Posted on 12/17/2006 5:20:45 AM PST by Nasty McPhilthy
A trio of climbers, ascended Mount Hood, under adverse winter conditions — to test their survival skills. The intrepid climbers took gear such as food, fuel, bivvy sacks, a shovel and ropes. These men knew they were taking a big risk – or they would not have taken survival gear with them.
Mountain climbing is a sport for the wealthy who can afford to take weeks off from work to indulge in their expensive hobby.
These clowns have been missing for over a week, and the state is expending tens of thousands of dollars in search and resuce operations.
Why is the sheriff’s department and the U.S Forest Service rangers looking for these men who are addicted to danger?
The taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for the foolhardy thrill seekers who knew they were taking a big risk. The families of the climbers should pay for their own search teams; they shouldn’t expect the government to pay for the reckless chance the climbers took.
From USA Today:
“Deputy Gerry Tiffany, spokesman for the Hood River County sheriff’s office, said its office does not charge for its searches.”
I think it’s about time the government starts charging for rescue operations – when it’s a case of adventurers who place themselves in danger.
I’m sick of hearing about the missing climbers; I’m sick of watching the relatives of the missing men on TV praise the courage of the climbers, and I’m sick at the thought that taxpayers are paying for the rescue efforts.
You mean you get on a raft and go into whitewater?
I hope you don't get stranded in the wilderness and expect us to pay to get you out!!
ANd bitch about watching it on our tvs.
You said -- "So she ran out of the car (her grown sons and daughter were in it) and stood on the Oregon coastal cliffs threatening to jump. Her grown children went over to save her, the rocks she was standing on collapsed and they all fell into the very cold ocean, where I believe two of them drowned."
Well, it doesn't take someone "threatening" for it to happen. There have been rescues for people who have slipped off, too. It happens quite frequently.
I remember, quite a few years back, my church had a youth group outing to the Oregon Coast. One of the boys in the group, standing on a rock shelf, with the others around, was sucked off the edge by a wave, and went into the ocean. No one could save him, as it can be quite dangerous around those rocks and with the wave action. They had to watch him go out to the ocean, struggling all the way out. That was the last they saw of him. I don't think they ever found his body.
The fact of the matter, it's just plain dangerous out in the country (especially around in this part of the country), but people pretty much accept it as normal and go on about things.
I've had my experiences, too. There was a time at Mary's Peak, near Corvallis, that I got my car stuck in some left-over snow (after being there for a very nice day trip) and couldn't get down. I walked down (about 10 miles, I guess) and it started snowing on me, and then when I passed down to a lower elevation, it was rain. I was wet, soaked and cold and I couldn't see -- it was so dark. I had to make sure I was still walking on the road, by the crunching of the gravel under my feet. Several times I walked off the edge of the road and I would stop dead, get down on my hands and knees and find the road again -- because on the road there were drop-offs hundreds of feet straight down. You didn't dare just walk, because it was so dark that you couldn't see your feet on the ground. You could take one step and drop hundreds of feet.
I felt tired, too -- and one time I just wanted to stop and rest by the side of the road. I thought I would just rest for a bit and then go on, and I was tired and feeling sleepy, too. Well, something told me to "keep on going" so I did. If I had stopped and rested, I would not have woken up. So, those things can and do happen.
I got down to the main highway, hitched a ride and rested for the night. The next day I was up there again, with a group of friends to get the car unstuck and out of the snow and then back down again.
Around Oregon, things can happen in the blink of an eye.
Regards,
Star Traveler
"I think liberals want us to live in 'tugboat society' where everyone should wear old rubber tires around themselves and all their property so nothing ever gets hurt or damaged."
Plenty of "conservatives" here on FR the same way. Lots of big government, nanny-staters are Republicans.
OK, I can buy that. Although I do believe there's a fine line between audacious risk taking and egregious foolhardiness, the difference, if you will, between the pioneers who settled this country and the average Darwin Award Winner. Time will tell where the Mt. Hood climbers fall on that scale.
One of the climbers grandfathers is on tv.
He is an extraordinariy handsome lively man. He looks like the grandfather everyone wants,,vital and youthful and hearty.
I?m Tired Of Hearing About The Missing Mt. Hood ClimbersYup; me too.
AN example of terminal stupidity on their part.
Didn't even bring along a proper communications device (2-way radio).
