Hiker who strayed off trail gets to shelter, is airlifted from Appalachian Trail - Th

**WhiteBlaze** · 03-22-2011, 09:20

Hiker who strayed off trail gets to shelter, is airlifted from Appalachian Trail
The Republic
The National Park Service says 23-year-old Chad Hunter made a cell phone call from the Tricorner Knob Shelter on the Appalachian Trail Sunday night. Three rangers hiked in and got to him early Monday, treating Hunter for hypothermia, minor injuries and ...
Rescued hiker admitted to Sevierville hospitalMaryville Daily Times

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**darkage** · 03-23-2011, 23:48

Said he was "Experianced" ... Yeah, ok ... Least his stupidity got him 15 minutes of fame ... and one hell of a story to tell as an old man ... Now he can just pay for his "Free" ride off the mountain as far as i'm concerned. Nothing in any article states he couldn't walk or make his way down after being treated on his own ...

**Wil** · 03-23-2011, 23:55

Originally Posted by darkage

Nothing in any article states he couldn't walk or make his way down after being treated on his own

The hiker who lent him his sleeping bag chose not to take it back, given the amount of blood absorbed from a slice in the leg to the tendon.

I just hate it when your sleeping bag gets wet like that.

**darkage** · 03-23-2011, 23:58

hmmm, "The park sent up a team of medics on foot who treated Hunter for dehydration, minor scrapes and bruises, and hypothermia."

What part of minor scrapes and bruises leads me to believe he had a sliced leg down to the tendon?

**WILLIAM HAYES** · 03-24-2011, 00:07

The guy was experienced????

**Egads** · 03-24-2011, 06:32

He has experienced getting lost

**Smile** · 03-24-2011, 07:16

Stay on trail.
Don't ditch your pack.
Hike with a friend.

**birdog** · 03-24-2011, 16:09

The Plan: 10 miles a day off-trail. I don't think so! As he found out, the Smoky's are a completely different experience when you choose to do an off-trail hike.

**DROY** · 03-25-2011, 11:13

all i can say is WOW. he was an "experienced hiker" who decided to cover impossible miledges and to ditch his pack to sit still for four days. wow

**rhapsody98** · 03-25-2011, 11:28

One of the first things you learn living in East Tennessee in general, and in the Smokies specifically is to NEVER even ENTER one of those "Laurel Hells." And leaving your pack behind is a newbie mistake. This guy is an idiot.

**sbhikes** · 03-25-2011, 12:30

We had a really big rain this weekend followed by almost 100 people being rescued all around the area and there were a bunch of rescued hikers who ditched their packs. They were supposedly experienced wilderness instructors. I do not understand ditching your pack. That's your survival stuff, your warm safe and dry stuff.

**Tipi Walter** · 03-25-2011, 12:45

Originally Posted by rhapsody98

One of the first things you learn living in East Tennessee in general, and in the Smokies specifically is to NEVER even ENTER one of those "Laurel Hells." And leaving your pack behind is a newbie mistake. This guy is an idiot.

We have a place in the Citico that's called Jeffrey's Hell (and the Jeffrey Hell trail) and old Jeffrey never was found. Beyond this, it's guys like the lost Smokies hiker who makes the Rangers so suspicious of all of the rest of us. One bad apple spoils the barrel.

**Croft** · 04-04-2011, 10:58

Cudos to the hikers and to the journalist who wrote the article without the hyperbole.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/ap...rs-for-rescue/

**Pedaling Fool** · 04-04-2011, 11:38

"Hunter was reunited with his parents who are from Memphis at the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport and taken to a hospital for medical evaluation."

Yeah, go back to mommy's tit and stay out of the woods

**darkage** · 04-04-2011, 13:10

Originally Posted by john gault

"Hunter was reunited with his parents who are from Memphis at the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport and taken to a hospital for medical evaluation."

Yeah, go back to mommy's tit and stay out of the woods

Couldn't of said it better ...

**trailangelbronco** · 04-04-2011, 13:12

What an idiot, to hike offtrail "with the map in his head". Poor Hap, lost a $400 sleeping bag, and then had to hike 18 miles to get out. All because of an idiot.

**LoneRidgeRunner** · 04-04-2011, 13:50

Originally Posted by trailangelbronco

What an idiot, to hike offtrail "with the map in his head". Poor Hap, lost a $400 sleeping bag, and then had to hike 18 miles to get out. All because of an idiot.

Hopefully this idiot got Hap's contact info. and will pay for that $400 sleeping bag..He should..as well as the expense of his rescue that wasn't really needed. He "walked" 2.5 miles to the chopper pad. He should have walked the same 18 miles out of there that Hap did. My hat's off to Hap and the other hikers who helped him though. Never bush whack in the Smokies with the map "in your head" , especially when the head is devoid of brains...

**darkage** · 04-09-2011, 03:26

Originally Posted by jannypan

I just hate it when your sleeping bag gets wet like that.

Like what, his tears crying for mommy or the fact that he prolly wet himself in it and ditched it so no one would know ...

**Rockhound** · 04-09-2011, 06:16

GSMNP needs to take a lesson from the Whites. Make him pay for his own S&R. even though the chopper lift was overkill. He didn't fall off Charlies Bunyan. He was at Tri-corner for Pete's sake.

**general** · 04-09-2011, 11:56

another case of search and rescue interfering with natural selection.

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