Oregon SAR Statutes and Traditional Responsibities

[trad_guy]

Perhaps we can have a lively discussion on the facts and conclusions in the following post:

 

Based on several high profile fatal accidents on Mount Hood and elsewhere in the Oregon backcountry over the years, the Oregon Legislature has sought to define Responsible Behavior for individuals who require County Sherriff's Search and Rescue (Volunteer) Services. The definitions of Responsible Behavior are made in terms of avoiding charges for reimbursement of the actual costs of rescues, not to exceed $500 per person. Although I personally consider the Oregon State Search and Rescue Statutes to be archaic and quirky, I find that they are not stupid and un-fair.

 

Traditional Ethics and Practices of established Outdoor Clubs such as the Oregon Mazamas, the Seattle Mountaineers and the Sierra Club's Angeles Chapter provide a framework for Responsible Behavior by climbers and backcountry travelers. These traditional ethics can be summarized as Four Basic Responsibilities which include the minimal gear included in the Mountaineers new Ten Essential Systems. These established Club Ethics mitigate essential Risk for hikers, backpackers, peak baggers and mountaineers as well as snow riders, snowmobile folks, horse riders and many other adventurous people.

 

Traditional mountaineering is based on the premise that "He who knows naught, knows not that he knows naught", that exploring the hills and summitting peaks have dangers that are hidden to the un-informed and that these inherent Risks can be in part, identified and mitigated by mentoring: information, training, wonderful gear, and knowledge gained through the experiences of others.

 

Lessons can be learned from the story of the latest lost climbers on Mount Hood. Let me be perfectly clear, Justin Votos and Matthew Pitts did nothing legally wrong. They did make a mistake or two, as Justin himself notes. We can all learn something from their adventure in January 2008

 

A QUOTE FROM 1871

See yonder height! 'Tis far away -- unbidden comes the word "Impossible!"

"Not so," says the mountaineer. "The way is long, I know; its difficult -- it may be dangerous."

"It's possible, I'm sure; I'll seek the way, take counsel of my brother mountaineers,

and find out how they have reached similar heights and learned to avoid the dangers."

He starts (all slumbering down below); the path is slippery - and may be dangerous too.

Caution and perseverance gain the day -- the height is reached! and those beneath cry, "Incredible! 'Tis superhuman!"

 

This is a passage we found on page 161 of "Scrambles Amongst the Alps" by Edward Wymper, first published in 1871 and reprinted 1981 by Ten Speed Press, Berkley, CA.

 

The main thing we can learn from the story of Votos and Pitts is the difficulty of descending, in a white out, the snow slopes on Mount Hood to Timberline Lodge and the large parking lot. One can not just walk downhill on the snow. Downhill can lead to the Zig Zag ice fall. This anomaly has been publicized by Portland Mountain Rescue as the "Mount Hood Triangle".

 

One can not without training and practice navigate in a whiteout with map and compass. A simple $100 GPS and some knowledge can mitigate, in part, this danger.

 

The simple GPS has a pointer feature that literally "points" the way, simplifying the navigation for those who can set a waypoint and use the properly set-up device.

 

Recent advances in technology have enabled climbers and other backcountry travelers to locate their position on a 1:24,000 USGS Quad topo map within a very few meters using the imprinted Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) one kilometer grid. These simple UTM coordinates, in meters, can be read from a $100 GPS that has been re-set from the defaults to Coordinant System UTM-CONUS, Datum NAD27 and True North.

 

Simple numbers representing meters east and meters north enable one to plot one's position on the Quad map within a very few meters. Knowing one's position on the topo map enables one to plot a True bearing to Lodge or rig.

 

It is not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on a GPS with a color screen, 1:100,000 road maps, an electronic compass and accessory altimeter (unless you specifically want to watch the changes in barometric pressure instead of the gathering storm clouds) and FRS Radios, tide tables, sunrise and sunset information, etc.

 

Please use the web page linked below to read the current Oregon Search and Rescue Statures and use them as a frame to learn from this latest climbing misadventure on Mount Hood. I welcome your constructive analysis.

 

http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/News_Lost_Mt.HoodClimbers.htm

 

--trad_guy

Edited February 4, 2008 by trad_guy

[tomtom]

[billcoe]

I'm OK with the statute. It only specifys charging climbers for a rescue.

 

I'd like to backup just a tad: My question is this: why should the state be the self-appointed babysitter for climbers? In my mind, they have no business being in the rescue business.