Oregon Hikers

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 042122002/

PCT hiker, started on Mexico border

He was walking in the Mt Jefferson area. Rain, snow, wet gear, ran out of food, 911, SAR rescued him.

He's in a motel in Detroit drying his stuff out. He said on the news that he plans to continue after his gear is dry.

Hopefully, someone, like SAR will convince him this is not a good idea. Things will get much worse as he gets later in the season, and it get worse farther north. How many SAR rescues will it take to get to Canada?

Was just reading a news story about this young man, in which he was quoted as saying he was gung-ho to finish his thru-hike, but now 'he was going to be smart and if there was any snow at all, he wasn't going to mess with it'. If he expects to hike the PCT from just north of Mt. Jefferson to Manning Park in BC this year, while also avoiding all snow, he obviously hasn't the slightest idea of what he's doing. But perhaps we're misinterpreting his statements and he is done for this year. If he means to come back next year and finish, great.

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"But perhaps we're misinterpreting his statements and he is done for this year."

Media reports of subjects like this are notoriously bad, hopefully he'll have good sense

"That young man is 50"

age 50 seems like a youngster to me

age 65 + 7 months seems like a youngster to me

In another story on the topic he went further to say that he was “Canada or bust” as he was from the east coast and wouldn’t easily be able to get back here to finish next year.

He’s going to have bigger problems with that strategy...like making it home alive.

If it’s taken him 6 months to just get to central Oregon on the PCT...he’s got problems.

He could still hike to Canada this year and generally avoid snow... just not on the PCT. There's always road walking, if he is determined enough. There's public land and logging roads at least part of the way. Other times he could divert to county roads and ask people living along the way to camp on their land. Not what I'd do, but it is an option. otoh, attempting another 600 miles on the crest of the Cascades with his proved non-survival skills could only be contemplated based on pure ignorance.

mjirving wrote: ↑

October 20th, 2019, 9:10 pm

In another story on the topic he went further to say that he was “Canada or bust” as he was from the east coast and wouldn’t easily be able to get back here to finish...

Classic example of a common psychological trap that gets people in trouble in the outdoors, often referred to as the “lost opportunity argument” - “If I don’t go now I won’t get another chance, so I’d better go now.” No, you’d better not.

I wonder if he can be committed? I'm not saying he should be, but one wonders what options the authorities have when somebody clearly states an intent to continue with a plan that can only end tragically.

BTW, it was right around there that I chatted with a through hiker who insisted I should do it too. He guaranteed it would change my life, said it was a huge mistake to not take up my own pilgrimage. I wanted to tell him to put a sock in it, but I remained polite.
Damn zealots.

pcg wrote: ↑

October 21st, 2019, 10:10 pm

Classic example of a common psychological trap that gets people in trouble in the outdoors, often referred to as the “lost opportunity argument”

Among mountain climbers there is a bit of wisdom that addresses this very sensibly:

Sometimes the mountain says, "No."

Aimless wrote: ↑

October 27th, 2019, 11:16 am

Sometimes the mountain says, "No."

Preach.