Lost hiker found

[Grannyhiker]

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Search-u ... 42471.html

It was great that KATU attached the statement from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Department. Hopefully, at least some will read and heed!

Everyone should always take the "Ten Essentials" if they're going to be more than 15-20 minutes from their vehicle! http://www.backpacking.net/ten-essl.html

Among the "common sense" items, it's probably a good idea to note the time of sunset before leaving home. While hiking, keep track of the time, and turn around in ample time to get back to the trailhead before dark, whether or not you've reached your destination. Down in forested canyons, on cloudy days, you can't expect much twilight after sunset. Now that we're off daylight saving, it's dark by 5 pm and of course darkness will keep getting earlier until December 21.

[Crusak]

Good to see that he walked out on his own, and even drove himself home. Too bad he wasn't as prepared as he should have been.

The article said he burned his backpack, and even his hat, to stay warm, using a lighter. Interesting choices. I suppose getting the wet stuff on the ground to burn in the Gorge in November would be a tall task (but with the right tools...)

Still, a happy ending and hopefully a gentle learning experience for him.

[jdemott]

It is fortunate that he was somewhere that he could establish cell phone contact, since it sounds like he was not prepared to spend a night outdoors. Burning your hat doesn't sound like a good way to stay warm. Perhaps it helped to keep the darkness away.

As always, Grannyhiker has sensible thoughts on the subject--hopefully the story will serve as a lesson to some folks. I'm sure everyone here has had similar experiences to mine of meeting people several miles from the trailhead, carrying only a water bottle and asking for directions. I'm glad it all worked out for this lost hiker.

[Lurch]

Just to clarify from the news article, he was on Horsetail Creek Trail, not Horsetail Falls Trail

[Roy]

Just to clarify from the news article, he was on Horsetail Creek Trail, not Horsetail Falls Trail

Man those news people get on that fast I was up at 4:30 getting ready for work and I think they had said they had been up there since 1 am.

One time I got sick and dehydrated on Monitor ridge in early Nov my wife called 911 cause I should have been home by 4 pm. If it was last thing I was going to do I was NOT going to be on the AM news

Met a Skamania county sheriff at climbers bivouac at 1 am.

Funny thing was my wife went to work the next day and a Sar guy at her work said your hubby had a little trouble last night he got the call about 9:30 but they had no plans to search till dawn.

No fricken cell service around there.

Good ending to this one always a nice thing.

[timbernet]

Another job well done by MCSOSAR - I bet the team that found the lost hiker slept really well... they sure had a long hike!

[ebishop]

I used to race the sun to get back to my car before dark... then I discovered headlamps.