Missing hikers in Shining Rock Wilderness

[The Cleaner]

At least nobody's accused them of not having hiking poles.

That's a good one.A friend of mine completed an AT thru hike last year using only 1(one) hiking pole which was a stick he picked up along the trail.He used several as they can be recycled easy and are free.I'm a one pole guy too.Let the posting of links proving how great 2 expensive hiking poles begin.

[royalusa]

A few more details: https://www.ncdps.gov/lost-hikers-re...ilderness-area

[royalusa]

http://cadescovelovers.blogspot.com/...-but-cold.html

[The Cleaner]

http://cadescovelovers.blogspot.com/...-but-cold.html

One of the hikers is a "highly esteemed cheer leading coach",that's funny as Hell.They should get a bill for several thousand $$$ for their rescue.That might discourage other unprepared hikers from hitting the trail at any time.

[imscotty]

One of the hikers is a "highly esteemed cheer leading coach",that's funny as Hell.They should get a bill for several thousand $$$ for their rescue.That might discourage other unprepared hikers from hitting the trail at any time.

What I think is funnier is that his name is Davy Crockett.

I am willing to cut them a break. They took a day hike on a reasonably nice day and got lost on unmarked trails. That can happen to anyone. I have no idea how they were equipped on their day hike, but they managed to survive two cold nights and a snowstorm. They stayed together, started a fire, it seems they kept their heads. They may have a bill to pay, but they are home safe now with lessons learned. TbftgoGgi

[TwoSpirits]

TbftgoGgi indeed.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Am I the only one that keeps misreading this as "Missing hikers with Shiner Bock?"

[Skyline]

Thanks. I thought that real world testing was an intelligent and prudent thing to do. My wife had a different opinion.
Back on topic: Short days and rapidly approaching brutal weather. A noon turn around, or midway to sunset from their start time, would have been prudent. I guess we'll never know all of the details.
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I dayhike a lot in SNP and other places, mostly south- or mid-Atlantic. Almost every time it's a round-trip, or circuit hike, back to where I parked.

If I have a reason to be out of the woods at a certain time (pre-existing commitment later, pending extreme weather issue...whatever), I'll figure the number of hours from my start time to end time, subtract a half hour for a buffer, so then I know what time I'd better be headed to the trailhead. If a round trip hike, that might mean reversing direction before I reach what I wanted to be the turn-around. If a circuit, it gives me a time by which I should be well enough along (consulting map and trail description for difficulties ahead) so I know whether I can easily finish the circuit, or have to turn around and retrace steps to be at my vehicle on time.

Ideally, I won't have a reason to have a "deadline" (so I can just finish up night-hiking if necessary) but when I do, this scenario has never failed to work. It might have worked for the hikers in this story as well.

[Traillium]

One of the hikers is a "highly esteemed cheer leading coach",that's funny as Hell.They should get a bill for several thousand $$$ for their rescue.That might discourage other unprepared hikers from hitting the trail at any time.

I seriously doubt a mere few grand $ would cover the costs associated with three helicopters and what one of the above-mentioned sources reports as multiple teams. Perhaps these cheerleaders could do some fund-raising? …

Glad they were found; wishing the broader message of appropriate awareness / equipment / training / etc were included in the media reports …

( … Though I do notice that even we can't agree on what those details are … )

* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *

For my part, I'll second what others have pointed out: weather predictions are remarkably well-known days ahead, and quite accurate for 48 hours ahead of time — reliable enough to have required considerable caution to these Hiker's with only a couple of months experience …

(I live adjacent to the Great Lakes, which especially in winter, are the cause of remarkably strong small-scale weather disturbances — snow-streamers in the Langmuir coils-spirals that can drop huge amounts of snow in one location while leaving an adjacent area 10km away in blue skies devoid of any snow accumulation. (Think Buffalo, my American friends!) I know that an area in which I'd like to snowshoe about 60km away from me is very likely to get hit with such a streamer on Tuesday, 48 hours from now. I'm not heading there this midweek …)

[egilbe]

Gotta love that lake effect snow

[nsherry61]

. . .wishing the broader message of appropriate awareness / equipment / training / etc were included in the media reports …

( … Though I do notice that even we can't agree on what those details are … ) . . .

Just to add to that disagreement, it sounds to me like this couple failed primarily on navigation skills (including knowing when to start backtracking). They had the where-with-all to survive, but didn't have the common sense to use the GPS they probably have on their cell phone to be able to relay their coordinates on first contact. How much effort could have been saved it they just knew how to establish their location!?

One can compensate for a lot of mistakes and failures if one knows where they are and how to exit to relative safety.

