Posted on 01/17/2012 2:20:39 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Hiker lost in blizzard for two days burned money to keep warm
A hiker who was lost in a blizzard for two days said he burned his socks and money to keep warm.
Yong Chun Kim, 66, of Tacoma, who was climbing Mount Rainier in Washington State, said he had fire starters with him and first burned some leaves. Then he started burning personal items: his socks and then $1 and $5 bills from his wallet.
Mr Kim also said he kept moving to keep warm, took cover under a tree at night and dreamed of his wife and a nice hot sauna.
He became separated from his snowshoe group Saturday and wasn't rescued until Monday. Mr Kim was in such good shape that when he was found, he did not have to go to a hospital and, instead, went home with his family.
Searchers traversed deep snow and snowshoed up a river valley to pull him from the icy remote backcountry. The team reached Kim on Monday afternoon but it took nine hours to bring him from the rugged terrain covered in deep snow to a road, spokesman Lee Taylor said.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Burning all my money would keep me warm for about 10 seconds!
If said hiker refuses to wear a tracking device and is lost, they should be charged for the rescue.
Hopefully the following will help put things in perspective....
“...Yong Chun Kim was leading a snowshoe hike above Paradise on Saturday afternoon when he slid down a steep slope. Rather than climb back up, he told the group of 16 hikers that he would rendezvous with them lower down the trail.....
About 90 searchers from around the state helped the park service during Mondays search. The big breaks in the search came Sunday when members of the hiking party led searchers back to the place where Kim fell, and backcountry campers found tracks leading into the Stevens Creek drainage....”
The guy should have not allowed (ordered) his separation from the group. He should have had the 10 essentials which would have include map & compass that would have allowed him to rejoin the trail and would have had gear for an emergency overnight bivouac. Too many mistakes were made, but at least he was tough enough to survive.
I knew the Sunday NY Times existed for a reason. Personally, I'd burn the money before the socks.
I never knew that coins were combustible......
I’m betting the tree he was under would have made some great heat also.........:o)
http://www.acrelectronics.com/products/catalog/personal-locator-beacons/resqlink-406-gps/
http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10820&minisite=10020
I have both the ACR and In Reach systems in my ruck. If I only had cash for one or the other I’d go with the In Reach two way satellite system. It has better options for day to day needs.
Stay safe !
I wonder how long before the BTU output from burning a dollar bill is greater than the BTU output you can purchase with it?
“Soon this kind of behavior may be no longer news, because dollar’s value will have a free fall.”
“I wonder how long before the BTU output from burning a dollar bill is greater than the BTU output you can purchase with it?”
That’s an idea. They are printing so many dollar bills, they may replace fossil fuels.
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