Note from Oregon to the Rest of the nation.

[westofyou]

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/orego...120.xml&coll=7

More snow, less hope on Hood
New storms bear down, searchers come up empty, and families of 3 lost climbers send up prayers

Wednesday, December 13, 2006
STUART TOMLINSON and MARK LARABEE

GOVERNMENT CAMP -- Rescue workers continued their two-pronged search Tuesday for three climbers missing on Mount Hood, with some saying their chances of survival are dwindling while others remain optimistic.

"Hope is fading by the hour," said veteran climber and rescuer Rocky Henderson of Portland Mountain Rescue. "I think there was another accident -- that they may have gotten into a gully or canyon and fallen. If they had found the south-side route, they would have come out on a road by now."

In the wake of last weeks big story on the Kim family, and another man who was lost then found by Crater Lake I have a note for the world.

It's winter here, mountains and wilderness abounds in the 98,466 sq miles that represents the state. Only 600 of those miles is the Portland area, and 2 million of the 4 million humans in the state live in that scant 600 square miles, distributing the rest of the 2 million into the remaining 97,800 square miles.

Leaving essentially a mess of wilderness out there to tempt and fool you.

We have 36 mountains (which in case you are unaware "generally refers to rises over 2,000 feet)

The altitude of mountains means that the tops exist in higher cold layers of the atmosphere. They are consequently often subject to glaciation and erosion through frost action. In other words the winter makes it a mess of arctic conditions.

In short watch out, nature's a mean master.

[RBA]

Thanks, WestofYou,

I plan in 3 1/2 years to retire from the military and live in Oregon. That's were my wife is from. Hopefully I can get a job. Maybe I can be a rescue ranger.

[Red Leader]

As a person that respects nature a whole lot, I just don't understand the "adrenaline rush" people get from challenging it. Mother Nature can be one mean, nasty chick.

Unless of course, you're wearing these:

[gm]

Originally Posted by Red Leader

As a person that respects nature a whole lot, I just don't understand the "adrenaline rush" people get from challenging it. Mother Nature can be one mean, nasty chick.

Unless of course, you're wearing these:

Big Foot mystery--SOLVED!

[Dom Heffner]

There must be a fascination with it because many people do it, and WOY's note was a tad more polite than mine would be.

Dear World: Stay out of the mountains in the winter. Drink a beer. Go roller skating. Speed on I-275. Ride a roller coaster. Take a road that costs you 3 extra days in travel. You know better, you really do.

We aren't coming to look for your frozen a** if you get lost.

Hugs and kisses,

Dom Heffner

[George Foster]

I felt sorry for The Kim family, but he had no business taking his wife, a 4 year old, and a 4 month old that deep in the mountians. What were they thinking?

[Heath]

Originally Posted by George Foster

I felt sorry for The Kim family, but he had no business taking his wife, a 4 year old, and a 4 month old that deep in the mountians. What were they thinking?

That's the problem and the cartographers of Rand McNally are going to have ask themselves the same question.

Someone didn't do their homework on that end. However, you need to check with the state also about some signage on that exit as well.

[westofyou]

signage on that exit as well.

The signage going up the hill was a marked NF 23 as in National Forest 23, not State Route, not Federal Route. Forest roads are a different beast. Definitely one should rethink a route that is a winding road through wilderness at 10:30, but the fact is one shouldn't attempt NF roads in areas they've never been in if they aren't prepared.

[RFS62]

It may not have anything to do with this situation, but I use GPS navigation every day on my job. Many times when I'm in backwoods areas the maps will show a road that doesn't exist, or hasn't been developed yet. Several times over the years I've driven on the route the computer choses, only to hit a dead end or impassable road that's marked as passable.

I have no idea if this was a factor, but even the best mapping software out there has many mistakes. And there's a much higher chance of an incorrect route in the rural areas.

[Heath]

Originally Posted by westofyou

The signage going up the hill was a marked NF 23 as in National Forest 23, not State Route, not Federal Route. Forest roads are a different beast. Definitely one should rethink a route that is a winding road through wilderness at 10:30, but the fact is one shouldn't attempt NF roads in areas they've never been in if they aren't prepared.

woy as a resident of the state, I totally agree with your way of thinking - but to an unknown tourist, seeing NF-23 as a big black line as compared to nothing else listed as a "good road", I give them the benefit of the doubt. However, one would gather, by the time one would get to the point of wilderness, you would think that turning around is the option.

In today's theory of getting there as fast as one can, NF-23 to the Kim family was an eight-lane interstate according to the Rand McNally. I'm sorry that it ended so tragic for them.

[cincyinco]

God, I'm glad I grew up in Colorado.

I felt badly for the Kim family, and i'm glad that some good came out of it, and it wasn't a total tragedy. As for the mountain climbers/hikers that are currently lost/dead/gone?

Well, I think they knew what they were getting into, and uh.. yeah.. well, you made your bed. Sleep in it.

In this day and age, if you're going to brave the elements like that, and not use every proper safety precaution - such as GPS tracking, which is so common these days its built into cellphones for 911 emergencie - well, perhaps you deserve a bit of mishap.

I don't wish ill harm on anyone, but you have to be accountable and responsible for your own actions and decisions. It seems to me, far too often, that we pass the buck - and we don't think things through well enough before proceeding with whatever it is we've decided to do.

We sue fast food because we got fat eating it, but we were the ones shoveling it down our throats. And we blame them. This is the kind of world we live in today.

WoY, if these jokers are found, alive and well - are they going to be charged for the amount of tax dollars its taken to put on a search effort? I know some states are doing this. Its one thing if you are the Kim's, and you just get lost.. its a completely different issue IMO, if you decide to go out willingly with the express intent of climbing a mountain in crap weather. There's inherently more risk w/that decision, and you accepted it, now pay the consequences.

Sorry to rant, but while I sympathize with the Kim family, I have little/no pitty for these other hickers...

[Johnny Footstool]

In this day and age, if you're going to brave the elements like that, and not use every proper safety precaution - such as GPS tracking, which is so common these days its built into cellphones for 911 emergencie - well, perhaps you deserve a bit of mishap.

There usually isn't cell service in the remote areas people like to explore. If they get lost, rescue teams contact people's cell service provider and set up dozens of temporary portable cell towers to try and locate them.

[pedro]

My new catch phrase is "there are no short cuts"

[pedro]

Originally Posted by Heath

woy as a resident of the state, I totally agree with your way of thinking - but to an unknown tourist, seeing NF-23 as a big black line as compared to nothing else listed as a "good road", I give them the benefit of the doubt. However, one would gather, by the time one would get to the point of wilderness, you would think that turning around is the option.

In today's theory of getting there as fast as one can, NF-23 to the Kim family was an eight-lane interstate according to the Rand McNally. I'm sorry that it ended so tragic for them.

My map makes it look like a good route too. Scary. Nonetheless, I think their experience going up the road should have led them to turn around sooner than they did.

[RBA]

Wasn't the gate lock to the road cut by vandals?