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Post by dsquaredmsquared on Oct 10, 2010 11:13:43 GMT -5
On my way back from Horn Creek, and Merriwether F.D. is at FATS ~11:40AM. Looked like they were unloading a dirt bike from someone's truck.
Not sure if another rider was injured or whether the SAR team is trying new strategies to find people faster?
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Post by Mark Y on Oct 10, 2010 11:50:39 GMT -5
No joke, what they need is a vehicle like I saw on Pawn Stars. If you can envision an overgrown mini-bike with 2 wheel drive; that is what this "desert" bike looked like. Geared very low with big balloon tires, this thing could crawl up a wall. Perfect for negotiating logs, rocks, creeks, etc on a bike trail without tearing up the tread like a 4-wheeler does. Probably run 25-30 mph tops.
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Post by ted on Oct 10, 2010 19:22:32 GMT -5
There were no less than 12 vehicles out today looking for a guy who fell off on Brown Wave.
I spoke with the assistant rescue chief and she said someone had fallen and they were looking for him on brown wave.
Here's the bad part....They started at the parking lot and were making their way down the trail to BW. I was talking to them at the road crossing near the GW/Skinny junction. Told them they were about 3 gravel roads off from where they need to be.
I then asked if anyone from SORBA CSRa had contacted them regarding the trail and them navigating it.
She said no.
I asked if she had been told of the trail markers and evacuation points that needed to be set out for them. She said no.
Has anyone spoken to Edgefield County anybody about the situation out there regarding marking the gravel roads?
3 people in less than a week have called 911 and each time a dozen vehicles show up and they all run around having no idea where to start and in the end it has taken them 3-4 hours to do something that can be done in less than an hour.
If I'm not mistaken, the signage has been made but it just needs to get put out?
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Post by wooglin on Oct 10, 2010 19:50:13 GMT -5
No joke, what they need is a vehicle like I saw on Pawn Stars. If you can envision an overgrown mini-bike with 2 wheel drive; that is what this "desert" bike looked like. Geared very low with big balloon tires, this thing could crawl up a wall. Perfect for negotiating logs, rocks, creeks, etc on a bike trail without tearing up the tread like a 4-wheeler does. Probably run 25-30 mph tops. Sounds like a Rokon.  |
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Post by Mark Y on Oct 10, 2010 22:37:50 GMT -5
That is it Wooglin. Perfect vehicle for rescue on trails. Can't haul 'em out with it, but could be used to find them quicker and render first aid.
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Post by ted on Oct 11, 2010 5:43:34 GMT -5
If they knew where they were going they wouldn't need anything. Most of the people who show up are volunteers, so it's important to have the leaders informed. So anyway, if you guys could take your Fatty Boom-ba-latty bike discussion elsewhere, that'd be great.  |
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Post by ted on Oct 11, 2010 7:33:39 GMT -5
www.edgefielddaily.com/merriwether101110_1.htmlsays here in the article: "Chief Joey Smith said a local mountain bike group plans to hold a meeting this week to discuss better ways of marking the trails and seek volunteers to place the new signs." When I asked the assistant Chief if she knew of any of this, she said no. Sounds like a communication breakdown.
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Post by neal1975 on Oct 11, 2010 12:20:07 GMT -5
i probably just missed the scene yesterday, i was out around 2-3 but rode great wall only.
I had a thought while riding that might really help with locating riders. Why dont they put mile markers on the trails? 1, 2, 3, 4, etc... Or it doesnt even have to be for miles, they could just put sequential numbers every 1/4 - 1/2 mile - then someone could update the fats maps with the markers and the rescue people would have a MUCH better idea of where the rider is, (that is if the rider knows what marker hes at etc)
Also the rescue teams need to have a better understanding of the trails and the fireroads- i dont know if they have good maps for this or not-
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Post by dgaddis1 on Oct 11, 2010 12:30:32 GMT -5
i probably just missed the scene yesterday, i was out around 2-3 but rode great wall only. I had a thought while riding that might really help with locating riders. Why dont they put mile markers on the trails? 1, 2, 3, 4, etc... Or it doesnt even have to be for miles, they could just put sequential numbers every 1/4 - 1/2 mile - then someone could update the fats maps with the markers and the rescue people would have a MUCH better idea of where the rider is, (that is if the rider knows what marker hes at etc) Also the rescue teams need to have a better understanding of the trails and the fireroads- i dont know if they have good maps for this or not- That's already the plan, we even have most (if not all) of the materials needed to do it, just need to do it. Paul is going to coordinate w/the Werriwether FD and USFS about it. |
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Post by dsquaredmsquared on Oct 11, 2010 13:03:45 GMT -5
I got an email this AM from PaulF. He is going to contact the Merriwether F.D. to see what we can do to help them. Could be access markers, could be something we haven't considered. I'm sure that when Paul knows, he let us know.
