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Pollywog using "spot" transmitter last heard from on Monday the 24th. Please use trail journal or whatever possible to ask her to phone home. Spot maybe broken.
Thanks
K
Thru Hiker Wife
03-28-2008, 11:42
Pollywog using "spot" transmitter last heard from on Monday the 24th. Please use trail journal or whatever possible to ask her to phone home. Spot maybe broken.
Thanks
K
Hey, you got it. Now where was she at on the 24th? Hiawasee?
dixicritter
03-28-2008, 13:02
Here's the post that was made in SGT Rock's thread...
where is Pollywog? Haven't had a word, since Monday her Spot locator stopped sending. Her friends calling me. I think she was last at Hiwassee?
If anyone has any information to help xeera out please be sure to pass that along. Thanks!
Thru Hiker Wife
03-28-2008, 21:31
Just wanted to pop this post back up to the top. Family and friends are very concerned so let's spread the word and see if our community can help ease some concerns.
Bulldawg
03-28-2008, 21:36
Pollywog using "spot" transmitter last heard from on Monday the 24th. Please use trail journal or whatever possible to ask her to phone home. Spot maybe broken.
Thanks
K
Got a picture? I'm usually on the trail every weekend somewhere in GA or NC.
dixicritter
03-28-2008, 21:39
Has Pollywog been keeping a Trail Journal over at Trailjournals.com? I assume this is the trailname she is going by on the trail right? Does she have a WB account that you know of?
Just a few questions to try and get a little more info. :)
Thru Hiker Wife
03-29-2008, 21:02
Any news or further info?
Jack Tarlin
03-30-2008, 08:42
She's fine and has gotten in touch with her friends/family.
Hikers need to be aware of their family's concerns and make sure that they stay in touch with the folks back home.
Likewise, families need to understand that people forget sometimes, and a day or two's lapse in communication is not necessarily something to panic over.
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 08:45
Thank you Jack, that's excellent news! Glad to hear all is well.
Thru Hiker Wife
03-30-2008, 11:37
Excellent! Thank you very much for the good news.
I understand the batteries went dead in her SPOT transmitter which doesn't surprised me since she had the beacon blinking all night recently in a shelter. Why, to keep the critters away? :confused: Regardless, atleast one fellow shelter inhabitant wasn't too pleased with the light show.
Thru Hiker Wife
03-30-2008, 14:45
I suspected that it might have been something along those lines. But, you know, being the wife at home while the hubby is hiking, I hate to hear of family and/or friends losing contact and becoming HIGHLY concerned.
Just glad to hear she's safe and hope she is enjoying her hike.
True, but if folks at home are used to receiving an OK message every night and it doesn't go off for a couple days is it really right to notify the local authorities about a lost person? There are also many places along the trail where tree cover may prevent a signal. How many people should put out looking for a lost/hurt hiker that's not really lost of hurt? IMO zero, unless they're willing to pay for such privileges.
I suspected that it might have been something along those lines. But, you know, being the wife at home while the hubby is hiking, I hate to hear of family and/or friends losing contact and becoming HIGHLY concerned.
Just glad to hear she's safe and hope she is enjoying her hike.
Sounds like Pollywog's homies need to chill and let her hike in peace. :-?
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 15:18
True, but if folks at home are used to receiving an OK message every night and it doesn't go off for a couple days is it really right to notify the local authorities about a lost person? There are also many places along the trail where tree cover may prevent a signal. How many people should put out looking for a lost/hurt hiker that's not really lost of hurt? IMO zero, unless they're willing to pay for such privileges.
Whoa... From what I understand they came here looking for anyone that had seen her first and were not getting any responses, except from me and Thru hiker wife who are both obviously not on the trail. So what else were they supposed to do? Especially in the wake of what happened earlier this year with the Meredith Emerson case people are going to be a little bit more reactionary right now.
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 15:20
Sounds like Pollywog's homies need to chill and let her hike in peace. :-?
Easy for you long distance hikers to say. Try sitting at home worrying some time and see how you feel then.
What else are they supposed to do? Not depend on electronic gadgetry and wait to hear from her when she reaches town. :-?
Whoa... From what I understand they came here looking for anyone that had seen her first and were not getting any responses, except from me and Thru hiker wife who are both obviously not on the trail. So what else were they supposed to do? Especially in the wake of what happened earlier this year with the Meredith Emerson case people are going to be a little bit more reactionary right now.
