I just finished listening to the latest Trailcast with Amy Racina, who’s got a book out called “Angels in the Wilderness.” The angels of the title were the three hikers who found her deep in a ravine in Kings Canyon National Park, where she was inching her way back toward a trail, any trail, after having broken both legs in a 60-foot fall down the side of the ravine.

Though Amy was basically paralyzed from the waist down and grievously wounded — she had bone sticking out below one knee — she did clear her mind enough to remember the Rule of Threes, which is: You can survive three minutes without air, three hours without warmth, three days without water and three weeks without food. First she covered her legs with her sleeping bag, then identified the nearest water source, which was a stream flowing down the ravine. Her plan was to crawl along the stream till she found a trail that she believed was nearby. She had made about 150 yards in two days before the hikers found her. Actually she could’ve survived out there for weeks except for one detail: her wounds were becoming infected and she was slipping into septic shock. Doctors told her later that the infection was just a couple hours from reaching her internal organs when she reached the hospital — that’s how close she came to dying.

Three years later she’s back on the trail, capable of hiking 10-15 miles a day with a full pack. Truly an amazing tale; set aside an hour and listen to the whole interview — it’s worth the effort. And the next time you’re hiking with a chronic complainer, ask ’em: How many broken bones do you have at this precise moment?