[pct-l] All this hub-bub....over.....?

[Georgi Heitman]

something I did?  First of all, let me state that neither Andrea nor I called in SAR, tho one or both of us may (or may not) have contributed info to those who decided to do that.  If either of us did give information out, better that we insure that what was being spread over the airways was as accurate as possible, the least we might do, not only for the SAR teams out there, but for the hikers themselves and their families.  I will say this, your post has given rise to a pretty impressive amount of feedback, and based on what I've read thus far (18 replies) IF I had called the SAR out, I think I'd be inclined to do the same thing again, tho perhaps after waiting til they were actually overdue, but not by much.  Granted, five days worth of food can be stretched to go for another day, but given the weather conditions and the forecast for worse, skimping on meals to make another days travel possible can easily create an even more dangerous scenario if the hiker(s) in question is already exhausted, dehydrated and possibly hypothermic.  Case in point, the sad story of the northern CA/southern OR search last winter for the man who was found when SAR people came across the trail of clothing he was shedding, possibly because his hypothermia had advanced to the point that he was no longer feeling cold. 
 Worry over Pacha was a concern I had, it's hard for a dog to tell it's owner that all feeling in it's feet has gone.   So, while I state again that neither Andrea nor I made the call that brought out the SAR, I for one, am not too worried that the caller did the wrong thing.  I suspect that SAR would say 'better to be safe than sorry'.
And 'sorry' conjures up some pretty horrific end results given my active imagination.
Now, I did say that I'm concerned that some hikers that I know to be in the storm zone haven't been accounted for yet and hoped that those folks would check in soon, I'm just a mom with hundreds of 'family members' to worry about, what can I say?  So, if asking if anyone has heard from or about ______ or _______ is a crime, I plead guilty.  Nowhere, however, did I indicate that I intended to announce to all and sundry where everyone was if they did make known to us the status of their hike.   Andrea and I would have undoubtedly exchanged notes, but off the list, forum and general airways.   
As Andrea so nicely put it, we know where you stand on this subject, HYOH!  So if you should ever be among the missing in conditions like hikers in Washington are facing, possibly with inadequate gear for severe and sudden changes in the weather, I'd try very hard to let you die on your own.  Could I really chance that it might happen with no steps being taken to prevent such a thing?  I don't know...so for the first time in nine years of Trail Angeling, I'd have to suggest that in the interest of your privacy, you might bypass the Hideaway.  I tend to care about the people I get to know first hand, tho in your case, I'd work hard to avoid that, knowing how you feel about interference in your life.
So, Brick...I've tried to be nice, hope I've been successful.  I think your points about John Donovan were very much spot on by the way.  Feel free to stop in at the Heitmans, should you ever hike through Shasta Co. I think that Shutterbug assessed correctly the actions that SAR teams would take to make sure that the search they were about to undertake, did indeed, have merit. Obviously, they felt the case of Nadine, Chris and Pacha fit their criteria. 
 I suspect that Andrea agrees that we appreciate all the feedback, pro and con alike....say, maybe we should start a list, Andrea, tho not on line, of course...that would show just who would appreciate knowing that someone was concerned about their well being and those who would prefer to let Mother Nature take her course,  remembering that for the most part, Mother Nature is a bitch!  At least that way, we'd have firm guide lines.
Ahhh...take very good care of yourself, Postholer, since you've pretty much told all of us to butt out.  
FireFly
aka Georgi
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