet there are strong, attractive men on this team.鈥� I imagined connecting immediately with one strapping rescuer 鈥� in a helicopter perhaps 鈥� as we flew away from the forest and into our future.聽
Given this was my first thought and that I wasn鈥檛 injured, the correct answer seemed 鈥渘o.鈥� So with feigned confidence, I replied, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that will be necessary. I have plenty of water and daylight.鈥澛�
I had been introduced to John just an hour prior when, after I鈥檇 made multiple attempts to reach someone, he called me from the US Forest Service at Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado.聽
I鈥檇 come to a clearing where I was actually getting a cell signal, and John told me my location was being pinged to him.聽
鈥淵ou鈥檙e actually not that far off the trail, but it is densely wooded where you are, so it might be hard to see,鈥� he said.
鈥淩eally? I鈥檓 close to the trail?鈥� I replied incredulously, looking around.
I had been following the yellowish-green markers for a 鈥減opular and easy鈥� three-mile out-and-back hike a friend had recommended. Immediately after the trailhead, the path became very rocky and steep. But having read about the hike the night before, I knew the incline gave way to a small clearing where I would veer left. Within five minutes of that landmark, I was supposed to reach the hike鈥檚 first overlook.聽
The overlook never arrived. Instead, after hiking for 20 minutes, I was closely surrounded by trees, rocks, and branches brushing my legs. I felt lightheaded by my exertion at this altitude, so I stopped and tried to orient myself.聽
Looking around, I saw that yellowish-green color on many trees and rocks: The trail markers I鈥檇 been following were moss.聽
I tried to remain calm. 鈥淚 just need to backtrack,鈥� I thought. But as I began walking, the combination of altitude and anxiety produced a full-blown, gasping-for-air panic. The trees were engulfing me and for the first time I felt claustrophobic in nature.聽
I was lost in the woods.聽
Pulling out my cellphone, I saw that it read 鈥渘o service.鈥� I opened my text messages and checked the last one I鈥檇 sent to my mom. It read: 鈥淐onference ended ... going for a small hike before my flight home this afternoon.鈥� It was marked 鈥渘ot delivered.鈥�
I put my phone away and began yelling: 鈥淗elp! I鈥檓 lost! Is anybody out there?鈥�
Normally I鈥檇 be embarrassed to draw attention to myself, but I continued to move and yell. Every so often, I鈥檇 stop to listen, but I never heard or saw anyone.
I got out my phone again. The battery was draining fast as it searched for a signal. I had to act. I scrambled to find a place where I could get service. When I did, I called my mom. It went through! And, as moms always do, she picked up. In a shaky voice, I said, 鈥淢om?鈥� and then the call dropped.聽
More than 1,500 miles away, my mom instantly knew something was wrong. She called the Denver Police Department and was directed to the US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region.聽
This is how I met John, and that was why his voice was now in my ear instructing me, 鈥淗ead due east.鈥� Since I couldn鈥檛 use the smartphone鈥檚 compass while on a call, he gave me a few more instructions before I apprehensively hung up.聽
Clambering over small trees and tripping over low branches, I headed east through a gulch, and finally reached a trail. Unlike the previous trail I鈥檇 been on, this one was wide and open.
Peering ahead, I saw a gray wolf about 75 yards ahead of me. She 鈥� the wolf seemed female, to me 鈥� turned and looked at me for a moment, probably assessing whether I posed a threat or not. Then she coolly trotted off the path and disappeared into a thicket. It happened so quickly I didn鈥檛 have time to feel afraid.聽
Then I thought of my mother 鈥� my perhaps-frantic mother 鈥� who had sensed that one of her cubs was in danger and had immediately sprung into action.
I wouldn鈥檛 have expected anything less. This, after all, is the fiercely protective woman who鈥檇 had me wear a life jacket in the wading pool. When I was a baby, she鈥檇 broken my Cheerios in half to be certain I wouldn鈥檛 choke.
I followed the trail and finally emerged from the woods. I looked up at the expansive sky and breathed a sigh of relief. My phone rang, and it was John, making sure I was still going in the right direction.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize there were wolves out here,鈥� I said.聽
鈥淥h, I鈥檓 sure it was just a coyote,鈥� he replied, ignoring my reference to its size. 鈥淏y the way,鈥� he said, 鈥渨e鈥檝e had your mother on hold this whole time. So once you get down the mountain, you will definitely want to give her a call.鈥