The rule of staying with the vehicle exists because a vehicle is easier to spot from the air than a person. But if no one is looking for you, the rule may become pointless. The rule has never said: Stay with the vehicle until you die. There will probably come a time when you have to make a decision.
I can't help but think that there are a lot of armchair adventurers at this site. That area is really rough country. Traveling 8 or 10 miles in up-and-down terrain like that, in winter, is no easy feat. The fact that he died a mile or half-mile from food, heat and shelter doesn't mean anything. If you don't know it's there, it might as well not be.
Food: One energy bar isn't going to last anyone a week or two, esp Americans. People who are used to eating are going to worry about not eating, and it would probably cloud their judgment and affect their decisions. No matter how macho you are, lack of food will probably begin to affect you after two days or so, esp in the cold. And if you have kids with you....
They were driving an AWD. I live in rural WA, where an awful lot of the people drive AWD. They think it will prevent them from sliding on ice and will get them out of any predicament that could possibly happen to them in a vehicle. The Kims were from the city... need I say more?
From the local coverage of this ordeal, it seems that the county involved has no helicopter. If it hadn't been for the family of the Kims, the whole family might be dead by now. They were the ones who tracked down the tower pings through the phone company, and narrowed the search area. They were the ones who hired a helicopter to search the area. If they hadn't put forth this effort (and money), the news coverage and the searching may not have been quite so extensive.
People think that smoke always travels straight up. In times of low pressure, it just sits on the ground and hides under the trees. Don't expect anyone to notice.
I did snort at the authorities saying they were going to try to find the vandals who cut the chain on the gate closing the road. They haven't a clue and never will.
Sue, who hoped this situation would turn out better than it did
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