I agree with MostlyHarmless - its rare to see first hand accounts from survivors detailing what they did, didn't do - thumbs up that a. he survived and b. admitted the mistakes he made and c. he gives major props to SAR and the park system. Hey, if he didn't make any mistakes, likely no story. We need to minimize mistakes, but sometimes stuff happens - then we find out if your mistakes are really critical or if you are prepared and supplied enough to innovate and overcome.

One nit - always carry the essentials, including fire source and whistle. No excuses for not carrying on dayhikes. I carry at least two - one on a string around my neck, one in a pocket of my napsack. If I forget to put the string around my neck at the car or trailhead, I still have the spare. And I don't strip down my napsack to tailor it to the day's hike - same essentials, every hike. Sometimes more, but never less than the essentials.

And one plug - PLB. If you asked the hiker if he had one, would he have carried it on this dayhike? Possibly not before, but almost certainly he wouldn't forget one ever again. If he has a PLB when he shatters his kneecap, he could activate it, settle down, and concentrate on keeping warm - probably one long night outdoors. Help is on the way. $300 - is it worth two nights out overnight? 8 oz of peace of mind. If you don't have one, buy yours today.