Rangers help lost family on Mt. LeConte

[HooKooDooKu]

http://www.local8now.com/home/headlines/Rangers-help-lost-family--279711882.html

Family of 6 set off at 2:30pm to hike the combination Rainbow Falls and Bullhead trail.

If you skip the side trip to LeConte Lodge or High Point, that's still giving yourself 4.5 hours of daylight to hike a 12+ mile loop with a 2,500' elevation change.

[TNhiker]

Yeah..

i got the email from the park yesterday when I got back from my trip...

not how we reported it.....I was out on other things today..

But yeah---that's the first thin that ran through my head was that they weren't lost per se but rather just ran outta daylight...

and since it involved children---and the mountains lowering temperatures----that brought the rangers out....

[The Cleaner]

They should have went to Dollywood......

[Emerson Bigills]

Sad that adults would be so ignorant as to put the safety of their children in jeopardy. The lack of respect for the out of doors and general ingnorance thereof that exists in today's modern society is startling.

[Old Hiker]

But it was only a few inches on the map............oh, no map. Never mind.

OR:

What do all those lines mean?

OR:

It's just walkin'. (With apologies to Lone Wolf !)

Glad the kids are OK - hope SOMEONE learned SOMETHING with this.

[madgoat]

Scary situation. Even on flat ground, you would be hard pressed to walk 13.5 miles in 4.5 hours. Add in the elevation, and the 4,5,10,12 year old kids and you have a family that should have known better.

You would think that they would have turned around as the light was fading.... or as it got close to dinner time.

When I see front country day hikers in areas that are far away from trailheads, I try to make it a point to conversationally ask them where they are going, where they are coming from, and how their day has gone. Never hurts to ask, helps to start a pleasant conversation, and potentially could save their lives if they are pushing beyond their abilities.

[wornoutboots]

Hopefully they learned enough to be more prepared next time & that this taught them a much need life lesson of how the wilderness can have no mercy. Glad it worked out!!

[Wise Old Owl]

No they didn't-Sad isn't it.


So whats the good news in the Smokies?

[madgoat]

Good news in the smokies?

Thousands of families went hiking and camping in the Smokies over the last week. They were well prepared for the elements, they planned trips that were equal to their capabilities, and they returned to their cars safely after having a good time.

Further, after last Tuesday's 5.5" of rain and 80 MPH wind blasts, there are no roads or trails that remain closed in the park due to the crazy weather.

[jarrett.morgan]

I read about the family on the High on Leconte daily blog. It seems like the employees there are always getting called to help Rangers find injured or under prepared folks. I have mad respect for the the Leconte team and Rangers. It takes a lot determination to get up in the middle of the night to go look for an under prepared family.

[madgoat]

Thanks for pointing that out Jarrett. I missed that blog post.

http://www.highonleconte.com/daily-posts/oct-19-2014

[ATL Backpacker]

Well I'll give them some credit for venturing beyond their car more than 100 yards, getting their kids off their electronic device, and enjoying a hike as a family (even only for a few miles!). Yeah they made an uninformed decision and had a rough night b/c of it but we've all been caught unprepared as beginner hikers at some point. No reason to bash them.

[SawnieRobertson]

When I see front country day hikers in areas that are far away from trailheads, I try to make it a point to conversationally ask them where they are going, where they are coming from, and how their day has gone. Never hurts to ask, helps to start a pleasant conversation, and potentially could save their lives if they are pushing beyond their abilities.[/QUOTE]

Or save their pride.

[SGT Rock]

I jut hope it doesn't turn off the kids to the outdoors.