RMRU website has awakened

[Cy Kaicener]

Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit has been updated. I thought it was too good to be true. There was no mention of the fatality due to heat stroke on Skyline. That might have been the police unit.
http://rmru.org

[Perry]

They haven't been sleeping. Trust me. I know.

Now I'm sure some people will ask me, "What the hell happened?" RMRU asked me the same thing. The short story is we went climbing in an area that almost nobody goes and almost nobody talks about, encountered things we weren't expecting, and it got dark. My partner heard my echos above and kept climbing, expecting to see me at the tram. I thought something happened to him, and in the dark I couldn't see if some routes were safe enough to try, so I called 911. I spent the night sleeping on rocks near a cliff. In the morning I lost cell reception and heard the helicopter in another area, so I found an easier chute to climb, got cell reception again, told RMRU I didn't need the helicopter, but since they were already involved they insisted on extracting me. I cooperated because I was the one who originally called for help.

Important note: AT&T's GPS tracking was a total failure. This was after going through the bureaucracy of having to call 911 again and asking for a transfer. And in the morning, I was getting anywhere between 2 and 4 bars but could not make a call, receive a call, or send a text message. At the time I was really pissed about AT&T's "More bars in more places" slogan in their TV commercials. I would not have been upset if it showed no bars and there was no GPS tracking feature and no ads about better coverage. That would have been honest.

[halhiker]

They haven't been sleeping. Trust me. I know.

Now I'm sure some people will ask me, "What the hell happened?" RMRU asked me the same thing. The short story is we went climbing in an area that almost nobody goes and almost nobody talks about, encountered things we weren't expecting, and it got dark. My partner heard my echos above and kept climbing, expecting to see me at the tram. I thought something happened to him, and in the dark I couldn't see if some routes were safe enough to try, so I called 911. I spent the night sleeping on rocks near a cliff. In the morning I lost cell reception and heard the helicopter in another area, so I found an easier chute to climb, got cell reception again, told RMRU I didn't need the helicopter, but since they were already involved they insisted on extracting me. I cooperated because I was the one who originally called for help.

Important note: AT&T's GPS tracking was a total failure. This was after going through the bureaucracy of having to call 911 again and asking for a transfer. And in the morning, I was getting anywhere between 2 and 4 bars but could not make a call, receive a call, or send a text message. At the time I was really pissed about AT&T's "More bars in more places" slogan in their TV commercials. I would not have been upset if it showed no bars and there was no GPS tracking feature and no ads about better coverage. That would have been honest.

When was this and where? I've had pretty good luck with AT&T on San Jacinto whenever I get any bars at all.

And did you get a free ride in a helicopter?

[Perry]

Hal, I think you posted awhile back that there are some areas you prefer not to discuss publicly. Southern California only has a few places where there is no impact of humans. From the RMRU web site you can probably figure out approximately where we were. The chute we originally intended to take appeared to have a steep rocky section when we reached the snow fork, so we climbed a different chute that would ideally involve 2 ice axes and rigid crampons. We each had a single ice axe, pole, and standard alpine crampons. My partner had longer points on his crampons and very stiff boots, and I was taking forever to climb a short steep section. The easier chute I found the next morning fades into the rocks lower down, and the lower section is also steeper than where I was.

Yes, I got my first helicopter ride, just when I realized that I didn't need it.

And Fight On: we actually did not trespass, so we did an extreme amount of bushwhacking, more than I've ever done in my life.

[FIGHT ON]

we actually did not trespass, so we did an extreme amount of bushwhacking, more than I've ever done in my life.

A Superman Route...

[Cy Kaicener]

Perry - I had no idea you were involved. I didnt read the links. I would also have hushed it up. I would love to get a helicopter ride, but would not want my name on their website.

[Perry]

I...would not want my name on their website.

Neither do I, but the potential embarrassment is good motivation to be more prepared. The write-ups may actually reduce the number of future incidents.

Fight On, it's nice to hear you approve, but I don't know if you realize how much bushwhacking these superman routes involve. The mental and physical fatigue is a huge factor. I was wearing long sleeves and long pants for a few days so people wouldn't think I had a cutting problem or got in a fight with a wild animal.

One detail I forgot to mention. My partner had already committed himself to finishing a long technical section, not realizing that I was going to rest on the ridge. That's how we got separated in the first place. After finishing that, he moved over to the same ridge, so the trees muffled our direct line of voice travel.

[FIGHT ON]

The write-ups may actually reduce the number of future incidents.

No doubt!

Fight On, it's nice to hear you approve, but I don't know if you realize how much bushwhacking these superman routes involve. The mental and physical fatigue is a huge factor.

I have no doubt it was hard, the way I see it is if it were easy anybody would do it. it's a superman route! to avoid trespassing is the real goal! symbolic, the harder it is the more I want to do it!

I was wearing long sleeves and long pants for a few days so people wouldn't think I had a cutting problem or got in a fight with a wild animal.

that's funny, don't ya know yer supposed to be proud of scars?, they're badges, you don't see ellen or ze hiding theirs!

[Ellen]

Howdy Fight On

[/quote] that's funny, don't ya know yer supposed to be proud of scars?, they're badges, you don't see ellen or ze hiding theirs![/quote]



Howdy Perry

My skin feels your pain -- you need to watch out for those demonic cougars when you're bushwhacking

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[Ellen]

Howdy All

I am still hiking thanks to RMRU, this forum and my family.

Please consider a charitable donation to our SAR angels. My donation is going out in the mail today.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen