[Man50D]

Should the authorities have searched for and rescued the folks in Gold Beach, Oregon who took the wrong turn? Should the authorities have searched for the couple who was recently found in a submerged car just off the interstate?

Poor analogies. The folks in Gold Beach didn't intentionally take a wrong turn for the thrill nor did the couple from South Carolina intentionally submerge themselves to fulfill some burning need.

This ignores the more obvious fact millions of people travel everyday and yet a very tiny fraction are killed. Most of them do not die because they meant to put themselves in dangerous conditions. The weather conditions that occurred on Mt Hood during the climb created a far more dangerous situation then traveling by car.

[Thermalseeker]

The weather conditions that occurred on Mt Hood during the climb created a far more dangerous situation then traveling by car.

Clearly, you have not spent any time on I-285 in rush hour traffic in Atlanta.

I suppose you would also say that because I own and fly airplanes, one of which I built myself, and because I flew hang gliders for 30+ years without a scratch, that I am creating a far more dangerous situation? Be careful how you answer this one. Statistics and personal experience do not support your line of thinking.

Everything you do, every action you take, is a calculated risk. From the moment your feet touch the floor in the morning to the time you close your eyes at night, your day is filled with calculated risks. It doesn't matter whether it is choosing to hold a knife by the handle as opposed to the blade, driving a car, climbing a mountain or flying a plane. Calculated risks all. You may indeed feel safer in your car, but that is the folly of your argument.