WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — Julian Hernandez and his son got lost while hiking in southern Utah recently, and they began searching for shelter — instead, they stumbled across a “miracle” in the form of a fully stocked green backpack.
But how did the backpack get there?
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And I quote: “Looking at the map, it seems flat, which it’s not”
Regardless of what it looked like on the road map, didn't the terrain of the badlands as they were driving in tip anybody off?
if you have lived your entire life in the city or suburbs, you do NOT, in fact probably cannot understand that nature can kill. Look at the folks who walk up to bears and fluffy cows oblivious to the danger. In the city terrain isnt dangerous, people are.
ReplyDeleteItd be nice if natural selection was still in play
ReplyDeletePro Tip - When the topography lines a map start getting close together the terrain is probably not flat even though the paper the map is printed on is. (that was sarcasm).
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing it was a regular road map.
DeleteNot only was the map flat, but it said the entire badlands were only four inches long, so why pack food and water for such a short journey?
DeleteCity folks.....
ReplyDeleteYou know, there's people who will answer questions if you ask. The Sheriff, SAR, they aren't just sitting around hoping for some dumbasses to get lost, stranded, or stuck...they have a life, family, friends....
You ask locals, they can tell you, those tires aren't good enough for that road, need 4wd, extra clothes, food, water, etc.
Greg, too many folks dont even know there are questions. It never occurs to them that maybe they shouldnt head up that mountain in shorts and tee shirt. Yeh, I know theres snow way up there, but its summer. How bad can it be? I grew up in Detroit with a couple of trips to my uncles farm in mississippi. As a young adult there were a couple of occasions where I would have gotten in way over my head if my wife hadnt been as well traveled as she was.
DeleteY'see kids? Stoopid comes in all kind of flavors!
ReplyDeleteThere was a writer for 'Outdoor Life' magazine named Ben East, who wrote a series of articles about people who got into survival situations. His advice: "Never step off a road or a marked trail unless you're prepared to spend the night in the woods." (Or in this case, among all the rocks.)
ReplyDeleteI spent a fair amount of time wandering the High Sierras. I always took a pack with what I'd need if I couldn't make it back to the truck in time. I also took the time to study the lay of the land - If I'm going uphill I'm headed east, if I hit a river at the bottom of the canyon, turn around, etc.
DeleteMany years of hiking and backpacking in the Sierras, too, WC. On one outing four of us hiked to the top of Half Dome from Glacier Point (it's not the usual route). All of us were experienced hikers and/or backpackers. On the hike down we were approached by 3-4 different groups that were begging food and water from other hikers. One was a man and his 4-5 year old son. We were all over prepared, so were able to help them out. Worst thing, IMO, were all the people in Teva sandals. Definitely inappropriate, even dangerous, footwear. None of these folks should have been that far away from the parking lot.
DeleteStupid people should be charged for their rescue...
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes they are charged for their rescue. Not always, depends on the area and often on how the locals (i.e. the sheriff) feel about those particular dumbassess.
DeleteJohn G.
Well, yes, someone else was wearing the back pack, and yes, we had to beat him with rocks and sticks to get it, but it's still a miracle that we found it!
ReplyDeleteLevi spent a couple of months gearing up. Apparently no one told him to take a proper map, or how to read it.
ReplyDeleteAbout one month later, two completely unprepared hikers relief on the lost backpack.
Rescues, and the equally as common recovery, happen year round in AZ/UT border area. Many people come to grief and by the simplest means.
Dehydration and heat stroke are the most common. But those are only contributory. Causative is unpreparedness. Which means the unprepared are done in already when leaving the house. Only time separates them from their demise. Sometimes a miracle intervenes.
My oldest who did grow up rural, called me when she was driving through the mountains to BC.
ReplyDeleteHer gps on her phone told her to take a short cut to shave off an hour from the route i sketched out for her. She called me because the gravel road it was taking her in had a sign saying 'must call next 50km - ladd1'. She wanted to know what it meant. I told her its a radio call road for logging trucks and to turn around as she had no radio to call out with our hear the oncoming logging trucks with.
