Post by pamway on Feb 15, 2008 13:27:31 GMT -5
Hi Gang,
By now you all have heard of the tragic ending to that short day hike that two friends attempted last weekend. Who are we to say whether or not they should have been in the mountains in the middle of winter? Many people find their thrills in different ways. Some skin dive, some parachute out of airplanes, some hike in the snow and cold. No one knows if the outcome of this could have been different. The man who died just happened to be the more experienced of the two. I do believe that they both had winter hiking experience. They had gear and clothing appropriate for conditions, though not for overnight. They got blindsided by the quickie storm that came in. This can happen at any time in the 'Whites'. That they had fellow employees who called Fish and Game when they didn't show up for work is what led to the rescue of them both, and saving the life of one. The rescuers have to have the utmost praise and admiration from us. There was only a handful of them that actually went out. Conditions were abominable. Yet, men went out to help other men who were in harm's way. That certainly transcends volunteerism. Now, I ask the team, would you have gone out to help search for those hikers? How far would you go to 'volunteer'? When George, Al Benson and I went to Bear Brook to help search for that lost hunter back in Oct. we knew what the weather was and was going to be. It was warm with no wind. In fact none of us were cold all day. Change now to the 'Whites" with temps in the single digits and wind chill in the minus numbers. The wind on the upper slopes was in the 70 plus range. Sorry, folks, but I would not have volunteered. Taking into consideration my physical condition, my lack of proper gear and clothing and the high risk involved, I would have taken a pass. Those rescuers were all pros. They do that for fun on the weekends. We all have to know our limits and what we can do. That even extends to our little ALERT team. Sometimes it's just okay to say no. Sad that this tragedy had to happen. I certainly hope that many folks can learn from the mistakes of others. That's how we learn in life. There is something on this team for everyone to do. We all have value, albeit in different areas. Knowing how far we can push ourselves is a good thing. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Wayne <><
By now you all have heard of the tragic ending to that short day hike that two friends attempted last weekend. Who are we to say whether or not they should have been in the mountains in the middle of winter? Many people find their thrills in different ways. Some skin dive, some parachute out of airplanes, some hike in the snow and cold. No one knows if the outcome of this could have been different. The man who died just happened to be the more experienced of the two. I do believe that they both had winter hiking experience. They had gear and clothing appropriate for conditions, though not for overnight. They got blindsided by the quickie storm that came in. This can happen at any time in the 'Whites'. That they had fellow employees who called Fish and Game when they didn't show up for work is what led to the rescue of them both, and saving the life of one. The rescuers have to have the utmost praise and admiration from us. There was only a handful of them that actually went out. Conditions were abominable. Yet, men went out to help other men who were in harm's way. That certainly transcends volunteerism. Now, I ask the team, would you have gone out to help search for those hikers? How far would you go to 'volunteer'? When George, Al Benson and I went to Bear Brook to help search for that lost hunter back in Oct. we knew what the weather was and was going to be. It was warm with no wind. In fact none of us were cold all day. Change now to the 'Whites" with temps in the single digits and wind chill in the minus numbers. The wind on the upper slopes was in the 70 plus range. Sorry, folks, but I would not have volunteered. Taking into consideration my physical condition, my lack of proper gear and clothing and the high risk involved, I would have taken a pass. Those rescuers were all pros. They do that for fun on the weekends. We all have to know our limits and what we can do. That even extends to our little ALERT team. Sometimes it's just okay to say no. Sad that this tragedy had to happen. I certainly hope that many folks can learn from the mistakes of others. That's how we learn in life. There is something on this team for everyone to do. We all have value, albeit in different areas. Knowing how far we can push ourselves is a good thing. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Wayne <><