When you go out into the mountains you take a risk. Just like when you go out for a drive. Driving is far more dangerous.

I hike/bushwhack in the mountains by myself almost daily. It is no big deal. Maybe it seems so if you rarely if ever do such a thing. But then again I would feel threatened if I were to be in parts of New York city whilst others live there and feel perfectly at home.

My life has been on the line far more often while driving. A number of close calls over the years. But in the wilderness? Far fewer.

The press likes to hype these things up. It sells. But where I live there are dozens of locals who regularly hike these mountains without POBs and cell phones etc and etc. Just about the safest activity you can do hour for hour.