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.
I'm not a proponent of evolution, if that helps.
Letting the government charge for services it chooses to provide is just giving it a license to steal. Start with 'rescues' and how long will it be before you're getting a bill from the Fire Department if you didn't cut the grass that caught on fire?
Sure. That's why you started off your post with "In strictly economic terms...".
You said -- "Has anyone thought of the possibility (I offer no opinion) that perhaps these climbers decided to make themselves "missing" and have really not been in danger on the mountain? As you can see, its a great way to get a ton of publicity for people who prior to this were not celebrities, get their 15 minutes of "fame" and maybe write a book and get some speaking opportunities."
Well, except for the fact that Mt. Hood is one of the most "climbed" mountains around in the country. I mean, "grannies" can climb it. It's a *walk* up to the top. At times, there can be a continuous line of "climbers" [hikers] and a traffic jam, going up. That' in the summer, though (and it's glaciated year round).
The fact that it is so easy is the problem. The weather can be perfect and then change in an hour to whiteout conditions. Timberline Lodge is up at the 6,000 foot level and there is a year-round ski lift that takes you on up. You can get a snowcat to take you up or you can walk.
So, with the massive numbers of people going up all the time, when you hear about a few (every year it seems) getting trapped, lost, killed, etc -- it's an extremely small percentage of the total going.
I remember a rescue helicopter going up there a few years ago and it got a bit too close to the edge of the mountain when rescuing some others (I think who fell into a crevasse). Well, the news teams were there and they caught the shot of the helicopter clipping the slope and twisting and turning and tumbling down onto the slopes, making the rescuers part of the ones needing to be rescued.
Maybe it's all "news" to the rest of the country, but in Oregon, it's something that happens quite a bit. I mean, did you read about the people who were lost somewhere in Southern Oregon. And then you have people who get washed off rocks at the beach, or a log gets lifted up in a wave and thrown at someone, and then someone else falls, when rappelling from some spires at Smith Rocks in Central Oregon, or a group goes out in a fishing boat and it tumbles in the surf and people die. And it goes on and on around the landscape in Oregon. I mean, in Oregon, people are dying in the wilderness and in the rugged and rough landscape and terrain all the time. And you don't have to go very far from your car to "be there". Sometimes it's just a one minute walk from the car.
There is a steep trail up to the top of Multnomah Falls, along I-84, just outside of Portland. I'm amazed that more people haven't fallen off the trail since it's extremely steep and many people simply can't make it for the steepness of the trail. You're inches from tumbling down the steep sides of the trail and one misstep on the trails loose rocks will do it. These are just "ordinary" people who are getting out of their cars (a few minutes ago) and are just one "misstep" from breaking bones or being killed. A big rock (the size of a school bus) fell off Multnomah Falls and smacked down where some people were viewing the falls, a few years ago.
If those Mt. Hood guys are "news" -- they may be in the rest of the country, but Oregon hears the "news" of many of these other things, all the time, around the state of Oregon.
So, really, I don't think they are any more significant than the many others and their own personal disasters that they've had at the many different spots in Oregon.
Regards,
Star Traveler
Are you posting from Mt. Hood? I'm guessing there is no dictionary within 25 miles of your location.
Not as tired as they are of being missing!
I guess life is about more than hunkering down, paying the bills and wearing seatbelts.
At some level, we like these risk takers, we read of their exploits, admire their pitting themselves against odds, know their risks and get vicarious enjoyment out of it.
Part of our bargain is we can support rescues when it doesn't work out.
This is the drama of life and we generally don't put a price tag on it and accept that there are those who "do", those who "watch" and we all pitch in a help when it goes wrong.
Sort of like a football game.
You quoted the above article, which said -- "Mountain climbing is a sport for the wealthy who can afford to take weeks off from work to indulge in their expensive hobby."
Well, that's not true for the people around Mt. Hood. Portland, Oregon is just about one hour's drive from Mt. Hood, maybe a little bit more. In Portland, and Oregon, it's just a day trip, and hardly any costs involved. And with a lot of people hardly any training involved either.
So, no that's not true for the people in Oregon. It may be for those who go to Mt. Everest, but in Oregon, we're fortunate to have the mountain right next door to us, and a fine lodge up at the 6,000 foot level and a nice easy walk up to the top.
Regards,
Star Traveler
You are correct, I can't think of many times when we saved folks from Everest. All one has to do is look at the 1996 tragedy on Everest, some of the guys that died were U.S. citizens. Many people who climbed Everest in the months and days following their death saw their bodies. As a matter fact, sometimes the guys from Everest are saved by another country. As with the case of another Dallas resident who was left for death on Everest twice and survived.
http://www.speakerseries.com/spk2001/weathers.htm
As one becomes good at hiking, one does begin to take more and more risk. Hiking through long trails in rough terrain is not only a lot of fun but downright addicting.
