[pct-l] Paying for SAR

[Groff,Alec J]

___Most of the time, the hiker doesn't "initiate the call" and it wasn't
until quite recently that people stuck in the wilderness actually
could call for their own rescue.

Im glad you brought this up. I was unknowingly a part of SAR on a multi day trip on the Ozark Highland Trail. I was part of a group that was all prepared and educated for most all encounters we expected to face. One of my buddies spouses had a breakdown in communication on when We'd be off the trail. She thought that we should have been off the trail before we were. She freaked out and started a SAR which we didnt know about until we turned on our phones back at the vehicle after completing the hike. 

_____________________________________
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net <pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net> on behalf of Brick Robbins <brick at brickrobbins.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2013 1:02 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Paying for SAR

On Wed, Oct 9, 2013 at 4:21 AM, Ernie Castillo <erniec01 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> the motorist certainly wouldn't object to calling and paying for a tow truck. Why would SAR be any different, especially if a hiker initiated an urgent call for help?<

Most of the time, the hiker doesn't "initiate the call" and it wasn't
until quite recently that people stuck in the wilderness actually
could call for their own rescue.

Take the case of Rocket Llama, http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=436514
There was a SAR effort initiated to search for her, but she didn't
call for it, and she walked out on her own so she didn't use it.

By this libertarian "pay for service" model, who should have payed for
this SAR call?

I guess if concerned citizens are afraid to call for SAR for fear of
incurring large costs, and people die because of that fear, then it
will be OK with a sizable minority of the country... they already hold
that view for healthcare. Do you think it is time to get rid of this
commie, liberal un american free SAR?

> PCT Class of 1980 and a heavy trucker whose strategy was to carry everything in his heavy backpack he would need to live and survive in the wilderness for an extended period of time<

I find this .sig to be a bit pretentious. I'm sure you weren't
carrying skis/snowshoes and snow gear in your "heavy trucker" kit, or
2 weeks of food for a 100 mile section of trail. I do multi day
backcountry ski trips, and my kit for snow travel would be absolutely
stupid to carry on a summer PCT hike.

This was an unusual "record breaking" storm, and caused havoc all
across the country, and the cost SAR effort for the few hikers caught
in it pales in comparison to the other disaster recovery efforts it
caused.
http://www.weather.com/news/winter-storm-atlas-kills-thousands-cattle-south-dakota-20131007

These hikers that were caught in the storm were not in trouble because
of their gear, or lack of it... they had to hunker down and wait out
the storm .. FOOD was the issue. No matter how much gear you carry,
you can't travel in that much fresh snow until it compacts enough.
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