I am struck by the fact that the last act this man did was to be concerned about the impact finding his body would have on someone. To be that considerate when in such a desperate situation speaks very highly of him.
The fact that, in his darkest moment, still took the time to write that note so he didn’t traumatize a innocent person gives a insight that he was a good man at the core.
@@rabbithole8592 He wouldnt be sitting on the throne. 🙄 A public bathroom is a room you can lock and through-hikers can use it as a shelter because it is enclosed. He locked himself in and probably got into his sleeping bag on the floor.
@@lonesparrow It was a joke you Re Tod. And monopolizing a Bathroom like that is Rude and Inconsiderate. Other people may need to use that Bathroom. Don't go out on the trail that time of year.
I was a close friend of Otters and fellow Thru-Hiker. My Wife and I went out the first week of Dec to look for him but the conditions when we got there were back to back snow-storms. You did a great job re-telling the story and i can't disagree with any of your details. When we heard that the Ranger in Grants had spotted him we left the area and drove down there stopping at all the Hiker towns posting flyers and hoping he was still going. (it never made sense from knowing him, that he wouldn't have been in communication with his friends and family if he kept hiking on). He was hoping to be in Ghost Ranch for ThanksGiving(92 miles from Cumbres Pass) and i think that was part of his decision to leave when he did. He was a one of a kind soul and a beautiful human being who created a true life of freedom. I never met a human who was so at peace in nature and felt more at home in it than anywhere else. Miss him greatly and was blow away to see a recap video of his death. Thanks for your video it really told the story that unfolded for Otter. You should make a video of his Life hiking. He was truly, in the world of Long distance hiking an elite. whose hiking feats are mind blowing. The thing with Otter was there was no ego with him. When hiking with him you'd have no idea you were with hiking royalty. He wrote a book called "The Otter Diaries" Life is a Hike.. a good book to find and read if your looking to find out more of the human he was.. thanks again
Poor Otter. In his delirious state, all he could worry about was ensuring that no one stumbled across his body and got traumatized. He was a good person, clearly, leaving that note.
But why didn't he defend homosexual special rights ? Since Clinton opened the border so many Mexicans entered it'll make everybody late for dinner. Cold jelly is served.. Anybody hungry ?
Seems to me he was thinking pretty clearly, not at all delirious when he took those protective steps. For whatever reason, it didn't seem out of character for a long time wilderness-trekking, nature-loving kind of person to be so "in tune" with it all that he'd try to protect others that shared his values.
My Dad and I were backpacking in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho back in 2020. It was very late September, and the weather had been great so far, still warm during the day. The 10 day forecast my dad printed out for that area said it would be partly cloudy for most of the trip with a chance of rain some days. After a long day of hiking, we made our base camp in a nice valley next to a small glacier lake (can't remember the name) so we could do some day hikes from that point and come back in the evening. Our GPS showed our spot was about 11 miles from our truck. The hike down to our base camp was really steep, to the point where we had to really dig our poles and heels into the ground and lean back to not slide down. I remember my dad saying, "Going back up this is gonna be a b*tch." I obviously agreed. On the 5th or 6th night, it got really cold out. Our thermometer read 19 degrees. Much colder than we expected for September, but not anything we haven't camped in before. Then again, we were at 8,500+ feet, so I didn't think much of it. The next morning, I woke up and it was still cold as hell. I popped my head outside the tent and I saw my dad sitting in his chair just staring up at the clouds in silence. It was strange, almost like he was studying them. I asked him what he was doing and he just said, "Let's eat real quick and pack up. I think we should head back today." I was pretty pissed that he wanted to end the trip so early, considering I took off 2 weeks from work and we planned on staying out here for 10 nights. I knew better than to argue with him about this kind of stuff, though. After breakfast, the clouds parted and it was nice and sunny out but still cold. I pointed this out to my dad but he had his mind set on us leaving. I begrudgingly went along with it and helped him pack up. Long story short, the weather was really nice on the way back to our truck. Sunny and chilly. We made really good time hiking the 11 miles back to the truck. Couldn't have taken us more than 6 hours. It was getting dark by the time we drove the few miles down the trail and were back at the highway, so we decided to stay the night in the nearest small town at an overpriced tourist Inn. The view from our window was perfect for looking at the Sawtooth Mountain range. The next morning I woke up and to my surprise it was snowing in town. I looked over at the Sawtooth range, and I honestly felt sick when I saw that the mountains were completely snow-covered. I looked up the forecast on my phone, and a very early winter storm was coming through the area, going to last a few days. If it was snowing this much in town, I couldn't even imagine what it would've been like back at our campsite. The realization that we could have been stuck in that steep valley with no winter gear still haunts me. I couldn't believe we were that lucky so I asked my dad how he knew. My dad insists that he just somehow knew it was going to happen, but he didn't want to freak me out. He said he had a really bad feeling in his gut that night when it got that cold out, and he couldn't shake it. I remember that despite all of the trouble we just avoided, potentially being stuck in a snowstorm in a steep valley, he was still more scared of my mom finding out about the situation we could've been in. With all seriousness, he said, "Don't tell your mom." Edit: Thank you all for your kind words. And yes, we eventually ended up telling my mom. Needless to say, she was pissed. I've never second guessed my dad again.
Gut Instinct took humankind from scavenging the kills of larger beasts, to BEING the larger beasts. It took us from caves to cities. Listen to it, and live. Ignore it at your own peril.
This is insanity to me. Missing guy, hasn't picked up his resupply box, I'm focusing on the area between those two points. Check, on foot, all camp grounds and standing structures along the trail. The rescue teams there are incredibly capable, he wouldn't be the first person they hiked up to get. Eight weeks this man waited, at their slowest pace, rescue could have made it in two weeks. This blows my mind.
You can’t blame the Rescue teams for Otters bad decisions. It was up to him whether to set off on the hike, it was his responsibility to have the equipment if things went south and he chose still to go! Personal responsibility!🙉
@John Crouch I agree, but what he lacked in equipment, he made up for in skill. Dude had skill enough to survive for eight weeks. While he got himself in that situation, the rescue teams have one job.
@@johncrouch8988 You: you can't blame the rescue team for being awful. Nobody ever blame them for Otters bad decision. They are blamed for not doing their job. Like most civil servant in the US by the way.
Regardless of Otter's poor decision, it's really disappointing to hear about the incompetency of the search team; they literally had one job. Why they would call off or slow down a search due to unverified eyewitness testimony is extremely sad.
It really is frustrating and gut wrenching to hear such needless suffering and misery. I’m not a hiker so I can’t understand the allure of putting one’s self in such a dangerous situation and physically taxing, especially without adequate preparation. I get the poor guy was stoned and certainly we’ve all made bad decisions here and there whether on inebriates or just naturally. But why would he not have an emergency satellite phone and GPS which it says he didn’t have, as in it was broken or he just didn’t bother with such things? If he had a cell phone and was posting to RUclips then tech shouldn’t have been an issue, and a solar/crank charger for power (forgive my ignorance, but isn’t there also an emergency beacon-type thing that is designed specifically for hikers, campers, etc?). I’d think anyone who does such long hauls, especially by themselves(!) would consider those the absolute minimum before setting out on a >thousand mile trek? I hate to come off as critical of the man as it’s always easy sitting in front a screen in retrospect, it’s just upsetting as he sounds like a wonderful guy and didn’t deserve such misery and to lose his life. I agree that it’s also irritating that a search would be called off because someone thinks they might have possibly seen someone who resembled the guy even when the scant facts from the encounter do not sound like him (evasive and clueless to the post office location) and no one bothered asking his name or checking guest log books, etc when the guy had already been missing??? Hope the guy that claimed it have seen him without verifying it feels real good. Geesh, and again, the angerI feel and wanting to blame people and demand how they can so freakin at careless and stupid is irrational, and it’s not like me. I started to erase this but then I wondered how many other people are experiencing the same emotions? Not because I’m a jerk, but because this really happened to a nice guy and really bothers me that silly, stupid mistakes from himself and even from others cost this guy his life, and not only that but he had a miserable couple of months leading to it. Horrible stuff, and hopefully will make the danger real to people in the future so they better prepare, …but doesn’t save Otter. Terrible.
@@NewtonDKC What you wrote is true. And to those who think he could have been rescued; He couldn’t walk even 200 yards. We are talking waist high snow. And where would the rescuers look?
Many of the SCUBA divers who die are experienced as well. They get super comfortable, then start solo diving. When going solo, simple things can kill you. Humility is always warranted.
