Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Missing Hiker - Bad Puppy Edition

This missing hiker was found after deliberately hiding from searchers.

The last line will surely ignite some debate...

There was a somewhat similar situation in the Adirondacks recently. IIRC, two young men (20's) were reported missing, and heard rangers calling them in the night, but didn't answer until morning. Apparently they were from a large metropolitan city, and one doesn't respond to strangers ...

Rare, but not really unusual and always has to be considered. You get that with teenagers on Outward Bound type trips, especially if they're court referrals and just want to get out of there. Also, of course, when they're developmentally disabled (e.g. Autism) they'll often hide at any age.

One of my first big searches was for a girl with Autism. We spent three days in a 2 mile radius of her point last seen (she was barefoot, so that helped when we'd find an occasional track -- knew it was her). Finally a dog found her hiding behind a log. Woof! Ended happily.

This guy has no excuse, of course, but that's the way it goes sometimes... .

g.

The whole flaw I think begins in the fact that a missing person was reported and a search was conducted. Although it is a bit stupid that he hides from searchers instead of approaching them and telling them he is not injured and is going to continue hiking. Is that so complicated?

I never tell anyone where I am going or when I plan to get back.

I'm not sure in what way you are attempting to impress us with your practice. Does this mean that if you are injured in the backcountry, you prefer death to rescue? If I come upon you, should I ignore you and tell no one?

Does this mean that you advocate that when people go missing, that they should not be reported to authorities, or only after a prolonged time? (a month?)

Or does this mean that when a person is reported missing, that authorities should not respond with a search?

Don't forget to pack a saw!

- and a camcorder . . .

My point is that someone reported him missing when they shouldn't have. The link does not say who reported it or how much time had gone by but if I go hiking and just decide to stay out an extra day or two and a full scale search gets conducted as a result I would be a little upset.

And of course I am not trying to impress anyone. If something happens then it just does and I will deal with that when it happens. If I die then so what. I know this attitude only applies to me but until I have something worth living for I will keep it.

The funny side is it wouldn't matter if I told anyone I know where I am going because they wouldn't know anyway. If I went missing the most my family could tell anyone is "Uhhhh he is in the mountains some where".

Not being much of a people person, I could easily turn the attitude statement around "If I die, so what", and comfortably restate it as, "so what if he dies", and go back to sleep *yawn*. However, the problem with the touchy-feely-save-the-whales time and place that we live in, is that there is a compulsion to send in the troops to save irrelevent individuals at the risk to SAR's well-being. (do to the fact that they will have to wander wide and far, because that is what they do in this country.)

I, for one, would be happy for such individuals to be given the opportunity to sign a "no-search" waiver, but until then....For the sake of the very valued SAR individuals & service that they provide, it might be considered a civic duty to at least mark a quadrant on a map to limit the search grid (should the most unfortunate occur)

I suppose after breaking a leg while off trail that after ten to fifteen days or so into the ordeal one would rather be rescued.

I certainly don't take the stance of saying so what if they die. I'm glad SAR is out there to rescue people and myself if I could afford the hospital medical costs. I also don't advocate not telling anyone where you are going. Most people if not considerate for themselves they can at least be for those they have waiting for them back at home. I'm just an enigma in more ways than one.

But this case is a bit lacking in information and is making this subject a bit more complicated then it needs to be.

And yes days of having a broken leg in the back country would suck.

Well, I don't want to do one of those pile-on things, but I do agree with Bee. That sort of thing happens and it's incredibly frustrating to be staring at a map of the entire Sierra with the family expecting you to "do something" because they haven't heard from their son/husband/daughter etc. in 2 weeks.

You end up sending sheriffs and rangers etc. to trailheads to look for the car; you go through the person's equipment, email, maps, notes & friends hoping for a clue on where they might have gone. And that's just trying to narrow the search area. It's a total bungathon. Far worse than the risk to anyone going out and searching is the number of rangers this takes from whatever else they're doing.

This sort of approach to wilderness comes up a lot -- the freedom of the hills,the freedom to die or get hurt vs. the individual's responsibility to act with regard to pretty obvious consequences. No matter the hiker's personal philosophy, the family will report them overdue and will expect some level of effort be made to find them. I've never seen an exception to this.

When we go on a trip, all of us take a basic level of care to make sure we're prepared for where we're going: sleeping bag, shelter, food etc., rather than just charging off naked on the assumption it'll all work out. So I don't understand not taking that same level of care or diligence to tell someone where you're going and, roughly, when you'll be back. Even just leaving a note in your car would work.

George

I loved Bee's reference to using a saw, vis-avis Aron Ralston in "127 hours"!

I'm not sure I understand the mindset of knowing what will happen, but deliberately choosing to making what will happen more difficult and dangerous, for those who are willing to stand up and take the responsibility to help those in need.

If it were only that individual, that would be one thing. However, it is certainly not, and will not be, no matter what one's philosophy. In fact, it is irrational to think that friends and family will simply forget an individual.

To take the most extreme example, Chris Mccandless, the subject of Jon Krakauer's book "Into the Wild", did not simply disappear. He was searched for until found. And the rest of us, not willing to burn our money and walk into TRUE remote wilderness with no resources, are certainly going to be searched for.

I think I've got a solution to RogueP's case:

RogueP: all you need to do before you leave, is post an updated hike plan here, perhaps in the same thread you started.

Then tell your family or friends: If I don't come back by _____, you can find my plans on WhitneyZone.

And even better, since you come out every week or two: carry some postcards and mail one at each resupply to a friend ...or even to me.

Seems like that would cover the necessary notification / information requirements, without too much hassle.

To be specific if I told them exactly where I am going that would be their response because they have short memories and have no knowledge of the mountains. Then when you say Rangers would search for a car well I don't drive so if I am ever hiking solo I am dropped off. The reality with the way I currently hike is there is not much risk for SAR because if I do hike solo for a short trip then someone will be scheduled to pick me up so if I was over due then they would know.

Then in terms of long trips, your ideas sound good Steve but is mostly useful for fishing my dead body out of the wilderness. (not that I would want it to be) When I leave on a multi month hike no one expects to hear from me until "sometime" around the end of my trip. So weeks could go by from any time I was injured. For example if I set out to do that 95 day trip and was injured and died on day 2 no one would even consider me missing until weeks or even a month after I was scheduled to be back because not even I know exactly when I plan to be back. I do tend to drop in on Facebook if I have internet at a resort some where to say greetings from the wilderness but that is it.

I have read that book Ken and Chris McCandles still stands as one of my personal heroes despite the grief he put his family through for two years.