Zion National Park visitors rescued after mocking rangers, hiking The Subway unprepared

Living in a YouTube / Reality TV world these days has a lot to do with these problems I think. They only see the good, the action, the adrenaline rush moments and think “Dude, let’s do that!” It’s similar to the DYI shows and videos where you see time-compressed progress and the beautiful results. No mention of all the prep and hard work, nor the cost.


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I am in same boat as @IntrepidXJ ... I always carry a paper map.... call me paranoid... old school... etc. I just feel better having it along. Last time I pulled mine out was in Bandelier down in NM... I was quite a ways off trail and just needed some re-assurance my plan was going to work :rolleyes:

I can always mention the lady I saw just last weekend when I was headed back to my car from Ypsilon Lake. She was headed up the trail in flip-flops and was carrying a starbucks coffee. When I see stuff like that I just mentally guess how long it will be before they turn around.

Then there is this video...
 
What's a "paper map?"

Rockskipper said:
I bet the rangers at all the NPs could tell some stories...
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Ranger Kathryn has some pretty good stories: https://arches.wordpress.com/
She was a ranger at Arches, then transferred to the Maze District of Canyonlands (pretty sad story about her leaving, too). She has all kinds of good stories about visitor encounters, but also just plain ol' cool stuff in the backcountry.

I don't think this applies to the original subject of this thread, but I know that rangers often purposefully exaggerate the conditions or difficulty of roads, trails, and canyons to discourage visitors from going, regardless of ability or preparedness. I'd wager that it's much more common for rangers to try discouraging prepared visitors than it is for unprepared visitors to need rescuing. There are a number of such stores right on this forum.
 
Udink said:
What's a "paper map?"


Ranger Kathryn has some pretty good stories: https://arches.wordpress.com/
She was a ranger at Arches, then transferred to the Maze District of Canyonlands (pretty sad story about her leaving, too). She has all kinds of good stories about visitor encounters, but also just plain ol' cool stuff in the backcountry.

I don't think this applies to the original subject of this thread, but I know that rangers often purposefully exaggerate the conditions or difficulty of roads, trails, and canyons to discourage visitors from going, regardless of ability or preparedness. I'd wager that it's much more common for rangers to try discouraging prepared visitors than it is for unprepared visitors to need rescuing. There are a number of such stores right on this forum.
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The problem is, they can't know who the idiots are. Sometimes it's apparent, but sometimes it's not. That's why I repeat my call for a "not a jackass" certification program that would allow you to skip the 20 minute video and the ranger lecturing you about not trampling the crypto.
 
I mostly don't carry paper maps anymore, unless the nature of the route makes electronics failure seem very serious.

I took some kids through the subway last spring and had a blast, but w/o that log there near the last drop, the rap was definitely not easy to avoid.

Anyone know how the USARA card thing is going? Are people buying in? I'd forgotten about it until just now, oops.

https://secure.utah.gov/rescue/index.html
 
regehr said:
I mostly don't carry paper maps anymore, unless the nature of the route makes electronics failure seem very serious.

I took some kids through the subway last spring and had a blast, but w/o that log there near the last drop, the rap was definitely not easy to avoid.

Anyone know how the USARA card thing is going? Are people buying in? I'd forgotten about it until just now, oops.

https://secure.utah.gov/rescue/index.html
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somehow I missed that they now offer search and rescue assistance. Pretty cool.
I definitely have to sign up for it as I do venture out solo about 90% of all my trips.

And I'm also a paper map fan, I simply love the fact to have something handy with me. Electronics can fail, malfunction, and can run out of battery but maps are always reliable. At least when you know how to read them.
 
I have hiked the Subway from the bottom up, and in record time (under the minimum 5 hour they suggest it takes) and even then there are a lot of places where it is easy to lose the trail. It's a beautiful hike and I did it in early October...and it was brutal hiking back out at noon, I can't imagine doing that climb in the summer. The sign up to the trailhead is really obvious IF you are on the trail...I was worried about missing it but I did not need to worry.

I carry paper maps and electronic maps. Since my electronics are off most of the time it is just easier to quickly whip out my paper map to check turn-offs and decide on rough where I want to camp for the night.
 
I'm with Randy. These days I often even forget the paper maps.

Phones and GPS shouldn't be dissed at as primary nav tools. They can fail, sure, but maps can blow away, get crucial info blotted out by creases and wear, DEET'ed fingers can obliterate whole ranges. It's often not only the equipment that separates an epic from a disaster.
 
I think that the most important thing one can carry is their PLB. Maps, water, all that will keep you from having to use it hopefully, but it's the last line of defense.
 
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It seems odd to me that some navigation devices can tell you if there is traffic congestion, road construction, etc. along your route but they don't tell you you're heading into remote back country without any services, or even water for that matter.
 
IntrepidXJ said:
I still carry paper maps as a backup, but in the past 15 years I've never had to use them and occasionally I wonder if they are really still necessary for me to carry, but I still do. I always have a dedicated GPS unit and cell phone with me, both waterproof with extra batteries. So far they have never died on me.
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I usually carry a delorme with me for emergencies and during breaks, I plot myself on my map just to do map work and then make an effort to terrain associate a little to keep my skills sharp. I feel if I solely use my phone I get lazy and complacent.
 
Map and compass carrier. I've loved maps since I was a kid, still do. Being a natural Luddite helps me to leave the GPS at home, but even that has limits, I always bring a SPOT.

Reading the blog that @MikeM attached reminded me of the time, 15 years ago or so, that a car drove off one of our ferries into a fog bank; and followed the GPS right down the boat ramp into the harbor. Shtupid is as shtupid does.
 
I've had maps be inaccurate showing trails I needed to use that were basically no longer in use. I don't generally rely on my InReach for following a route but in those instances I had to or I never would have found my way. Without it I would have had to backtrack which I would have done if I hadn't had the DeLorme InReach with the maps on my phone. Maps are great, and I always carry one but they can be incorrect too. I rely on multiple backups when it comes to navigation and safety.
 
MikeM said:
Oh, I've done it too. We were in Virginia for my brother's wedding a few years ago and the GPS drove me right into a restricted area on a Navy base!
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Mine took me into a prison...guard was on me immediately but he wasn't surprised. Apparently it happens a lot when people are looking for a particular camping area tagged on freecampsites.net.
 
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