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kbatku Questionable hiker
Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 3330 | TRs | Pics Location: Yaquima |
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kbatku
Questionable hiker
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Sat Oct 28, 2017 2:06 pm
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Chico Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2012 Posts: 2500 | TRs | Pics Location: Lacey |
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Chico
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Sat Oct 28, 2017 3:44 pm
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Like Quote: | “Isn’t that their job?” |
In the SAR section. I sincerely hope hikers know better and that SAR "workers" are not paid to put their lives on the line to save sometimes stupid people.
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Windstorm Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2014 Posts: 288 | TRs | Pics
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Chico wrote: | In the SAR section. I sincerely hope hikers know better and that SAR "workers" are not paid to put their lives on the line to save sometimes stupid people. |
Well, at least SAR knows they're not paid to put their lives on the line. You'll notice that in last week's search for the two hikers on the PCT, SAR teams from two counties evaluated the conditions and decided to turn around because the risk was too high.
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asdf Member
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 274 | TRs | Pics
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asdf
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Mon Oct 30, 2017 3:40 pm
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It is definitely true that many are not experienced hikers. They may be experienced hiking the PCT, but many of them lack the wide variety of experience that you might find among serious hiking populations (and which may be necessary to draw upon, with unexpected weather in a remote location).
But that's not to completely generalize, many of them are extremely knowledgeable and practiced as well.
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thunderhead Member
Joined: 14 Oct 2015 Posts: 1511 | TRs | Pics
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Inexperienced hikers from benign climates just have no idea how much snow and hypothermic rain is waiting for them in the North Cascades once winter arrives(and it arrives early). North Cascades are pretty high on the list of snowiest places on earth, especially by mass. Its not unusual for the great rocky mountain ski areas to get TEN TIMES less snow mass than the high terrain around here.
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joker seeker
Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 7953 | TRs | Pics Location: state of confusion |
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joker
seeker
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Tue Oct 31, 2017 11:19 am
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thunderhead wrote: | Its not unusual for the great rocky mountain ski areas to get TEN TIMES less snow mass than the high terrain around here. |
That said, I've been tentbound in nasty hypothermia weather (snow/rain edge) for a few days in CO in August. Same deal in a few New England states. The 1-4 foot dense snow dumps we can get seemingly "all of a sudden" (typically forecasted though...) are unlike what I've experienced in those places during fall trips.
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treeswarper Alleged Sockpuppet!
Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 11272 | TRs | Pics Location: Don't move here |
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treeswarper
Alleged Sockpuppet!
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Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:10 pm
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I would say that The Heavy Dump Of Snow That Is Here To Stay happens around the elk rifle season opener. But here is not there.
What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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thunderhead Member
Joined: 14 Oct 2015 Posts: 1511 | TRs | Pics
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Oh ya, they certainly don't have a monopoly on bad storms when compared with other big mountains. The North Cascades are simply going to get them more frequently than other locations in the 48 states. I don't think many years would allow an October to pass without at least one heavyweight storm for the high Cascades, that is well beyond the worst winter storm in the entire history of most inhabited places.
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Pyrites Member
Joined: 16 Sep 2014 Posts: 1880 | TRs | Pics Location: South Sound |
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Pyrites
Member
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Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:08 pm
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I remember meeting two persons north of Snoqualmie Pass. We were all on snowshoes. They were headed S on the PCT.
They said they were four or five weeks behind schedule. They talked about storms on the famous White Mountain, but couldn’t believe mile after mile, day after day of truly deep snow. They’d made it that far, and still seemed in shock and denial. They said they’d read about the snow, but they’d winter camped the worst New England had to offer. How could it be worse than that?
I couldn’t understand why their reaction was to back out and get snowshoes, instead of backing out and buying Greyhound tickets to the southern end of the trail.
Best.
PS I guess the Donner party had a hard time believing that snows in the Sierra weren’t like snows back home.
Keep Calm and Carry On?
Heck No.
Stay Excited and Get Outside!
Keep Calm and Carry On?
Heck No.
Stay Excited and Get Outside!
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BigBrunyon Member
Joined: 19 Mar 2015 Posts: 1450 | TRs | Pics Location: the fitness gyms!! |
Every couple years you hear these stories of groups having to eat eachother up in the north cascades
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ale_capone Member
Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 717 | TRs | Pics
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Several years ago my off leash dogs found a pct hiker sitting on a large boulder near Valhalla lake. We went to smithbrook to try to stomp in the new snow up to the lake. Snow was too deep, so we turned back at the saddle. We found him at the junction on the way back, very near dark. He was Going north to south and he hit a fall snow storm. One very cold ultra night out, and a difficult day keeping on the trail.. very near hypothermia.
He had no idea how far from the highway he was, or that another 6-12"s where forecast that night. He knew he was only a day away. Two days away from boarding a plane to be best man at his brothers wedding.
After very little discussion, he was more then happy to shortcut back with us and get a lift to the trail angel in skykomish. On the way we gave him a beer. He started to get emotional and told us he seen our tracks, and sat hoping we would return... As he began making his peace. Knowing he couldn't make another night.. sorry he wouldn't make his brothers wedding. He was probably right. He was sitting on a cold rock, near dark, in wet trail runners, seeming a little dazed. And he was making no attempt to set up camp.
We dropped him off, and he thanked us for being his real "trail angles".
I drove him to Seattle the next day, he made his brothers wedding, and planned to return to finish. All he had left was Stevens to Snoqualmie.
Bobcat, wild cat? Some kind of cat. From the south east. Maybe class of 08 or 09.
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Brucester Member
Joined: 02 Jun 2013 Posts: 1102 | TRs | Pics Location: Greenwood |
I almost quit the AT in Georgia.....
Just wasn't feeling it, as simple as that.
A stranger suggested a good nights sleep, a hot meal, shower, laundry....
And as simple as that- I was back on track, renewed spirit.
Second chances..... Grateful for that person's advice.
I was lucky. I've seen injured, burnt out, sick, and inexperienced hikers leave the trail.
Snow can be a pain but you sometimes have options. We've hiked around sections on the CDT buried in snow. Do what 'cha gotta do. No judgements. Just don't get in over your head and try slogging through deep snow in running shoes. Slower pace means you will run out of food faster and also run the risk of injury walking on uneven ground without ankle support should you veer off trail.
It's a whole different trail when there's snow on it!
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treeswarper Alleged Sockpuppet!
Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 11272 | TRs | Pics Location: Don't move here |
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treeswarper
Alleged Sockpuppet!
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Sat Nov 04, 2017 1:36 pm
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Too bad they don't have a trail finding dog. Yes, they exist and I was lucky enough to have had such a dog.
I found out he had this talent when I drove up to White Pass and decided to walk a ways north on the PCT--just a day hike. The snow was hard as it was spring. We weren't lost but I lost the trail and started looking for blazes. The footprints from any snowshoe or ski traffic had melted and the trail blended in with the rest of the snow. The Used Dog started walking his way. I went over and he was on the trail--there were blazes. I let him take the lead and he stayed on the trail the rest of the way. I guess he could smell all the boot tread molecules underneath? I had no idea he would do that.
What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Chico Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2012 Posts: 2500 | TRs | Pics Location: Lacey |
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Chico
Member
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Sat Nov 04, 2017 10:39 pm
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One of my late dogs appeared to have an excellent sense of direction. While at my mothers place in Roslyn she took off up a trail. Didn't follow her but after a bit of a wait here she comes up the street, having apparently gone around the block of properties.She also had a good nose but # 1 dog had a nose to beat most any.
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