The takeaway lesson here for me is that, as practitioners of preparedness, we shouldn't be surprised that bureaucracy makes mistakes, we should count on it. The person primarily responsible for keeping you safe is you. Bad things do happen where you will need help (broken leg, animal attack etc.) but that is far different from just wandering off then suddenly looking up and relizing you don't know where you are or how to get where you want to be.

SAR is great thing and necessary. But they are going to have about the same success rate as the police department does at preventing crime and apprehending perps, or the fire department does at preventing fires and saving fire victims. Nobody bats 1.000. That's why we spend time on forums like this, and hopefully, practice what we learn here.

As for leaving your plans at the front desk or the ranger station, unless the organization in question has a procedure for that sort of thing, your information isn't going to survive past shift change. Leaving plans with family or frineds is much more reliable (well, depending on who your friends are ;)).