[pct-l] When to Ask For Help

[Ned Tibbits]

Truly, Chuck is one of our more experienced (and wisened for it) mountainmen 
out there. His perspective is laudable, tested, and worthy of consideration. 
He is "out there" each year and not just talking his opinion about past 
trips and situations. We should listen when Steel-Eye speaks.

"During the hiking season" is worth just a little clarification. These days, 
there are so many hikers on the main "highways" in the mountains that you 
don't have to wait long for help or assistance. I would say that this season 
is between Memorial Day and Labor Day and applies to popular routes and 
certainly not off trail and otherwise lesser-known trails.

If you want to hike all 4-seasons (or at least the "bumper seasons" of Fall 
and Spring), be aware that there will be far fewer folks out there upon whom 
to rely for help while there will be more circumstances that may cause you 
trouble. Therefore, the "hiking season" is safer and help not as far away 
(now, what that help can do for you which may or may not get you to 
definitive care quickly is another story). However, bad weather can blow in 
quickly and fiercely in the Sierra during any month and accidents can happen 
to even the experienced.

With proper preparation for the realities of the trail (what realistically 
happens out there) and more than a little conscious attention to the 
ever-changing trail environment as you wander through it, every trip in will 
bring a lot of pleasure and minimize discomfort and the possibility of 
malady.

When to ask for help when someone you care about is late to call in would 
depend on a number of factors like how experienced he is, how well he knows 
the topography and route, how realistic and thorough he was in his planning 
and preparation, his maturity and group size, distance and number of 
obstacles since his last call-in, and many more. From the SAR point of view, 
this is what we'll ask you when evaluating our response level. Even the 
experienced can make stupid decisions under bad conditions and get in 
"trouble." This is why every person who enters the wilderness should have 
someone at home who knows their route and ability level. It can make the 
difference between a response into a pin-point target area and one that has 
to start in a wide-spread response pattern that will take more time.

Sure, a SPOT or other ELT/GPS device, if operating correctly, helps us find 
you quickly (so you don't have to wait so long in pain or wet and cold), but 
everything in the mountains is so very situational; did the victim trip, 
hurt his ankle, and can't walk out or did he fall into a snow-bridge and is 
hanging on under the ice in the stream? SPOT can't tell us how to respond, 
just that we need to respond.

The first-in don't know what to bring since they don't know the nature of 
the call (injury or illness, for example), thus they are called the "hasty" 
team. Once on scene, at least they have a radio to request specific gear, 
clothes, and food to help you out, but this takes more time. Pain relief? 
Forget it. That comes with the helicopter and the Paramedic operating under 
the license of his Medical Director at a nearby Base Hospital. The foot 
soldiers are just EMTs and can't dispense medications or perform any 
Advanced Life Support functions (at least in California). So, know what meds 
you're likely to need in the backcountry and bring them along; you can 
ingest, inject, inhale, or topically absorb any medication you choose or 
your doctor gives you. Without these, even a bad stomach ache can be misery 
in the woods.



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
www.mountaineducation.org
-----Original Message----- 
From: CHUCK CHELIN
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 6:29 AM
To: PCT listserve
Subject: [pct-l] When to Ask For Help

Good morning, Joan,

There’s no easy answer.  I suppose there could be situations where a
10-minute response time would be too long, but:

First: There really aren’t many dangers out there during the hiking season.
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=167914

Second:  It’s rare that there isn’t help within some reasonable time and
distance.

I once broke a bone in my foot on the PCT in N. California and I had to
backtrack about 3 miles before taking a side trail another 3 miles to get
out.  In that first 3 miles I encountered 6 other hikers whom I knew, and
each offered to help in any way they could.

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/
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