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Post by neal1975 on Oct 13, 2010 16:32:17 GMT -5
if they go through with the numbering - dont make it too "distracting", make it very subtle so you would only see if your looking for it. It would be very irritating and take away from the natural beauty of the woods to have to see a big number every few seconds
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Post by dgaddis1 on Oct 13, 2010 17:14:05 GMT -5
if they go through with the numbering - dont make it too "distracting", make it very subtle so you would only see if your looking for it. It would be very irritating and take away from the natural beauty of the woods to have to see a big number every few seconds but then no one would notice, which defeats the purpose, right? |
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Post by seenvic on Oct 13, 2010 19:44:37 GMT -5
if they go through with the numbering - dont make it too "distracting", make it very subtle so you would only see if your looking for it. It would be very irritating and take away from the natural beauty of the woods to have to see a big number every few seconds they? You want fries with that? |
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Post by Angela on Oct 13, 2010 21:47:35 GMT -5
if they go through with the numbering - dont make it too "distracting", make it very subtle so you would only see if your looking for it. It would be very irritating and take away from the natural beauty of the woods to have to see a big number every few seconds but then no one would notice, which defeats the purpose, right? They need to be pretty subtle but easy to find if you are looking for them. As most people ride through the woods, they are not paying attention to things like mile markers (kind of like drivers on the road and mile markers) so the real benefit of the markers will be that if some people are traveling together and one gets hurt someone can go figure out which marker is closest to help direct emergency personnel. Most people could not tell you what the sign they just passed had written on it and the longer you ride the trail the more you tune those kinds of things out. |
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Post by Mark Y on Oct 14, 2010 2:08:05 GMT -5
but then no one would notice, which defeats the purpose, right? They need to be pretty subtle but easy to find if you are looking for them. As most people ride through the woods, they are not paying attention to things like mile markers (kind of like drivers on the road and mile markers) so the real benefit of the markers will be that if some people are traveling together and one gets hurt someone can go figure out which marker is closest to help direct emergency personnel. Most people could not tell you what the sign they just passed had written on it and the longer you ride the trail the more you tune those kinds of things out. Spot on Angela, and those who are riding alone and have half a brain will pay attention to their location. |
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Post by Angela on Oct 14, 2010 12:51:41 GMT -5
Back when I used to travel the interstates alone alot and there were large gaps between exits, I would pick a mile marker and jot it down and jot down the mileage of my odometer so that if I had car trouble I could quickly add the additional miles I had traveled to that starting mile marker and be able to report about where I was on the interstate.
If folks riding alone (and sometimes it just is that way) would use a bike computer they could use that to give pretty accurate information about where they are. If they zero it at the parking lot (or if doing multiple loops at the start of each segment of trail) it would be very helpful information if they said they went counterclockwise on say Great Wall and are at the 5.5 mile mark -with a well marked mileage map on our end we/emergency responders could determine the approximate location of the downed rider - still wouldn't be perfect - cellphone coverage is pretty good out there but there are a few iffy places however if he is hurt badly enough to need transport out he might not can make it to the marker to tell folks where he is. Filling in the gaps will never be perfect but can greatly speed up response times!
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Post by dsquaredmsquared on Oct 14, 2010 13:03:44 GMT -5
At a minimum, I think people need to know about, and be aware of their location relative to, major trail features, such as intersections with other trails/roads, powerline/gas crossings, bridges, the river, and big rocks. You might not notice a mile marker or post on the side of the trail but it's hard to miss roads, bridges, and rocks.
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Post by wooglin on Oct 14, 2010 13:19:32 GMT -5
When I ride alone, which I do virtually every ride, I just try not to crash. I'm pretty good at it.  --Seriously, the idea that you shouldn't ride alone is just silly to me. If I did that I'd hardly ride at all since I'm in this game for the solitude, not the camaraderie (which is also good). Know your limits, stay within them, and, just in case worst comes to worst, let someone know where you're going and when you'll be done, and make sure they have appropriate emergency contact info. (In my case, my wife has seenvic on speed dial. ) |
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Post by brianW on Oct 14, 2010 16:55:08 GMT -5
+1 on wooglin's comment
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Post by Angela on Oct 14, 2010 17:09:53 GMT -5
Understand all that but to put it in real perspective...... the next time you have to stop for any reason think right then - if I had to call someone right now for help, could I adequately describe where I am.
Everyone may be more observant than I am as they are riding along but I suspect I could only adequately describe where I am about 25% of the time (that percentage goes up drastically if I have my bike computer on and had it on zero at the start). Best I could do most times is say between the 2nd and 3rd powerline crossing on Skinny or something like that.
If I am very near or have just passed a trail feature that is very definitive - the wall on the Great Wall, the bridge on the Great Wall, one of the power crossings perhaps, the big rock on Big Rock, the tight climbing switchbacks on Tower - then the answer is yes but do I know how far into the trail those features are if I am going clockwise? what about counterclockwise?
Hard to memorize enough features over 32 miles of trail to know exactly where you are at any given time and then add to it the confusion added by a traumatic accident and I think a lot of people will not be able to answer definitely enough to secure a quick rescue for themselves.
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