Their is a divers react channel that showed a video of a couple scuba diverse that got tangled up in these lines ans caught on rocks and died. It's crazy
The problem is that people solo hikes. I have been a day hiker for so many years and women are encouraging each other to do solo hikes bragging about their accomplishments. Some of the women are starting to try solo hiking without proper preparations. When I suggested they watched some RUclips videos on the dangers of solo hiking, I was the Debbie downer. Maybe I am. They are all over Facebook encouraging each other to go out on their own. It scares me and I prayed that I wouldn’t know anyone if dead hikers were found.
Being in a group doesn't mean you won't die.... it just means if you get in fucked and everyone in that group will die. In case you don't know there are people who has died in groups when 1 of them may get stuck and so all the people in front who made it out are still connected to the 3 people behind them who have gotten stuck. Sometimes it's pitch black and so they can't see what's going on and they eventually die. Then there's other times where people will go missing but was then found..sometimes they are alive so that leads to a diver going in to save them but then end up dying themselves the same way the person who they were trying to save died. This is normally a small save tho. Meaning 1 diver would go down while 1 or 2 others stay on ground so that they can jump in to save the saver diver.. Then you have divers who are the best of best who will attempt to save a body and they might go down with themselves along with 5 others..so a pretty huge group...and will also have 50 people waiting on them to come back out with the body they went into save.... but then only 3 of the group comes back up but they do so without the main head diver. So there's this respect with alot of divers now that is any time there's a diver who is though to had gone diving goes missing then they will do what they refer to as a in and out search where they do go in to look for the missing diver but will not go into the air pockets or anywhere they themselves would have to squeeze into. So in other words they can't put their lifes at risk... then another respect is that if the rescue divers do happen to find the missing diver then they will not attempt to bring up the body unless fowl play is involved and the police need the body but only if it can easily be removed and not put the rescue divers life in danger. . . And it's not a big FU to the parents and matter of fact the parents can call a diving company who's company is strictly saving and removing the divers for families.... But the respect still remains rather it's a emergency for example if the diver is still very much alive when found then the respect is they will only attempt to save the still alive diver if they can for 1 be fairly easily saved and will not put lifes at risk. But being on a group doesn't always mean they are safer... it just means more people can die .. There are tons of videos about groups of divers who have died all together......
The most important thing is our health when travelling. Once that goes....especially alone you are in trouble. It doesn't even have to as dramatic as this...in the wilderness.. which must be doubly scary. I got food poisoning in peru...and that was bad enough...onlybleaving the bed to puke and shit....got severely dehydrated...and addicted to 2 and a half men in this depressing budget hotel in a small town in peru. Iroinically I was planning to go trekking in huataz by myself...but after this illness it never happened. I only got better after the owner of rhe hotel noticed how weak I was....and he went off and gave me some hydration fluid. That allowed me to start drinking and eating again and I was fine. I also stopped self medicating with some anti typhoid pills which .ifht have made things worse. I was normal a fit guy so this was shocking for me..I was literally wasting away and had no energy. I can't imagine how bad this would be in the wilderness!!😢
Wow ! This story is a hell of a reminder that no matter how much sober (I would never contemplate life and death preparations for anything so potentially hazardous while "under the influence"---but Otter admitted that was his big mistake) preparations you undertake there are always the UNKNOWN FACTORS that you can not anticipate-- maybe that is why most experts advise against going into the WILDERNESS alone or without a satellite phone/cell fon, gps, etc. If you are ALONE a broken ankle or leg can mean the end of you without a phone and you appear much more appealing to the local bears.
Why aren’t readers mentioning what Otter said, his heavy marijuana use cancelled his good judgement - hikers, enjoy the good health of a fine hike and skip the false highs of a drug.
I got lost for 3 days in Kootenai National forrest and it was horrifying especially the first couple hours of panic but once I settled down and got my bearings I knew if I headed west I would encounter some civilization east would be towards glacier National park and ya no.. I eventually stumbled onto a farm and the old farmer and his wife scolded me but were very kind and fed me and even drove me 3 hours back to my vehicle
@@soxfan182 First of all, I do not like to put too much personal information on the internet. But, I will tell you that I am of older age and my start was when I joined the military in the late 1960's. I was stationed in Alaska and performed SAR work there. After military and as an avid outdoorsman, I spent a lot of personal time hiking and backpacking. Over the years, you meet a lot of like minded people and I volunteered to help when folks were lost or missing. Later, I spent a time explorin and learning the Southwest deserts and was called on to help out. The bottom line, you should find a line of work such as a fireman, sheriff deputy, paramedic or such and learn from a variety of people. Take training courses, learn outdoor skills even if self taught and volunteer when the opportunity presents itself. I wish I was a lot younger. It's been a rewarding life.
The drive back to your beginning was 3 hours by car?!? How many miles you hike just being lost? I realize now you prolly started on trail for some time before you got lost. Just curious if you ever figured how many miles did you go during the lost portion. Now I want to know weather, what gear you had etc!!!! 😅🙏🏼
I'm 70 now. Way back in my youth I did MANY solo backpacking trips in wilderness in all kinds of weather. I was careful but I have numerous times that I came very close to The End. One time I was 100% sure I'm not going to make it through that night. Seeing this story and thinking back to those days of no GPS or electronics to reach anyone, I thank God for being with me in my craziness. My motto was, "The woods can make a fool out of anyone. If it could talk it would say, I didn't ask you to come out here."
I am 65 and spent most of my early and mid life backpacking the deserts and mountains in the Western US. I had some very close calls. I took every survival course I could find, spent two years with a Madan indian learning traditional bushcraft, and eventually became a survival instructor. I used to think knowledge, equipment, and preparation were the keys but, sometimes our luck runs out. Of course there were no phones and GPS when you and I were out and about, so navigation was old school, which I think everyone should learn. There were so many mistakes made by everyone in this tragic story. Otter was one hell of a guy and a legend of a backpacker. I always feel safer in the wilderness then anywhere else.
@@don7294 For sure, I read and read about backpacking and survival. I had a small library If not for being so diligent in that, no way can I see myself still sitting here. No, it wasn't a war I was in, but going out alone in such wild areas and covering so much area, time after time, I guess such things, only God knows how close things came.
There's something special about risk takers. I think what's important is to keep aware you are taking a risk, and what those risks are, and don't take shortcuts to the lessons on how to mitigate the risks so you don't die. :)
@@SilentThundersnow Yes, it was a risk but I took it seriously. Some people take risks and don't take it seriously. They're the ones that are on the top of the list that don't make it. The more a person doesn't depend upon luck, the better.
The reason someone with a "vast amount of experience" did something that stupid was exactly because of that experience. It seems like with hiking and climbing in particular, some of the more experienced people become more and more comfortable with taking risks, sometimes ending very badly. For example, I knew this kid from high school who was an "avid" backcountry skier but died in an avalanche within 1 mile of a major freeway because he thought his experience allowed him to ignore the Northwest Avalanche Center's warnings for that day.
That's absolutely true, but it didn't help that he was stoned when making his original decision. He even made note of that in his journal. Drugs cause a numbing effect to all the natural human emotions we have, such as caution and fear. They also alter perceptions.
Absolutely! It’s a very good lesson: Always carry some kind of communication device (with extra batteries and/or a way to recharge it), a firearm (for protection, signaling and hunting), other emergency signal tools (mirror, etc.), paper map and compass, and never get intoxicated when on a solitary remote hike. These things cost him his life.
It’s simply when you become comfortable taking risks you know the risks aren’t any less dangerous. you make an educated decision on the likelihood. But no expert pretends that it is not dangerous. The danger is part of the point.
Surviving as he did, for as long as he did, journaling as well as he did, and despite the odds against him, at the very end, still being considerate enough to write a warning on the door of the vault toilet is a testament to his character. The roller-coaster emotions of optimism vs. depression each moment of each day during those weeks alone is excruciating to consider, let alone actually go through. Otter remains a teacher to us.
It broke my heart when Otter started describing the nature of waist-deep snow. When you get over 50 years old you run out of stamina. I notice it when I'm in shin-high snow. I'm not in my 20s and 30s any longer. Be extra careful if you're older. RIP Otter
Never experienced snow deeper than my shins/calfs. But that was bad enough after some time walking in it so at waist height seems impossible to me to get through regardless of age or stamina!!
There were some cadets at the Air Force Academy some years ago who went to climb Pikes Peak at the end of May on Memorial Day. Already summer in Colorado Springs which is 5,500 feet. The peak is over 14k. They brought a tent but no winter gear. No problems, but when they got up to about 10k feet, waist deep snow, postholing all the way. Soon exhausted, even as fit 20 year olds. No proper gear, had to call and get airlifted off the mountain. I think they may have tried a snow cave, but their pants were so wet they were in danger from cold. Can't remember the exact details. The mountains are unforgiving.