How many survival shows would have little or nothing to film if the survivor just walked out?
How many places in the lower 48 states can you get more than a day's long hike from a road or other exit point?

[Traillium]

How many places in the lower 48 states can you get more than a day's long hike from a road or other exit point?

Another form of this excellent question is along the lines of how many places today can you be/hike where you are quite possibly something else's foodstuff?

(For me, it would up along the Hudson Bay coastline in summer, with Polar Bears fasting onshore and waiting impatiently for sea ice to let them go out seal-hunting. My wife had had that experience while studying Snow Geese outside Churchill, Manitoba. Geez!!!)

[Venchka]

Does anyone remember the group of college aged ladies who were caught by a snow storm in or near GSMNP and required a rescue?
In this case and the one above, both reports mentioned "not having any water". While surrounded by snow.
That might be a journalistic error. Or maybe not.
A detailed Lessons Learned was always required after any accident or near miss where I used to work. The same should be required in these cases. Posted publicly online.
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mweinstone]

Loss of rought has claimed many
It happens takeing a pee and getting turnned around...

Or in fog
Or by inexsperience or many many many pther ways.
Its not a personal failure its a condishion.
Allways be supportive and wait for an oppurtunity to share your knowlage on navigation.
Staying found is a nice practice and no ones imune to imperfection.
Prayers for all who face the lone dark night lost.

[rafe]

How many places in the lower 48 states can you get more than a day's long hike from a road or other exit point?

Distance might be short "as the crow flies" but that's essentially meaningless. Geraldine Largay comes to mind, as does Chris McCandless.

[Engine]

Loss of rought has claimed many
It happens takeing a pee and getting turnned around...

Or in fog
Or by inexsperience or many many many pther ways.
Its not a personal failure its a condishion.
Allways be supportive and wait for an oppurtunity to share your knowlage on navigation.
Staying found is a nice practice and no ones imune to imperfection.
Prayers for all who face the lone dark night lost.

Someone getting lost is always a possibility and that individual can receive a free pass, given that most of us have gotten turned around at some point in the past. What is less deserving of a smile and a handshake is being unprepared for what might happen in the event you do get lost. And before someone tries to argue the fact the people in question "found shelter and lived, so they must have been somewhat prepared", that's not pertinent to the fact their lack of preparation forced them to activate a SAR response which was significant in it's scope.

I'm really glad it turned out well and especially thrilled that no rescuers were harmed in the resulting operation.

[Lnj]

What does "TbftgoGgi"mean?

[Booty2015]

there but for the Grace of God go i

[brswan]

Just to add to that disagreement, it sounds to me like this couple failed primarily on navigation skills (including knowing when to start backtracking). They had the where-with-all to survive, but didn't have the common sense to use the GPS they probably have on their cell phone to be able to relay their coordinates on first contact. How much effort could have been saved it they just knew how to establish their location!?

One can compensate for a lot of mistakes and failures if one knows where they are and how to exit to relative safety.

How many survival shows would have little or nothing to film if the survivor just walked out?
How many places in the lower 48 states can you get more than a day's long hike from a road or other exit point?

I read in an article that the phone they used to contact authorities didn't include the GPS signal as most do. It was a "unique" phone it stated.

My GPS didn't work on my phone when I most needed it in the Smokies this past October. We would have had to sleep on the trail if it wasn't for some dumb luck. We hiked to Clingman's dome from the south and thought we had enough time to make it back to our 2nd camp site. It got dark and we managed to get on a side trail. Could not get a GPS lock for the life of me. Thank goodness for those guys at that camp site next to ours.

Anyways

[nsherry61]

Loss of rought has claimed many
It happens takeing a pee and getting turnned around...

Or in fog
Or by inexsperience or many many many pther ways. . .

Reminds me of one of my favorite, if scary, stories. A friend of mine was backpacking in Denali National Park. She woke up in the middle of the night needing to go pee. She walked away from the tent, barefoot and wearing just her underwear. Going pee, she got turned round and fog had settled in so much that she couldn't see the tent that was no more than a few yards away. All the yelling she could do didn't wake up her partner. She started getting very cold, and after 15 or 20 minutes of walking in circles trying to find the tend, and getting scared that hypothermia was setting in, she decided her best bet was to hike down hill, bare foot, in her underwear, to where she would have to cross the park road within a couple of miles and hopefully find help. Walking along the road, she found a ranger's truck, broke a window to crawl in, took off her wet cloths, and wrapped herself in a sheet of plastic that she found to retain some warmth. Apparently the very surprised ranger that found her the next morning, in his truck, was most kind and helpful. All turned out embarrassing and okay.

If only she'd had one of those Big Agnes Mountain Glow tents. ;-)