Fritzi Jung – Westford, MA
When I drove on the highway for the first time, I was shocked when I was suddenly overtaken from the right and left. I felt like I was acting in the movie Fast and Furious.
Lisa Pinkert – Tarzana, CA
Over New Year’s Eve, some friends and I rented a cabin in the mountains, and we had the best celebration ever with a good BBQ, a warm fire, and the best view from the outdoor jacuzzi! When we woke up on New Year’s Day, everything changed, and our green view was now white. We were stuck in the mountains with a bunch of snow. We tried to get the cars (2) down, 1 car had a flat tire, and the other one got stuck in the snow. So we waited for the AAA guy to come and repair the tire. Meanwhile, we got snow chains for the other car and tried to put them on, but they wouldn’t stay on. So when the AAA guy arrived and fixed the tire, we asked him for help, but even he couldn’t make them hold! So we had no other choice than wait for 4 more hours in the snow for the tow truck to get us out! We were stuck for 9 hours in the snow, outside with no place to heat up. The most expensive New Year’s Eve ever!
Forest Falls is still a really cute place. If anybody wants to try it out, but don’t go during the winter months.
Stephanie Bauer – Washington, D.C.
Together with six other Care Professionals, I went hiking in Mount Rainier National Park. We had previously been to Spray Falls, a gigantic waterfall that is slightly hidden and whose path is not immediately obvious. We then reached a clearing where the path forked. We followed the narrow path toward Mt. Rainier and met two hikers who recommended that we follow the path because, in the end, we would encounter a beautiful waterfall. So we walked on, and the path became narrower and narrower, becoming a small trail between grasses and bushes. When we came across a stream, a waterfall was not visible far and wide. We decided not to climb over the stream but to turn back. Suddenly, a black bear with its cub crossed our path in search of food. Less than 2 meters separated us from the animal, and behind us was the stream. My heart was beating so fast that I felt it would jump right out of my chest, and I was sure the bear could smell my fear. Without paying us much attention, the bear led his way away after what felt like an eternity. What a relief!
Today, I know that as a group, we could have protected ourselves from such a close encounter with a black bear by making loud noises.
(The picture was taken later, with enough safety distance).
