Posted on 10/18/2020 6:07:39 PM PDT by devane617
A California woman who was missing for nearly two weeks at Zion National Park in Utah was found safely on Sunday and reunited with her family. Holly Suzanne Courtier, 38, hadnt been seen since riding a private shuttle into the parks Grotto area on Oct. 6. Her disappearance prompted multiple search and rescue efforts that were complicated by the fact that Courtier didnt have a cell phone and hadnt left a trip itinerary.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Heh, I had no idea they lose that much...I thought that was a lot, but...it is different too when you only weigh 175 lbs vs 195!
My imagination, or is there a little crazy behind those eyes?
Hot/crazy index could be useful.
Outdoors/Rural/wildlife/hunting/hiking/backpacking/National Parks/animals list please FR mail me to be on or off . And ping me is you see articles of interest.
I have to say, there are times I could totally see myself doing this. And I know people who have. The article doesn’t say if she knows much about wilderness survival, but if she does, she could have been fine.
I did this for a couple of days near Death Valley. Not because I did not want to be found. My wife knew I was there. No one else did.
I wanted to go out and see what it was like. I had a tent, plenty of water and food, and some photo gear. If you want to get good “star” photos, there are some pretty dark places to go.
My kids were freaking out a little. My wife kept getting calls.
Oh well....As long as you tell the “important” people.
Getting lost for 12 days there is like getting lost in Safeway for 12 days—ain’t happenin’.
Her story would’ve been a lot more believable in just about any other national park or national monument. She picked the smallest one and the most difficult to get lost in. She is not smart.
And yes, if you’re out in that area, you better be able to survive with a map and some basic navigation skills or be in a place where dead-reckoning and easy landmarks can get you back to your car. The military commonly runs exercises that include GPS-denial, it happened to me when I was hiking in Vermillion Cliffs National Monument in February a couple of years ago: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/17987/usaf-is-jamming-gps-in-the-western-u-s-for-largest-ever-red-flag-air-war-exercise . Luckily I was on a trail that was very straightforward and I knew which easily-identified hill (the only one that was cone-shaped) my car was behind.
From the article: “Training maneuvers will impact vast portions of the Western U.S. including California, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Montana and New Mexico. FAA enroute ATC centers affected include Albuquerque (ZAB), Denver (ZDV), Los Angeles (ZLA), Salt Lake (ZLC), Oakland (ZOA) and Seattle (ZSE).” That is a freakin’ huge area.
The sheriff’s department is saying that her story is highly sketchy. That speaks volumes. They usually pull the ole “We don’t talk about ongoing investigations”, they must have it pretty locked up that she’s lying.
Taking a multi-day pack on a two-hour hike? I tend to be over-prepared and carry too much but this chick is another level. I was in the area (near Kanab, UT) when this was going on. The highs were in the upper 70s to low 80s, so what’s with the winter gear for a 2-hour hike? That’s a coincidence that’s hard to explain. I was out hiking, too—in shorts, a t-shirt, and two liters of water in my hydration pack. I had a hoodie sweatshirt and cotton sweat-bottoms—in the car. The temps were summer-like, pushing 80 with very intense sun because the skies were so clear. The temps were low 60s at night, I could see light pants and a very light jacket at night. That Patagonia puff jacket is way too warm for this, my work buddy has one that he wears when it’s about 35 F outside.
That is no joke. I live in Utah. When Elizabeth Smart was found, for months after there were tons of teenage girls pulling the ole disappear-for-a-week-or-two trick to freak out the parents. This comes off as one of those stupid teen attempts at attention.
I prepare because I tend to be out in the north woods in deer season. I plan to be back by sundown but a lot can happen in the woods. So I wear my survival vest that has enough gear in it to keep me alive and comfortable for a week. It is about five-six pounds and that includes the extra ammo.
Even for a novice she took way too much stuff.
For an experienced hiker on a two hour hike?
No.
Yep, big ole red flag.
Here’s a mistake I made that turned out to not be bad actually:
In Capitol Reef NP, I hiked out to an overlook (3 miles each way) and got caught out after dark. It was fall, 60 degrees, and I was wearing cotton sweat-bottoms and a t-shirt. It was like summer when the sun was up. At sunset 3 miles from the car, the temp dropped to 45F quick (I hung around to take some sunset pictures at this overlook). It got dark way fast but there was a 3/4 moon up so I never needed to break out the head-lamp in my pack. The walk on a wide moonlit desert trail was actually pretty fun. 45 was a bit cold so I broke out the emergency foil blanket to wrap around my shoulders. I didn’t even really need it. At 45 F, no wind, and in a T-shirt with sweat-bottoms, I was fine as long as I kept working. When I’d stop for a sip of water or whatever, then it felt cold. I wish I’d brought my thin little fall jacket but a winter coat? NO, total overkill.
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