This story had a happy ending, and it's a good reminder of importance of telling someone responsible what your specific plan is and then sticking to it as best you can:

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada...snowmobile-trip

I like the quick prompt SAR response. That is the way to do it.

Good share.

Wait. What? No.

In -40 f wind chills, in Northern Canada, at night you do NOT go out alone.

No.

And if you're 70?

Nope.

Without extra fuel, extra phone, compass full Arctic rated gear ( tent bag, stove, food)

Don't. No. You shouldn't.

In a storm. In a place calle Polar Bear park?

Just no. This is flat out a bad idea.

Far too risk involved.

make better choices.

(A GPS would have helped. A $50 gps. 5 liters of gas. A powerful headlamp.)

What's wrong with going out when you are 70? Is there some sort of age limit?

Perhaps the perception of risk varies with one's familiarity with the terrain and the hazards. I suspect this sort of thing is not far from routine in the minds of people who operate in such conditions -- in the same way we operate on our often-deadly freeways.

Good job by the Rangers -- more people who live and operate in the same terrain and hazards, and have done so all their lives.

I imagine this gentleman will have a few extra goodies with him next time he sets out.

LOL, hikermor you obviously didn't get the memo! Don't you know? Old geezers like us are supposed to be content with a round of golf (using a motorized golf cart), followed by a few hands of bridge at the senior center, then a nap in the rocking chair.

Don't forget your cardigans and lap blankets, gentlemen. LOL!!

Thanks Doug. You summed it up more eloquently then I could. The people of Canada's north are in a league of their own when it comes to surviving in the harshest of environments. They like others, make mistakes but a large majority live to see another day - much like Mr. Kakekaspan has.

As for the Canadian Rangers. They truly are the unsung heroes in many northern rescues. For those not familar with the Rangers, there are some YouTube videos on this fine group of people along with a Wikipedia page that describes their organization and role in Canada's north.

Not at all; but you have to be aware that at 70 you don't have the endurance, cold-resistance, strength or even eyesight of a 40 your old.

Its another factor to take into account

You're generalizing. There are 40 year olds going on 70 and there are 70 year olds going on 40. It's a matter of the individual's level of activity and to some extent genetics. No doubt I was much more capable when I was 40, but there are a lot of 40 yo's that can't keep up. But I'm not 70

Obviously you hit a nerve,Teacher RO, but this comes at a time when I am preparing for field work next week requiring some hiking and allied strenuous activity. I was out today on a shake down cruise to see how the body was doing (with particular emphasis on the knees!). I have to laugh, because years ago would have covered the very same terrain without a second thought; now I check to see if all systems are in order.

It is perfectly true that strength, vigor, etc. tend to decline with age, but to some extent experience and judgment compensate - this will vary with the individual, of course. In the coming month, my odometer will turn over to 79, and I look forward to continuing field work as the big 8 0 approaches. I clearly must devote more time and effort to strength and, especially, flexibility. My doc tells me I am an excellent candidate for knee replacement and that will help, if I do my bit. Aging is not for the faint of heart.

My model is a fine wonderful lady, age 91, whom I harnessed and belayed as she went over the edge to perform some very meticulous digging. The job required great precision and her work was impeccable.

Happy Birthday a bit early, hikermor! Hopefully I will get a chance to meet you up in the Hills while you're still doing field work!

IMHO, to a large extent age really is just a number. No doubt our physical capabilities decrease with age but I have seen quite a few remarkably fit old geezers and all too many 20-somethings in hopeless shape, not to mention seriously lacking in the skills and judgement department.

I don't think the gentleman in question did anything altogether foolish or inviting disaster. Going out solo that time of year at night may have been risky, but I suspect it wasn't the first time he did something like that either. More likely than not it was an unlucky turn of events. Not necessarily due to a lack of gear either.

Note the following sequence - headlight burning out, sat phone broken, then running out of gas. So it seems this gentleman's gear gave up much sooner than he did.

Also, carrying a sat phone indicates a pretty good level of preparedness IMHO, it's not something often carried by most people outdoors - even though in that environment I suppose it is more common and certainly more necessary. Anyway, sat phones tend to be pretty robust devices. If his broke I think it's fair to say an ordinary smartphone (whether a dual-core with 2 gigs of RAM or a 32GB super-octocore) with an onboard GPS would have failed just as easily. Going back to basics and carrying a plain old compass might have been helpful, though.

Come this July, I will be in Hot Springs digging mammoth bones - if the Good Lord's willing and the creeks don't rise!