I have been almost kicked off a Reddit thread for ultralight backpacking, for suggesting this exact same thing. If you are planning to spend the night above treeline in the Rocky Mountains, ultralight camping gear that you would use at lower elevations is probably is not going to be enough in case of a weather change. Any time of year!
Absolutely. Most people underestimate even persistent rain. How it turns some passages into insurmountable muddy tracks. For miles and miles. How it turns small creaks into streams or how quickly completely wet clothes and wind cools out your body. Not to mention real storms, snow and very low temperatures. In addition, there is the danger of getting lost, steep slopes, lack of fresh water and and and. Even heat can make you defeat faster than you are used to in your daily life. I always say if you are unsure about something (weather etc.) if there is even the slightest risk of disaster - skip it. Stay in the town you are in or drop out. However. The thrill of being successful, the thrill of courage is nothing compared to the fear and the regret you will feel. Be save folks!
The takeaways for me from Otter's story: - always have a paper map with you - always have a compass with you - never do drugs when hiking - write a journal regularly and frequently, not just about the hike, but about your decisions, feelings, thoughts, condition, etc. - if you are about to die in a situation like this, put on notifications about your body for future finders
Sad reminder we all make mistakes, sometimes they cost us our lives. Hats off to this guy who did what he could then died with his boots on, even being considerate of others and leaving a note so as not to traumatize them. Way to go Otter. Buddy, you had some serious STYLE !! God bless you and your loved ones, family and friends!!!! Hell of a MAN !!!
I was in Canadian military. I hiked mountains 2 out of 4 weekend's, a month. I got stuck in a place called suicide bluff. Rescued, by search team, and on the news. I couldn't sleep for six months, studied real survival. No knife, no fire etc. 30 years later I'm good. But NEVER rely on that. Always tell someone where you are going !! By the way, I was w friends, but got separated.
Good point, I grew up in Algonquin area and leaned to eat ants and other things in Outward bound and canoe camp. Was funny at the time but took away the fear of doing it. Raw bass was a tough one to eat never had sushi in 1970s LOL! BC is worse though some places you can breakdown in are hike out only, lots of first nations people have helped me broken down too even put me up because they knew I could die alone with broke bike. All pre cell phone days,
Despite his mistake and death, I hope to give Otter his due honor by sharing how impressed I am at how long he was able to survive in such wintery conditions (and continue to journal).
@@kcnicky2242 They did but then some ranger said he saw Otto at a ranger station in a completely different area so the serch was called off. It looks like more than one mistake did him in both by Otto , the serch teams, and a Ranger of all things..
The amount of times he was ALMOST rescued is heart breaking. I can't imagine how horribly devastating it had to be to see the rescue copter but have them not see you.
Many Dopesmokers say that marijuana never killed anyone. In this case and many other cases it's absolutely wrong because a very experienced hiker lost his life after he ate way too many marijuana cookies and made a decision that ended his life as recorded in his journal. Also they are now lacing marijuana with fentanyl and it's killing lawyers doctors and all kinds of high-class people who have not build any resistance up to it. So no longer can we say that marijuana doesn't kill people. This poor hiker has proven that fact...may he rest in peace.
I heard in another story that rescue aircraft that spot you, but can't recover you directly, will circle overhead until the ground team arrives as a "I'm here and I see you."
@@juice3167 I'd suggest inside the restrooms like in an upper corner so it is protected. Warning sign that $500 fine for misuse. Another idea is something that can be used to signal help is needed. In Hong Kong we have these oversized mop things that look like big pieces of red tarp on a pole that are near trails. There is usually a sign nearby regarding fire, trail safety and steps to take. I will try and take a photo.
Any experienced and “smart” thru hikers have communication capabilities. 1. Hand mirror. 2. Satellite connected communication device (GPS device) not expensive at all). 3. A large fire is always a good signal. No one should ever go on a long hike or through hike without both of these devices. Experienced doesn’t mean “smart” necessarily. Sorry, sad, but true.
I just watched a video about the worse skydiving accident in history 17 or 18 people died. They landed in the water and the survivors were trying to reach the I believe coast guard or some other boat . One fisherman or something saw them and just drove by while they begged for help
@@High_Breadmore specifically; the fisherman had been playing hookie from work to have some "fun" with a secret girlfriend. He didn't stop because it would've blown his cover
Number one lesson anytime , anywhere : never make a life threatening decision when you are under the influence of drugs, alcohol , sleep deprivation or when you are emotionally stressed. I guess we've all done it and got lucky, but sooner or later your luck runs out. Rest in peace , Otter.
Just curious- how exactly did being high contribute to his death? I understand that you equate him being high with making a bad decision- but wasn’t what he did his intention all along? As in- wouldn’t he had made the same decision even had he NOT been stoned? I mean, he intended to hike this trail all along- as you say, he’d done it many times. Do you think he would have aborted the trip had he not been so stoned? RIP Otter
I’m not a hiker but I got seriously scared a few times when I missed my last night bus and felt like I’d freeze to death. I never forgot that feeling of helplessness and sheer panic, when you start loosing feeling in your hands and feet, and I’ve gained a healthy respect for the nature and how quickly it can overcome us. It scared the heck out of me. Nowadays I never go out unprepared.
@@beniciomanulskowicz-xc3dk No I mean even when I go to the shops or go for a quick walk in winter, I always bring super thick gloves, scarf, hat, extra jumper, a fully charged phone, etc etc. Because even on a short walk, you never know when you’ll get stuck in the freezing cold. Stuff happens.
@@nicolew4877 just giving you shit. I was homeless for a long time and had some very very sketchy nights.. the kinda nights you're scared to stay in one spot so you pace and eat peanut butter to have some heat to burn off haha. So I am also forever prepared now.
@@Princess_Celestia_ - you could break your leg or run into a bear or mountain lion on a day hike any time of year. If you survive that, you're going to need that PLB to save you from hypothermia. Also, carry a gun and learn how to use it. Especially if you're female. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.
Exactly, a emergency beacon would have come in handy as well, or go old-school and carry a flare gun also. The flare gun would have gotten the rescue planes attention.
I appreciate the care he took in securing his corpse. I had a friend in Colorado that went missing. It was a suicide, which was sort of assumed, but some random day hiker found the scene months after the snow melt. 4 counties of search and rescue and friends were on it. Even I would have rather taken that shock if I had any clue where to look. Don't make your mistakes some layperson's problem.
As a certified SAR volunteer, use a personal EPIRB, always tell people where your going and time line, often there is a Forest Service Station that will also collect your travel plans on an official document, have marine grade flares, carry an emergency long range radio, carry a high lumen strobe. It seems surprising he burned down a cabin and no one saw the smoke and that the plane didn't notice the burned cabin. Over plan, over prepare. My condolences to the Olshansky family and friends.
Watched a couple of videos wherein the lost person mentioned that the plane flew past them. Wondering how they are using their eyes on locating a missing person. Might as well not use any plane if they are useless. Just saying
@@kristinragengasacao528 Yes, agreed. Seeing a person from a plane/helicopter is a challenge. Seeing a burnt out building is easy from the air. Thus always carry items that can make you visible. Flares, mirrors, strobe, Reflective Orange coat or hat, radio. I've walked right passed 'lost people' because I couldn't see them.
I think the most important lesson here is "Don't make high-stakes decisions while intoxicated". As a friend of mine once put it, "If it's a good idea now, it will still be a good idea tomorrow".
Agreed. Otter himself realized his mistake after the fact. I make a mental checklist of the mistakes made and try to learn from them. This story is a valuable lesson on many levels. It's also a look into the mental process that affects folks in dire situations. A person who's happy and healthy doesn't seem like the type to wish to take their own life, but circumstances can change that. Thank you, Otter, for describing your final days so that others may learn from you. This is the ultimate form of love.
I knew Otter well and he was a dear friend of mine from my thru hikes on the PCT and CDT. He was an amazing person and shining light in our world. Thanks for telling the story as it was. It still sends chills down my spine knowing solo hiking can be so dangerous but I also feel his guidance and motivation as I’m trudging through the mtns. I wrote up a song on my guitar to go with his ‘Wander’ poem from that journal. RIP Otter.
Truly a cautionary tale to aways respect the mountain, no matter how experienced we believe we are. You cannot simply go hiking in the wild in horrible weather, with no maps and stoned outta your mind. So sad such a seemingly nice nature-loving man died so needlessly.
This is why when a friend of mine was talking about getting into that level of hiking, I recommended that she get a sat-com device and keep back-up batteries in a water-tight section of the pact. If she get into a bad situation, a single button press sends an SOS and location data out for you. It also allows two-way texting for check-ins.
