Go Uphill to Be Rescued

[RoySwkr]

For years those of us in the NE have been told to take shelter below treeline and follow a stream downhill if we got lost, but "USA Weekend" on Sunday had the following advice:

"Head uphill if you're lost and can't get a cellphone signal. Also, try to get to elevated terrain, such as a high clearing, which makes it easier for a rescue plane to spot you."

Does the S&R community endorse this new advice, or does it only apply to Long Island where USAW is published?

 

[DougPaul]

It is true that you are generally more likely to get a cellphone signal by moving higher. Moving (horizontally or vertically) to a location which gives a better view of a town or major road (ie any place likely to have cell towers) is the goal. However, a location that gives you line-of-sight to too many towers (eg high on Rainier) will not work either because the system is not designed to cope with too many towers at once. In such a situation, you want to move lower, into a ravine, or some location that blocks some of the signals. So, in terms of getting a signal, the answer is "it depends". And IMO, one should also factor in the terrain, exposure, ease of evacuation, etc when making such a decision.

For Long Island, going higher is probably a pretty safe bet. But when fairly high on a peak that overlooks a heavily populated area, maybe not.


White Mtn experience:
I have been unable to get a signal indication on Mt Height, which I'm inclined to guess is more likely too many signals (but I didn't try it lower down). I did get a signal (most likely from a tower overlooking Waterville Valley) from a point on upper Livermore Rd midway between the upper switchback hairpin turn and the junction with the Flume Skidder Trail (my accident site). Had we been unable to get a signal, moving back toward the junction with the FST (slight higher and perhaps less blocked by local terrain) might have helped.

Doug

 

[Chip]

Does the S&R community endorse this new advice ?

It'll be interesting to hear the answer.

I've gotten side tracked and headed higher to regain the trail, being pretty confident it would be up there . I do understand this course of action is weather permitting.

 

[Little Rickie]

For years those of us in the NE have been told to take shelter below treeline and follow a stream downhill if we got lost, but "USA Weekend" on Sunday had the following advice:

"Head uphill if you're lost and can't get a cellphone signal. Also, try to get to elevated terrain, such as a high clearing, which makes it easier for a rescue plane to spot you."

Does the S&R community endorse this new advice, or does it only apply to Long Island where USAW is published?

I read the article. It is difficult to broad brush advise on what to do so take it with a grain or two of salt.

If were to give up compleatly on self rescue I can see going up or down to a clearing to start a fire, use a mirror or signal somehow. Especially if I'm real high up or many miles far away and the weather is good. If it's a choice of getting out of bad weather, I'm seeking shelter and am more likelty to go down than up. If it's a matter of 2000 feet up or 2000 feet down, I'm going down. It would be a real witch to climb up thousands of feet and get no signal. If I'm lost and confused maybe I shouldn't go anywhere.

There are so many possible situations to ponder I'm hesistent to be ridged in my opinion of what "I" would do but I'm feeling go down more than up is right and defer that statment to the S&R people who know far more than I do on this and hope someone will chime in.

 

[Peaks]

Gee, I can't get reception with Verizon even when I'm at the summit in the Whites.

 

[rocket21]

I mentioned this to someone who does S&R today and he didn't seem particularly ecstatic with USA Today's advice.

 

[bobandgeri]

Gee, I can't get reception with Verizon even when I'm at the summit in the Whites.

Really? We have vVrizon and get coverage all over the place in the Whites. This past weekend we stayed in touch with our ride on several of the peaks on Franconia Ridge. Once when we left the phone on by mistake we got a call, and then the voice mail indicator low down on the Fire Wardens trail. We've seen others with Verizon get calls on the Owls Head slide and the Garfield trail. Not all phones are the same however, so it could be the specific device.

Whether to ascend or descend is probably a case by case decission, based on the weather conditions, location, reason for needing help etc...

 

[Waumbek]

For years those of us in the NE have been told to take shelter below treeline and follow a stream downhill if we got lost, but "USA Weekend" on Sunday had the following advice:

"Head uphill if you're lost and can't get a cellphone signal. Also, try to get to elevated terrain, such as a high clearing, which makes it easier for a rescue plane to spot you."

Does the S&R community endorse this new advice, or does it only apply to Long Island where USAW is published?

To put USA Weekend's advice back into context, the "head uphill" idea is fifth on a list of otherwise conventionally accepted measures to take. Unfortunately, it may be the only advice that some remember. I would not give out that advice to a general, nation-wide audience. It might work in some areas of the country and be exactly the wrong thing to do in others. Better to stick with the tried & true for a general readership.

 

[Frodo]

Lost in Long Island? Is that even possible???? Maybe for Billy Joel when he has had too many "bottles of red...bottles of white".., but not for most hikers…

I think this advice is purely subjective to area and situation. The first 4 options in the article make more sense.

IMO, when lost (regardless of where you are), you head UP to the last KNOWN location and try and become un-lost (probably took a wrong turn). Obviously, this doesn’t apply when above treeline in bad weather, but does apply in most situations.

Heading back up just to try and get cell phone reception (which is a crap shoot), should only be done in a dire emergency, regardless of where you are. If you are lost you shouldn’t be advised to call for help, you should try and become UN-LOST first. Relying on a cell phone (or Sat phone) is a scary proposition… (unless you are Billy Joel)

 

[DougPaul]

There is an as yet unmentioned advantage of going up...

