‘This is a no brainer, y’all’: Injured Texan hiker who hired a HELICOPTER to take her down mountain because rescuers were too slow carrying her defends her decision. Gee. We can’t imagine why it was taking so long to get her off the mountain? Anyone seen rescuers in the local hospitals getting treated for hernias? Just asking.
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If you wish to mountain climb, be in shape and able to climb up and down. If you are wearing X large clothing and can not jog more than a mile without stopping several times to catch your breath, you have no business being on a mountain.
I would like to know where she was hiking. To the best of my recollection, mountains aren't something that are easy to find in Texas.
Mt. St. Helens. That's why I said I was impressed with someone in her condition making it to anywhere near the top.
Who cares? She paid the bill and the only reason the "rescue" people were pissed is they got screwed out of a bunch of overtime. Gooberment employees tend to get that way when you do something that makes sense, and can afford it, and they lose out on the money. I knew people who died waiting for 'rescue personel" to quit scratching their asses and do something so I would rather call a friend who knows how to get things done instead of worrying about how to do it.
I think that is a very valid point of view. They probably were taking their time on purpose much more than having to do with her weight being an issue.
What was she doing on a mountain in the first place? Seeing her...uh...delicate condition, I'd have started her on some real easy rolling hills first. Build those leg muscles and build up some endurance before you try the big girl stuff. She probably has trouble with her knees, just walking up a flight of stairs.
Hey now, don' be hating y'all. As long as she used HER OWN MONEY to pay for the helicopter, I say good for her.
Actually that is a great point. I do congratulate her because even though she may not be in the best of shapes, she did not let that stop her from doing something and certainly accomplish something that I am sure many people around here including myself have not even attempted. She didn't deny her daughter this opportunity and all in all she deserves more praise than not. Don't quite know how she injured herself, but if she hadn't she probably could have gone down the mountain herself. I also think that it is quite fine that she went ahead and paid for the helicopter herself and we are not stuck with that. I think thought that she should have thought of that FIRST as the rescue team already spent time and money going up there and tried to help her and obviously due to issues were not able to go fast enough at least not for her.
Mt St Helens isn't a hard climb, but a moderate day hike. 8400 feet tall, so elevation doesn't play a major role either. Still, I don't want to take anything away from her for attempting to climb it sucessfully. I say sucessfully because she didn't make it back under her own steam! Sounds like she was in adequate condition to summit the thing, but you can't condition for injury. It happens to the most hardcore and accomplished climbers/hikers all the time. Sounds like they did screw up by not having gear with them to spend the night on the mountain if needed. Always take a tarp, rope, means to build a fire, raingear and cold weather gear any time you climb a feature with the word 'Mount' or 'Pass' in front of it's name. We did a hike in July 2010 into Canadian back country to stay at Skokie Lodge which is only 7000ish feet up. We departed in 80 degree heat wearing shorts and tees. By the time we were halfway there, it was snowing sideways and in the twenties. We had the proper gear, bundled up and made the rest of the hike in the driving snow.
Don't hate on the rescue guys. A lot of those guys are volunteers and I've seen them in action. Pretty tough guys working for free just to serve an area they love to be in! . It WAS kind of a asshole move on her part to get them up there and then call in a chopper mid-rescue.
They don't come cheap.
What's amazing is that she made the hike up the mountain.
Either that or she would have been cannibalized. Lots of protein packed in there.
More cholesterol than protein in that one.
Sounds like something that Yoda would say.
She should have hired the helicopter to take her UP the mountain. She could have just rolled down.
LOLOLOL LMAOROTF!!!! :-)
Too bad she wasn't around in 1980. They could have used her a$$ to plug the eruption.
Good heavens, the helicopter could have crashed!
LOLOL That is so mean! I am horrible too for laughing.
I'm sure they used one of those big twin rotor helicopters that they use for logging.