As many have mentioned, hind sight is 20/20. To pick apart the failures of brave individuals, instead of learning from them, is worse than the mistake that individual made.

I don't know squat about the Space Shuttle or how it operates, but I know enough now that I can tell you that the insulation on the booster will cause catastophic damage to the wing on the shuttle if it strikes it during take-off. In other terms, my hind sight tells me now what the greatest minds on earth couldn't figure out.

Other example: I worked in the U.S. minefields in Cuba for 12 months in the early 90's... the SOP you had to follow in order to locate, disarm, remove and replace live anti-personnel/anti-tank mines was huge. When I asked why I had to follow this exact procedure instead of using my own technique and experience, I was shown the photos and investigation reports of the 20+ Marines who had previously died in those minefields. Some of the things that caused their deaths looked like common sense... but they were not. Every time a Marine died, another rule was written. They were brothers who died so I could live and I would take a bullet in the head before I questioned their work.

I would bet a large amount of money that someone (probably many) will live because of the lesson taught by this hiker. We will never know how many lives he saved, but it doesn't matter; he has done what many of us could never do. I don't know him, but I respect the hell out of him. Hero... no; Warrior...YES.

This quote says it all:

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena;
Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
Who strives valiantly;
Who errs and comes short again and again;
Who knows the great enthusiasms,
the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause.
Who at the best, knows the triumph of high achievement;
And who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

-- Theodore Roosevelt

Learn not burn,
George