I can understand lost hikers and even ill-equipped lost hikers. What I can't understand is the number of hikers who have to be extricated by helicopter from the side of a mountain. It seems like we are getting 5 or 6 of these stories a year. Somebody sets out for a day hike (not rock climbing.) It gets late and suddenly they are in a spot where they can't go up or down. A cell call goes out and the helicopter makes a retrieve after dark.

These people are not lost or injured, nor is the weather a factor. They are merely "stuck". They have not only forgotten to stay on the trail but also that the sun goes down every night!

Regards, Vince