SAR folks, can you enlighten us on these rescues?

[cynthia23]

I know some SAR folks read this board. Can you tell us.... how do the people who get rescued first hear about Skyline at all? Most people, I think, hear about it online or in a print medium, and as far as I know, these sources, now, usually contain warnings about the trail during summer. Are the rescuees simply people who didn't notice the warnings about summer? People who are arrogant? Plain dumb? I know I've heard a remarkable number of people say " Oh, I know it's hot, but I 'have to' do Skyline in June/July/August because that's when my summer vacation is. Don't worry, I'll carry lots of water/leave early/wear my Superman t-shirt." Is it as simple, and stupid, as that? On the other hand, I know there have also been a number of rescues of local people--maybe, ironically, they're less prepared, because they hear about the trail word of mouth, rather than reading an article, and they're more likely to over-estimate their heat tolerance?

Enquiring minds want to know: What exactly is the problem here? Sure, every rescue is different, but are there any common denominators?

[David W]

Bump. Me too.

[apage]

Please excuse the cryptic or vague details I provide. Emergency responders are obligated to provide respect and privacy to the people we serve so I'm going to keep some details vague. I'm a professional FF/PM in the San Diego area and can say that all first responders in So. Cal, that have wilderness areas in their response zones, are seeing a huge increase in trail rescues. My response area includes a unique rocky outcropping that people like to have their picture taken on top of. In five years we've seen a significant increase in our rescues to this area, from 1 a year to 1-3 a week during peak season. The responses are most commonly heat related illness and minor trauma to knees and ankles. Cardiac arrests are very rare but have happened due to a combination of factors (Pre-existing health conditions, conditioning, separating from a group to hike solo, improper hydration)
If I were to list a few common denominators to the cause of the increase, I'd have to say social media has been instrumental to bringing the idea of hiking in remote areas to a wide range of people not familiar with the risks associated with the activity. We encounter people from all over the world who've seen pictures and posts online of our unique rocky outcropping and want to hike to it for their own photo. There's a host of other issues too: Poor planning, poor physical conditioning (extremely common), lack of water, improper attire (hoodies, jeans and non-athletic shoes aren't the best choice for an 8 mile hike in 80-90 degree weather), unrealistic expectations . In one circumstance a party called 911 and we sent a helicopter to their location. The helicopter crew lowered a responder from a hovering airship to find that the person called 911 because they wanted water and nothing more.
While my observations aren't specific to Skyline or the San Jacinto Wilderness, I believe that the reason for the rescues may be very similar.
One last point, posting signs is necessary, limits liability and seems logical but doesn't really help much. Once people have made the decision to drive to the trail head and hike the trail they aren't typically going to turn around at the trailhead if they're ill prepared. They'll hit the trail with 500ml of water in their hand even though they just walked past a sign saying to take extra water. It happens everyday, all day long in the area I serve.

[zippetydude]

Once people have made the decision to drive to the trail head and hike the trail they aren't typically going to turn around at the trailhead if they're ill prepared. They'll hit the trail with 500ml of water in their hand even though they just walked past a sign saying to take extra water. It happens everyday, all day long in the area I serve.

I totally agree. In fact, I mentioned this when I spoke with Nathan about people doing Skyline - though I am not surprised to hear it happens at most trail heads. Momentum can be a powerful thing. BTW, I assume you're talking about PCR?

z

[Norris]

PCR = Potato Chip Rock? I live in San Diego but have never been there. Seen plenty of photos though, and personally I would never stand on that thing. Inevitably one day it will come down, just like the feature on Half Dome which recently let go. The PCR event will probably be more like that recent event where a crowd of college students overloaded a rotten deck and it came crashing down. Put enough people on that flake and boom.

[apage]

PCR is the location I'm referencing.

[cynthia23]

Apage, thanks so much for your insightful post. It's interesting to hear you confirm that there are many more rescues than there used to be, and that social media has something to do with it. And I agree that once people have made the effort to get to the TH, they are unlikely to turn back. I also think that happens during the hike itself--people may go for half an hour and already be feeling unwell and know rationally they ought to turn back asap, but there's something in human nature that makes that very hard to do. I once gave up on a hike about ninety seconds into it (when I decided that it was really just too hot) but the fact that it was a short local hike made that decision easy. It's hard to quit when you've driven a distance, told people you were going, or made other significant commitments.

[Wildhorse]

When I consider Apage's report here, my own observations of people on urban trails, newspaper stories, and the observations of environmental organizations, my impression is that most people using urban trails are not hikers, just trail users. Traditionally, hikers have been like athletes who trained for their sport. They learned to hike and survive in wilderness from parents, friends, books, and periodicals. Through experience, they developed their skills and discovered their abilities and limits. Users of urban trails don't seem to do this. So they don't know what they are doing, and they are taking chances and are not conscious of that.

Through the summer, I hike almost every day on inland urban trails, like those that Apage serves. It comes with much sweating. I feel hot every time, especially when the humidity is high and the windspeed is low. I drink water and I carry more than enough water always. Still, the sun and humidity mixed with hard exertion seem to be able to cause heat stress even with plenty of water. Taking advantage of even small amounts of shade is important. Setting the right pace is important, even while, as a result of fitness, my pace is faster than most other people on the trails. Choosing the right time of day is important. Being prepared for the unexpected, including injury, is important, because, as Dean Potter said, every system is flawed. I see few others on the urban trails who understand these things.

In my profession, which involves much mental concentration, I have observed similar things. Many people doing similar work do not really know what they are doing. They are not prepared, they don't have the resources they need, they don't understand the importance of pacing to maintaining one's concentration, and they keep no margin of safety for the unexpected. They cannot take the heat, and they don't know it. They need to be rescued. It is true in many professions, just as it is true on the trails. One must be an insightful cultural critic to adequately explain why this is happening, and every cultural critic with adequate awareness is aware that this is not easy.

[cynthia23]

You raise some good points, Wildhorse. It may sound harsh or elitist, but perhaps it's worth considering that in general, most people are not that strong in what is called 'executive function"--the ability to plan ahead and exert rational self control (and I might have to say that about myself, too ) From an evolutionary point of view, we're not meant to do a lot of long term planning--just make a big splash and generate enough descendents and feed them long enough to keep the DNA trundling along in history Perhaps careful thinkers who plan and strategize and weigh out risks--whether it be about hunting deer, or a recreational hike-- are more the exception than the rule.

[Hikin_Jim]

The answer my friends, is cell phone jammers in all wilderness locations. Bwhahaha! (maniacal laughter)

More seriously, I just don't think it registers on people to think about things like water. Water is so trivial in everyday (urban) life. And one need never plan for anything since it's all available at the push of a button (microwaves, phones, etc.). Again, my example of trying to explain the color blue to a blind man. It just never occurs to some people that what they're doing might go very, very badly.

HJ