Three Hikers Rescued Over Weekend. 7/21/15

[halhiker]

Two on Saturday and one on Sunday

http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/201 ... /30468153/

[zippetydude]

Well at least they weren't on Skyline! As for the woman, that is one tough girl. I noticed that they called her, not the other way around. She apparently still had not given up and was trying to find her own way out. For the father and son, I guess they did the best they could, holing up in the Ski hut, but if they knew where the trail was, and it doesn't look like they were lost, seems like maybe just move fast and hike on out under your own power. I went up San G once with a "20%" chance of thunderstorms. LIke Kathy once said, that translates into 100% chance over 20% of the area. Well, from the ridge above High Creek on down, I was in torrential downpour with hail and lightning. It was cold, yes. But I just kept moving, and got down with an amazing experience and no rescue. My impression is that they might have managed the same.

In any case, the back country is always a bit wild, and in these crazy storms it's even wilder. Glad everyone was safe. And thank God for the rain!

z

[halhiker]

It would appear the father and son were pretty inexperienced with only cotton shirts on. Once they got some warm gear, they did manage to walk out. I was up on San Jacinto in one of those crazy storms and had a lightning bolt hit less than 100 yards from me. Pretty scary stuff. We all walked down and had a couple extra people tag along with us. Good thing I know a couple shortcuts. Even though access to the mountain is easy from the Tram or Idyllwild, it's still pretty wild up there and in a storm doubly so.

[Wildhorse]

Storm experiences in the mountains are surely unforgettable. "Amazing," as Zippetydude wrote. One afternoon returning from Suicide Rock on the Deer Spring Trail, a storm came suddenly. Lighting all around. Hail. The air seemed to turn purple. We ran down the mountain, imagining that we were dodging lightning bolts. Another time on the Devil Slide Trail, powerful wind and snow and darkness. Very uncomfortable, but unforgettable. It was Christmas morning. I am glad to have been in these storms. John Muir has that wonderful tale about riding a tall fir in a storm. I remember from my childhood an unforgettable glorious night spent in a canvas tent with my father with torrential rain and deafening sky-splitting thunder. What a night.

On stormy days, I love to head into the mountains. In the desert mountains, little waterfalls flow everywhere. Joshua Tree is otherworldly in a storm. Even urban Cowles Mountain more than suffices.

It seems that most people get into trouble because they come unprepared for the weather, unprepared to navigate, and lack discretion based on experience. Storm hiking is great, with the right gear and clothing. Of course, lightning strikes where and when it wills. One must be prepared for sudden death.

[Hikin_Jim]

the rescue team found her... on the north face of the mountain about one mile below Miller Peak.

She had tried to hike downhill, assuming she'd run into a trail eventually, but there was no trail down the mountain in that area.

Oh, boy, what a not good assumption.

And, yes, to Zip's point, she sounds like one tough cookie.

HJ

[OldnSlow]

I learned early on as a kayaker that "cotton kills" and practice that now as a hiker. And stories like this help justify my day pack with rain gear, first aid, extra food, etc. Glad they all had happy endings.

[cynthia23]

You're right, OldNSlow about how bad cotton is when it's wet or cold, but I do want to 'stick my oar' in and add how *wonderful* cotton is when it's hot and dry. When hiking in hot dry desert conditions, i.e. the lower parts of the mountain, cotton's ability to hold water is a beautiful thing. Okay, not beautiful, but a cotton shirt's ability to hold sweat (or water, if you spray it down) makes it work like a little evaporative cooler on the skin. I simply can't comprehend how anybody manages to hike in so called 'technical' fabrics--i.e. polyester!--when it's hot. I feel like I have melting plastic on me. So what I do for longer hikes where I am changing elevation is wear a cotton shirt at the bottom hot part and always carry a wool shirt to switch into if the temps begin to drop. Now, don't get me started about how wonderful wool is ...

[Hikin_Jim]

I simply can't comprehend how anybody manages to hike in so called 'technical' fabrics--i.e. polyester!--when it's hot.

Nylon works pretty well. Cool Max and some of those other fabrics I think are overrated.

HJ

[Ed]

The woman rescued may have been tough, but ending up a mile down from Miller on the north side of the mountain is the result of a very serious and classic duffer's mistake, leaving the trail and going downhill. Everybody makes mistakes, but that is one of the worst you can do. The father and son can be faulted for not having shell parkas, but they showed sense retreating to the hut.

I'm still fond of cotton-polyester blends. Not a miracle fabric, but a nice compromise. But you can scarcely find it any more. The wool today is far, far superior to what we used to have to wear. So different it's hard to believe they both come from sheep.

[Wildhorse]

Like Cynthia, I am partial to cotton in hot and dry weather, and when there is a wind to dry it. At the same time, in more humid weather, without enough wind to dry cotton, loose nylon is great.

My wife likes poly or wool as a base layer on cooler days. I prefer silk, but will wear wool when it is cold enough. I like Thorlo socks (cool max, I think). My wife likes wool.

It seems that preferences vary much. Our bodies must differ.

This reminds me of a facetious advertisement by a clothing manufacturer who asked, "What is the biggest dilemma we face related to global warming?" The answer: "What to wear!"