Ever Been Rescued?

There are several threads now about being rescued, bringing enough gear to spend the night etc. So I'm going to put up this poll. Don't be shy about answering... we won't make fun of you (too much) if you vote yes on some of these things.

Put a few comments in as well.

-Dr. Wu

Never been rescued - I am prepared to survive a night out - I carry an emergency bivy sack, extra warm layers, food, water purification, sometimes a stove and stuff to make a hot meal etc...

Not me...Not yet...I did spend a night out early last Spring just for the heck of it...Just to see if I could survive...

Thanks Wu, good poll idea.

I never had an unplanned overnight or a BAD injury, but I haven't done much hiking yet, maybe I just got lucky. I like to think that nothing will never happen to me. I think it's more fun to go hiking with that spirit, instead of packing and leaving home with the fear of an accident. I just don't think about bad lucks (doesn't mean I'm not prepare for it).

Whatever people say they bring or what they will do in case of an accident, I think that's crap. Only when you're on the mountain you will know how you will deal with it. It's your good judgement (that you get from experience) that will help you get your a** out of the woods, not your extra pair of socks.

My motto : ''We'll do with what we have''

Came out early a couple times, but always on under my own power.

We did pull a guy off the snow fields above Tuck. Tore his knee up on a rock.

The closest I ever came to a rescue or unplanned overnight was when I first got into the whole hiking/outdoor business early in college.

My friends and I took off one afternoon during exam week. It was late April in Michigan, so cool with maybe a bit of snow left here and there. We were all wearing jeans and sweatshirts, no jackets, backpacks or anything. Some of us smoked at the time so we had a couple of lighters. We hiked about a mile in along a very rocky river (the Dead River as it is named) with several sets of waterfalls. We crossed the river and one of my friends started a small campfire. We all stood around it for a while, enjoying the evening. Then we discovered it was dark, night and getting cold. We put the fire out and it was pitch black, no moon, nothing. I mean it was pitch black!
We proceded back toward the river flicking lighters to see where we were going. We had to cross the river in the fashion too- flick the lighter to see the rock you were going to move to and then just go. We all got accross the river okay, but the trail followed a very steep and rocky cliff, so we were pretty freaked out.

At one point, someone found a large stick, took off his t-shirt, wrapped it around the stick and lit it on fire. That worked well as a torch and we were able to evenutally find our way out. It was pretty freaky. We got back to the dorms around 2 am. We were pretty lucky someone didn't trip and fall down one of the cliffs or into the river.

I learned my lesson, and now always carry the "ten essentials" even on short day hikes, no matter where.

I've required the help of my hiking partners on only one hike in my life, but it couldn't be considered a rescue. I got heat exhaustion (or heat stroke or whatever it was) and had to have my pack carried by others while I stumbled the last couple of miles to camp attempting to hydrate along the way. In hindsight, I should have stopped and camped where we were in order to recover, but I ended up being ok the next morning.

It's your good judgement (that you get from experience) that will help you get your a** out of the woods, not your extra pair of socks.

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While I agree with the sentiment of Timmus' comments, I don't fully agree with the substance.

It's true that people who carry all the "right" gear may not have the common sense or practical experience to utilize that gear in an emergency.

On the other hand, there may be people who carry the minimum, or what many here may consider an inadequate amount of gear and have the common sense and practical experience to survive.

Neither situation is an indictment against people who carry "extra socks."

I carry enough gear to survive a night or 2 whatever season it is. It's not out of any kind of fear that I prepare.

Heck, I like to think that nothing will ever happen to me either, but common sense dictates that I entertain the thought and prepare for the unthinkable.

I was so tempted to vote for pooing in my pants for being scared!

Like many of you, I always hike with an emergency bivy just in case, regardless of where/when I'm hiking. So far, I've never had to use it.

I seriously injured myself on one hike (hit my mouth, nose and forehead on a rock after tumbling down a trail) but managed to hike out four hours to the trailhead under my own two wheels/boots.

Hopefully (knock on wood), I never do something totally stupid or unlucky that requires a rescue.

I could have voted for a couple of those. But, I've never been carried out b/c of injury...thankfully. I have camped in place not planned on, but it was still a night we planned to be out. I have dragged myself out due to various minor injuries, such as spraying bug spray directly into my eye. I've have pooed my pants, not from fear, but from an angry troll living in my intestines that weekend. Incidentally, it was on the first backpacking trip I ever took with the missus...she married me anyway.

Does getting a ride down the mountain from the ski patrol count?

If so than yes, I was rescued once when I broke my arm snowboarding.

Other than that I've never had to be rescued or spend an unexpected night in the woods. I had one trip a few years ago come pretty close. My hiking partner and I were starting to look for places to biv-whack for the night when we finally hit broken trail and were able to make our way out.

Took a ~12' tumble in the Niagara Gorge 12 years ago while scrambling - Complete tear of my ACL. Almost fell another 60 or so feet - (probably would have been to my untimely death) had I not, at the last minute, looked over my shoulder when I tried to roll over backwards to get up. There was nothing but air and boulders beneath me - The tree I was lying against was sticking out of the cliff at a 45 degree angle - I lied there terrified and completely shaking all over for at least 2 minutes before I got the courage to move.

I limped painfully out under my own steam and drove to the hospital. I burst into tears when they put me in a wheelchair and wheeled me in.

so if there is still room for a tab labeled "Big boys in tears", Put a checkmark next to my name.

Rick said:

I limped painfully out under my own steam and drove to the hospital. I burst into tears when they put me in a wheelchair and wheeled me in.

