Lost and Found

There are several factors that mold the persona and behavior of humans.  Much of it stems from childhood experiences, parenting, and what our minds absorb when we’re young.  As we grow we follow our own morals and beliefs and do what we think is the right thing.  However, no two people have the same exact reality.  What one person believes is the right thing may seem idiotic to another person.  Most runners, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts are generally happy people.  And happy people often look out for each other and will help someone else who has an unfortunate mishap, while others may take advantage of their situation instead.  So, I like to think that runners, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts have adopted the ‘do the right thing’ type of moral attitude, rather than act selfishly.  At least that’s what I was hoping during my drive home from my morning trail run on Sunday.  Allow me to explain why.  

Earlier that morning, I began running at 6:00 AM on the Ice House Canyon trail towards the saddle, then proceeded up the Three Tee’s Trail towards Telegraph Peak.  The morning air was cool and still as the sun slowly rose.  It was the first time in the last several months that I required the use of my arm warmers in this section of the San Bernardino Mountains.  When I reached Telegraph Peak, the sun had made its way into the sky as I stood, admiring the view.  On my way back down to the parking lot I was having a blast.  I was cruising down the trail at a nice pace and I felt good and energized.  All was going splendidly until I arrived back at the parking lot and patted the left side of my shorts.  That’s when I realized something peculiar.  This was the pocket I had put my cell phone in, as I had so many other times when I went running.  But when I patted it, I felt nothing.  I lifted my shirt and peered down my left side, and sure enough, my phone was gone.  “Shit!” I exclaimed.  I stood there for a moment, then turned around and headed back up the trail, eyes glued to the ground, searching carefully.  I began seeing some of the people I had passed moments earlier before reaching the parking lot.  Our exchanges went a little something like this: “Dude, are you going to jog back up again?” “(laughs) nope I dropped my phone.  You haven’t seen a phone on the trail, have you?” “Nope, sorry.  Good luck”.  “Whoa man, you again?” “Yeah, I dropped my phone.  You haven’t seen it, have you?” “Aww dude that blows.  Sorry man, I haven’t”.  “Did you lose your keys, man?” “Nope, cell phone”.  After about five minutes of walking at a brisk pace up to the trail, I began to realize that this was a losing battle.  The last time I had used my phone was to take a picture on the Three Tee’s Trail near Telegraph Peak.  After that, I hadn’t checked my pocket to make sure it hadn’t fallen out.  Essentially, the damn thing could have been anywhere between where I was standing and six miles up the trail.  And if that wasn’t ridiculous enough, add 4,600 feet of elevation gain.  I didn’t have the time or sufficient water supply to trek that far again.  I decided the best thing to do was to head home and figure it out from there.  It was approaching 9:30 AM and it made little sense to spend potentially another four hours wandering around the trail.  Once I reached the base of the mountains, I called my wife, Janet from Von’s in Claremont.  The ladies working the balloon counter were kind enough to let me borrow the store phone after having a chuckle at my current predicament.

   

And that brings us back to my thoughts on how outdoor enthusiasts are generally “cool” people.  Based on the people I’ve met and befriended through the running and hiking community, reading memoirs by Dean Karnazes, Scott Jurek, and other outdoor enthusiasts, and the level of impact that outdoor activities has had on my own life, I have formed the theory there is a direct correlation between our happiness level and how much time we spent outdoors.  Sure, it’s nice to watch a hockey game or a TV show on a weeknight after work while eating dinner but Janet and I very rarely watch TV during the day on weekends.  Some people prefer to spend their weekends indoors glued to their TVs and laptops.  That bores me.  I’d rather be spending my time outside on the trails or out and about with Janet and Brady eating at good restaurants, walking around town, or running errands.  The more we spend time outdoors, the happier we are, and happy people are generally more understanding of others and treat them with more tolerance and compassion.  This thought is always in the back of my mind, but at this particular moment it was burning in my mind like a wild fire, mainly because I was hoping that if someone found my phone on the trail, they would be living proof of my theory and would either turn it into the ranger station or contact Janet so it can be returned to me, rather than try to sell it or throw it away.  Most people who hike the Three Tee’s Trail are in a no phone service area for a good portion of the day, so my plan was to wait until late afternoon and call and text my phone from Janet’s phone to see if anyone had picked it up.  If someone had found it, they would likely be finished hiking and in an area with service by late afternoon.  If that didn’t work, I would try calling the ranger station to see if anyone had turned it in.  I was going to try everything I could before having to resort to getting a new one.  

Once I arrived back home, I took a shower and we headed out to run a couple errands and stopped at Corner Bakery for lunch.  We had just sat down and were waiting for our food to arrive when I noticed that Janet’s phone was buzzing on the table.  I looked down and to my amazement and delight, the caller ID said she was getting a call from my cell phone!  She picked it up right away.  The guy who was calling had been hiking earlier that day and stumbled upon my phone near the junction where the Ice House Canyon Trail meets up with the Chapman Trail.  Luckily for me, I don’t lock my phone so he was able to get in and see my text messages.  Judging by the texts between Janet and I, he made a strong assumption that she was my wife or girlfriend and dialed her phone.   He lived in Upland and said he would be home for the rest of the day.  Later on in the evening, we killed two birds with one stone and had dinner in West Covina before stopping at the guy’s place in Upland.  I received my phone back, thanked the guy immensely for his act of kindness and honesty, and all was well again.  I was extremely grateful that I had my phone back in one piece and narrowly avoided the frustration, not to mention the financial burden, of getting a new one. 

I felt extraordinarily lucky because my theory on outdoorsy people proved to be true.  This guy is a testament to the fact that there are some very honest people on the trails who watch out for others and generally care about their well-being.  Not that I don’t love the city of Los Angeles, but if I had dropped my phone there, for example, things could have easily swung in the other direction and the chances of getting my phone back likely would have been much slimmer.  These qualities are they kinds of factors that create a strong sense of friendship and unity among those who frequent the mountain trails.  This guy saved my ass, and if I get the opportunity in the future, I will surely return the favor for someone else!