I just spent most of the last two weeks out hiking (sure, go ahead and be jealous). As usual whenever I am hiking anywhere that is within a few hours of the trailhead, I sometimes meet hikers coming up as I am going out. Sometimes I stop and exchange pleasantries with them for a minute or two... and then comes the dreaded question:

"How much longer before we get to (fill in the blank)?"

I hate this question. Usually I've been bounding down the trail, downhill, oblivious to mileage, totally unable to estimate how long it's been since I passed that spot, let alone estimate how long it will take the person in front of me to trudge there uphill.

So, I flail. I want to answer their question. I want to be helpful and I can't. What's worst is when the person asking is obviously in over their head and hasn't a clue what they are in for. How many diplomatic ways are there to say, "you're toast; turn back now"?

Does this happen to you?