This photo will forever be remembered as what got us lost in the mountains.

We decided to stay for a bit of the sunset on top of Mount Baldy before running back down the mountain. Having hiked the trail before, we were not particularly worried about descending from 10,000 ft in the darkness, as long as we had our iPhones flashlights. However, when it was time to leave, we realized that we both forgot to turn off cellular data, and our phones were at 5% battery. To make matters worse, unbeknownst to us there was a severe storm here two weeks ago that triggered several rock slides and all but obliterated the trail; hence, we found ourselves in pitch black trying to slide down a steep decline.After it became clear we were lost and what we were trying to scale down was most probably a cliff, we retraced our steps just as my phone ran out of battery. We saw flickering lights far away and flashed the light on the other phone while calling to whoever is in the distance. Luckily, they heard us, and we were able to meet.

One of the pair turned out to be a veteran of the mountain, having climbed it well over 100 times. He brought with him food, water, and even a bottle of wine, and had intended to camp. We started a fire, cooked instant noodles over a pot, and ate with make-shift chopsticks from branches. When it came time to sleep, the couple generously lent to us their down jackets--we were otherwise in shorts and a sweater--and we made our bed on the dirt. At 9,000 ft and completely exposed to the elements, I can confidently say it was the coldest night of my life.

At least the stars were gorgeous.