Something as basic even such as an FRS radio - that would have fantastic range on an 'open path' down the mountain or to rescue aircraft let alone a 2 Meter handheld or even a single channel 121.5 MHz rescue beacon transceiver ...
Instead, these clowns bring a cellular telephone!
Do you know what these things (cell phones) do when they can't find a sig (signaling channel)? They go off and continually search for a sig instead of practicing the usual battery conservation routines that allow these phones to be powered-up for several days without a recharge.
But take one one of those phones out-of-the-city where cellular infrastructure is slim-to-none-existant and the phone may suck a battery down in a day looking for a non-extistant signaling channel ...
I crave safety, never do anything risky, am basically a fraidy cat.
So I admire young people who go out and test themselves, do things like this. ANd the same kinds of young people are part of the rescue effort.
My husband at age 65 is off doing some extreme skiing this week,,he has been doing it for a couple of years and loves it. I don't do it but admire him for doing it.
I do however go to the mall during sales.
marked
I wouldn’t EXPECT anyone to get me out of a jam that I willingly and knowingly placed myself into. Furthermore, I’d rather be found dead than to endure the embarrassment for haveing placed so many at risk in attempts to rescue me for doing something for which I fully understood the dangers therein.
But, that's just me. :-)
Two very good points that have absolutely nothing to do with the these missing climbers on Mt. Hood.
By all means, rescue them. But when things settle down a bit....hand them a bill which I feel confident they'll be able to afford. The author was stating that he doesn't believe that this type of rescue operation should be paid for by taxpayers. And he is correct.
Second, this situation was well within their control. They purposely went into bad conditions thinking they'd prepared accordingly. They guessed wrong. Far different than the recent situation with the Kim family.
Stupidity should be painful.
Have you ever stopped to think of all the things we should stop doing because of the cost of rescue, medical treatment, sending in the troops to pull us out? perhaps we could all stay in our homes, in the US and work from a computer.
You said -- "Well I talked about it with a house full of native Oregonians last night and we all thought they were idiots for trying that. They may have thought they knew what they were getting into, but had no idea how bad that mountain can get. Perhaps a transplant like yourself can help them out."
Heck, I'm more Oregonian than 50% of the state, having been there for almost 40 years, now.
But, I'm sure they knew how bad things can get. That is the sort of thing you can easily find out, and especially so if they're into mountain climbing. Those guys, knowing climbing as they do, don't need any help from people posting on FreeRepublic, that's for sure.
You said -- "Your personal attacks are pretty childish and usually used by someone who has already lost the issue."
Did we have an "issue" there? I missed it, then. Grumpy is grumpy and that's definitely what you are. What was the issue we had, by the way?
You also said -- "Your personal attacks are pretty childish and usually used by someone who has already lost the issue."
Are you sure you've been in Oregon all this time? The Oregonians I know don't bat an eye over "grumpy". It has to get a lot worse before they even turn their head your direction.
Oh, by the way, what was that "issue" again...?
Regards,
Star Traveler
P.S. -- Being a "native" -- what reservation are you on? Is it the Warms Springs Indian Reservation?
Ya just don't mess with the Bumbles.
Did I SAY "on Mt Hood, hmm?
I was referring in general, to the previous posters generalization of charging rescuees for the cost of the helicopter, etc.
You said -- "perhaps we could all stay in our homes, in the US and work from a computer."
Yeah, that's apparently what some people want..., for us all to lead "virtual lives". Hey, then we would need Neo to save us, wouldn't we, and get unplugged from the master virtual machine...
Regards,
Star Traveler
Well aren't you precious. I don't know your politics but by reading your response and your tag line, it's a real good imitation of a bleeding heart Liberal. I agree with the writer of the article. I live in Hawaii where there are sharks in the ocean. I see swimmers here swimming way out from shore instead of using their heads and going our a short ways and swimming parallel with the beach. Guess what, sometimes they get shark bites. Duuuuhhhh. It's hard to feel sorry for idiots that don't listen to good advice,nor do they want any.
You said -- "Did I SAY "on Mt Hood, hmm?"
Aren't these guys on Mt. Hood?
Regards,
Star Traveler
That is the story that precipitated the discussion, yes.
You said -- "That is the story that precipitated the discussion, yes."
Thus, the comments about Mt. Hood...
Regards,
Star Traveler
Rescue Cost Recovery Debate
http://www.americanalpineclub.org/pdfs/MRcost.pdf
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