Oregon Hikers

Another observation on being "lost". My son did a solo trip CW around the Timberline Trail a few weeks ago, in between storms. Somewhere around Lambertson Butte, where it feels very alpine, he was in the zone and burst out into spontaneous song. Immediately he heard someone shouting from below. He shouted back and heard "Help, I'm lost!" He called to the guy to come up to his voice, where he was, on the trail. It took this fellow about 15 minutes to make his way up through the knee-deep snow. When he reached my son, he was shivering uncontrollably, confused, stumbling, and largely incoherent. He was wearing jeans which were soaked from the knee down and had a daypack and light jacket and a bag of nuts.

Long story short my son backtracked with him almost to Cooper Spur until he was in better shape and he was confident the guy could make it on his own to the campground to meet a ride waiting for him. He told my son he had left Timberline Lodge at midnight that morning, going CCW. It was 4:30 in the afternoon when he found him.

Here's the kicker and a testament to what happens when you become hypothermic and/or mentally lost... my son looked at this person's iPhone that was his sole source of navigation. It was working just fine and it displayed a map of the Timberline Trail. On it my son could see this fellow's tracks where he left the trail and then began traveling in circles. This fellow could see this and yet... !?!?!?

wow! Lucky for that guy. If he was shivering uncontrolably, and off the trail, it seems likely he would not have otherwise survived.

Did your son continue around the mountain successfully?

Yes, and IMO this particular event was a great experience for him. I'm happy for both of them that it happened and turned out well. I think it was a great learning experience for all involved.

Probably already impaired to accidentally turn down the Bonanza trail. It turns sharply downhill from a trail that is on top of a ridge. Maybe hypothermic? Bonanza has some tricky to follow spots that someone could have easily slipped/gone off trail from. Glad he survived to tell his story!

Maybe that's an easy mistake?

Good lesson. When you go up a trail and there's a side trail, really focus on it, look backwards at it so you'll remember where to go on the way back.