Humungo Splinter, No Tweezers
Without a first-aid kit, you're left to rely on the kindness of strangers
The Opal Creek Wilderness in Oregon's Willamette National Forest has many attractions, like a trio of surreal turquoise pools and a rare low-elevation old-growth forest. But on this hike, my friend Evan and I headed to an old mining camp called Jawbone Flats.
![Without a first-aid kit, you're left to rely on the kindness of strangers](/sites/default/files/styles/sierra_full_page_width/public/2023-05/2020-9-Survive-Jawbone-Flats-WB-01.png.webp?itok=RFG1su2M)
We hiked in three miles, past waterfalls, open mine shafts, and antique mining equipment.
![Without a first-aid kit, you're left to rely on the kindness of strangers](/sites/default/files/styles/sierra_full_page_width/public/2023-05/2020-9-Survive-Jawbone-Flats-WB-02.png.webp?itok=wKxiY28t)
We found a bevy of old cars and trucks left over from the 1930s. Soon we were staging an impromptu photo shoot, balancing atop jumbo tractor wheels.
![Without a first-aid kit, you're left to rely on the kindness of strangers](/sites/default/files/styles/sierra_full_page_width/public/2023-05/2020-9-Survive-Jawbone-Flats-WB-03.png.webp?itok=dsHW7sGo)
While climbing onto the wooden bed of an ancient truck, I got the largest splinter of my life—so big, I couldn’t even bend my finger—but we didn’t have a first-aid kit.
![Without a first-aid kit, you're left to rely on the kindness of strangers](/sites/default/files/styles/sierra_full_page_width/public/2023-05/2020-9-Survive-Jawbone-Flats-WB-04.png.webp?itok=mFHU4K3E)
We saw a sign for a town and were lucky to find some folks at home. One extracted the splinter while I concentrated on the resident cat, the mayor of Jawbone Flats.This article appeared in the September/October 2020 edition with the headline "Jawbone Flats."
Ask the Expert
John Soares is the author of 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California.
“Things can go wrong on even the easiest day hike. That’s why you should always bring the ’10 essentials,’ which include a first-aid kit with tweezers. Nilina was wise to ask strangers for help, but it’s best to be as self-sufficient as possible so you won’t need help in the first place.”