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 15:49
What else are they supposed to do? Not depend on electronic gadgetry and wait to hear from her when she reaches town. :-?
Fair enough. However, we don't know what the reason was that she was carrying that "electronic gadgetry" in the first place. And her family/friends did wait 4 days from her last transmission before registering here at WB and asking for help. I don't know the exact date the authorities were contacted but I believe it was after that. Like I said before with what happened earlier this year in that high profile media case, can you really blame them for being concerned after more than 4 days without contact? Especially since they were expecting to be able to know up at least daily where she was (again I don't know how those SPOT transmitters work for all I know they could find out hourly).
It is very easy for y'all to tell us here at home to just "chill out" but I honestly don't see where they did anything wrong. As a matter of fact, Rock has told me for years that WB was a good resource for families to come to for help in locating hikers. However, if this is how the families get treated when they do come here why would they want to?
Let's look at this another way... What if she hadn't been alright? Would you have been coming down on the family for contacting the authorities then?
Thru Hiker Wife
03-30-2008, 15:58
Fair enough. However, we don't know what the reason was that she was carrying that "electronic gadgetry" in the first place. And her family/friends did wait 4 days from her last transmission before registering here at WB and asking for help. I don't know the exact date the authorities were contacted but I believe it was after that. Like I said before with what happened earlier this year in that high profile media case, can you really blame them for being concerned after more than 4 days without contact? Especially since they were expecting to be able to know up at least daily where she was (again I don't know how those SPOT transmitters work for all I know they could find out hourly).
It is very easy for y'all to tell us here at home to just "chill out" but I honestly don't see where they did anything wrong. As a matter of fact, Rock has told me for years that WB was a good resource for families to come to for help in locating hikers. However, if this is how the families get treated when they do come here why would they want to?
Let's look at this another way... What if she hadn't been alright? Would you have been coming down on the family for contacting the authorities then?
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Well said, Dixi. I know I came to this community for support and comfort. I hope that we don't throw everyone under the bus who needs support, comfort, assistance, etc. cause hikers feel like they're jumping the gun.
IMO, it seems that many hikers lose sight of the fact that this community consists of more than just the actual hiker. For many people, a thru wouldn't be possible without someone like Dixi and I who are at home holding down the fort and supporting our hikers in every way.
If I may just add one "small" detail. We don't know the situation here. I know one of the reasons that my husband and I communicate regularly is not just so that I can keep tabs on him but so that he knows what's happening at home (and I don't mean what I cooked---more like if something were to happen to me and/or our daughter).
Well, first it helps if families know the hikers rough itinerary. As it is Pollywag is hiking during thru-hiker season. Lots of people saw her on the way from Dick's Creek Gap towards Franklin. If she were seriously injured I'm sure someone would have helped
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-30-2008, 17:02
While we know as hikers know that help is readily available when any hiker has an accident, the families are are not us. If Pollywog were one of my kids or grandkids, the national guard would have been called by day four - especially if Pollywog is a female hiking alone. The Meredith Emerson tragedy has made me all-to-aware that lone women are more often targeted for crime than others and this would cause me to come to a website such as this to inquire and then to call authorities if no one responded saying they had seen her within about 24 hours. This family didn't do anything I wouldn't have done if I posted on WB and no one had seen her.
If Pollywog were one of my kids or grandkids.........
More likely the other way around.
The point is her electronic gizmo failed and family and friends shouldn't rely on it to track her safety.
Two Speed
03-30-2008, 19:43
Maybe they shouldn't but they did, and they were concerned. Just how difficult was it for Pollywog to give her folks a shout when she realized the batteries had gone dead? (presuming Pollywog is female)
Of course this can cut the other way. How would Pollywog have felt if she called for a ride home and her folks hadn't answered in four or five days?
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 19:47
Of course this can cut the other way. How would Pollywog have felt if she called for a ride home and her folks hadn't answered in four or five days?
I'm glad you said that. I've thought it several times, but I'd be flamed beyond all compare if I said it. Thank you!
What strikes me about this story is that the gizmo doesn't seem to have failed. It was the way it was misused, ie: leaving it on too long, so that the batteries were depleted, and failing to replace batteries when depleted. The mistake was depending on the device without learning it's needs and characteristics, and scheduling use so as to have a long enough service life as well as understanding how many spare batteries should be carried.
