[pct-l] Plan your own SAR

[rbelshee at hotmail.com (Rod Belshee)]

Andrew's and Donna's messages about SAR dispatch are right on. I think I 
found a way to make this easier on my hike for all parties concerned.

Here's how I chose to plan for emergency response. At each rendevoux, I gave 
my wife (Spirit) my expected arrival date at the next rendevoux, and in 
addition a different "call SAR at this date and time" which was usually 24 
hours, sometimes 48 hours later.

It only mattered once on my PCT thru-hike. In Glacier Peak, I was held back 
by weather and my four day estimate went out to five. Then I was held at the 
Nepeequa River waiting for high water to receed for half a day. Then I was 
turned back from High Pass by a white out, costing me another day. Net 
result, I could continually project when my arrival date would be, and when 
my wife would dispatch SAR, which in this case was the end of day six. When 
it was clear that I could not reach the rendevouz in time (but didn't need 
any help, since I had rationed food), I searched for a way to get a message 
out to my wife. Checking with various hunters, I heard about a tree clearing 
operation not far off the trail, and headed towards them. I found a ranger, 
and send word to both the forest service and my wife to NOT send help. In 
fact, it turns out that my wife was notifiying the ranger station at exactly 
the same moment that my message was forwarded to them, so she also got to 
hear I was okay.

Ironically, there was another hiker in the same section also delayed the 
same amount. His mom had called in to report him delayed. But he didn't have 
as specific of a timetable set up, so given the bad weather the ranger 
station had decided to wait to see if he walked in on his own, which he did. 
Still this had resulted in some activity --all the local hotels and 
restaurants in Stehekin recognized him by name when he arrived!

The moral is this. A hiker can take complete responsibility for determining 
when SAR is called, but establishing very specific date and time deadlines 
in advance. Then the folks back home have no emotional dilema of whether to 
call or not. Likewise, this is far more convincing to SAR dispatchers ("he 
has hiked over 2000 miles and never missed a scheduled check-in, and is now 
48 hours past due").  By keeping the responsibility with the hiker, the 
hiker can also turn off any unnecessary response (as I had to), even if it 
means detouring out. This prevents the waste of SAR resources, any increase 
in reluctance for them to respond to the next call from a hiker, and any 
embarrasment from a hiker over an unneeded rescue.

And, yep, Spirit is still making those lucious peanut butter cookies.

Steady Sr.