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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mysticete" data-source="post: 3347696" data-attributes="member: 67784">I don't have too many stories really...I am mostly a wuss who avoids even the hint of danger. However sometimes my caution doesn't quite counteract my curiosity.One morning I decided to try this one feeder spot I had heard about, but never been to. This involved driving up to the end of a plowed road and scanning some feeders. Unfortunately I drove past this point and continued on a stretch of road that was less than paved. realizing that the snow was getting deeper and my little honda civic was not exactly designed to deal with the conditions, I tried to turn around in a drive way only to get stuck, without enough traction to make it out of the sloped driveway. After wandering around and trying to get a signal I finally got a tow some hours later. Given the distance we were from everything however it came to several hundred dollars. That was my first and last time I did any winter birding away from paved roads.Another incident that comes to mind is trekking with some folks to look for newts in San Diego county. San Diego is pretty far south in their range and so they were extraordinarily local. Still my herper friend knew a spot. Unfortunately said spot was fairly remote, much of the hike was exposed and treeless, and parts of the "trail" were steep sandy slopes and in one case I rope was needed to make it down. This was all fine early on a summer morning, but when we went back midday the heat just about killed me, and I got a bad case of heatstroke.The WORST however was:We didn't get any newtsMy friends continued up a rocky stream area which required far more bouldering than my out of shape and poorly coordinated body was used to. Said friends found a family of dippers, a bird that would have been a lifer at the time (Since seen in WY thankfully) and extraordinarily great county bird (again...we were near the southern coastal terminus of their range, much like the newts)And of course, I passed the news on and birders looking for the dippers posted great images of newts!ARRGGGHH</blockquote>

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