Dehydrated Hiker on Skyline Airlifted to hospital

[Hikin_Jim]

Hey, Rick,

I don't suppose you know what happened to the dehydrated hiker that this thread refers to. I looked on http://www.rmru.org, but I didn't see anything.

HJ

[Rick M]

The DSAR team (Desert Search and Rescue) out of Palm Springs area gets call outs lower down on the mountain and out in the desert. I don't believe we got called out on that mission.

FIGHT ON quoted

Maybe I enjoy tempting fate but I don't have enough foresight to do check lists and such because I almost never really know where I'm going until I start going. Even then my plans change depending on what I find and how much my curiosity leads me astray.
...I'm all about being safe. I have a beautiful wife and two wonderful kids I want to come home to every night.
Hal

Years ago I got called out to search for a dad and two young kids who "went out 4-wheeling in the desert". That was all the info we had from the wife...any idea how big the desert is? How many volunteer hours/days were donated on the search? The dad was found suffering severe dehydration and kidney damage and the kids were later found alive under a bush he had left them.

[FIGHT ON]

Dear Fight ON,

I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH WHAT YOU SAID, AND YOUR WRITING IS AWESOME AS WELL.

BERNE METTENLEITER

RANCHO BERNARDO/ SAN DIEGO

Mountaingoat and RickM. Those are not my words.

[halhiker]

FIGHT ON,
Taken in context both of my statements make perfect sense and complement one another.

Statement one was made in regards to hiking in record heat and how it is important to know when to go and when not to go. This past weekend was a perfect example of when not to go.

Statement two was made in regards to carrying cellphones, satellite locators and other extraneous survival gear and my point was that many people utilize such gear as a substitute for actual outdoor skills.

In both statements my point is that knowledge, experience and good judgement are the most valuable tools a hiker can carry with him into the wilderness. Something to start a fire probably ranks second.

BTW, went up the Tram today and had a little run over toward Wellman Divide. I had to turn back early because I had kids to pick up and got a late start but it was NICE up there today. Most of the snow is gone but there are patches both above and below Round Valley. I suspect it won't be there long.

In my pack I carried a lighter, a headlamp, a Gatorade and that's it. I did have my cellphone, though. I figured the heat in the car would kill the battery so I took it. I got NO reception at all the whole time up there. I wish I had about 10 more minutes to make it to Wellman. I'm thinking I might have got a signal there.

[Rick M]

FIGHT ON: I edited my post about your quote of Hal's. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

And again I have to agree with everything halhiker again said. If I were hiking on the trail to Round Valley or Wellman Divide this time of year and conditions, I would probably carry something to snack on and drink, maybe a camera, and some type of shelter (a simple space blanket). My experience with cell phones in the mountains is also dismal (it's getting better as the years go by). Even on SAR we have thought about using sat phones for communicating or positioning people for radio relays. I do carry my cell phone because that is how we get notified for SAR missions

Something important that Hal said that will save you anytime and anywhere is "knowledge, experience and good judgement are the most valuable tools a hiker can carry with him into the wilderness." Or to the moon and back...Apollo 13