The total area of the peaks (including the non-list peaks) is much smaller than the total area of a zone. Thus if you go up until you are on a peak, a search only needs to cover a much smaller area and you will be easier to find.*

Lest you think this to be foolish, some insects use this strategy to meet others of the same species for mating. This is why you sometimes find clouds of some insect species at a summit and not elsewhere.


* Of course, pragatically some summits are not good places to wait around or may be unduly difficult or dangerous to reach. And this strategy only works if searchers are looking for you and they know that you are on a summit.

Doug

 

[RoySwkr]

Thus if you go up until you are on a peak, a search only needs to cover a much smaller area and you will be easier to find.*

* Of course, pragatically some summits are not good places to wait around or may be unduly difficult or dangerous to reach. And this strategy only works if searchers are looking for you and they know that you are on a summit.

I was going to respond that by going down you would meet searchers sooner as they came up from the road, but of course now they are often dropped on summits by helicopter

I understand that being visible and getting a cell signal can be useful, but the advantage of going down is that you may self-rescue before anyone starts looking (if you started at the bottom and weren't dropped by helo And another bit of advice one given out was to stay where you are to let searchers find you rather than moving at all.

 

[DougPaul]

I understand that being visible and getting a cell signal can be useful, but the advantage of going down is that you may self-rescue before anyone starts looking (if you started at the bottom and weren't dropped by helo And another bit of advice one given out was to stay where you are to let searchers find you rather than moving at all.

In practice, no single strategy is optimal (ie maximizes the probability that one will be found/self-rescue) in all situations and even the optimal strategy for the situation is not guaranteed to get one out.

And of course the "make yourself easy to find" strategies (stay put, etc) only work when someone is looking for you.

Fixed advice such as "hug a tree" is probably good for young kids, but for experienced hikers, think about it, choose a strategy appropriate for the situation and go with it is probably best, IMO.

Doug

 

[Waumbek]

In practice, no single strategy is optimal (ie maximizes the probability that one will be found/self-rescue) in all situations and even the optimal strategy for the situation is not guaranteed to get one out.

And of course the "make yourself easy to find" strategies (stay put, etc) only work when someone is looking for you.

Fixed advice such as "hug a tree" is probably good for young kids, but for experienced hikers, think about it, choose a strategy appropriate for the situation and go with it is probably best, IMO.

Doug

DougPaul is correct, and the local experts make a similar point: know and use multiple strategies depending upon the situation. Note that they don't advise going uphill to use your cell phone, but to get a vantage point to identify landmarks. Getting oneself found may involve a number of strategies, depending on the situation. I still believe that USAW's advice to go uphill and make a phone call will end up being misused because it's the one strategy that people are likely to remember in this age of cell-phone worship, and they need to be thinking about multiple strategies, not simply heading uphill under any circumstances to call 911.

 

[BlackBuffalo]

I do take a cellphone everywhere, for work. I never consider it's going to be my lifeline. Although I have concerned family members that argue with me about this.
Cell signals in rural environments are typically spotty.

As for the advise the USA Today gives, take it with a grain of salt. The reporter probably quoted someone.

I read this somewhere, Apalachia maybe?:
"...when you undertake risky activities, you're on your own. It is imperative to bring to the venture the physical and psychological resources to cope with whatever unexpected and potentially disastrous circumstances arise."

Now I've read the rescue reports in the White this past winter, we all could get into problems out there. I think we should all try to weed through the advice thats out there. Cause what Bear Grylis advises in the southwest doesn't always apply to an area like the northeast.
<Done with my rant>
DaveG

 

[TomD]

I found this interesting little animation that shows the sun's position at any time on any date in the different hemispheres.
http://www.sciences.univ-nantes.fr/physique/perso/gtulloue/Sun/motion/Day_night_a.html#haut

 

[RoySwkr]

know and use multiple strategies depending upon the situation.

Nobody doubts that the best thing to do depends on the situation. Suppose your situation is that you must write 2 sentences on what to do if lost: stay put, go up, go down, go sideways, go where you think you last saw the trail? And the audience for this prose is relatively clueless newspaper readers not experienced hikers. What would you say?

I still believe that USAW's advice to go uphill and make a phone call will end up being misused because it's the one strategy that people are likely to remember in this age of cell-phone worship

Yup.

 

[Tom Rankin]

When out west, (was the article specifically NE related?), they do not recommend you ascend, because altitude sickness can kick in or get worse.

 

[DougPaul]

Suppose your situation is that you must write 2 sentences on what to do if lost: stay put, go up, go down, go sideways, go where you think you last saw the trail? And the audience for this prose is relatively clueless newspaper readers not experienced hikers. What would you say?

When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.

Sorry, only one sentence (or four, depending on how you choose to write it).



Doug

 

[KayakDan]

While this option may work in some situations,I wouldn't want to recommend it in the colder weather,particularly if you would end up above treeline.
Of course,if you were totally geared to go above treeline,you'd be easier to spot,as would SAR aircraft.
But then,if you were totally geared for winter condition above treeline,then you probably wouldn't be lost.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

For years those of us in the NE have been told to take shelter below treeline and follow a stream downhill if we got lost,.....

I have been "lost" countless times in the Whites, mostly in winter, and following a drainage downhhill has always worked.....some times I have followed the wrong drainage, but always hit a logging road, well-marked trail, or highway eventually. The distances are simply not that great in the Whites, except for perhaps the middle of the Pemi.....