Another rescue of the clueless

[peakbagger]

Having the right equipment apparently does not replace common sense.

http://www.berlindailysun.com/newsx...-hiker-who-ignored-advice-likely-to-be-billed

 

[Raven]

Having the right equipment apparently does not replace common sense.

http://www.berlindailysun.com/newsx...-hiker-who-ignored-advice-likely-to-be-billed

I have a feeling this guy is very lucky he had his problems 2.6 miles into the hike and not 16 miles in.

 

[Ken MacGray]

He's lucky he's only being billed $1,300.

 

[jrbren]

Way too little info given to pass judgement. But this is the internet ...

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I wonder if he was attempting a Pemi loop.

 

[sierra]

Way too little info given to pass judgement. But this is the internet ...

Really? He talked to the rangers and they could tell he was not ready for the hike he chose. So off he goes anyway, ignoring the advice he was given. Makes it a grueling 2.6 miles up an easy trail. Stops, has the gear he needs, but can't figure out how to use, hence, he calls for help. What exactly more do you need to think he if at fault and should be billed?

 

[Hillwalker]

Good grief, a seventeen year old ignoring advice? How novel. De ja vu, been there, done that. He survived and hopefully learned something. Not that he shouldn't be fined.

 

[DayTrip]

Way too little info given to pass judgement. But this is the internet ...

2.6 miles in and he got into real trouble without an injury and after being warned not to go? I'm not sure we need all that much information to pass judgement.

 

[DayTrip]

I wonder if he was attempting a Pemi loop.

There was an article on Facebook that mentioned he was going out on a 4 day hike so it is entirely possible he had something like that planned.

 

[jfb]

I wonder if AMC and F&G advised him to purchase a HikeSafe card?

 

[egilbe]

Why didn't he just walk back out? Thats barely off the road away from trailhead. He should be billed.

 

[jniehof]

Why didn't he just walk back out? Thats barely off the road away from trailhead.

That's what I wonder. Can't get the tent together, screw it, back out to the road (in like an hour), maybe run the heater in the car for a bit, sleep in the car. Bad night but learning experience, no harm no foul. If you can't get everything packed up in the dark, leave it and come back to retrieve the next day, sucks but beats a night of hypothermia.

 

[peakbagger]

Weather forecast for the next two nights were not great, high to moderate winds and sub zero readings overnight Thursday and Friday, throw in a potential major storm on Sunday . I expect F&G probably established his abilities while discussing his plans and deemed them deficient.

The caveat is that F&G has stated in the past that solo hiking in the winter is inherently reckless, therefore no matter what the hikers abilities they would not recommend he go.

I would speculate that the cost of the appropriate gear is far more than the rescue fee

 

[egilbe]

Weather forecast for the next two nights were not great, high to moderate winds and sub zero readings overnight Thursday and Friday, throw in a potential major storm on Sunday . I expect F&G probably established his abilities while discussing his plans and deemed them deficient.

The caveat is that F&G has stated in the past that solo hiking in the winter is inherently reckless, therefore no matter what the hikers abilities they would not recommend he go.

I would speculate that the cost of the appropriate gear is far more than the rescue fee

If he could afford the gear, his parents can probably easily afford the fees. Im afraid he's not going to learn anything from it

 

[sierra]

That's what I wonder. Can't get the tent together, screw it, back out to the road (in like an hour), maybe run the heater in the car for a bit, sleep in the car. Bad night but learning experience, no harm no foul. If you can't get everything packed up in the dark, leave it and come back to retrieve the next day, sucks but beats a night of hypothermia.

I did just that one day on the Carter Range way back in my late teens. Set up my cheap tent, it collapsed when I got in ( did not pack out pad) Couldn't light my stove and was wet, tired and dehydrated. Took a look around and saw DOOM. Grabbed what I could and snowshoed for 90 minutes, straight to get to the car. No way I survive that night up there. Got drunk in my car and thought about my gear and techniques, major learning day for me.

 

[ChrisB]

I did just that one day on the Carter Range way back in my late teens...

Exactly. We all have. (Or those of us willing to admit it

I think this poor kid needs an outdoor mentor. Hey, how did YOU learn to travel and camp in winter?????

It's unfortunate he called for help and raised the alarm. Without that %$!@ cell phone he probably would have just walked out... like we did in the OLD days!

Another downside to backcountry technology. Makes you lazy as well as over confident.

I hope he doesn't get too demoralized by this fiasco and give up.

Keep calm and hike on Wang,
cb

 

[MikeM]

Is it far fetched to think that some young adventurer will perish in the mountains to avoid the ridicule and bullying that a call for rescue can bring on? I fortunately made my mistakes before cell phones and the internet. I imagine if I had the chance to meet this young man I would thoroughly enjoy his company.

 

[egilbe]

Is it far fetched to think that some young adventurer will perish in the mountains to avoid the ridicule and bullying that a call for rescue can bring on? I fortunately made my mistakes before cell phones and the internet. I imagine if I had the chance to meet this young man I would thoroughly enjoy his company.

He didnt need to call for rescue, he needed to walk out of the woods. Not a big deal. If someone dies because they couldnt figure out how to walk out the same way they got in, makes as much sense as some one drowning in the back of a pick up truck that went into a lake because they couldnt put the tail gate down.

But, he's 17. Thats the best time to make stupid decisions because nobody expects anything but.

 

[Stan]

I try NOT to pass judgement on these things even with the wealth of good information available on the internet

Having said that, sounds like someone determined to do something someone else said can't or shouldn't be done. Sound familiar to anyone?

Glad he's out safe. Hope he learns from the experience and grows from there. Glad, too, there are consequences which seems all too rare these days. The consequences could've been a lot lot worse.

I think it was Oscar Wilde that said, "Youth is wasted on the young."

 

[jrbren]

Really? He talked to the rangers and they could tell he was not ready for the hike he chose. So off he goes anyway, ignoring the advice he was given. Makes it a grueling 2.6 miles up an easy trail. Stops, has the gear he needs, but can't figure out how to use, hence, he calls for help. What exactly more do you need to think he if at fault and should be billed?

Based on the info given (and not given) in this thread, really. He's a 17 year old kid from out of the area. Most of the hikes I do are solo, and hence by definition irresponsible and ill advised. Rangers often err so far on the side of caution the advice is not useful. Why didn't SAR just tell him to walk out rather then charge an unneeded "rescue" ? Was he sick ? Was he injured ? Was he lost ? No Head lamp ? Did he refuse (too lazy) ? Can I assume that he had the "appropriate winter gear" means he had a headlamp & map & compass if needed ? None of that info is given. I also find it smug that some experienced hikers consider knowledge gained by numerous years in the back country as "common sense" and a 17 year old kid from Toronto whose experience in the NE US back country in totally unknown is lacking in "common sense" since they do not share that knowledge. Maybe the kid does deserve to be charged, I don't know from this. If there are more detailed accounts on Facebook or Twitter that I do not go to, that may be a different story.