Two rescued from La Quinta trail

[Cy Kaicener]

Two hikers were rescued from the Guadelupe Trail

Two rescued from La Quinta trail
12:42 PM, Jan. 30, 2012 | Comments



Written by
Colin Atagi
The Desert Sun



A Cathedral City man and his 9-year-old stepson were rescued Sunday evening after they got lost on a La Quinta hiking trail.

Daniel Kearns, 52, and his stepson were lost on the Guadalupe Trail, south of the La Quinta Cove, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.


They set out on a day hike and got lost when they entered an area filled with brush.


Kearns used his mobile phone to call authorities about 6:45 p.m.


A rescue crew in a helicopter spotted the pair 11:57 p.m. about 4200 feet above ground level.


Rescue crews loaded theminto the helicopter and flown to lower ground.


They were cold and exhausted, but uninjured, according to the sheriff's department.


The pair declined medical treatment.

[zippetydude]

A rescue crew in a helicopter spotted the pair 11:57 p.m. about 4200 feet above ground level.

Interesting phrasing...sounds like they were levitating.

z

[bluerail]

This isn't a Hänsel and gretel story right? Why would someone have his 9 yr old at that point at 6 in the evening.

[cynthia23]

I know, I thought that too bluerail! I mean who the hell takes a 9 year old up the GUADALUPE 'trail'? Just looking down that thing from Cactus Springs scared the bajaysus out of me, you'd have to be unbelievably stupid to take a little kid on it. Unless maybe you really don't like your stepson too much?

[zippetydude]

Ouch! That's harsh! C'mon, I know a guy (me) who took his 9 year old daughter up some trails in Yosemite that climb over 2000 feet, and she actually ran about 1/3 of it. That same guy took that same little girl up across a ridge line where there is no trail but tons of strange rock formations just a week ago, and that was a few miles and a couple thousand feet elevation gain as well.

Yes, I always do the routes multiple times before I bring her along, so getting lost is kind of out of the question, but taking kids out into the wilderness for adventure is one of the best things I think I can do for my kids. He just needed to plan it out a little better in advance. I give him points for trying and I bet he and the boy will look back on that adventure as a bonding experience in the future.

Don't you agree?

z

[bluerail]

Yea....but your kids are different and can kick all our butts.

[halhiker]

My kid was nine when I first took him up San Jacinto. He did it with no problem. I think a buddy of mine climbed Martinez Mountain when he was 9.

I have no problem taking a nine year old up any trail he's capable of and 9 year olds are capable of different things.

Judging by the description, they were past Devil Canyon but not to the Cowboy Camp. I wonder why they didn't just retrace their steps. Where did they think they were going?

[zippetydude]

I guess another thought would be:

Don't get your kids into anything that you can't personally get them out of.

Last summer my 9 year old got the stomach flu the day before we were scheduled to hike to Glen Aulin. It's about 10 miles round trip. We were about a mile into the trip when she said she didn't feel so good. Guess who got a piggy back ride the next 9 miles? As a parent, I'm with hal wondering what the guy's plan was. The general idea is fine, but I agree that the execution was kinda crash and burn.

Steve: Cat says hi!

z

[bluerail]

I agree, it really depends on the kid ( I honestly walked from the pacific ocean to the atlantic ocean when i was 12) , but where these two were, is a weird place to have a 9 yr old at that hour doing a day hike.

Give that girl a big hug for me buddy.


btw, when I was twelve....i lived in Panama.

[zippetydude]

Nice description and better disclaimer! I thought you were walking around in a 747 as it flew across the country. Panama is way cooler.

Miss exploring with you buddy...

z