For the well healed there IS a watch available that is also an emergency locator beacon...made by Breitling it costs about $15,000! Effective at sea as well as land
@@philgiglio7922 Or you know... just get the Garmin InReach for like $500 like any sane person who wants to keep their life. This guy was an absolute. moron.
It's a saying we hate but it rings true today. "Complacency kills" Respect for mother nature should always be accompanied by a humble perspective. Rest in peace Otter, your lessons will not be forgotten.
This one was the most sad of all the tragedies that you have covered. Man, a simple GPS alert device would have made all the difference. It's no small feat that he survived that long. RIP, Otter.
You took the words out of my mouth about the SOS device. Satellite, PLB, either one would quite likely have saved his life by the sound of it. I get that some people wanna totally unplug... So fine, don't turn it on unless you need it. Simple as fuck. Absolutely tragic thinking about what he went through. I'd try to end things to.... Starvation sounds like one of the most miserable ways to go.
There was an Outdoor mag article about this years ago. Apparently he had been hiking with a GPS device but gave it away shortly before the incident. :(
We would all like to own one. Fact is that you have to pay monthly, instead of being set for life with the expensive purchase. Having one doesn’t mean you will be saved either.
I was a member of Teton County County SAR in Jackson Hole for 12 years and served as deputy director and training director for 6 years. I responded to over 500 callouts, about 50 of which were lost person incidents. During my tenure, we found everyone we were tasked to look for. We were also called in twice to help other SAR teams find missing persons after they came up empty handed after a week of searching - and found the person in both cases (one alive, one deceased.) Searching from the air is very difficult, even from a helicopter which is flying much slower than an aircraft. On the two searches we were called in on, there had been extensive aerial searches by helicopter. When we got called in, I downloaded the GPS tracks of the flights. On the search where the person was found alive, the helicopter had flown about a hundred yards south of where the person was located many times and he waved at them each time to no avail. When I looked at the GPS tracks, they hadn't flown over the north side of the canyon. When I had them fly over the north side, they spotted the person and they were rescued. The second example was a 10 day search where we were called in to assist on the 9th day. The team had searched extensively by air and also on foot, in a rugged mountainous area. The person left a detailed journal of his plans and his objective was to scramble up several peaks in the area. The team was convinced they had thoroughly searched his objectives, so it took a lot of convincing to get them to send search teams back in the same areas. The next day the search teams went back in the same area and found the person, deceased. The helicopters had flown over the location where the person was found at least 10 times. The most successful searches involve multiple searches by different resources - foot teams, horse teams, dog teams, aerial etc. By far the most effective are the dogs - some people say a dog is as good as 50 searchers - I agree they are very helpful. A person in the wild is like a needle in a haystack. Our team practiced searches every year and we're very good. On one practice, I had a person sit in a tree well like a lost person might to stay warm. Two search teams walked right past the tree without spotting them. Finally, a K9 team came by and the dog immediately found the person. If you are lost but under cover, leave something (hopefully bright) to mark your location. SPOT devices didn't come out until my last two years on the team. My advice to maximize your chances of rescue is to carry a SPOT device, a solar charger, AND have someone monitoring you daily. Our SPOT allows our GPS tracks to be monitored and a few texts each day. We have a friend monitor us and exchange a text every day that "we're OK." This covers the scenario where you are unable to trigger the SOS on the SPOT device. My girlfriend and regularly do two week trips deep into the Wind River Range and this is how we improve our chances if something goes wrong. If you can't afford a SPOT device, then print out a map and leave a detailed itinerary with a friend - and an EXACT date when to call in help. Prior to SPOT, I did a number of solo trips into the Wind Rivers and this is how I stayed safe - I RELIGIOUSLY followed my itinerary. To maximize your chances of being found, you need to make the search area as small as possible. The search will start from either the PLS (Point Last Seen - where someone saw you) or LKP (Last Known Point - e.g. picked up your drop box). By having a person monitoring your SPOT or your itinerary, it helps reduce the area to search if you go missing. Have fun out there and stay safe!
Wow. I'm not a through hiker, but this post has raised so many questions for me. Great content by the way. I'm really impressed that you are so damn accurate. You should be leading every search for goodness sake. I guess my overarching question is - How is it 2023, we have aliens and AI and we can't figure something out to avoid these situations. I was gobsmacked by a comment above stating there should be flares or signals of some sort at the bathrooms. Ummmmm.....yeah, that's a really good idea. Why hasn't someone had something coded to create a beacon on like a fitbit or whatever, air tags, anything. (or something - for the love of god) Am I missing something because it sounds like this is preventable to me. Please either enlighten me or get this going bc it will drive me nuts. I'm an avid forager and I found one perfect pristine chantrelle, and the next thing I knew I was crying and on the phone (yup had gps)crying to my son for rescue and it was less than 10 minutes. I never want to experience that again. Lets do this for Otter. I also think you should write a book on rescue. Interesting, thanks.
@@jenniferg6818 Thank you for your comments. I think getting lost and not being able to get in touch will soon be a thing of the past. Elon Musk and T-Mobile already have an agreement for T-Mobile phones to access the Starlink constellation in a few years. Your cell phone will have "service" almost no matter where you are. I believe eventually all major cell phone providers will have similar agreements with satellite internet providers. What I don't know is if you dial 911 will the constellation know where the 911 center closest to you is? SPOT devices send a signal to the COSPAS-SARSAT satellites which are part of an international rescue cooperative and know who to contact in any given area to start a search. Airplanes carry an ELT transmitter which goes off automatically if a plane crashes. Ships carry the same type which activates if contacted by sea water. An aircraft went down in our area and COSPAS-SARSAT contacted our local 911 dispatch and we were mobilized to go find the aircraft. But certainly being able to call out or text would be very useful - just be sure to provide your GPS location. I have a free app on my phone where I can look at my GPS position (without using Google Maps) and can provide a location in either Lat-Long or UTM.
Great stories and info! It’s usually a series of unfortunate events that cause people to get lost. I have a Garmin but someone must monitor my texts or I’m sunk if things go sideways. I only solo hike in places where there’s sure to be others and never in bad weather.
Question: As a former SAR member, what do you make of the fact that Otter was sheltering at a marked campsite with full bathroom facilities on a forest access road, and apparently no SAR personnel thought to head up there with a snow mobile to check for signs of life? To me, wouldn't the first part of the search include hitting all back country huts and camp ground facilities that were reasonably near his expected path of travel? Looking on the map, the camp ground was about a 50 mile round trip from a major roadway along a forest service road. On a snow mobile, that wouldn't be more than a 2 or 3 hour trip.
My mom was a Guide in the Olympic Mountains. In her later years her mind started to slip and the Rangers found her disoriented. Stories like these always hit home when I think of their families. Life is a journey.
Survived so long, a testimony to his character and ability. On top of that, he was concerned for the psychological impact finding his dead body would have on somebody, and made sure to warn anyone about that, a true gentlemen and he has my upmost respect, I want to be able to become half the man he was, and I would be more than happy with that :)
His "ability" blinded commen sense apparently. Only an absolute bafoon would go hiking without a Beacon. Dude was a gleaming example of what NOT to do.
@@ripF5C Point taken, and I agree with you that Health and safety is always paramount, not matter how experienced. But I don’t think calling him a ‘buffoon’ is justified, everybody makes mistakes, and and we saw in the video, it was evident he quickly realised his mistake and regretted his decision!
My family lives in a small community in the forest of northern Arizona about 12 miles away from the nearest small town. As a teenager me and my friend from the community were partying in town in the winter when we decided to walk through the woods back home at night with a few bottles of hard liquor. We were drunk and only wearing hoodies for warmth. I remember starting the walk and making it out of town and into the woods, but we were drinking quite a bit and I don't remember much after that. I woke up the next morning to find I'm laying on the ground in the forest, frosted over, with my friend passed out on the ground nearby and I was freezing half to death. I tried standing up but my body could hardly move. I yelled out to my friend to wake him up and he did but he too was freezing and could barely move. A snow storm was just starting and we knew we had to get home and to warmth soon or we were going to die out there. We knew we were about 5 miles away from home. We were super hung over and couldn't believe we didn't freeze to death overnight, we thought the alcohol is what kept us warm enough to survive it. It took hours for us to make the journey home and we were super cold the whole time, barely able to walk because of it. I remember almost just giving up and laying down and letting myself freeze. I don't know how we didn't get hypothermia or frostbite or anything, the snow started falling pretty good as soon as we were able to get up and walking. When we got home and told everyone we slept outside with just hoodies overnight they could hardly believe it. It was probably below zero that night. One of the dumber things I've done in my life.
