Walk out, in this situation. You’re not lost. Leave an obvious note on the front seat of the car as to which way you’re going. Take the road that is likely to have the most traffic. If you run across someone who can help, they’re most likely to be on the road. If you wait with the car, someone MAY come, or may not. Don’t wait until you’re weak to leave; leave while you’re still in good shape. If someone comes to your camp on foot (and w/o a PLB), someone will still have to leave to get help. Why should it be someone else?

Leave behind everything that is heavy or bulky. Excess weight or bulk can throw off your balance. Leave the totes, the tent, the coolers, the collapsible water container, one of the sleeping bags and both foam pads.

TAKE:
Fire: BIC lighter, small pack of paper matches, some of the kerosene from the lantern if you’ve got a container. Take extra map pages for tinder. Divide them in half (at least) and put in plastic bags. If one gets lost or wet, you’ve still got the other.

Food: Whatever you’ve got, if you can carry it all; otherwise, balance the lightest with the most calories.

Dishes/utensils: depending on what kind of food you’re taking; at least take a few utensils. Take the percolator, leave the loose innards behind. Boiling water will kill most organic pathogens, and you’re not likely to have too many industrial pollutants in most mountainous areas unless it’s from old mining operations.

Flashlight, for comfort if nothing else.

Water: take the purchased water bottles. Find some cord or wire, make slip-loops to hold the necks, fasten them around your waist to carry. Take a few extra t-shirts to filter out the chunks from collected water. Drink a reasonable amount of water before you leave, if you've got extra. If you've got a gallon container, take it only as far as the contents last.

Shelter: Tent rain fly & fleece blanket, one sleeping bag if you can handle the extra bulk. Take extra sweaters, sweatshirts/pants, etc, if not (roll them up in the sleeping bag). If you have some larger garbage bags, I would take them for use as raincoats, packs or ground cloths.

Cutting: Hatchet, make a belt loop with cord or wire; take both knives, one each. If you've got a Leatherman (etc), take it.

Tear out relevant map pages.

Make packs out of sweatshirts. Tie the bottom closed, use arms for fastening, probably diagonally.

Running shoes are better than flipflops!

Sixty miles downhill is somewhat less effort than uphill, I would guess maybe four days. If it takes six to do it without exhausting yourselves (hypothermia danger) or injury, that’s okay, too. Don’t run and don’t jog. This is not the time to sprain your ankle. Pushing always seems to cause trouble, and trouble is one thing you don’t need.

Don’t go for ‘shortcuts’. They still haven’t found Al Chretien.

Sue