[pct-l] "I'm Fine.....Lost Hiker North Cascades

[Reinhold Metzger]

[pct-l] "I'm Fine.....Lost Hiker North Cascades

If he had a map and compass he would have realized that the trail crossed
the river and seen that the route he chose instead led into a treacherous
dead end canyon that almost cost him his life.
It was a disaster waiting to happen and he is very fortunate and lucky to
have made it out alive.

That is the disastrous route I was referring to.

As far as your question,...because he walked out on his own, what evidence
do I have that he was unprepared for the conditions he found?....One could
use that same logic and argue that a hiker that ventures into a snow storm
wearing only a bathing suit was prepared for the conditions he found because
by some miracle he survived and made it out on his own.

"God help us all"....it is a miracle that we don't have more fatalities on
the trail.

JMT Reinhold
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Nathan wrote:
Can you tell me what disaster Ian's route led to and what evidence you have
that he was unprepared for the conditions he found?  He did walk out on his
own and continue his hike after all.

Nathan
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[pct-l] "I'm Fine.....Lost Hiker North Cascades

Yes,
Yet another lesson to be learned from this is...."Be prepared for the
conditions you are most likely to encounter."
By heading into unfamiliar snow covered wilderness, with winter approaching
and a major storm on the way, without a map and compass and inadequate rain
gear, "I'm Fine" obviously did not realize what he was getting into and as
a result was not prepared for the conditions he encountered.
If he had a map and compass, he might have avoided that disastrous route he
chose.
Another lesson to be learned from this is...."UL" is great as long as it is
not taken to the point were it compromises your preparedness.
Another lesson...there is nothing wrong with "Heavy Trucking", if you can
handle the weight, especially if you wind up in the kind of weather that
"I'm Fine" wound up.
"Heavy Trucking" may be less comfortable, but if you can handle the weight,
under certain conditions it could save your life, if you have in your pack
what it takes to survive extreme conditions.

It appears that "I'm Fine" embraced the "Heavy Trucker" mentality for his
reentry.

I got to hand it to "I'm Fine"...even though he made a lot of mistakes, he
is a survivor, learned his lesson the hard way, and had the "B$$$s and the
determination to reenter and finish his hike...most folks would have called
it quits after such close call.

For that I take my hat of to "I'm Fine."

JMT Reinhold
Your UL "Heavy Trucker"