It really is a miracle Alcohol lowers your body temperature so if you are ever in such a situation and remember your story DON'T drink your alcohol. Use it to start a fire, maybe, but don't drink it.
It wasn’t the alcohol that kept you alive. It was The Lord Jesus Christ. He is the giver , and taker of life. To Him belongs the Glory, both now, and forever… Amen….
I know the guy should've alerted authorities earlier, but Otter was alive plenty long enough after the search began. Surviving 2 months less than 15 miles from safety... that's rough. When the resupply box isn't picked up and the weather was severe near the trailhead, hard to justify why the search ever really left that first section. I think I would've waited a few days and forced my way out or die trying, personally. I can't imagine how horrible the slow death must've been.
What I can't figure out is how could he not physically get himself out of this. By experience and understanding I'm a novice. He but he immediately felt weak, I'm assuming due to elevation. But after some weeks that should subside in time to jerry rig a solution to cover a brutal 10-20 miles in a day. What am I missing? I "hiked" through a ~200M run of a waist-deep snow drift once at ~8000ft, and it was exhausting. Took me about 30 mins. It was the end of a day hike, so no supplies. If my life depended on it and I had some time to fashion tools with existing kit, I feel like I could have continued on for a miserable days if it was my only option.
@@randomnobody8770 yeah somethings weird about that. Maybe he was hiding something else besides the weed he had eaten before leaving. Just mysteriously being too 'weak' to hike out from your own death to the point of even trying to end yourself twice, it just doesnt add up.
It sounds like he was suffering from some kind of brain organicity. Once he found the FS road and with the toilet house as two points, the knowledge of the area ought to have been enough for him to walk back to Chama in less than three days. Otto kept wasting time and resources going back and forth, back and forth.This suggests he had become very confused and with two deliberate suicide attempts, mentally ill.
@@randomnobody8770 The problem is that over those few weeks he's getting weaker from starvation and hypothermia. And that's assuming it was elevation sickness, and not something age related like a minor stroke.
Last month, February, I was day-hiking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and I got off the trail without knowing. I kept hiking, hiking, hiking, blissfully ignorant that I was lost. I had to walk for miles in a ravine that I couldn’t climb out of that was full of boulders. I’m 54, and after two hours of climbing up and jumping off boulders nonstop- my knees couldn’t take it anymore. But I couldn’t sit down and rest because the sun was setting soon. I thought I was going to have to spend the night without any provisions and it had snowed the night before. The most horrible sense of dread came over me. I started hiking with a panic over those boulders and wondering where I had gone wrong. And this was just over the prospect of me having to spend one night outdoors without provisions. So I can imagine the much worse and absolute sense of dread that he must’ve had- for days, day after day, week after week. Such a sad tragic story. These stories are so often about one wrong decision. One wrong decision can end your life.
You didn't make just one wrong decision, and neither did Otter. You didn't know the trail, you had no means of navigating, no emergency provisions, no emergency shelter, and I'm guessing no emergency kit of any kind. The message of this video, and of your story is that people go into the wilderness woefully unprepared, and most days it works out just fine. But as soon as one thing goes wrong, one bad decision is made, you're helpless, in a panic, because all the good days lulled you into a false sense of security and gave you a vastly over inflated sense of your abilities. If you can't answer the questions about what you'll do if you lose the trail, get injured, get caught in bad weather, etc. - before you head out on the trail - then you're starting every trip by making a big list of bad decisions.
This is one of the saddest stories ive heard, i think. To be that hopelessly lost in the wilderness but able to survive for so long, waiting for a rescue... What a poor (amazing) man.
No paper map, no emergency radio, no high visibility kit, and getting high before heading out into weather you know will be bad. This guy really let his hubris get the best of him. At least his mistake can be used to help demonstrate how important it is to be safe and never think you don't need back up plans for long term hikes
My nephew and his girlfriend got lost in the bush in Kahurangi National park in foul weather. They were missing for 18 days before they were finally found - thankfully alive, albeit somewhat worse for wear. It's stories like this one that really bring home how fortunate they were, since so often the story does not have a "happy ending". All the best to Otter's family and friends and the many people who encountered him over the years.
@@megansummers3775 Glad you made it out safely. How long were you stuck there? Can well imagine how relieved family/friends/whānau must have been that you got out safely.
@@michelleharnett1351 Very lucky, given how rugged that area is. Fortunately, they did the right things to keep themselves alive until they were found.
I find Otter's courage inspiring. His tenacity in trying to survive the situation, his integrity for owning the errors in judgment he'd made; and even the attempts he undertook to end his life, which themselves failed...but still, he defied despair by continuing to write in his journal. I have regretted things in my life, and felt stuck and alone. I can only imagine how he must have felt through it all. He stayed true to himself, and his story makes me feel like mistakes in life, errors in judgment, fruitless efforts, bad circumstances, and even death itself, none of these things has to mean defeat.
I’ve summited Mt Whitney 3 times, but attempted it 5 times. Summited Half Dome 3 times, but attempted it 4 times. Backpacked to the bottom of Grand Canyon and back out 2 times but had to turn back on 3rd attempt. Hiked the Narrows & Angels Landing multiple times but have had to turn back a few times. Many more i could list, but what they all have in common is sometimes it’s just not meant to be. On one Whitney trip i was with 5 other guys, i was the trip organizer & permit holder. Early afternoon of day 2 we were above tree line and a thunderstorm rolled in. I told everyone we need to drop down to a safer area but all the guys wanted to continue. By the time i did this trip i had been hiking and backpacking for about 25 yrs and learned a thing or two. I explained the danger of being exposed to lightning at our altitude, on a surface that conducts electricity very well. After about 20 min of me detailing what could happen to us and how unsafe it was, they mostly agreed. We went to lower elevation, put up the tents in a safe area and rode the storm out. It lasted into the night, and because we were now a day behind, getting to the summit was not possible. We spent the rest of the trip hiking out on the planned exit so that we stuck to the itinerary i gave at the ranger station. We then camped in Alabama Hills for a couple nights before going home. A couple of the guys got pissed off, they had summit fever, and went home once we exited the backcountry. Oh well, their loss! For me, peak bagging isn’t the the most important thing, it’s just being out there. Play hard, but be safe!
No shame in turning around. I also had to bail summiting Whitney. Didn't take away from the experience at all. Camping, hiking, and star gazing with good company... It was breathtakingly beautiful, but it's even more beautiful when you make it back alive.
I'm glad to hear your adventures. It is to your honour that all of the people in your group survived, and were not injured. You called it correctly, well done!
@itsallinthewrist Think about the achievements you’ve done in your incredible life... think about what Otter achieved, how long he lasted... all these missing hikers ? Just goes to show how life hangs in the balance of the turn of a friendly card ?
What I find really sad is that in *2016* - we are not talking about a period in time in which people were naive and unexperienced - the rescuers were as easy going and I'd say negligent as shown in this story. The common thought should not be "Oh well, looks like he made it out alive." but they should expect that if in doubt then this man is still out there heavily suffering. There was a *really* good chance of finding him from what I heard and honestly *plenty* of time. Otter survived for months, including suicide attempts. What happened, happened it can't be changed. I'm sure the resuers also felt terrible when he was found but it feels so sad and unbelievably baffling to not hear a lessons learned from this. Did nothing change ? Everyone messes up, Otter got himself into the situation by messing up, it happens. But I would ask myself, "What can we do better ?"
Boy, if this can happen to someone like Otter... My brother, his girlfriend, her father, and I did the full Appalachian Trail back in 1976. I was 13 and had spent my days in the woods and hiking every chance I got. My brother who was 7 yrs older than me and his girlfriend's father both were experienced backpackers and they had been on several extensive hikes with me and invited me along with them. We started making our preparations 8 months ahead of time. We mailed boxes of supplies for restocking to Post Offices along the trail and in the states, we had friends, whom we arranged an overnight stay with. The girlfriend's uncle owned hundreds of acres in PA and the trail happened to go along the back acres. When we got to that area, the uncle met us and we stayed for 3 days with him and his wife. Awesome people and experienced hikers themselves. When we got to the CT section, we were all from CT, we met friends for a weekend. We finished the trail at MT. Katahdin (which surprisingly was not the most difficult part of the trail for me. It was Clingmans Dome that I kinda struggled thru, but did do it ), and then back down to Vermont where the girlfriend's father's family owned an old farmhouse and land. We wound down the whole experience there and both families met us at the farm. It was great seeing my parents and siblings after months on the trail. We stayed for 4 days to relax, and pick apples from their orchard, and the last of the blueberries. Our family went home with 3 bushels of apples and several qts of berries for mom to bake pies, cakes, and apple/blueberry crumble from. I'm 61 now and though both my brother and his then-girlfriend are married to other people, we all stay in touch and have done other thru-hikes together over the years. Her father passed away years ago but continued to hike into his late 70s. I was unable to continue thru-hiking after 17 due to bone cancer that took my left hip. I was able to continue my walks into the woods up until age 50, but it became too painful and difficult after that. I am so grateful though for that experience and the many years I was able to continue my time in the woods with all of God's beauty.
