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For those of you who haven't read it yet, the AAC report that Cobra Commander and archenemy referred to in their earlier posts on this thread, and originally brought to our collective attention by barkernews almost two months ago (credit given where credit is due), is quite illuminating and will answer many of your more recent questions on this thread. It is well written, appears to be targeted to those who would promote charging for rescues, and is highly annotated with 4 dozen footnotes citing all manner of sources. I highly recommend it for your nighttime reading list, if only to answer those assholes like Mr. Leeman that ask you why we shouldn't have to pay for our own rescues. Tools like him just chap my butt! knelson: Paraphrasing from the report for you... "...the NPS spent $3.5 million in 2003 for personnel, supplies, aircraft, and vessels to respond to 3,108 SAR missions, an average of $1,116 per mission... ...during the six-year period from 1993 to 1998, SAR costs (NPS) system wide accounted for 0.15% to 0.2% of the entire NPS budget, or roughly 1.5 cents out of total costs of $6 per visitor to run the NPS system." Note that this is all SAR missions in the NPS system during this timeframe, not specifically climbing-related missions! Imagine how small this fraction would be if we limit the data to climber-only SAR missions... Yeah yeah, Mr. Leeman, we climbers are just killing the taxpayers...

Sent a letter to the editor at the P-I. Don't know whether or not they'll print it; it was over 400 words.

According to my (past) discussions with the crew chiefs at the Yakima Firing Center, these guys actually prefer to use NOV for low-light operations. They can see better (i.e. a wider field of view) with NOV than with a spotlight, and the current version of NOV has a built-in IR light source that helps them to read maps while in flight without switching in and out of NOV (bummer to continually readjust your night vision) or having to use penlights and such. And it's all "hands free", which is a good option to have while flying a chopper. Granted, the sample size for this survey was rather small...

Yea its still that way. Ditto here in central WA. That, and people getting drunk and falling in the river/irrigation canals. And lost hikers.

Not in this state, not in this country. Some countries in Europe (Italy and France come to mind) charge for rescues, but then they have paid staff waiting to come get you.

Nobody should even respond, as it's not deemed a rescue yet. I heard one of the (unnamed) oldtimers in Mountain Rescue have this (tounge-in-cheek) response ready for such instances: "Naaah, you can come on down by yourselves. We'll be up to get you when you get hurt."

My apologies, Marie, as it would seem that olyclimber has found an appropriate "treatment" for Mssr. Leeman. Was that what you were thinking?

Marie, I plan on writing a response to the P-I tonight after work. psssst... it's "stalk"...

That's great stuff, matt. Thanks! Anything you guys can add in this vein (with source cited) that I can paraphrase into my response is greatly appreciated, as it will save me the time to go looking for/finding this info. Anyone know the word limit for a LTE in the P-I? I don't wanna get too carried away and not get it published because it's too long.

editpage@seattlepi.com Thanks, Brian. I'll be picking up Leeman's glove tonight after work.

cj has it right. When MAST was here (before taking their choppers to Iraq), they were staffed by pilots, chiefs, and WOs out of the Midwest who rotated out here for training. They are paid by your tax dollars that goes to the military. You'd be paying for them whether or not they are rescuing someone. The Blackhawks that come out of Salem are National Guard birds. The folks staffing these copters have other jobs, too.

Fahq'n great! He shouldn't have any qualms about donating to Mountain Rescue, then.

Thanks, CC. This guy is clearly clueless. Does the P-I provide a link/email to submit Letters to the Editor in response?

Doesn't really matter anyway. Fact is, this complainer is not paying for anything. It's all volunteer, except for the sheriff's deputy that serves as the laison from the County to SAR. That's the only paid position in SAR/MR that I know of.

Norman, Can you paste the letter here or a link to it? I don't get the P-I anymore. TIA.

I immediately thought of this exact same thread when the discussion turned this way. Thanks for bringing it back up again, Stefan. BTW, I'll be back out on the Nisqually again tomorow, but I'm not volunteering to be the guinea pig this year!

Yup, does in my book at least! It's amazing how much stronger you think you are after you throw down a few! Sweet!

I'm foucused on the three brown systems on the table... And WTF is all that tubing stuff in the background, anyway? Did you salvage a sailboat or something?

Typically, I'd say you're right. I guess barjor just posted it under the Park's forum because that's where it happened. Anyway, everybody got out OK, and I hope the more seriously injured fellows heal up soon.

selkirk, This thread was started yesterday in the Mt Rainier forum. Gator has weighed in over there as well.

Life explained: Any questions?

got the second image to post. go back to your homes, now.

KK, Your link above reminds me of this little photo montage... A man's life before marriage... A man's life after marriage...

nice to have/yes/nice to have Poles are nice, but if you're only going to Muir for a day (this assumes that you're not schlepping a huge pack up there), I wouldn't take them.