Lost Hiker in Vancouver

Sounds like all he needed was a whistle at one point and he could have shortened his ordeal by a few days.

Another article said he was wearing running shoes. If his feet were so bad he required morphine, I assume he loses some toes at best.

I don't know the terrain, but he had a tarp and a little food. It seems to me that any knife, a lighter, a whistle, a cell phone, maybe a mirror, and boots would have saved his feet at least.

Boots alone, it sounds like, would have made a significant difference.

Here is the general area and an idea of the terrain in this picture that I took in Dec. 2010. Hanes Valley is slightly NW from here.


This link to a pdf map of Lynn Valley Park shows Hanes Valley just to the bottom right of the map legend.

The above picture was taken in the river bed at the Third Debris Chute location as denoted in the pdf.

This man was very lucky. This is extremely rugged and unforgiving country which has turned me back on more then one occasion.

Some more info on the rescue here.

[quote=TeslinhikerThis man was very lucky. This is extremely rugged and unforgiving country which has turned me back on more then one occasion. [/quote]

A beautiful landscape photo as always. Thanks for providing us a view into the area.

Looking at your map, it appears that he didn't make it in too far from the entry point, and that it is a well-used trail. I wonder if there's more to the story...........

Odd... not much of a beard after 10 days.

Sue

I don't think that picture is fresh...

Big bonus for bringing a tarp and being able to stick around for 10 days. It takes some guts to do that.

Big anti-bonus for not filing a trip plan by a responsible person. Search initiated because his car wasn't moved for 10 days is a lousy substitute for a trip plan.

As always, there's very little detail reported. Bad shoes may have been a factor, but I would be reluctant to accept that as a hard fact with so little hard information to go on. I'll also abstain from commenting on what other preparations he made for that trip.

One other lesson, though: Being able to make a fire isn't always as easy as you think. Fire starters and a tool for manipulating wood are important tools.

Lower Lynn is a popular area but not a lot of people, proportionately do not get up into Hanes Valley. If you do venture up there, as always you need to be prepared. The area is punctuated by rugged terrain and dense forest. Step off the off the main trail(s) even 10's of yards, people can walk right by you and not even know you are there as was in this case. This man was fortunate that the woman who found him is a member of the local SAR and had access to the local SAR supply caches up there.

You are correct on the difficulty of fire making. There has been a lot of rain (days and weeks worth) up here along with temps at night close to freezing. The ground and vegetation up here are thoroughly saturated. Pretty tough conditions for fire making for even the experienced person...

the 2 cents solution: Leave a trip plan with 2 people...and one in your car.

WHERE are you going?

WHO are you with?

WHAT are your carrying?

WHEN do you expect to be back?

ANY communications gear? Cell phone/ radio/etc?

Depends on what you mean by boots. I find simple leather
boots to be colder than running shoes if I am immobile, especially when wet and the leather takes much longer to dry.

Insulated boots or thick dry socks to put on would be another
matter.

Watch the rescue video in the first link.

He was only going out for the day, so he took a tarp and nothing else?

Why does this entire incident sound so fishy?

Sue

He is described as being significantly dehydrated. How in the world can anyone achieve dehydration in that impossibly well watered country (old desert rat speaking)?

Easy. Many people don't know how important it is to drink. Even if you do know you may be exhausted to the point where you cease to do the right thing - i.e. to tired to think, too tired to drink.


On a regular day hike it takes a conscious mental effort to drink enough - at least for me. I can very well imagine that the effort required to drink enough is trippled when that day hike turns into a survival episode. Never been there, but there are plenty of stories that confirm that this is actually so.

Sadly it is similar statements posted with some unseeingly regularity here, cause me to post and contribute less and less on ETS. I have been following this story on a local forum since the man was reported missing on the 16th and although there is constructive criticisms of the person's actions/in-actions, misguided statements like the above are nowhere to be found...

This is a case where the rescued man should receive an invoice for the rescue. I compare this case to an ambulance trip I had to take a few years ago. I received an invoice for about $1,200, plus a medical bill. It was an unavoidable emergency and did not involve a helicopter. This guy marched into the woods without reasonable preparation and could have avoided the difficult rescue. How is the guy in this case more worthy of having his bill excused? He's not.

The rescuers should get paid from both invoice payments and tax dollars. I include tax dollars only because there's no way this type of rescue service can be maintained with invoice payments alone.

It has always confused me how some people seem to think the money for a rescue service appears magically. In this economy, if a community has enough money to keep alive this expensive rescue service, then there has got to be misplaced funds in a budget somewhere.

The issue of payment seems to come up regularly in discussions of rescues on this forum. They seem to often take the general form of 'Well, if you are not going to follow the established rules, then you are negligent and should be penalized." I think that this individual, frost nipped toes and all, has suffered plenty, without bringing finances into the discussion.

