Don't You Just Hate It When...

“you've spent a lot of time planning a hike, give everyone the info/maps and such, they give you the impression that they really want to go, but cancel the week of for no good reason?

My trip for this weekend looks like it's going to fall right on it's face. Real shame, seeing we were set to do a great trail, the Jordan River Pathway loop. I've been looking forward to it for over a month and did all the planning. Two people in the party have backed out at the last minute (one yesterday, one today)and I have not heared from the third. I know that I have told my fellow backpackers from Michigan that I might be at the event at the Highland Lakes Area if this fell through, but I feel like I have to go myself and I feel I must. My wife doesn't like it, but understands.

My question, after venting, is has this ever happened to you and if so, what did you do?”

“just the opposite happened to me.

i just found out that i'm hitting the trail tomorrow, thanks to someone at work wanting me to go with them.”

“For me it was an alpine skiing trip. We had about 15 people that were interested. 3 weeks later only 3 (the hardcores) were left. We still went, and had a blast.”

“stanlee, that sounds like almost every ECT.”

“It happened to me last fall and I was most very upset. I had planned an easy canyon hike with my mother and my granddaughter. I had the trip permit four months in advance. I bought specail clothing and equipment for my granddaughter. At the very last moment my daughter said the child could not go and my mom cancelled too. I mean!!! They had all the time in the world to tell me and they waited until two days before.”

“yep and that's why I don't ask my non-bp or non hiking friends to go anymore. I have now resorted to going with strangers from tt or bayareahiking.

You gotta go with people who are just as fanatic about the wilderness as you are or you'll end up going alone or not at all.

Don't let it stop you though! Just go alone! Maybe it was meant to be like that and you'll end up having a great time in spite of it! They don't know what they're missing. Just like the rest of the world that never gets out in the wilderness.”

“What a bummer, laqtis. Most people never plan a trek, & therefore don't know how much time / energy goes into really doing it right. Hikerchic's got it, I've come to the conclusion that I'm only going to plan hikes for people I know will be there & are truly as interested / committed as I am...”

“Flakes!!! There's nothing more annoying. I can completely understand the occasional 'unforeseen circumstance', that a responsible person must give priority, over a backpacking trip. But the people, that say "Oh ya, that sounds great!" and then decide later, whether they actually can, or even want to go, are the ones that piss me off.

I can usually tell pretty well, now, who is serious and who's 'just talk', right off the bat. But still, when I say "I'm in", then 'I'm in' barring some sort of unavoidable disaster.

The same applies, for most things. I'm constantly telling my daughter "If you commit, to something, you follow through, and be on time. It goes to 'character' more than anything.”

“I have never organized a hike for others, although I have joined several

I also don't give Tupperware parties. go figure”

“U R right hikerchic, alot of times I just go alone if non of my friends can make it. A dayhike, skiing (alpine and X-country), biking whatever is better than sitting at home sulking, or in front of a computer. heh heh Just have to be abit more cautious.”

“Happens to most everyone I would guess. If it's not a backpacking trip it's some other well planned arrangement.

I mostly do what hikerchick5 does. I go with people from TT. Or I make sure that the folks who are going have some money tied up in the trip beforehand. It's harder to bail when they've got money invested.”

“Yeah that sort of happened to me last weekend. A buddy got the reservations and set it up, then he had to bail!!! Gave me the tickets and we went and had a blast.

I guess you kinda sorta gotta plan on just you, and give out trip reports afterwards to entice them for the next one. If they come along next time, well, that's just a bonus.

Happy Trails”

“I like it when my brother has schedule conflicts and gives me his NASCAR tickets. I enjoy my sister's season football tickets when unforseen events occur. I am going to a bachelor party this weekend for a friend who has a conflict of interest with the HMWH Club.”

“One time my daddy sayed "I aint gonna go walkin in the woods last week no more" so I got my pakpak and got in the truk all reddy to go by my self any ways but I do not kno how to dribe so I could not go by my self any ways.
/o:3”

“laqtis, save the trip for next Month and Hyper and I will accompany you! And then you can come along to Pround Lake tomorrow morn. We'll let ya plan everything still and promise not to cancel!”

“I hate that too!

We had one guy bail the day of a strenuous winter trip leaving us with only two people where we would have preferred four for safety reasons. We went anyway and had a blast.

Another time, we planned a trip to be near one of the guys so he could make it. We bought food and drove 7 hours. The plan was to meet at a motel and head out the next morning. When he was a couple of hours late, we called his house to find that he'd decided to back out!”

