Changes Backpacking Habits

[markskor]

Being as currently, there is no way for anyone to know for certain if or when anybody solo comes out of the wilderness, even when keeping to exact plans...especially if there is nobody at home to call in to report someone as being late.
If plans possibly change when out on the trail... If someone came into Yosemite by bus, (cheaper than driving) thus no trailhead car.
Where and when would SAR then start looking?
And why?

[AlmostThere]

Because that's the mandate.

I know no one gets it, but such is life of the civil servant.

If a car is sitting abandoned in a Yosemite lot, they search. That was the base of the first mutual aid I went on. Someone will know where you went and eventually someone calls. Sometime down the road, someone will find your clothes. That was how we ended up picking bones out of brush one summer afternoon...

[Wandering Daisy]

Because I want to avoid unnecessary searches on my behalf, I add a day or two to my permit and purposely tell those at home to expect me later than I really anticipate coming home. They know from experience that I stay out until my food is gone and often "squeeze" an extra day into a backpack trip. In fact, I do not think they would notify anyone unless I were 3 days late. I do plan in detail, leave it in writing, and include all my optional "add-ons" that I would take.

Unless someone calls you in as a missing person, the FS does not check trailheads (cars parked) and match permits unless they see a car parked there an inordinate amount of time. Which is why when I leave my car for an extended time, I always put a note in the window. When I did the SHR I left my car at North Lake for 25 days. There is not official "check out" for wilderness permits. If you think the FS will call in a rescue if you are a day late, you are mistaken.

[AlmostThere]

I'm not talking about the FS.... they don't care much, obviously. They don't monitor trailheads much, don't patrol trails checking permits the way the parks do, and don't generally bother until someone calls them.

I hope you're not thinking that I am making assumptions. Just observations. There are many ways that searches start, and it depends upon the jurisdiction you're in. National Parks work differently.

Someone will notice you are gone, remember you mentioned the trip, and call. Unless you are a complete hobo without a soul to call a friend. The calls sometime have almost no details or information. In one instance the person was supposed to go to a coastal town, by car, the car was found at a powerhouse a week later by a worker, the plates were run, and a search initiated. The person was found... not a happy ending, but found. Puzzle pieces get put together.

[markskor]

Because that's the mandate... Someone will know where you went and eventually someone calls.

Mandate for what? How?
As of this point I do not even know where 1/2 of my 3-month summer wilderness plans will lead.(Amazed at those who can.)
I fish, usually go solo off-trail, and have been known to change plans on the fly...Thus nobody anywhere knows...and no calls will be forthcoming.
Yes, someone eventually might inquire (maybe here from HST), but the only clue would be my last wilderness permit, and even at that, I too always add 4 - 5 days to any permit, anticipating/ inviting serendipitous whimsy. My understanding of the current Permit rules - You must have one to leave legally from any trailhead. The only mandate - a legal designated place to start out from and for how long you will be out. Once on the trail though, you can change itineraries and go anywhere, exiting anywhere too as long as you have extra days left on the permit.

Sometime down the road, someone will find your clothes...

Yes, perhaps.

[maverick]

Markskor wrote:
Yes, someone eventually might inquire (maybe here from HST)

I will Mark.

[rlown]

Markskor wrote:
Yes, someone eventually might inquire (maybe here from HST)

I will Mark.

I might inquire, but at the same time, i'm pretty sure you're in your happy place.

[artrock23]

This is a really good thread with a lot of useful dialogue.

As an avid outdoorsman (along with mountaineering, I also surf and ride mountain bikes), i've considered the wisdom of using a 'Spot' device. The majority of my Sierra trips are done solo, and plans always include cross-country travel with at least one peak ascent, often with snow/ice.

Mountaineering involves varying degrees of risk and daring; these are inherent to the sport. I accept these risks; indeed, they are part of the attraction for me, personally. I've found that although accidents and unforseen circumstances may occur, they can be greatly minimized by proper training, good equipment, and most of all good judgement. This is why I spend much of my free time on websites like this, read books, research new equipment, do Winter training hikes in the local mountains, and (soon) take climbing classes. But to me, good judgement is perhaps the most important skill (or trait) the alpinist must possess. I've turned back short of my objective, more than once, due to unsafe conditions. As Dirty Harry once said "A man's got to know his limitations".

Having a Spot device makes sense. To be honest, I haven't made up my mind about it yet, but it's possible I may add one in the near future.

[rlown]

artrock,

You said you accept it. does your family?

Russ

[freestone]

I have to change my soloist backpacking habits. I'm punching into my mid sixties, so I have to uh... "act my age". The Spot is not on my short term list because I just spent a bunch of money on a new sleeping bag and tent. If I become disabled, I will at least be warm and dry. Also, my family is not about to sign off on some devise with a panic button.

Safety for me (and the fam) is in going with other people, not devises. So I will probably look for advertisements on group trips such as REI, and the "partners wanted" section of Backpacker.com Forum. I think Outfitters are missing the mark by targeting just young novices, not realizing there is a large pool of retirees coming on board with time, expertise, and money.

If I do go solo again, I will give a VERY detailed itinerary on the Wilderness permit that could even include coordinates rather than names since most places I go to don't even have names!

At the very least, I won't be so damn hard to find should I become incapacitated.