Thank you for your story. Sorry about the cancer and its consequences. Sounds like you are resilient, possibly because Hiking teaches resilience? So it was all in prep for the time ahead.
Wonderful story of a love of hiking. Only made it south through NC. Never got to finish GA. Life happens and things that are important one moment can no longer be accomplished but the memories of what was, well, those memories are priceless.
RIP Otter. Now you are truly free. I'm so sorry, that you were lost. I don't understand, how you weren't found. It's so sad.😢 I hope that all your trails, are now happy ones. 💜💜💜
As a tiny lizard who spends most of my time observing the world from the safety of a rock, I've seen many things come and go. I've watched towering trees sprout from the ground and reach for the sky, only to wither and die with the changing of the seasons. I've witnessed violent storms rage across the landscape, leaving destruction and chaos in their wake. But perhaps the most profound thing I've seen was the passing of Stephen "Otter" Olshansky, a man whose life was cut short on the Continental Divide Trail in 2016. Otter, as he was known to his friends, was a force of nature himself. Unlike me, he didn't spend his days watching from afar. He was out there in the thick of it, traversing mountains and valleys, pushing himself to the limits of his physical and mental abilities. I often watched him from my perch, envious of his ability to move so freely and purposefully across the land. But as I observed Otter's life, I began to see the similarities between us. Like me, he was a small creature in a vast and unpredictable world. Like me, he was subject to the whims of nature and the forces that govern our existence. And like me, he knew that life was fleeting and precious, to be lived to the fullest while we had the chance. So it was with a heavy heart that I learned of Otter's passing. I knew that his life, like mine, was but a brief flicker in the grand scheme of things. But in that brief moment, he had accomplished so much. He had explored and discovered, he had challenged himself and overcome obstacles, he had made connections with others and left an indelible mark on their lives. Otter's life was cut short, but it was not a life wasted. He lived with passion and purpose, and in doing so he showed us all what it truly means to be alive. Rest in peace, Otter. Your spirit lives on, in the mountains and in the hearts of those who knew you.
Truly Beautifully Stated, David♡~If You Have Not Already Written a Novel, or Short Stories, Please Consider Doing So...Your Understanding of Thought, & Words, is Inspired☆☆:) (Holly in Arizona)
Why's it called hiking and not walking? Vet's like myself that's been on over a hundred 20 mile road marches don't walk for fun? Save your feet we are all going to need them! RIP Otter!
one thing your stories have taught me is -no matter how experienced or prepared- it only takes one wrong step or one bad decision for disasters to happen. mother nature is really intimidating. poor otter, may he rest in peace
This is really a sad story. I've never heard this story either. Thanks for sharing. Otter sounds like he was a good guy. I've been a backpacker for over 50 years and I do a lot of solo backpacking. I've aborted multiple trips due to bad weather conditions. Although I wished I could have done the trip, it always turned out that my instincts were right. When solo backpacking it is always best to do the safest thing in my opinion since it is better to live with a bruised ego than to be dead.
Exactly. He regretted his decision within a few hours of heading out it seems like. Poor guy, this one really hit me because I could easily see myself as an experienced hiker (albeit not at his level) doing something similar.
Yep. I have cut more trips short than I care to admit, but as the lady at the hostel (who bailed me and a friend out of a really bad weather situation in Maine) said: "The Trail will be there next year."
You hit upon a salient human point about ego: I’ve found that humility tends to breed far more happiness than ego ever will, and I’m the biggest-headed guy I know.
This poor guy, it’s very sad and he seems to be such a good guy, for some reason he looks very familiar to me??? I don’t know where he’s from maybe I’ve met him on the trail in the past? Thanks for sharing his story, and he deserves his story to be told, heading out in the wilderness when you do it all the time and you’re seasoned your in shape you feel like you can pretty much do anything and then when the mountains weather changes it’s quick and then the elevation gain etc. etc. it’s rare but sometimes it just hit you and it happens it’s sad, I see that smile on his face in the photo and you could tell in that picture how happy he was to be there, I will always remember this video.
Every time I hear his story, it makes me so sad. Imagine knowing the outcome. The videos he made as he was coming to the realization he might not make it out are harrowing. RIP Otter- you were a true man of the mountains.
Back in 87 on the CDT we carried maps of course. On more than one occasion we wished we'd had maps to the east or west of our route so we could go out for more food. Without maps we didn't know our options but weight was so critical. This poor guy may have been able to go down a drainage to a lower elevation if he'd known his route options. We all make mistakes and sometimes we don't survive. He certainly sounds like a man one could easily respect. God bless him 😢
I decided to subscribe after hearing this young man (I'm over 65) tell the same story I have heard 2 other times but he tells it better. I like the way he describes the situations, his sincerity and the way he represents the back packing hiker community. After having a long term health problem finally fixed with an open AAA bypass surgery (look it up) I am looking forward to getting back into the sport or for some "the lifestyle". Now that I'm retired I can make it a life style. Hearing this story about an old guy that bit off more than he can chew is a cautionary tale for everyone no matter what age you are. Know your limits, tell friends and the ranger station where when and for how long. At my age I believe in swim buddies and hike/camp buddies because just like old cars breakdowns can happen. When someone is lost it puts a lot of hurt on a lot of people. Don't be selfish...
Lot's to learn here. I tell folks all the time that people should approach any endeavor in the wild the same way rock climbers approach their passion. No matter how experienced you are, there are more dangers than anyone can imagine. If you think maybe you should turn back, do it. One of the most common mistakes is not turning back. Be alert and keep building knowledge by doing things like watching videos like this one, talking with other hikers about how they survived difficult situations, etc. I came near to death once from high altitude pulmonary edema. I new about the illness but didn't recognize it until it came back going over another 14k pass. But it wasn't because I remembered. Another solo hiker I came across with only a day pack 35 miles from any road noticed I was sick, asked the right questions, and mentioned the possibility of pulmonary edema. Then it clicked. I rapidly descended to a lower elevation and set up camp when I felt a lot less sick. It worked. To this day I don't know how that person was even there (it was late in the season). But they saved my life. I'm sure of that.
If you''re planning a group trip, plan go/no-go points and poll the team. If anyone's not comfortable, that's a no-go for everyone. The mark of a good mountaineer isn't the peaks that they summited, it's the ones they wisely left for another time.
Breaks my heart. I had to stop watching for a minute because I was so overwhelmed. If Otter’s family and friends read this, I am very sorry for your loss. You could see a lot of his spirit and personality in his photos. Someone I would have loved to meet.
Yeah wouldn’t blame anyone for slitting their wrists in that situation but until it’s over you still have hope (however realistic it may or may not be) of being rescued. It’s a roll of the iron dice. .Most don’t win
Man. How does your backup rescue person wait so long? Shit. My mom almost called search and rescue on me after I climbed Mount Shasta and didn’t call her back the next day cause I passed out. You have to have someone that loves you man.
I don't know. I was on a hike in 2019 and had told my wife that I would contact her by a given date from Lake Edison Dam. Turns out I no longer had reception at Lake Edison like I had the previous 2 times that I had been there, and even though I was a day early getting there, I cancelled the rest of my plans and hiked as fast as I could in the most direct route back to my car worried about what my wife was thinking and hoping she didn't call SAR. When I got into the nearest town 3 days later, she asked what happened, why was I already done with my hike? She wasn't worried that I hadn't called her from Lake Edison. She just figured (rightly) that I didn't have reception to contact her. I'm not sure what to make of her lack of concern, lol.
@@michaelb1761 that is a crazy story. That’s why I’m excited to get the new iPhone14 cause you can make SOS calls or signal for help. Putting your rescue in other peoples hands just doesn’t seem reliable.
Have you heard the story of the two climbers that went missing on Mt. Adams, Washington in November of 1980? I worked at the same hospital they did and hospital staff always wondered what happened to them until their bodies were discovered, trapped in the ice, by a guy and his dog in October, 2001. Their names were Gary Claeys, 28, and Matt Larson, 25. News articles can still be found online about their discovery. Thanks for all the great videos.
