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Snowshoer, "lost" near Wanoga snowpark, rescued by SAR
From KTVZ.COM news sources
March 15, 2010
Searchers found an 86-year-old overdue snowshoer near Mt. Bachelor Monday night,
close to seven hours after he grew tired and unable to continue his travels,
officials said.
Deschutes County Sheriff's Search and Rescue crews had been looking for Gene
Buswell of Bend since a 911 call around 5:30 p.m. reporting an overdue snowshoer
in the Wanoga Sno-Park area, said Deputy Rhett Hemphill.
SAR team members responded and began searching the area on snowmobiles, ATVs and
snowshoes, Hemphill said.
They had found his car in the parking lot of the sno-park, off South Century
Drive, with snowshoe tracks leading away from it.
Around 9:30 p.m., Buswell was found by a snowshoe team, about two miles from
where he'd left his vehicle, the deputy said.
Buswell told rescuers he had become fatigued and was unable to continue on his
journey earlier in the day.
So he did as authorities recommend - and stayed put until searchers arrived,
about seven hours later.
Buswell was taken back to the sno-park, where SAR and Bend Fire medics treated
him for minor injuries, Hemphill said.
www.ktvz.com Here is the rest of the story I spoke on the telephone with Gene Buswell this morning.
He asked me to explain that he was not lost! Gene was snowshoeing on Road 14 as it runs off Road 46 (also
known as Cascades Lakes Highway) near Virginia Meissner and Wanoga Snowparks, to
one of the four bird feeders he and his wife maintain in the Deschutes National
Forest. Gene fell at the bird feeder and decided to wait there, sitting on a
bench at his birdfeeder for his wife to sound an alarm when he did not return in
the early afternoon. He was properly clothed for the possibility of sitting in place
in the forecast weather and "as always" he carried a day pack with extra
clothing, snacks and water and traditional Essentials. He carried an insulating
pad and he sat on the pad on the bench below the bird feeder. He started a little "warming fire" as the hours passed, but found that,
without a saw, he was unable to find enough fuel in the winter landscape, to
keep it going. Mrs. Buswell, his Responsible Person, waited two hours beyond
when he was expected back home and then she called 911. She notes that SAR
suggested she wait a bit longer, but she insisted they check to see whether or
not his car was parked on Cascades Lakes Highway, at Road 14. It was found
parked on Cascades Lakes Highway and Volunteers were called out by SAR. Gene Buswell noted that he blew on his essential outdoor whistle
when he heard the snowmobiles coming down Road 14 from Cascades Lakes Highway. Of course, I asked him if he had a cell phone and GPS. He said
he was now considering a cell phone. I suggested he obtain a free quality cell
phone from Verizon and sign up for a $10.00 or $20.00 per month program like I
have. I explained that Verizon has more cell towers in the backcountry of
Central Oregon than any other Service Provider. Verizon uses CDMA technology and
other service providers (who mainly use GSM technology) can not use the Verizon
proprietary cell towers. (Verizon's coverage of the Deschutes National Forest
was tested recently for the 160 mile long Bachelor Butte Dog Derby. There are
few spots where a call will not go through.) Gene will continue to stay found
without a GPS. News Releases were not really accurate, according to Gene
Buswell and his wife. They really did do every thing right! There have been several individuals who have become lost in the
forests on the shoulders of Mt. Bachelor, who did not do everything right. I have a theory and here it is: Most
novices fail to look in the rear view mirror as they walk among the wonders
of nature. They follow an easier way here and there, and soon lose all track of
direction and distance. Folks just end up lost even though they did not plan
to become lost! Read about this anomaly here:
Lost climber hikes 6.5 miles from South Sister Trail to Elk Lake
and Read More under Lost and Found below. What can be learned from this incident? 1. Practice the Four Basic Responsibilities of
the Backcountry Traveler. It works! Basic 2. Carry the new Ten Essential Systems, sized
for the
forecast weather and the adventure in a light day pack. This includes a map,
compass and GPS and the skills to use them. In the winter, this includes enough
extra insulation and waterproof clothing to keep you dry and warm if you become
stranded. In snow, you must have a shovel and insulating pad and the skills to
make a shelter in the snow to avoid hypothermia and frost bite damage. It
works!
Essentials 3. Carry a fully charged digital cell phone
and periodically check where it can communicate with any cell towers to assist
authorities to triangulate your position from cell tower pings. (Most cell providers do not
use cell phone GPS signals to locate customers under FCC E911 regulations - they use triangulation). Cold
disables batteries. If the weather is cold, carry the cell phone in a pants
pocket near the femoral artery. Report your UTM NAD27 coordinates, your
condition, the conditions where you are and discuss your plans with SAR.