Exile1981
Yup. We've got the same sort of things with tanker trucks heading to the gas wellheads in my area. It generally only applies to the trucks themselves. There's adequate pullouts for passenger cars, but two semis? Yeah, the idiot who forgot to call ahead is going to be backing a LONG way up the road.
DeleteJohn G.
I was hiking a lava tube once and came across a family sitting in total darkness. They had set off with one flashlight with used batteries in it. The wife was close to panic. The husband was extremely embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteI have met adults whose confident plan to get help in an emergency is "Call 911!"
ReplyDeleteBeing informed that cell towers are rare outside of towns and major highways nets risible disbelief. Signal (and wifi) are everywhere, like air. The idea that it might *not* be there simply doesn't compute. It has been their all their life, from childhood to now; how could it *not* be there?!
I have no cell signal at my house and I live only 5 miles outside of town. It's one of the reasons I don't own a cell phone.
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DeleteCells sometimes work around my place if you can get to a hilltop, otherwise, no dice. The road i live on is one lane with about half of it paved between two major state highways. We've had two semi's come through using Google maps that couldn't make the hair pin on the dirt portion since I've lived here. Both required the services of bull dozers to get them back down the road. We even tried to stop the first guy, but we might have looked scarey or something, cause he didn't stop. It would be funny except they fucked the road up both times dragging their dumb asses off the hill. Eod1sg Ret
I'm reminded of two stories of ill-prepared outings, pre cellphone:
ReplyDelete1) A small group of college kids were in a western state park or wilderness area. it was getting toward evening, they thought it would be awesome to view the sunset from one of the higher rocky points. They climbed as fast as they could to the nearest high point with the best view, and marveled at the sunset. After, it got dark quickly and the temps began to drop. No flashlights, no jackets, no gear. One of the guys had a lighter, but it was total rocks around, nothing to start or sustain a fire. The only 'fuel' they had was their clothing, so they took turns peeling of each piece of clothing to feed the small fire they huddled around, until they were all naked, shivering, in the dark. They did survive till morning but just barely.
2) A young Hispanic Army vet took his girlfriend with him to plant an American flag on the summit of a mountain. It was winter, so they were dressed in insulated jackets, he also had a small pack with the flag inside, she brought her sleeping bag 'just in case', for extra insulation. The climb took longer than planned, not long after reaching the summit a snowstorm blew in. He chose to ride it out, using the flag as a makeshift shelter while she lay beside him shivering in her bag. No tent, no fire starting gear, no food, no water, one headlamp. At some point he realized they had to get off the mountain or they would freeze to death, so he PANICKED, he threw off the flag, ripped the sleeping bag off his girlfriend and they made their way down. They reached the bottom as dawn was breaking but the girl was suffering from hypothermia at that point and couldn't go on, so he left her and went to find help, which he did, and got her to the hospital in time. She broke up with him not long after.
I keep a fair bit of gear in the truck. and I am only 20 miles outside of town. but there are a lot of state game lands around here. so , you might be 20 minutes or more before you see a house. (at 60mph) anyway. my neighbor asked me one time why so much stuff in the back?
ReplyDeletesimple, the weather can kill you. seen it before. and don't tell me it only 50-60 degrees out either. wool blankets, space blankets and food/water in ALWAYS in the truck.
and if it bad out, spare jackets, socks and boots. GLOVES are a must have item.
you hands get real cold, you can't do shit with them.
also a Kelly kettle and coffee, tea. soup mix and camping food. Sterno cans to fuel it.
you onlly get one chance to get it right. stack the odds in your favor ! dave in pa.
I carry two spare tires with me out in the back country. Usually - not always - that's enough. Didn't need that rim anymore anyway. I believe, yes sir, I believe ... in Murphy.
ReplyDelete"Been to Disneyland, bobsledded the Matterhorn, pet the furry creatures, braved the parking wasteland in search of our car, and then the horror of I-5; guess we're ready to tackle the wilderness!"
ReplyDeleteCC