Mount Washington Rescue

[eatskisleep]

2 Mass. women rescued from 'chest-deep snow' on Mt. Washington

The two women called 911 just after 6 p.m. on Sunday after they became lost off the Jewell Trail, officials said.

www.boston.com

 

[rebel1916]

Nightmare scenario. The mountain don't care about you

 

[2Planker]

I wasn't on that one... But know all that were.
Kudos to everyone.
Good thing they had a NH Hike Safe pass, otherwise that would have been very expensive...

 

[millerm277]

God thing they had a Hike Safe pass, otherwise that would have been very expensive...

"Officials credited the women for being prepared with the correct gear"

That bit also helps quite a lot in terms of the decision by NH whether or not to try to charge them for it.

 

[djd66]

I wasn't on that one... But know all that were.
Kudos to everyone.
God thing they had a Hike Safe pass, otherwise that would have been very expensive...

How much does the pass cost?

 

[cdskier]

How much does the pass cost?

$25

 

[2Planker]

How much does the pass cost?

$25 for an Individual $35 for a Family
You can not be charged (even if you are determined to be negligent) if you have a NH Hike Safe pass

 

[Smellytele]

$25 for an Individual $35 for a Family
You can not be charged (even if you are determined to be negligent) if you have a NH Hike Safe pass

Right - it is a license to be stupid.

 

[skiur]

Do you have to take a class or is it simply about the money?

 

[Smellytele]

Do you have to take a class or is it simply about the money?

No class required

 

[BodeMiller1]

Umm, lucky they made it out alive, meow. Not very bright, meow.

 

[thetrailboss]

$25

It’s a real no-brainer IMHO.

 

[skiur]

No class required

So it's more like insurance than awareness. Just a money grab.

 

[Hawk]

It's a way for the agencies to recoup some money for the hours spent. Also I know some very experience mountaineering people that have got lost. Weather comes in quick and is sometimes very unexpected in the severity. I would not stereotype lost people as stupid and unprepared. Some are just unlucky.

 

[djd66]

I'd be curious to know how much revenue the $25.00 generates? It can't be much. $25,000-$50,000/year?

 

[BodeMiller1]

It must be public information. The bots can't find it.

NH State Parks - Financials and Reports

www.nhstateparks.org

 

[thetrailboss]

So it's more like insurance than awareness. Just a money grab.

It's a way for the agencies to recoup some money for the hours spent. Also I know some very experience mountaineering people that have got lost. Weather comes in quick and is sometimes very unexpected in the severity. I would not stereotype lost people as stupid and unprepared. Some are just unlucky.

Yeah, I would not classify this in any way as a "money grab." I'd encourage skiur and others to look into who is called upon to do these rescues, how much it costs, and who pays. Additionally, I'd also encourge folks to look into how the numbers of rescue calls have dramatically increased over the years.

The "who" responds are generally Game Wardens from the state, maybe USFS personnel, and volunteers. These folks are stretched thin.

The cost of these rescues is in the thousands of dollars an hour, especially when a lot of manpower and equipment is needed. A lot of folks simply say, "send a helicopter". That requires USFS or the State to pay the National Guard to fly in and that may not be feasible in bad conditions.

The "who pays" is generally the state and federal agencies, who have limited resources.

And finally, the number of calls for rescues have increased signficantly over the years. A lot of the rescues would not be needed if people were educated in basic first aid, basic wilderness travel/survival skills, and used proper judgment.

So nobody is getting rich off of $25.00 per card.

 

[kbroderick]

It's a way for the agencies to recoup some money for the hours spent. Also I know some very experience mountaineering people that have got lost. Weather comes in quick and is sometimes very unexpected in the severity. I would not stereotype lost people as stupid and unprepared. Some are just unlucky.

Anybody who has spent real time in the mountains probably has stories about stuff happening and finding themselves in an unanticipated and less than ideal situation. Thankfully, most of the time, being reasonably prepared (with gear and knowledge) allows you to adapt and get yourself back home with a good story.

Sometimes, things don't go so well and you need help. I'm generally inclined to give experienced mountain travelers with reasonable equipment the benefit of the doubt for that reason; I have less sympathy for the T-shirt, sneakers and can of Monster crowd.

 

[abc]

So it's more like insurance than awareness. Just a money grab.

Sure, insurance = money grab.

If it isn’t required by law, I bet you won’t bother with auto insurance. Just money grab by the insurance company.

Same with home insurance too.

 

[skiur]

Sure, insurance = money grab.

If it isn’t required by law, I bet you won’t bother with auto insurance. Just money grab by the insurance company.

Same with home insurance too.

Yeah, nothing crooked about insurance companies. They aren't in it just for the money. They really wanna help people. Just ask Luigi.