Unknown Caller Almost Cost Hiker Their Life

Mark Wilcox
2 min readMay 30, 2022

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Hiker looking at pine trees and a mountain

I love to hike.

Dallas, Texas is mostly flat but there are more hills than you would expect.

And we have a thriving mountain bike community who does a great job of maintaining trails in the area.

One of my favorite places to hike is Arbor Hills in Plano. Plano is a northern suburb of Dallas.

And while it is 100% city, Arbor Hills is this amazing city park with a wooded hiking trail in the middle of the city.

Plus it’s 25 minutes from my driveway to the parking lot so it’s easy for me to get to.

The trails are well-marked but it is easy to get yourself turned around as all of the trails interconnect with each other.

What this reminds me is the story that came out in the fall of 2021 about a hiker who got lost in the mountains of Colorado.

The hiker was late returning from a hike and Search and Rescue (SAR) was activated. They searched all night and through the next morning but couldn’t find him.

Out of desperation they started to call his phone.

When he didn’t answer, they texted him.

There was no response.

Finally, SAR discovered the hiker was safe and sound at his hotel. The hiker at returned on his own but didn’t know anyone was looking for him.

So he kept ignoring all of the calls from SAR because they were from an unrecognized number.

Thus if you do find yourself lost or you think someone might be looking for you because they think you are lost in the woods, please remember to answer the phone from an recognized number because it might be Search and Rescue.

Another common fear is of camping around bears.

That’s why I created the course “Camping With Bears” to help you learn how to camp safely in bear territory.

I’m Mark Wilcox and I once backpacked 100 miles in 90 days. After 25 years in IT, I wanted more adventure in my life. I want to inspire you to add more adventure too.

Thank you for subscribing to my content. I share content about camping, backpacking, and outdoor survival.

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Mark Wilcox
Mark Wilcox

Written by Mark Wilcox

I once backpacked 100 miles in 90 days. After 25 years in IT, I wanted more adventure in my life. I want to inspire you to add more adventure too.