I love to solo hike. I am able to set my own pace, listen to my own music, and create my own paths when hiking. I am able to walk in peace and be mindful with myself and the nature around me. However, as a female, I understand that there is always a sense of danger when solo hiking.
Recently, I have been hiking a lot more by myself. I began to feel confident in my safety while hiking and was honestly naïve about the potential dangers that could happen to me. I would drive to the hiking trail, park my car, and innocently go about my hike.
However, on October 2nd, I had a rude awakening. I drove to Henderson, Nevada to hike the Anthem East Trail. (Click here for a review of the trail). I pulled my car into a parking spot at the Shadow Canyon Access Point, which was in a neighborhood surrounded by expensive houses. I put on my camel back, locked my car, and hiked to the top of the Anthem East Trail without another thought in my mind.
I was about a 10 minute walk away from my car when I got a text from my Discover Card that an $859.69 purchase at the Green Valley Target was declined. I was confused because I rarely use my Discover Card and I just had my wallet the other day to eat at Violette’s Vegan. I didn’t have any service on the trail so I decided to wait until I got to my car to call my credit card.
When I got to my car I paused for a moment. I wasn’t sure I was seeing what was actually in front of me. The back left window of my car was broken. Glass was everywhere. On the ground. All over the inside of my car. My purse was on my floor, unzipped, and my wallet was missing. Even though though a million different thoughts were running through my mind, I couldn’t comprehend any of them.
After a minute of staring at my car, I finally processed what I was seeing. I called the Henderson Police with a shaky voice and informed them about what happened. As I was waiting for the police officer to arrive, I had to cancel my two credit cards and two debit cards. I had a check in my wallet so I also had to freeze my savings account. My PA license, America the Beautiful Pass, Subway gift card, and cash were also stolen.
As I was waiting for the police to arrive, I saw another female hiker walking to her car. I asked her if she had seen anyone else in the area when she arrived. She said, “No I didn’t. Dang. I’m really sorry this happened to you”. She walked over to her car and I heard her explain, “Shit! They got me too!”.
We both waited an hour for the police to arrive. We filed a police report and hoped that the suspect would be caught. At this point I had calmed down. My panic and sadness had turned to anger. How could someone break into a car and steal a random person’s wallet during a pandemic? We are all struggling right now. It was a pointless crime because I lost $400 while the criminal wasn’t able to make a purchase with my cards. Life is truly unfair. I’m hoping the person is caught or bad karma is coming their way.
Looking back, I was definitely getting careless when I went out for my solo hikes. Here are a few tips to help keep you safe and prevent a break-in while hiking!
The cost to repair my window was lower than my deductible for Progressive Insurance so I had to pay out of pocket. Safelite AutoGlass wanted $334 to repair my window so I decided to go someplace else. I found decided to get my window fixed at cheaper place. I found Southwest Auto Glass on Yelp. It is a family-run business. They are very professional and extremely nice. I was able to get my window repaired the next day for only $228!
Click here for 10 Safety Tips to follow when hiking!
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