“Even people from TT cancel at the last minute. Some are due to ligitimate unforeseen circumstances, others just don't show or make up an excuse.

Just count on cancellations and plan to go on the trip anyway. I agree with arclite. If there is any money committment, folks tend to show. After awhile, you learn who will show when they say they will and who won't.

If I plan a trip, I'll plan the trip for myself and those who are almost certain to show. If others show up that's fine. If they don't that's fine. I've come to expect it.”

“The people on TT are the same as everyone else, flakes. I would say that 90% of all people are. Backpacking is an activity which encourages individuality so it's a miracle when you can get a bunch together. The breaking the committment thing is vile however it's really no different for people trying to organize any activity. In the end, the only people you can really trust, is your family.”

“If you;re comfortable with it, definitely hit the trail by your lonesome. Dogs are good that way in that they never back out.”

“...you're in the middle of having sex and either the phone rings or the kid knocks on the door?”

“Coitus interuptus is the best. When you get back into it, its like having sex twice in the same month!”

“Man, is that what I have to look forward to?”

“LOL, flyguy.”

“Aren't we all here cause no one else wants to backpack with us?”

“No, we are all here because we backed out on the 'real' backpackers.”

“I was thinking about joining you laqtis but I thought you were heading out on Thursday which didn't work for me. In the end, my sister has to work this weekend so I wouldn't have had daycare. So, I'm glad I didn't add to your disappointment.

I always plan to go solo if need be. That way, I can still go if no one else does.

I've had to cancel three trips due to sick kids or lack of day care.

Try to make the best of it. you might find you like going solo. :o)”

“Sunshine, you're going to be racking up some trail miles once those kids can carry their own packs and keep up. I bet THEY won't be allowed to back out at the last minute on mom, LOL.”

“after further review, it was decided that this trip was just not possible. I?ve only hiked solo once, (and that was a day hike) and I have one two-night trip under my belt as well.

Joy ? It?s a deal. October is the target month. Color change in that area should be at prime. Details to follow?.

Sunshine ? sorry about the info. That was the original time frame. Plans changed a couple of times. Can you make a trip in October?

I?ll be hanging out with my son this weekend, so I will not be at the Highland Rec. event, but thanks for the invite! Be careful! Bad weather this weekend.

This has been a very informational thread. Thanks everyone!”

“..you get all snuggled in your sleeping bag and set for bed and THEN you need to go pee again for the upteenth time...

Sheesh!”

“Pee bottle to the rescue”

“thanks bro..lot easier in the dark for a guy..lol”

“lol TX, when I originally started the Girls Only thread I thought we might discuss women's backpacking issues..

I guess How to Pee in the Woods covered that though”

“You can only find ONE of your Smartwool socks.”

“... when your snowboarder sons steal and lose your Thorlo Expedition or SmartWool Mountaineer socks?”

“Or when you run out of beer in the third quarter?”

“I think we need to commission a study! Running out of beer before running out of game is a crying shame! I broke up with a girl over that once!”

“Your mouth`s so dry you can`t spit
try as you might nothing comes of it
makes me so mad I throw a hissy fit
torn two ways and this is how they split
not working at all, or only a bit
to hock up a loogy, but there`s noting to get
I just hate it, but now it`s time to quit
some things just aren`t worth warm spit”

“Your cat licks your eyebrows at 4am.”

“You have to read 50 million IRS publications to fill out your income tax return...”

“You fire up a Zippo lighter underneath a ceiling fan?”

“Enjoying a nice movement, then turning your head to find NO PAPER”

“When you come to a stop and your foot won't unclip.”

“I just found out my 401(k) plan was last audited by the accounting firm of (guess who)







Ta-da!

Arthur Anderson!”

“When you refresh and refresh but everyone seems to have gone home or is afk?”

“
"When you come to a stop and your foot won't unclip."
deathmarch99
05:27:14 PM
01/31/02

I broke my arm like that when I first got rat traps for my bike. Feel over just like the guy on the tricycle in Rowan and Martin's "Laugh In"”

“When the thong you were wearing disappears!

he he he”

“when somebody puts their cold feet on you in the middle of the night without warning. I wont mention any names.....”

“You're leaving work at 6pm, and you look down and notice you have two different boots on ..... one pointy-toed and one square-toed.”

“You can't sleep, so you start reading all the threads on TT that you haven't read yet....”

“The wrost is when you look at a clock and see that what was once 10pm is now 3 am and you have to be at work in a few hours.”