What's sad is he had all the experience, but it sounds like his health itself abandoned him at the worse of time. Condolences to the family and friends
Seemed like a decent guy. Even the best of us make bad decisions. Kyle, you did a great job telling Otter's story......respectful while also getting across an important lesson.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 I would say only fools don't prepare for emergencies. That's why you tell people where you go and for how long. That's why you take an emergency beacon. You don't have to get lost to need one. Especially when you hike alone. Most people fall and get injured. A cellphone won't help if there's no cell tower close by.
Sad. Japans have one saying "Come back so you can reach" Most hard thing for learning in climbing is to when come back and not to push forward. Many climbers and hikers never learned that. I am a mountain ranger and many times I didin't reach a summit because of the weather. Made decision to come back. Much pity that he didn't make that decision too. Really much sorry for him.
How horrible and sad! A couple of decades ago, I was training for a walking vacation in Ireland. Everyday I was walking home from work ~10 miles. Most of it was on sidewalks, however there was a river crossing. In my city, the river valley varies in depth of between 300-500 ft deep. My guess is that my crossing was closer to the 300 ft up and down. When I left work, it was beautiful but it soon started to snow. First fine flakes, then big, fluffy and wet ones. By the time I got to the river crossing, the snow was getting to be about a foot deep, and the going was slow. I started to be concerned about making it home. This was before cell phones were common. Because my shift ended at 1230 PM, most people weren't at home in the afternoon on a workday. The going got tougher and tougher. The last couple of blocks were almost a test of will. By that time, the snow was up to my knees and there were no tire tracks to follow even on the street. I got into my attached garage and was tempted to lay down. I felt so hot and shaky, with nervous and physical exhaustion. I forced myself to go into the house, as I didn't want to pass out in the cold garage. I've never been more grateful to get home! I know I wasn't in any real danger, but it felt like it. I can imagine a teeny, tiny bit of some of Otter's struggles.
Uh, as someone who's had severe hypothermia, you definitely were in "real danger". Idk what your body temperature was, but the fact that you almost took a nap in your own garage is a pretty damn good sign of hypothermia.
Absolutely real. One small, mechanical change can put a person in real danger. Just an inch or two of snowfall can make a climb out of a canyon/valley almost impossible. Even rain sometimes. Taking things for granted is a real gamble at times. Glad you made it home. That fear you felt helped you grow and serves you well, no doubt.
Was a CDT hiker going south in New Mexico in 2021, was in the same area of Otters death and even saw the remaining foundation of the privy he died in. We were there in early November but We ran into crazy a snow storm the day before seeing Otters privy, was certainly a surreal experience as we realized how the weather can quickly change and screw you over. We heard if his story earlier so we knew the privy foundation when we saw it, truly sounded like a horrific end.
Also some people get very forgetful under the influence of pot.They can get in a crazy loop thinking 🤔!!! You're no longer in your living room. RIP.Otter.
Experience becomes meaningless when your body just can't do it anymore. It's so important to know your limits, especially as you age. He realized it too late. RIP.
Well said. It’s really tough to face, but it doesn’t matter if you’re an Olympic athlete who still exercises religiously… there will come a point where your ceiling lowers to the point where you simply can’t safely do some of the things you used to be able to.
I solo backpacked for years. Only 2 times was I ever on trips with a couple of other people. The story that always stuck out to me was the story of Mike Turner, a solo backpacker in the winds river range in Wyoming. Look up his story as it is really something. Hard to imagine what Mike went through. Hike safe people and ALWAYS have someone at home covering your back and waiting to hear from you. Make your route known and stick to it unless you notify your safety person of a deviation. Give them your what I use to call my drop dead date when they would notify the agency responsible for search and rescue if you had not come out and contacted them. I use to give myself an extra 2 or 3 days just in case. Hike safe and enjoy yourself!
Im a backpacker/ wilderness survivalist raised in the wilderness of Alaska. My worst nightmare is not getting lost or stuck somewhere or even dying of overexposure... It's getting eaten alive by a bear. Pretty rare compared to the other things that could get you, I know, but they literally don't kill you first. They just start crunching on you. Way worse than anything else.
agree, any kind of animal or bird could probably do that , once driving down road had one of those bubble gum / grocery store dragon tattoos on my arm , a buzzard / bird of prey was over the car following me 🤪
Yeah, i'm an experienced Alpinist and into ski-mountaineering. I still struggle to understand what had him fail at improvised snow-shoes from the local pine trees. A great material for the task - just crack & weave a few large branches together. He was clearly knowing he had to improvise something like ski or snow-shoes. He had plenty of time to do it, shelter, food and firewood to keep him going for weeks. I don't get it.
Yeah that is true, they will pin You down and just start munching... Wild Dogs will do this and also use tactics to corner/ambush Prey but luckily accounts of Wild dogs eating People are rare, can't say the same about Wolves though. The Last Hike I did was in Azores, Terceira Island, The Great Western Hike. When I was in Santa Barbara Caldeira (Extinct Volcano) There were these Massive Bulls and they were Nocturnal, which was terrifying the first night... Also they make what sounds Like a Dinosaur Howl in the Middle of the Night. Absolutely Incredible Place the Azores Islands
Polar bears will lock onto you and just keep following you until you're too exhausted to move. Then yes they will eat you alive. If you only have a small caliber rifle you might be better off using it on yourself instead of the bear.
@@elliotw5918 Yeah, a *tiny* mistake that caused him to die a slow and painful death over a period of almost three weeks. It wasn’t a tiny mistake. It was a huge, careless, and arrogant mistake, and the poor gentleman paid for it, in full. 😢
It was a combination of things and certainly not tiny. You are literally talking about his years of experience plus the combination of drugs and wanting to hit a Thanksgiving deadline. I’m certain that if just one of those factors were not a thing, he would’ve never made that hike.
This is the most compelling reason to have an PLB or a satellite-connected device on your person when backpacking-especially if solo-hiking. I’ve been an active backpacker for nearly 50 years and now that I’m older (61), I am going to get one before my next trip. Thank you for the thorough report of this unfortunate incident. I think a follow-up video re: lessons learned. 🌿 For the record, I Winter camp in snowy conditions but I don’t hike in. I drive my equipped SUV and hot tent ❄️
Yes, that’s a good point. I’m not a hiker, but if I were I’d be glad I saw this. Sounds like a really exceptional person, and he was thinking of others in the end. Sad story, but important.
You hit the nail on the head "never get to comfortable with your abilities". There is just to many things that could go wrong and in every hike you do, you learn something new. RIP, Otter.
Also, excessive mind-altering substances used right before making a critical, potentially life-threatening hiking decision. Unfortunately, sometimes weed kills.
@@jadepaulsen8456 Harshness? No. He even said himself in his log that he highly regretted making the decision to leave in bad weather while high and overly confident from it. He wasn't wrong. Would you then recommend that others do the same? Sorry to offend you by simply reinforcing his own good advice to others.
😢Rest in Paradise Otter ❤ I Admire the Strength and Tenacity of the Hiker Community. I live vicariously through you because of my multiple illnesses I couldn’t do this even if I tried. Please be careful out there, Much 💕 Love
@kyoshiro558 I'm not trying to be snide, but actually agree with you- the fact that they didn't find him means that by definition they could've done more. This is an unfortunate fact of S&R- Resources are limited. Who would fund the 9 zillion snowmobiles (and riders), skiers, etc. to perform this search? I'm glad I'm not the S&R manager who had to focus his efforts because he didn't have the funds/people/etc to increase search activity.
RIP Otter. He died doin what he loved ,but starving to death is horrendous. Love what these storytime segments are doing for your channel, keep up the amazing work!
It’s very sad that he couldn’t get rescued but at least he died doing something he loved. Hopefully his struggles will serve as a warning to other hikers. Rest easy bro ❤
1) Hikers often known to stay in bathrooms during bad weather 2) Lost hiker in bad weather reported 3) Send rescue to check campgrounds and bathrooms? 4) "Nah. Let's just fly around aimlessly instead." 😡
The core lesson is one I had about motorcycle riding. I was an experienced and high mileage rider (daily driver, commute and weeks long road trips, etc.) Overconfidence is a good way to get hurt and die, and for a bunch of reasons it's easy to do, sometimes a chain of incremental steps none of which alone or in small groups are all that bad but as a whole area a severe risk. Even with keeping to paved roads I made a point of having a SPOT with me because a breakdown when crossing a desert, etc., can become a survival situation quickly.
The SPOT locator can send a pre-programmed signal to search and rescue including GPS coordinates or send a message to others with a pre-programmed message. I believe the newer models can sync with a smart phone to be used as a satellite telephone.