Knowing the device characteristics, the hiker and family could agree on a sched instead of monitoring continuously, and the hiker could carry at least a spare set of batteries. I don't know how long it takes to acquire a fix, but I expect it is relatively brief. Also I don't know how the tracking software works, but I assume it will log acquired signals for later viewing. Anyone know if this is correct?
When non-geeks use hi-tech: failure as a dominant mode of operation.
Maybe they shouldn't but they did, and they were concerned.
Yes they did and the gizmo failed. So, should they continue to rely on it, fret and put others at risk, if the batteries go dead, or develop a new game plan? (the best being a call from every town or resupply)
Two Speed
03-30-2008, 19:59
Yes they did and the gizmo failed. So, should they continue to rely on it, fret and put others at risk, if the batteries go dead, or develop a new game plan? (the best being a call from every town or resupply)Yeah, they should fret if they're worrying about a young female. Sly, I get where you're coming from, I don't rely on electronics for my safety either, but surely Pollywog knew the batteries had died and that her folks would be wetting their pants. Yeah, time to cut the apron strings and all that, but the kid could have called her folks and said something along the lines of "ya know, this thing seems to be cutting out a lot. I'll call every time I can" and then get them more adjusted to her new lifestyle.
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 20:03
Yes they did and the gizmo failed. So, should they continue to rely on it, fret and put others at risk, if the batteries go dead, or develop a new game plan? (the best being a call from every town or resupply)
Just who did they put at risk Sly? You know what if I hadn't heard from Rock in that same time frame and no one could tell me they had laid eyes on him either, I would have done the exact same thing as her family. And I know Rock can handle himself. So get over it already. They did the right thing.
Two Speed
03-30-2008, 20:06
We're kinda pounding on Sly here, and I'm not real good with that. The problem the way I see it is Pollywog had to know the gizmo had failed and didn't let her folks know she was OK in a timely manner. Everyone's got some good reasons but the whole thing would have been a fizzle if Pollywog had made one collect call.
Agreed?
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 20:08
I do also agree with that Two Speed.
I just don't agree that her family did anything wrong by what they did.
Two Speed
03-30-2008, 20:10
I can see that. If it was my daughter I'd be getting real worried after four or five days.
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 20:12
No matter her age, a woman on the trail alone this year is going to have to understand that her family is going to worry about her more after what happened to Meredith.
Easy for you long distance hikers to say. Try sitting at home worrying some time and see how you feel then.
Dixi,
I did not mean to sound insensitive or callous. A few things come to mind when people worry about their loved ones on the trail:
1. I think people's worries are back-asswards. Their loved ones are more likely to have problems, accidents and even death in their normal lives versus being on the trail. Sure hikers may not communicate home as often as their loved ones would like, but that doesn't make them any less safe.
2. I find it interesting that one hiker accident or death on the rare occasion attracts more attention than the 50,000 people who die on our highways every year - that's 136 deaths/day on American highways.
3. Hikers need to set up a communication schedule and set expectations, like, "I will call you every 3 or 4 days, but don't worry if I am a day late".
4. Hikers, as well as their loved ones, need to realize that once on the trail, the pace slows down and both may need to adjust to a different communication schedule than originally planned.
5. The reliance on advanced electronics to stay in touch is not not surprising, but people should not rely on them to be the only means to stay in touch. Drained batteries and poor receptions areas are more the issue than someone getting into trouble.
6. In today's world of instant news and instant communications, it is hard to adjust to the slower communications style of being on the trail. But it is an adjustment that people need to understand and make before setting off on their adventure.
I realize it can be difficult to sit at home and be bombarded with instant information everywhere and have to deal with slow communication from a loved one on the trail. I think places like WB are good places to seek comfort, news, ask for status, etc. and I think it is a good thing to do so. It is also a good thing for people to talk about all these things before they drop off the everyday radar to take a long hike.
Excessive worrying is not helping anybody and only serves to diminish the hiker's enjoyment of the trail and the loved ones desire to support the hiker by agreeing to the hike in the first place. Regular communications is a good thing; constant communications is not. These need to be worked out before the hike, not during.
:cool:
No matter her age, a woman on the trail alone this year is going to have to understand that her family is going to worry about her more after what happened to Meredith.
Or going to college... or the mall... or getting behind the wheel of a car... or doing anything really... I still think the trail is safer than many other places.