Just curious, has anyone on this forum ever spent an extra unplanned ten days in the wilderness. I have been delayed for a day or two on occasion, but nothing like what this guy experienced...

I think it should come down to due dilligence (hope I spelled that right, I'm at work so no spell checker), did the person at least make some sort of effort to be prepared.
We went down into southern ohio this weekend (Hocking hills area) and went down a couple short hiking paths. We saw a lot of people hiking in flip flops and tank tops on a posted difficult trail, one lady in a long dress, another carrying a baby. Then you see the others with backpacks and hiking staffs. If I had to rescue someone I think I'd be more inclined to charge the ones in flip flops than the ones that are more prepared.
We get funny looks sometimes due to my 20lbs of Camelbak backpack bu I'd rather go prepared. People do think my 5 year old is pretty cool with his backpack on. Some might think it not to smart of me to take my young kids on a difficult trail but they have already started to get bored on the easier ones.

Nonsense! The very best thing a kid can do is challenge difficult terrain.

Granny (78) and Nanny (36), both of which are absolutely terrified of falling, does NOT need to watch. In fact they'd better stay home. We'll come back home to them afterwards, exhausted and happy and more than ready for the tender loving care that they can provide.

Mommy (age not specified) wasn't too happy at the time either

My kids have all been hiking with me since they were able to walk. I've carried the youngest on my shoulders for miles when she got tired of walking, but she still didn't want to leave. Each had there own little pack with some supplies. Nothing like we bring today, but at least a jacket, rain gear, flashlight and food.

Some people aren't raised that way, and I commend them for getting out and enjoying nature. Unfortunately, they were never taught the importance of being prepared for unexpected trouble. Its too bad more kids don't get involved with scouts, though sometimes that's a mixed bag, too (I've helped rescue more than one lost scout leader, the most recent this summer. He was shockingly unprepared). Many schools in my area are adding an adventure course to their curriculum to introduce kids to more outdoors activities. Sadly, they do not seem to be providing any preparedness training to the course.

I had not heard of this. So, it's just another expensive feel-good idea with the kids not learning to be self-sufficient in any way?

Your kids are incredibly lucky that their father (parents) cared enough to invest the time and effort.

I joined the Scouts just to learn how to camp and all that 'fun stuff'. All we did was sell calendars, sell candy, sell cookies, sell greeting cards, and make little circle poufs of cloth.

Sue

What a great set of habits to teach your kids, Mark! Teaching them to think proactively about their safely is a great gift to give them.

I've been trying to decide about the scouts. I was in the cub scounts growing up and it was more crafts than anything else. There is a pack of the Royal Rangers associated with out church but seems they are mostly on the other side of the city with their activities. And my daughter wants to follow right beside my son with anything we do and some of the different scouting troops are segregated.

Scouting all comes down to the unit leaders (most of whom are parents too). Cub Scouting is for younger boys, and so does tend toward more indoor activities; but a Pack with leaders who like to get outdoors will still do a lot of outdoors activities. Boy Scouts (usually 11 and up) tend more toward camping, but again it depends on the unit leaders.

My troop went out at least once a month, and our leaders had work and life experiences that meant we got to do first aid, wilderness survival, rappelling, backpacking, etc. There were other troops that did not do so much. If the nearest scouting unit (for either gender) is not doing what you want, put your kids in a better one. Or find other like-minded parents and start one!

Realistically, how the program is run comes down to the leaders, parents and kids involved. I think the best thing to do would be to talk with the leaders of a given program to find out how they do things.

Additionally, in Canada, we have Program Standards that each group's programming is expected to meet or exceed. Finding out how a group plans on meeting these standards could be a good starting point. I don't know if the BSA or other national organizations have anything similar.

As for your daughter, in Canada all levels of Scouts are co-ed but I don't know what options exist elsewhere.

When are the Equipped to Survive Troops starting up?

ETS troops are home schooled.

Every Scout group is different, Eugene. You may have to try more than to meet like-minded people. Our groups gets each section out for a hike at least once a month, and we plan a group camping trip and evening outdoor adventure at least once a season, often twice. Other groups in our local area aren't as concerned about getting out into nature.

Someone has already mentioned the program standards we follow here in Canada, so I'll just say that if your group does crafts or plays dodgeball every week, talk to your leaders and get involved.

Sadly, if often comes down to money. We need enough youth to participate in excursions so we can off-set the costs. Also, if parents balk at their kids doing activities (appropriately dressed, of course) in inclement weather, we quickly get limited to the gyms.

As a Scout leader, and as a mom, I hate that!

Thats the one downside. We see the a local scout pack in front of stores here selling popcorn every morning, thats not how i want to spend my time. I buy my kids gear but the scouts require their uniform and certain items that you have to buy through them. IMHO eliminate some of that and you can save some $ for outdoor gear.