[pct-l] Another Missing Hiker Found (Jim Cribari)

[James]

As a person committed to spending a lot of time in the backcountry and a SAR volunteer, I feel I need to weigh in on this discussion because I care about the PCT community and I care about people that love the experience of being in the backcountry whether for a day hike or a thru hike on the PCT.  
 
I look at risk in the backcountry totally differently then most people today.  I realize that if I play the odds long enough I will eventually get caught and am likely to be injured or incapacitated in such a way that I can no longer enjoy an activity that I am very passionate about.  My goal is to stay injury free and to increase my competence in all areas (some examples include: walking on difficult uneven terrain, rock climbing when necessary, navigation, weather, avalanche risk mitigation etc.,.)  I have already had two injuries that took almost a year to fully recover from.  If I would have taken simple precautions they could have been avoided without impacting my efficiency, speed, or enjoyment.  I was not able to hike for months afterward and for a time I thought my days of spending time enjoying the wilderness were over for good.  That experience made me reassess what was really important and look at the whole picture, not just the hike as an end to itself.
 
I am often criticized for carrying too much gear in the back country as an overnight hiker, day hiker, mountain climber and even as a SAR member, but my only regrets in all the years I have been hiking and rescuing people in the back country is when I don’t have the right gear in the circumstances I find myself in.  Almost everyone I know prides themselves in using every piece of gear they bring into the wilderness and if they lacked a piece of gear they needed, they pride themselves in their back country prowess, athletic ability, or sheer luck to get them out of a jam.
 
For example when I did a short multi-day hike on the PCT-JMT trail via Taboose Pass to climb Split mountain, I noticed all were carrying less overnight weight then I was for the summit day hike.  On one hand I admire them and appreciate their efficiency.  On the other hand I realize they have no backup if things go wrong, or the season doesn’t go as expected.  I did cache some of my gear upon reaching the base of the summit, but I had everything I needed with me up to that point, in the event that things didn’t go as planned (exceptions were overnight tent, sleeping bag & stove, camp food in bear canister which I left at basecamp).  Now that I am seeing the concern the PCT community has because of recent SAR calls, it confirms to me that less weight is not always the best if you fail to assess risks properly and thereby sacrifice your personal safety.
 
Some redundancy in gear or even carrying some gear you may not need is not always wrong especially during season transitions, which is when most experienced people get caught needing to be rescued.  For example if I believed there was any chance of getting caught in snow I would have rain pants, my compactable down parka, an ultra lite umbrella, a gortex shell, insulating layers (depending on temperature), and my Khatoola microspikes (probably another 5 or 6 lbs of weight) to guarantee traction in difficult terrain or in case I end up off trail due to the snow covering the trail.  
 
People may think an umbrella is unnecessary but I have found it is very useful and effectively gives you another layer to protect you and your gear from wet conditions.  In addition, an umbrella saves you from unnecessary transitions for a short rain shower or temporary shelter so you don’t have to break out your tent.  If I were continuing to hike into the Cascades as fall season approached I would carry all this gear even if conditions appeared to be optimal especially if I don’t have up to the minute information on weather.
 
I am not suggesting that everyone load up on gear or do away with smart efficient methods of carrying less weight.  What I am suggesting is don’t be so anal about carrying less gear that you leave no margin of safety for unexpected unplanned situations.  I am also suggesting that if there is any risk that the weather will not turn out the way you expect that you have enough gear to be comfortable and safe until you hike out or help arrives.
 
For these reasons I pride myself in having all the gear I need on a day hike to survive for the night if necessary and having one or two pieces of gear I didn’t use but were available to me if needed on multi day trips.  In other words I look at the risks of what could go wrong and I try to mitigate them (within reason of course).  Ironically on many searches I have been the only SAR member who had warm weather gear (chemical warmers, down parka etc.) for the subject.  Given hypothermia is the number one reason people die in the backcountry in winter I find that interesting and alarming at the same time.  
 
I also carefully and honestly assess my skill level when presented with any challenging terrain as well as time and distance away from any assistance.  Once I have been on difficult terrain I reassess my performance and determine where I may need more training and experience to prevent an injury (if I had a close call or just felt uncomfortable in the situation I found myself in).  I find assessing risk in this way and examining my experience before, during and after helps me become a more responsible member of the backcountry community.
 
I realize these are only a few pieces of the puzzle as to why more PCT hikers have needed assistance recently.  Another simple reason is because PCT hikers are spending much more time in the backcountry then most people (even myself who hikes every chance I get as a single person).  As a group you shouldn’t be too hard on yourselves or each other because mathematically and statistically there are going to be more things go wrong the more time you spend more time in the back country.  
 
I don’t have the stats to prove my point, but I am willing to wager that on a per hour basis (per days in your case) spent in the backcountry that PCT thru hikers have much less SAR calls per person then the rest of the backcountry population.  I am amazed we don’t get more calls in our area knowing all the activities that are taking place in the backcountry by hundreds if not thousands of people.  In the three years I have been in Search and Rescue I don’t know of any calls in any local counties (including those where the PCT and TRT trails pass through) who had to rescue through hikers.  We have an average of 100 calls per year and I would assume the other counties are about the same so the percentage of PCT calls is very very low. Most calls of this nature do make the news so I am quite certain my perception is correct.
 
I don’t think there is one size fits all for everyone, but I am glad the PCT community has raised awareness on this issue.  We all have a responsibility to ourselves and each other to make good choices, but if you need SAR don’t hesitate to call for assistance.  Those of us in SAR do it because we love to help others and most of us understand why enjoying the backcountry is important for our physical, emotional and spiritual well being.  In my case it increases both the quality and length of my life compared to withering away in a Dilbert office somewhere.  Our county has well over 100 volunteers who put up their own vehicles, equipment and gear saving our county over a million dollars a year.  It is actually is more of a problem for our teams if we don’t get enough calls then if we get too many.  Real calls mean a real opportunity to put our training into practice.  The best reason to avoid SAR calls is so you can enjoy your life passions safely so you can enjoy the life God has given you free from unnecessary pain, financial loss, long periods of rehabilitation, or premature death and loss to for your families.
 
Cordially, Jim Cribari
Reno Nevada 
(formerly from Grand Junction Colorado)