I had an experience a few years ago that I will somebody write a longer story about but for now, I'll recap it here.
I had opportunity to hike a 34-mile trail and had planned it for weeks. The week before my hike, a snowstorm was predicted for that weekend. Knowing the way that weather forecasters in New England hype up every storm, I decided to proceed anyhow. The morning of my hike, the snow was expected to move in around mid-afternoon. SO I figured I would be just fine. Just the same, I packed overnight survival gear in case I got injured or caught up in the storm where I would have to spend the night in the woods (as every serious hiker should).
It was a cold January day as I began my hike at daybreak. Very little snow was on the ground and it was perfect weather, about 15 degrees. As the sun rose over the horizon, there was not a cloud in the sky and the storm seemed far way. I figured if I could average 3 miles an hour, I'd be back at the lodge by sunset with the snow just getting underway. I was looking forward to it as I love walking in the woods when it is snowing.
Around midday, the skies clouded over rapidly and the wind started picking up. At about the halfway point on my "loop", I stopped for lunch and a rest. As it took me just 5 hours to get halfway, I figured I'd make it back well before dark even if the storm moved in sooner.
About an hour into the second leg of my hike, I came up over a hill and saw the sky ominously dark to my south. The snow shield was moving in. Very quickly, the air was full of flakes and the wind was howling. Fortunately it was a well marked trail and the snow was dry and fine so it wasn't sticking to the trees and obscuring the markers. But I very quickly lost sight of the ground and started tripping over roots and rocks that I could no longer see. Within an hour, there was already 2-3 inches on the ground!
I had to slow my pace and started losing time. It was now going to be definitely dark by the time I got back. But it got darker much sooner and the snow started sticking to the trees to where I couldn't see the markers very well. By 4PM, I had to start using my flashlight and the snow was up to my ankles. Fortunately, I had extra set of batteries. I ended up needing them.
I can't say I truly panicked but there was a point where I considered myself "lost" and I wasn't sure if I was on the trail anymore or not. I did know from the map that so long as I headed east, I'd eventually run into the main road. Fortunately, I had a compass to keep my bearing. Eventually, I stumbled out onto the road but it was unplowed! I also didn't know if I had to turn left or right to find where my car was parked (I had definitely turned off the trail as my car was parked at the trail head).
I figured I should turn right because even if I overshot where my car was parked, at least I'd end up at the lodge (that was about 3 miles down the road from where I parked at the trail head).
After about a half hour, I see the sign for the trail parking. Fortunately, I had entered the road north of my car and not south of it. I cleared off my car (which was buried under at least 10 inches of snow by this time), cleared the tailpipe and got inside to get warm. I was planning on spending the night in the car with my sleeping bag as the road would certainly be plowed out by morning. But fortunately, I saw some flashing yellow lights going by me on the road. The plows were already out!
At that point, it was a matter of shoveling a patch to the road from where my car was parked (I always carry a snow shovel in my trunk during winter) and getting back to the lodge where I got the best night sleep of my life!
At any rate, at no point during my experience was I expecting a "rescue." It was entirely up to me to get myself back safely and the situation I was in was entirely of my own making.
Someday, I'm going to write a much longer narrative about that experience. It was one of the most exciting days of my life.
Good grief!!! A post without the mention of "tangible benefits" or "economic terms" or "real dollars"!!! What's next? You reveal you are a human being?
My comment about churches, by the way, is not about one religion vs another, but about the people who attend and think the church belongs to them instead of they care for God's church. Power hungry individuals have turned to hate in far too many places. We are losing our civil society.
Have yourself a drink, ray, I'd say you could use one and I could probably derive some benefit of it.
I don't drink. But, it's telling that you would refer to it.
Winter doesn't start for two weeks after their expedition. In fact, their trip is being accomplished in late Fall.
If you're only looking at a calendar you're correct, but in the "real" mountains west of the Mississippi the winter starts in September when the snow pack starts to build.
"The rescue workers are the brave people in this event. The climbers were seeking recreation."
I agree. The ones that really disgust me are the calls of "hero!" It may take a personal heroic effort to make some of these climbs, but that doesn't make one a hero.
One of the worst was a group of Everest climbers last year, who were hailed as heroes because they stopped and gave a dying climber an oxygen bottle at an altitude where they could have really helped him. Instead of doing all they could do, they tossed a bottle his way and continued on up. For that the media and their friends and family labeled them heroes. They left a guy to die. Not very heroic in my opinion.
That's the problem, then. You should begin immediately.
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