|
  |
Man cut switchbacks and got lost
By
Bill Blaschko, M.D.
On
the evening of January 1, the team was called out
for an overdue hiker on South Ridge Trail. I was
the first team member to arrive at the Idyllwild
Fire Station and there I met Anna Li, the wife of
the missing hiker. Ann reported to me that about
half way from the trail head to Tahquitz Peak she
had become separated from her husband when he
took a "short-cut" off the trail. Anna
described he husband Ming as very athletic but
not very knowledgeable about the wilderness.
It
was well after dark when we began to deploy teams
to search likely locations. Just as teams were
getting into the field, Mr. Li walked out to
Mountain Center. There was a general feeling of
relief at base camp when we found out that Ming
was in good condition, especially for Anna.
This
ma sound like a short, undistinguished, mission,
but I classify it as one of RMRUs most
successful because it got us a new member. Ming
and Anna Li are both instructors at the Idyllwild
School of Music and the Arts. Anna had some
previous interest in mountain rescue and came to
the very next team meeting. Anna is now an active
and important member of our team, thanks to her
husbands "short-cut".
|
  |