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Funny ... I had a similar reaction after my tumble. I was fine for the four hours of slogging back down the trailhead _ only to burst into tears as I drove south and called a co-worker to tell them what happened.

What's up with that delayed reaction???!!

I completed my NH 4000's during the early 90's, all but 8 of them were done solo and many as overnight backpacking trips. I also did a few extended bushwacks during those days too. On all those trips there were maybe 2 times, in retrospect, when I really felt like I was in any kind of trouble. Once was during a 3-day spring trip over the Bonds that had me postholing most of the middle day that started about a mile before Bondcliff and ended at the tent platforms at 13 Falls. I wasn't expecting there to be that much snow up there on the ridge (I was pretty green in those days) and by the time I got to the area near Galehead hut I was exhausted and pretty dehydrated too. To make things worse, I had trouble finging sections of the path down the Twin Brook trail. Looking back, I realize I should have just stopped and melted snow for water and possibly camped earlier. As it was, I made it down allright but I think I pushed a little too long.
Another time was on a summer bushwhack from the East Pond trail up towards the col between the Osceolas. I stepped into a hole between some rocks that was hidden by leaves and almost twisted my knee pretty good. I was ok but it got me thinking about what it would be like to be stranded miles from any trail all alone (!).
I'm planning on doing the NH 48 again but I am doing most of them with my son Tom. I will still do some solo hiking just maybe not the long bushwhacks and I will definitely leave more detailed trip notes at home than I used to do in my earlier hiking days.

Chas.

Never rescued but spent the night out because of darkness after we lost the trail ... ran out of food, had no bivy, left tequila in the car ... totally unprepared but miraculously survived.

Arose prior to the crack of dawn ... didn't want to be disturbed by that loud noise ... and five hours later we were back at our cabin where last nights stew had been kept warm.

My bride took it in stride ... so much so that friends who had arrived at the cabin early that morning to pick us up for another hike were alarmed that we hadn't returned and she wasn't alarmed. We still hear how she was rustling through the insurance papers rather than informing the national guard.

I choose -

- No rescue ever
- No unplanned overnights
- Pooped pants cuz I was real scared.

In all fairness, it wasn't a full poop, just a little one. Come to think of it, I wasn't all the way scared either so that makes sense. No, really, It wasn't, I'm not lying....... Honest, I didn't inhale either.

I think it's called "survival instinct"...

I remember once also that I knew I was really, really cold but refused to shiver until I was done with the really hard nasty part of a hike... then when we were almost back to the car, I started shivering so hard I thought I would fall over right there on the flat trail.

Anyway, the story...my wife and I spent an unplanned night out in the Sierras once, apparently quite lost on snowcovered terrain after bushwhacking around for several hours in the snow. Fortunately, we had planned for 2 nights and only the 3rd was unexpected, so it almost doesn't count. I must say it was the #1 SMARTEST decision we ever made while hiking. In the morning, I got up and found we were within 10 feet (!) of the trail, and we hiked out to our car, mighty hungry (only trip I ever went on where we ate ALL of our food... no bear line necessary that 3rd night because there was nothing left) but whistling and laughing the whole way down.
I returned to the trail a couple years later and discovered the key trail junction sign had been buried under about 10 feet of snow.

Fun.

Weatherman

Get a Diaper!

To everyone (>toddler) who has ever pooped in their pants hiking: Gross!!

-Dr. Wu

dr_wu002 said:

To everyone (> todler) who has ever pooped in their pants hiking: Gross!!

-Dr. Wu

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HOW DARE YOU!!! make such a suggestion. I'll have you know, real hikers never wear diapers...................


{but they tend to have to invest in new undies post-hike more often}

pretty lucky

Interesting thread that hits home - I put "Injured, helped out by friends or other hikers". ("Friends" being my wife.)

In June 2004, my wife and I were coming down a mountain in Crete after hiking up to a cave. We were well past the scrambling and steep stuff and walking down a gentle grade when I tripped over a small rock or root and hit my head into a rock smashing my glasses into my farhead as well. (I think I was doing something dumb like changing a setting on my camera and walking at the same time!) My, wife, after making sure I was still conscious, helped me wrap up my bleeding head in her extra polypro shirt. (She told me it wasn't that bad, but I could see the skin flap in her sunglasses . ) After hiking down the rest of the 3 miles in the 90 degree heat and finding the nearest health clinic open on a Sunday and holiday, I ended up requiring about 10 stitches. Luckily there was no concussion. (Also, lucky that most Greeks could speak some English, cause its all......)

I remember the first few weeks back from Crete, I said I wasn't going to hike again. Then it became, I am not going to hike solo. At this point I had about 35 of the 48 N 4Ks done and I had planned on doing a couple of more that summer. By August my wife, who is not in to bagging peaks, convinced me to go out. The first one was tough - every root was trying to trip me up. In the end I did do four great solo trips by September (Willey, Field and loop back through Zealand Notch; Isolation via Davis Path; a traverse of the Carters and Moriah; and the Bigelows).

So I am more careful now and don't try to use my camera while walking. And yes I am set to spend the night out.

So now if I can just find the time to get to my last two!

Wu, you left out a category which should read: "Have you ever been brought back to life in the wilderness?" This actually happened to me after being pronounced officially dead. I had been dead for a few days actually before "they" got to me and then a bolt of lightning hit me smack on the head. It brought me brought back to life and I got up, looked at my astounded discoverers and supposedly said (I have retrograde amnesia due to the 700,000 Volts that went through my brain so I don't remember this) "crikey, I've been here since last Tuesday". If you don't believe me just check the on-line archives of the National Enquirer from July,1867.