Hiker Lost Near Isolation

[una_dogger]

I’m thankful she is ok. However, I just learned that friend in a similar situation last year is now being fined $7,000 for being helped by F&G. So I guess if you are well prepared gear wise and you make a minor error that is now considered negligence.

Care to elaborate (no names)...sounds like there may be a valuable lesson here?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

It can be fun to take a newbie into the woods and then hang back and let him lead for a while. Betcha the first time he steps off the trail (into a waterbar drainage, typically), there's a a blaze ten feet in front of him.

I do this every time I hike with my kids. They will quite readily follow a water bar drainage without notice.

Tim

 

[erugs]

I do this every time I hike with my kids. They will quite readily follow a water bar drainage without notice.

Tim

That's a sign of a well-cleared water bar. Good work with your kids, Tim.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I do this every time I hike with my kids. They will quite readily follow a water bar drainage without notice.

Tim

Yep. I started doing this (letting them lead) with my boys when they were around 5. I use to let them lead all the time. I would ask them if they are on the trail and how they could prove it. When we would walk off the trail I would teach them what to do to get back. I would teach them hug-a-tree and to use their whistle and to make sure at that age that they knew that whistle was part of their hiking gear. I would also teach them to look behind them when they hiked so they would have an idea what the return trip should look like. Its hard to believe how long ago that was. My youngest turns 21 in a few days.

Keith

 

[bikehikeskifish]

That's a sign of a well-cleared water bar. Good work with your kids, Tim.

Maybe. Could just be they are teasing each other and fighting over who gets to be first.

Tim

 

[Billy]

One of the first times I took my wife hiking, she kept turning into the water bar drainages, and I smiled to myself and kept letting her do it without saying anything. Toward the end of the hike I said something like, "Lots of little dead-ends on this trail, huh?"

The next day I explained to her what water bars are.

Sometimes I'm not proud of myself, but it's incidents like this that make up for it.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

I was just on that trail last week. There are only two spots or areas that are not clear. The first is at the second crossing where the bank has washed out and you have to look a bit to find where the trail picks up on the other side. Both sides are marked with cairns. I really don't think anyone would get lost at that point. It's just a moments hesitation while you look across the stream for the trail on the other side.

The one area that can be confusing is on the Isolation trail above the last crossing roughly at the spot where you have a sign for the camping. Again almost no one gets lost there, but it is not well marked and the woods are quite open so you could wander a bit looking for the trail.

The gully whack that is used in the winter that is located just above that area has been blocked off, I think intentionally, with a number of downed trees. Normally one wouldn't head that way unless it was intentional.

Unless you were really lost in your thoughts, I don't think you would walk past the spur to the summit. There are several signs right there.

 

[dug]

I've actually walked past the summit spur sign twice, but not the first time I was there. Two subsequent trips I missed it, once I had to backtrack a minute or two, the second was only for a few seconds.

 

[sierra]

Good points here about beginners and the learning curve for following a trail. I enjoy taking people out who are new to hiking, I feel like Im giving the keys to disney world away, but at the same time I focus on teaching as we hike. There is alot to learn and some people want to learn others are content to just follow and be at the mercy of thier leader. I do not promote the latter in any way shape or form, everyone should learn the basics to be at least somewhat self reliant. A few years back I was hiking with two other guys I had met, I always led, I always picked the route and to be honest, I couldnt get them to even look at the maps before the hike. I was getting frustrated and I wasnt being paid to be a guide so I thought it was time to elevate thier training. On remote trail at a 45 degree turn I kept going straight off the trail. True to form they followed right behind me without even a second thought. Fiannaly one of them said " hey this is not a trail, we lost the trail". I sat down took off my pack and said no shit, you should have noticed that 20 minutes ago! They asked me how to get back to the trail and I said " IM done, you find the way back" they were not happy and got pissed, I held firm, they frantically talked to each other and one of the guys sure enough put the pieces together and got us back on route. I said good job, from now on do your part, know where you are at all times, if something happens to me I dont want you to hanging around my body whining that you dont know how to get out without me. They became quite proficient and picked out the next hikes without me, always looking and using thier maps along the way.