Lost hiker classic story

DaleW

DaleW

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http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_081407WAB_missing_hiker_search_JM.326a8cd8.html

This guy was hiking with a group and want for a "walk around the lake" while the others were taking a nap. He wandered off without his pack or any other gear. He did find water to drink and ate some berries.

This is a classic story, repeated several times each year. A simple PSK would at least left him with some navigation and signal gear. As always, he broek all the basic rules-- no essentials, no map, extra food, etc, and no one knew where he was going. How someone gets lost walking around a lake is beyond me-- most mountain lakes are sitting in a steep sided bowl, so the basic directions are up and down! If you have Google Earth, search on Snow Lake, WA and you'll see what I mean. http://www.piap.com/photos/07272002/pictures/dsc00020.html has a photo and a map at http://www.piap.com/cgi-bin/map.pl?mapNum=157&mapArea=SNQ&mapScale=25&mapSize=small
 
Good points DaleW. I carry a small psk with the essentials in a plastic travel soap container, small enough to put in a cargo pocket and at least one knife. There is no excuse for this person not to at least leave a note with the time and direction they went in and possible return time.
 
You should always have a kit with you. I have prided myself of an uncanny sense of direction.

However, I got turned around in thick under brush in the woods one day while scouting and following game trails. The area had been lightly timbered several years prior and the privet, briars and 5' pine saplings prevented me from getting a barring. I got out after about an hour, but ended up no where near where I expected.

I've never been disoriented like that before, it just happens, be prepared.
 
I'd say he probably took a trail around the lake and the trail either went past the lake or veered away. Not knowing that he probably went off the trail in the direction he thought the lake was and ended up in no man's land. I'm sure things were still recoverable at that time but that's when he deviated to try and find the lake and it went downhill from there.
 
pinetree said:
You should always have a kit with you. I have prided myself of an uncanny sense of direction.

However, I got turned around in thick under brush in the woods one day while scouting and following game trails. The area had been lightly timbered several years prior and the privet, briars and 5' pine saplings prevented me from getting a barring. I got out after about an hour, but ended up no where near where I expected.

I've never been disoriented like that before, it just happens, be prepared.
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I have a horrible sense of direction. However because I know this I am conscious of it and usually have a better feel for my location then others in my group. Only because I pay special attention and prepare a bit more.
 
WonderMonkey said:
I have a horrible sense of direction. However because I know this I am conscious of it and usually have a better feel for my location then others in my group. Only because I pay special attention and prepare a bit more.
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Exactly. The men in my family are legendary for our bad sense of direction.

Consequently, I usually hike with a compass in hand, have two for backup in various places on my person, and I HATE going anywhere without a map.

I never once have gotten lost while out hiking.

I'm deeply mystified by people who wander around the wilderness without a compass and map and the minimal skills needed to use them. What? They expect street signs or something?
 
I believe I've only been lost once while hiking, but I would have had a lot longer to wonder around if I hadn't had my compass. I was hugely relieved to have it with me, and the event solidified the notion to never travel into the bush without a suitable kit.

For better or worse (probably the latter), there just aren't that many places around here where if you walk in a straight line for a while you won't hit a road, trail, etc.. I kind if wish I had a place where I could get lost for a while!
 
I've hiked and camped a lot over the years around both Snow Lake and Gem Lake... I am dumbfounded how he could get lost around Gem Lake... It's a bowl, as someone mentioned... All's he had to do was walk to a high point and find one of many trails that circle that lake... Unless he wound up going on the downhill trail to the Upper and Lower Wildcat lakes on the north side of the ridge away from Gem Lake, the only other way would have been the trail back to Snow Lake, as there are very steep drops on the East and West sides of the ridges around those lakes... Oh well, never underestimate the ability of someone to get in over their heads... And yup, always at least carry a PSK on your belt or in a pocket... The rest is simply try using your head! :rolleyes:
 
DaleW said:
This guy was hiking with a group and want for a "walk around the lake" while the others were taking a nap. He wandered off without his pack or any other gear. ... A simple PSK would at least left him with some navigation and signal gear. As always, he broek all the basic rules-- no essentials, no map, extra food, etc, and no one knew where he was going.
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I doubt a PSK would have done him any good if he didn't get rule #1 right.

It'd be like handing a dictionary to a guy who doesn't know the alphabet. :)
 
DaleW;4828855 This guy was hiking with a group and want for a "walk around the lake" while the others were taking a nap. [B said:
He wandered off without his pack or any other gear.[/B]
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Irresponsible. Plain and simple. Not sure how he got lost around the lake.:confused: As far as I'm concerned he should be made to pay expenses incurred by the search and rescue effort.
 
There is a big difference between an unplanned night in the woods and an unprepared night in the woods. The latter is never acceptable and may prove fatal.
 
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