Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

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OneSpeed
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by OneSpeed » February 5th, 2021, 11:30 am

I just read this guy's story and kept a quick, informal list of the basic suggestions he didn't follow:

Do your research
Tell somebody where you're going (and if you change your mind)
Bring a map and compass
Bring the 10 essentials "even for a day hike"
Don't leave the trail
If you lose the trail, turn around to where you're on it again and get the hell out of there
Make sure your phone is charged, conserve battery, and bring a backup charger

Did I miss any?

Yikes all around.

Aimless
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by Aimless » February 5th, 2021, 12:30 pm

RobFromRedland wrote:
February 5th, 2021, 9:47 am
And another important thing is that if you ARE going to depend on your cell phone, you need to make sure you bring a charging battery pack - because if you don't you will most likely lose your phone when you most need it.
This requires the mindset that you might get into serious trouble while hiking and should anticipate what you would need to escape it or avoid it altogether, then bring those resources with you. This lack of preparedness is extremely common with novice hikers, simply because they never dream that trouble could blindside them on the trail. Even very experienced hikers have been known to omit taking the necessary minimum to survive an unexpected event, because they thought it wouldn't be necessary "this time". Suffering a serious injury on the trail is not always avoidable, but getting lost is almost always avoidable if you take the correct resources, know how to use them, and *pay attention*.

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retired jerry
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by retired jerry » February 5th, 2021, 12:59 pm

"Did I miss any?"

Don't drink your pee

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OneSpeed
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by OneSpeed » February 5th, 2021, 1:38 pm

retired jerry wrote:
February 5th, 2021, 12:59 pm
Don't drink your pee
Still trying to block that one out, thanks.

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retired jerry
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by retired jerry » February 5th, 2021, 1:57 pm

in his post he said he drank his pee

he must have been watching reality shows on TV :)

squidvicious
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by squidvicious » February 5th, 2021, 2:31 pm

OneSpeed wrote:
February 5th, 2021, 11:30 am
Did I miss any?
When there's a warning posted at the base of the trail that says it's fire damaged and may be difficult or impossible to follow in places, perhaps believe it.

Know what time sunset is. And how fast you're moving, and how far you have to go.

A lot of the stuff in the story doesn't surprise me. Commonplace stuff that you know you're supposed to do / not do, but happens all the time: going out without telling someone your plans, taking off for a familiar trail without checking for closures first, making a last minute change of plans to a trail you may not be as familiar with, not carrying the full "ten essentials" (although it does sound like he had some stuff, like food and a flashlight), not carrying a map and compass (realistically, how many people do or could use them if they had them?), giving in to the lure of pressing on once you start to have problems because it seems like you're through the really bad part, etc.

But some of those decisions I can't wrap my head around at all. Deciding to continue when it took 3 hours just to get to Indian Point and you're still headed up? (I don't read his description as saying he made the decision an hour before dusk, but still clearly too late); deciding to basically just drop down a cliff in the dark because the way you came--and know is the right way, and may be able to recognize and orient yourself on--seems "too sketchy"; not knowing if you're on the trail but continuing because you're probably "pretty close" and that's all good, right? I'm also confused why he's so sure he's about to break out at the trailhead and his car at any moment, when he's going down in a totally different direction from the way he came. Although I guess I'm still confused about where he started and where he intended to go--or if where he intended was anywhere near where he actually was by the time it dawned on him he was in trouble.

The video of the rescue doesn't exactly clarify anything, but if you haven't seen... well, there's video
https://youtu.be/4PpTSnMorp8
Last edited by squidvicious on February 5th, 2021, 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Don Nelsen
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by Don Nelsen » February 5th, 2021, 2:34 pm

There's more wrong with this story every time I go back and read the replies here. I don't do Facebook so can't see if anyone has responded to his story - is anyone here on that site who can post what his friends have said or if he has added more?
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

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OneSpeed
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by OneSpeed » February 5th, 2021, 5:50 pm

Don Nelsen wrote:
February 5th, 2021, 2:34 pm
There's more wrong with this story every time I go back and read the replies here. I don't do Facebook so can't see if anyone has responded to his story - is anyone here on that site who can post what his friends have said or if he has added more?
I think I can see it all on Facebook, but nobody is asking the kind of hike-related questions I think people here would. More just his friends saying glad you're okay, etc.

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OneSpeed
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by OneSpeed » February 5th, 2021, 5:52 pm

squidvicious wrote:
February 5th, 2021, 2:31 pm
I guess I'm still confused about where he started and where he intended to go--or if where he intended was anywhere near where he actually was by the time it dawned on him he was in trouble.

The video of the rescue doesn't exactly clarify anything, but if you haven't seen... well, there's video
https://youtu.be/4PpTSnMorp8
It seems to me he went up Gorton Creek, intending to "do the loop" with Nick Eaton, but missed that turn, as well as the one to Indian Point, and wound up beyond all that in the area of the (former) Deadwood Camp. And then went north and downhill from there?? Good gosh, he's a lucky dude.

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Chip Down
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Re: Hiker rescued off Gorton Creek trail

Post by Chip Down » February 5th, 2021, 8:14 pm

OneSpeed wrote:
February 5th, 2021, 11:30 am
... Don't leave the trail...
I've been doing it wrong! :o

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