Dude,

Thanks much for your update on SAR activities in your area.

sardude posted:

Sometimes, one just gets unlucky – or in my case last year – lucky!

http://members.desertusa.com/mb3/viewto ... f=7&t=2314

TradClimber

Cool! I should go there.

HJ

SARDUDE,

First, were any of the lost carrying SPOT (or equivalent) GPS Locators?

Next, tell us some more about your creepy experiences in Devil's Canyon?

Best-Mike

First, thanx Trad, loved the info and always interesting interaction. Hikin jim, anytime. I am way to easy to get to hike. Google the five pools of devils canyon, quite a place but no margin of error. Gollum, I have read the Rings series multiple times since the 70's, don't know you but I guess I do.

I drove back and forth working in the mines for ten years, passing through Devils every day. One horrible rainy thunderstorm morning before sunrise, lightning, hail, the worst possible conditions, I am driving east on US 60. At the bridge over Devils, in my headlights, two shining red eyes crossing the road, stop and look at me. A large upright creature that crosses the road in what seemed like 6 steps. VERY large with a huge stride. I can still remember it like yesterday. On the way home in the daylight I stopped and checked out the location which is the only place to get across because of steep canyons. It stepped over the guardrail like it wasn't there. I found disturbed earth that appeared to be a big a large footprint. I am a tracker for SAR. Then it hit me, hmmmmm, Devils Canyon. Nuff said. Everytime I have spent a night there since the 9mm is under my pillow.

Then there are the coatis. Always there and always curious. Noisy as hell and if you don't know what that noise is, very uncomfortable. Maybe coati is a delicacy for large hairy upright things, don't know and don't want to find out.


later, dude

Gollum, second first, first second. No SPOT or any other locator on the last 3. I carry SPOT and wish more hikers did. On the Barks rescue SPOT was used and Ranger flew right to the location. We were deep in a canyon, no VHF reception, my cell phone was the comms of choice, as I said before, when the man/woman upstairs wants you to communicate, it works. The only consistency on communication in the Supes is the lack of it.

Great Story,

I always carry SPOT with me in rough country.

My name is Mike McChesney, I use the name gollum because (and this is only in the books, not in the movies) after Smeagol gets the ring, he goes looking for the truth of things. He thinks that the truth of ALL things must be in the deepest roots of the biggest mountains, which is the reason for his going underground to begin with.

Since I am always trying to get at the truth of things, and also because I love crawling into caves and mines I am gollum.

Best-Mike

Sardude, on Sunday evening, 4/17 my wife and I went in at Peralta TH for a night hike. As we were heading out on the Dutchman trail we met several people with orange shirts I presumed to be SAR folks. Just exchanged minimal pleasantries but later wondered if they were returning from a call or just on a training hike.

George, PCSO SAR is a yellow shirted bunch. MCSO wears the orange. Being in Pinal county I can only assume that our MCSO brothers were out on a fun hike, as all hikes should be. Per my unofficial count we are at 19 sar's on the year, not counting the large number of rescues and assists our PCSO deputies have accomplished.

Dude posted:


Ditto – I guess we all know each other.

I treasure my Elven climbing rope given to me by Galadriel. It's made of hithlain. It's lightweight, gray, strong, and silky to touch. The rope unties itself when I get to the bottom of a cliff so I can take it with me.

TradClimber