[pct-l] Hiking Alone & SPOT

[mntmn4jesus at aol.com]

 I have successfully hiked alone through the years.  While I somewhat identify with the writer that shared how it is more enriching to hike alone in certain aspects, I am not annal about it nor do I take unnecessary risks.  I now own a SPOT which does not in any way diminish my experience of hiking alone.  There are still the same risks given that a SAR team may take up to 48 hours to reach you depending on how remote you are is no guarantee you are going to come back alive. I owe it to me children and grandchildren to give them every opportunity to enjoy their Grandfather for as long as the good Lord chooses to let me live on this earth.  A few weeks ago I experienced a Class III ankle sprain coming down from a routine climb up Dana mountain (was training to climb Mt. Rainier).  It was just a freak accident.  While I wasn't in any danger as I had already passed 12 climbers or so on the way down,  it was comforting to know I had my SPOT if I had broke my ankle and I were in a much more remote location.

Another sobering thought is we just lost a lone hiker in the Sierras who was obviously not prepared.  He didn't even have a compass which caused him to go 180 degrees in the wrong direction because the prevailing wind and snow as coming from the south (the direction he needed to go).  Hypothermia obviously set in.  Supposedly he was an "experienced" hiker, but from the description of what he was carrying it sounds like he was woefully unprepared.  A SPOT would have probably saved his life if he had not brought any other piece of gear because the SAR team could have found him the first evening he called from his cell phone.

On the technical side of this discussion I am looking forward to acquiring an Android phone with GPS capabilities soon.  It will eliminate up to two pounds of extra gear (i.e. camera, video, GPS etc.,.)  I discovered in my research that the phone will connect with satellites when you are out of range for GPS.  Eventually I am hoping someone will develop an app that will allow the phone to communicate directly with satellites for emergency purposes at which point I can eliminate my SPOT altogether.  It will be great to have one device to handle everything that I use continuously whether in the backcountry or not.  (Ofcourse I will always have a compass and MAP as a backup along with the 10 essentials).

Best Regards to all of you.
Jim