Appalachian Tater
03-30-2008, 20:16
I understand the batteries went dead in her SPOT transmitter which doesn't surprised me since she had the beacon blinking all night recently in a shelter. Why, to keep the critters away? :confused: Regardless, atleast one fellow shelter inhabitant wasn't too pleased with the light show.Wow. Are animals scared of flashing lights?
camojack
03-30-2008, 20:16
Matt told me when he called this morning that the "gizmo" in question got dropped; apparently it was damaged. :confused:
Anyway, he said Pollywog was fine, although not a happy person. :(
(I also got the impression that it's the "norm" for this one, too...)
Just who did they put at risk Sly? You know what if I hadn't heard from Rock in that same time frame and no one could tell me they had laid eyes on him either, I would have done the exact same thing as her family. And I know Rock can handle himself. So get over it already. They did the right thing.
I'm not sure if they actually put anyone at risk but someone posted a flyer at the Saffire saying she was missing. However, she wasn't missing (many had seen her), just a slow hiker with a failed gizmo. Regardless, it reminds me of others that rely on electronics and do put others at risk.
As far as getting over it, I'm not sure what you mean. It's not me that needs to get over anything. I'm trying to point out what's worked best in the past, a phone call from town every 4-7 days.
Wow. Are animals scared of flashing lights?
just the ones who recognize a muzzle flash
Two Speed
03-30-2008, 20:19
No matter her age, a woman on the trail alone this year is going to have to understand that her family is going to worry about her more after what happened to Meredith.Yeah, like it or not, that is part of the scene this year. The kid isn't my child but I gotta admit my guts tightened up when I saw Xeera'a first post.
Tin Man, I'm gonna have to take a few minutes to digest that. Maybe I agree, maybe I don't.
Still gotta say if Pollywog had chosen to take advantage of the first opportunity to let her folks know the gizmo was on the blink we wouldn't be having this conversation. Accepting a little personal responsibility goes a long way.
My Mom still worries about me. Cut the apron strings 30 years ago and she still worries. I guess that's part of being a Mom and I love her for that.
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 20:23
I've gotta ask, are we talking about a young person here or not? I've gotten the impression that this hiker might not be as young as her trailname makes her sound. Am I correct in this assumption? Not that this matters one way or the other really.
Still gotta say if Pollywog had chosen to take advantage of the first opportunity to let her folks know the gizmo was on the blink we wouldn't be having this conversation. Accepting a little personal responsibility goes a long way.
I agree. There is an implicit contract when you carry something like that. You have to know people are going to assume the worst when it stops working.
My Mom still worries about me. Cut the apron strings 30 years ago and she still worries. I guess that's part of being a Mom and I love her for that.
I asked my parents recently when I could stop worrying about my kids all the time. They responded, "how old are you?"
Appalachian Tater
03-30-2008, 20:27
I asked my parents recently when I could stop worrying about my kids all the time. They responded, "how old are you?"Hate to tell you, asking them something like that probably made them worry more!
Hate to tell you, asking them something like that probably made them worry more!
Actually, it made me worry about them. They should know old I am. ;)
I've gotta ask, are we talking about a young person here or not?
When told of her belittling demeanor towards another hiker at the Plum Orchard Shelter (prior to the missing hiker report) I got the impression she was old enough to be your mother.
Two Speed
03-30-2008, 21:02
Which means she really should have known better.
camojack
03-30-2008, 21:11
When told of her belittling demeanor towards another hiker at the Plum Orchard Shelter (prior to the missing hiker report) I got the impression she was old enough to be your mother.
Sounds about right...all of it. From what I've heard... :-?
dixicritter
03-30-2008, 21:14
Thanks guys. I think we can all just agree that it is a good thing she was found and is fine and this is all over now on this one. What's done is done, no sense beating a dead horse here.
Two Speed
03-30-2008, 21:15
Agreed. Bailing out. More important things going on.
Thru Hiker Wife
03-30-2008, 21:26
Thanks guys. I think we can all just agree that it is a good thing she was found and is fine and this is all over now on this one. What's done is done, no sense beating a dead horse here.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks guys. I think we can all just agree that it is a good thing she was found and is fine and this is all over now on this one. What's done is done, no sense beating a dead horse here.
I agree. No need to beat a dead horse, but a photoshop smashing of the spot gizmo couldn't hurt. :D