I'm not vested in the outcome at to whether locator beacons will be required since I figure that if they do become a requirement and I develop a strong opinion against using them, it would be a simple matter to make them inoperable by inserting the batteries incorrectly.
While I don't have a strong opinion on locator beacons, I do regarding the ferocity of weather systems in the northern Cascades due to their latitude, proximity to the ocean, and weather patterns. I've been in some weather on Hood where I've wondered about the wisdom of walking from the parking lot up to Timberline Lodge, and can only speculate what it might be like 3K' higher.
I'm no expert on cell phone technology and their "tracking" capability, particularly since that technology evolves rapidly. However, at a bare minimum, your carrier "knows" where your cell phone is, at least to the nearest tower, as that's the way calls to your cell phone are resolved. And, my hunch is Admiral Poindexter has access to it as well if he so chooses. Who else does I can only speculate.
Finally - the quote from Helen Keller is one to ponder, at least briefly, for me. Where I begin to trip is her use of "danger", almost as an absolute, when in practice danger is relative. Without a detailed explanation as to how she uses the word I'm left rather frustrated by her actual meaning. Obviously, YMMV.
