[pct-l] Yuppie 911

[Matt Thyer]

Hum,

I'm not sure how I feel about this thread at all.  First, let me say that
I'm in no way going to suggest that any beacon should be used for
"frivolous" or unnecessary rescue.  SAR teams have way too much to do with
too few funds to do it already.

This summer when I was lucky enough to find Tazul about 200 feet below the
PCT (just north of the Kendal Catwalk above Alaska Lake) I was also forced
to rethink the whole beacon equation however.  I was lucky to find him,
lucky that I could get a cell phone call through the wilderness and about 15
miles down the valley to the nearest cell tower, and lucky that I didn't
have to move him on my own.  He was lucky that all these things came
together at exactly **that** point on the trail.

Having worked with a SAR team for a couple of years in the high country of
Colorado I can tell you that a) it's a little frustrating when you have to
pull what appears to be a moron out of the wilderness and b) the former
situation is far superior to pulling corpses out of those same locations.

Beacons represent a life-line in wild country where you're lucky to run into
a friendly face.  Even in the off chance that you get to use your beacon for
a legitimate life-saving reason it's still no guarantee of life-saving
recovery.  Knowing how to save your own butt is probably better security,
but I'm pretty certain that Tazul had this collection of skills and
knowledge, but through no fault of his own was physically unable to act.  A
beacon may have mitigated his need for assistance and prevented him from
laying on a tiny granite ledge for 10 or more hours before I happened along.

It still took hours of waiting to extraction.  He was in shock, dehydrated,
in pain, and periodically had me very worried.  Move this timeline up ten or
fifteen hours and suddenly there aren't a couple of very lonely people
concerned that they may be sharing a death experience.

Matt Thyer



-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 8:40 PM
To: Paul Magnanti; PCT MailingList
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Yuppie 911

This season wasn't the first time that hikers have attempted the Crest and
expected aid when things went a little south. As the Mags-quoted article
said, hikers are buying PLBs like insurance, calling for Search and Rescue
over fear or inconvenience.

I have now finished a two-month training academy for the Douglas County,
Nevada, Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue Unit and you can bet that the
first time I have to risk my team's life and limb for someone who "cries
wolf" - when it is obvious they could have planned, prepared, or trained
better before setting out - I'm going to be pretty upset.

Sure accidents happen, but you need to consider in advance what the hazards
may be so you can plan and be ready for them, be careful and not temp their
fate by doing things rash, stupid, or impulsive, all the while knowing that
you are far from home/help and need to learn how to think ahead, maybe even
take responsibility for your actions and not expect others to come at great
risk to your aid.

We teach our students, here at Mountain Education, that the sense of freedom
in the mountains is earned through such applied virtues as forethought,
respect (of self, others, and the wilderness), self-reliance, practice,
trial, and testing.  Such things build maturity in folks, sadly not taught
often nor learned well in modern society. However, the mountains do not
tolerate fools and some people need to learn the hard way. Freedom and
independence are not free. We are so careless that we don't even notice how
we abdicate them away. So, like little children, choosing to be unaware of
consequence for our actions, we go skipping down the trail, expecting
someone to come running when we "cry wolf."

If you want to know and live the "freedom of the hills," then fill your
quiver full of the knowledge and skills needed to hike the high country
without anyone else's help, come "hell or high water," and earn the
privilege to hold your head high.

Mtnned
Mountain Education


----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Magnanti" <pmags at yahoo.com>
To: "PCT MailingList" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 3:14 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Yuppie 911


> Whatever may happen with all these PLB and SPOT stories, I am gleeful with

> the
> phrased use in the articles "Yuppie 911".
> (  http://www.dailycamera.com/get-out/ci_13639265    from an AP report )
>
> What an awesome phrase.
>
> Let's face it...many people buy these totchkes
> without the requisite outdoor experience and knowledge. Their local REI
> sold that to them as part of the outdoor lifestyle package (TM).
>
> Where as before they would not have ventured beyond their comfort zone,
> now they play Bear Gryls (minus the staged shots, camera crew and
> hotel stays. :D) , try to "conquer" the mountains
> and snivel when the water is too salty (yes; that's an actual Yuppie 911 
> call
> from many of the articles floating around).
>
> More calls like this will happen in the future.
>
> Yuppie 911 indeed.  What  wonderful, descriptive phrase.
>
> Accidents do happen...salty water ain't one of them. ;)
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************************************
> The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust
> caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
> --Thoreau
> http://www.pmags.com
> http://www.redbubble.com/people/pmags/art
> http://www.facebook.com/pmags
>
> _______________________________________________
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