Cell Phones If you may be out of cell
tower range, carry a SPOT. SPOT Satellite
Messenger 4. Always stay found on your map and by being
aware of major land features such as Mt. Bachelor. If visibility starts to wane,
reconfirm your bearings with your map, compass and GPS and quickly return to a
known location (Cascade Lakes Highway, Mt. Bachelor, a Nordic Shelter, etc.) A
GPS is the only practical way for a trained individual to navigate in a whiteout
or blowing snow. Lost Mt Hood Climbers
--Webmeister Speik
A suggested minimum standard news advisory for all backcountry travelers
"We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of Oregon to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate snacks, two quarts of water or Gatorade, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone from a Provider that has the best coverage of the area. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essentials Systems" in a day pack sized for the season and the forecast weather.
Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned. If you become lost or stranded, mark your location and stay still or move around your marked location to stay warm. Do not try to find your way until you are exhausted, or worse yet - wet. Wait for rescuers.
THE MISSION of TraditionalMountaineering.org
"To provide information and instruction about world-wide basic to advanced alpine mountain climbing safety skills and gear, on and off trail hiking, scrambling and light and fast Leave No Trace backpacking techniques based on the foundation of an appreciation for the Stewardship of the Land, all illustrated through photographs and accounts of actual shared mountaineering adventures."
TraditionalMountaineering is founded 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.
The value of TraditionalMountaineering to our Friends and Subscribers is the selectivity of the information we provide, and its relevance to introducing folks to informed hiking on the trail, exploring off the trail, mountain travel and Leave-no-Trace light-weight bivy and backpacking, technical travel over steep snow, rock and ice, technical glacier travel and a little technical rock climbing on the way to the summit. Whatever your capabilities and interests, there is a place for everyone in traditional alpine mountaineering.
Read more . . .
Lost and Found
Missing man survives two weeks trapped in snow-covered car
Missing snowmobile riders found, Roger Rouse dies from hypothermia
Lost climber hikes 6.5 miles from South Sister Trail to Elk Lake
Hiking couple lost three nights in San Jacinto Wilderness find abandoned gear
Expert skier lost five days in North Cascades without Essentials, map and compass
Climber disappears on the steep snow slopes of Mount McLaughlin
Hiker lost five days in freezing weather on Mount Hood
Professor and son elude search and rescue volunteers
Found person becomes lost and eludes rescuers for five days
Teens, lost on South Sister, use cell phone with Search and Rescue
Lost man walks 27 miles to the highway from Elk Lake Oregon
Snowboarder found after week in Wilderness
Searchers rescue hiker at Smith Rock, find lost climbers on North Sister
Girl Found in Lane County after becoming lost
on hiking trip
Search and rescue finds young girls lost from family group
Portland athlete lost on Mt. Hood
Rescues after the recent snows
Novice couple lost in the woods
Broken Top remains confirmed as missing climber
Ollalie Trail - OSU Trip - Lost, No Map, Inadequate Clothing
Your Essential Light Day Pack
What are the new Ten Essential Systems?
What does experience tell us about Light and Fast climbing?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
What is Light and Fast alpine climbing?
What do you carry in your day pack?
Photos?
What do you carry in your winter day pack?
Photos?
What should I know about "space blankets"?
Where can I get a personal and a group first aid kit?
Photos?
Carboration and Hydration
Is running the Western States 100 part of "traditional mountaineering"?
What's wrong with GORP?
Answers to the quiz!
Why do I need to count carbohydrate calories?
What should I know about having a big freeze-dried dinner?
What about carbo-ration and fluid replacement during traditional alpine climbing?
4 pages in pdf
What should I eat before a day of alpine climbing?
About Alpine Mountaineering:
The Sport of Alpine Mountaineering
Climbing Together
Following the Leader
The Mountaineers' Rope
Basic Responsibilities
Cuatro Responsabiliades Basicas de Quienes Salen al Campo
The Ten Essentials
Los Diez Sistemas Esenciales
Our Leader's Guidelines:
Our Volunteer Leader Guidelines
Sign-in Agreements, Waivers and Prospectus
This pdf form will need to be signed by you at the trail head
Sample Prospectus
Make sure every leader tells you what the group is going to do; print a copy for your "responsible person"
Participant Information Form
This pdf form can be printed and mailed or handed to the Leader if requested or required
Emergency and Incident Report Form
Copy and print this form. Carry two copies with your Essentials
Participant and Group First Aid Kit
Print this form. Make up your own first aid essentials (kits)
About our World Wide Website:
Information
Mission
Map, Compass and GPS
Map, compass and GPS navigation training Noodle in The Badlands
BLM guidelines for Geocaching on public lands
Geocaching on Federal Forest Lands
OpEd - Geocaching should not be banned in the Badlands
Winter hiking in The Badlands WSA just east of Bend
Searching for the perfect gift
Geocaching: What's the cache?
Geocaching into the Canyon of the Deschutes
Can you catch the geocache?
Z21 covers Geocaching
Tour The Badlands with ONDA
The art of not getting lost
Geocaching: the thrill of the hunt!
GPS in the news
A GPS and other outdoor gadgets make prized gifts
Wanna play? Maps show you the way
Cooking the "navigation noodle"
