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In reply to the discussion: Where's the Worst Place You've Ever Spent the Night? [View all]PufPuf23
(8,764 posts)Went on an Outward Bound course age 17 that began north of Yosemite (Twin Lakes) and ended south of Yosemite (Silver Lake). Part of the course was a 4 day 3 night "solo" spent at about 10,000 foot elevation in September. We had the clothes on our back, a pocket knife, a Sierra Club cup, 6 matches, a Hershey bar of which we were to bring back half, and a poncho as it was raining/sleeting. The first thing I did was build a leanto with the poncho against a large granite rock with some over hang and gathered a bunch of wood stacked under the leanto to stay reasonably dry. The wood was wet from the weather and I did not want to risk using my matches and not getting the fire started given the wet. I stayed reasonably dry but it was painfully cold, so much that my joints could barely move the next morning. It took two matches to get the fire started and I kept the fire alive the remainder of the solo.
Age 19 (1972) took a romp around the USA via Greyhound and thumb from California across the south then to DC/NYC/Philly and back west on a northern route to Seattle and then down the coast to home in N CA. Was headed to Mardi Gras but stopped in El Paso and spent the next day in Juarez. Got a hotel room on arrival in El Paso. The hotel was very near the foot border crossing into Juarez. The cost was $1.75 and one went up a rickety elevator with an operator that was the same guy at the hotel desk. Bathroom down hallway. The bed was old and slumped almost to the floor so soft. When the lights were turned out there was clicky sounds that became more intense but stopped when the lights were turned back on. I figured out it was cockroaches, huge cockroaches and I had actually never seen a cockroach prior in my life. yuck.