What a tragic story. Once he started journaling that he knew he was going to die, my heart sank. He really wanted to get out of there. The fact that the search party just gave up is the most anger inducing things. He could have been found.
Agreed, a so-called "sighting" by someone who doesn't even know him was not sufficient reason to call off a search... The state police decision that"there's no specific information saying he is in danger" struck me as completely illogical blather.
Don't be angry at Otter that the search party just gave up -- it risks lives and costs money to fly all those search planes and pay all those pilots. Be angry at Otter for causing the expensive searches in the first place by arrogance and bad judgment.
@@mikaross4671 Yes, I agree. Just think what could have happened if he had been just a little bit smarter - (1) to not go out at all that time of year, or (2) if he had built a large bonfire in an open area what would have been seen when the planes flew over him. It's a sad story.
It's a sad story, and hopefully a warning. Him being so experienced probably led to him making bad choices. Absolutely horrific way to go. I hope he found peace at the end. RIP.
I'm actually really surprised that Otter didn't even have a solar charger for his phone in his backpack as such an experienced hiker, because I know I certainly would, hiking in his situation!... Something as simple as that, so that his phone could at least remain on, even potentially along with GPS tracking and location services if he had cell service where he got stranded, MAY have actually saved his life!
Remember that in 2015, that kind of equipment wasn’t as common or inexpensive as it is today. And at Otter’s age (I’m 54 now so I can relate) you don’t necessarily pick up on every new piece of tech because you had gotten along without it to that point.
There were already GPS personnel locator beacons on the market then with reasonable prices and light weights. Those 2 way text devices are toys, when your survival depends upon getting a emergency signal out a gps personnel locator beacon is what you need.
@@jackdbur I think it needs to be evangelized that a locator is required equipment. No hike is worth your life. This man had tons of experience and what he loved killed him miserably.
@Captain Pedro In 2015, Spot GPS emergency locators were standard equipment for field people in the company I worked for then. I had one I took to a remote project in Mexico. The price then was $300. Still is. Annual subscription is still $300. Cheap insurance.
He didn't even bring a map, a paper map! Being stoned, making the decision in the first place to go when he knew better if he weren't is what killed him.
SAR is a service made up of volunteers that donate their own time and resources. While it is tragic what happened to Otter, SAR does not have the resources to search for missing hikers for weeks at a time. It’s a service that desperately need government funding.
I am struck by the fact that the last act this man did was to be concerned about the impact finding his body would have on someone. To be that considerate when in such a desperate situation speaks very highly of him.
I agree. That was a true kindness in his last days.
I thought the same
so basically the ranger killer otter by being a dumb ass with no proof, just liek a liberal politician
agreed. finding a body is not a good experience, and it stays with you
That was my thought, too.
The fact that, in his darkest moment, still took the time to write that note so he didn’t traumatize a innocent person gives a insight that he was a good man at the core.
And to lock himself in so no one could stumble across him by accident even if they didn't notice the note.
@@lonesparrow Well, sitting on the Throne isn't how you want anyone to remember you. It's bad enough the Authorities are gonna see him like that.
@@rabbithole8592 He wouldnt be sitting on the throne. 🙄 A public bathroom is a room you can lock and through-hikers can use it as a shelter because it is enclosed. He locked himself in and probably got into his sleeping bag on the floor.
@@lonesparrow It was a joke you Re Tod.
And monopolizing a Bathroom like that is Rude and Inconsiderate.
Other people may need to use that Bathroom.
Don't go out on the trail that time of year.
@@rabbithole8592 dude it was a snowstorm he was using the ROOM as shelter
I was a close friend of Otters and fellow Thru-Hiker. My Wife and I went out the first week of Dec to look for him but the conditions when we got there were back to back snow-storms. You did a great job re-telling the story and i can't disagree with any of your details. When we heard that the Ranger in Grants had spotted him we left the area and drove down there stopping at all the Hiker towns posting flyers and hoping he was still going. (it never made sense from knowing him, that he wouldn't have been in communication with his friends and family if he kept hiking on). He was hoping to be in Ghost Ranch for ThanksGiving(92 miles from Cumbres Pass) and i think that was part of his decision to leave when he did.
He was a one of a kind soul and a beautiful human being who created a true life of freedom. I never met a human who was so at peace in nature and felt more at home in it than anywhere else. Miss him greatly and was blow away to see a recap video of his death. Thanks for your video it really told the story that unfolded for Otter. You should make a video of his Life hiking. He was truly, in the world of Long distance hiking an elite. whose hiking feats are mind blowing. The thing with Otter was there was no ego with him. When hiking with him you'd have no idea you were with hiking royalty. He wrote a book called "The Otter Diaries" Life is a Hike.. a good book to find and read if your looking to find out more of the human he was..
thanks again
Pin this!!!
Condolences on the loss of your friend ❤
You guys should pin this and make the video
Condolences, he really must have been someone special.
Sorry you lost your friend 😞. He seemed a very likeable & lovely human being . RIP Otter 🙏.
I hiked with Otter briefly on the PCT in 2013. He was a kind and gentle soul. RIP Otter.
Poor Otter. In his delirious state, all he could worry about was ensuring that no one stumbled across his body and got traumatized. He was a good person, clearly, leaving that note.
Yes that and the fact that he wanted no one to feel bad and took full responsibility for his circumstances says it all! He obviously found his Peace.
But why didn't he defend homosexual special rights ?
Since Clinton opened the border so many Mexicans entered it'll make everybody late for dinner.
Cold jelly is served.. Anybody hungry ?
That is so true. He accepted death and thought of others while doing it.
Seems to me he was thinking pretty clearly, not at all delirious when he took those protective steps.
For whatever reason, it didn't seem out of character for a long time wilderness-trekking, nature-loving kind of person to be so "in tune" with it all that he'd try to protect others that shared his values.
He very obviously was in no way delirious.
My Dad and I were backpacking in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho back in 2020. It was very late September, and the weather had been great so far, still warm during the day. The 10 day forecast my dad printed out for that area said it would be partly cloudy for most of the trip with a chance of rain some days. After a long day of hiking, we made our base camp in a nice valley next to a small glacier lake (can't remember the name) so we could do some day hikes from that point and come back in the evening. Our GPS showed our spot was about 11 miles from our truck. The hike down to our base camp was really steep, to the point where we had to really dig our poles and heels into the ground and lean back to not slide down. I remember my dad saying, "Going back up this is gonna be a b*tch." I obviously agreed.
On the 5th or 6th night, it got really cold out. Our thermometer read 19 degrees. Much colder than we expected for September, but not anything we haven't camped in before. Then again, we were at 8,500+ feet, so I didn't think much of it. The next morning, I woke up and it was still cold as hell. I popped my head outside the tent and I saw my dad sitting in his chair just staring up at the clouds in silence. It was strange, almost like he was studying them. I asked him what he was doing and he just said, "Let's eat real quick and pack up. I think we should head back today." I was pretty pissed that he wanted to end the trip so early, considering I took off 2 weeks from work and we planned on staying out here for 10 nights. I knew better than to argue with him about this kind of stuff, though. After breakfast, the clouds parted and it was nice and sunny out but still cold. I pointed this out to my dad but he had his mind set on us leaving. I begrudgingly went along with it and helped him pack up.
Long story short, the weather was really nice on the way back to our truck. Sunny and chilly. We made really good time hiking the 11 miles back to the truck. Couldn't have taken us more than 6 hours. It was getting dark by the time we drove the few miles down the trail and were back at the highway, so we decided to stay the night in the nearest small town at an overpriced tourist Inn. The view from our window was perfect for looking at the Sawtooth Mountain range.
The next morning I woke up and to my surprise it was snowing in town. I looked over at the Sawtooth range, and I honestly felt sick when I saw that the mountains were completely snow-covered. I looked up the forecast on my phone, and a very early winter storm was coming through the area, going to last a few days. If it was snowing this much in town, I couldn't even imagine what it would've been like back at our campsite. The realization that we could have been stuck in that steep valley with no winter gear still haunts me. I couldn't believe we were that lucky so I asked my dad how he knew. My dad insists that he just somehow knew it was going to happen, but he didn't want to freak me out. He said he had a really bad feeling in his gut that night when it got that cold out, and he couldn't shake it. I remember that despite all of the trouble we just avoided, potentially being stuck in a snowstorm in a steep valley, he was still more scared of my mom finding out about the situation we could've been in. With all seriousness, he said, "Don't tell your mom."
Edit: Thank you all for your kind words. And yes, we eventually ended up telling my mom. Needless to say, she was pissed. I've never second guessed my dad again.
That’s some solid writing and story telling skills! Lesson here is always listen to the elders!
long story short…
@@tem_vremenem_v_kanade and your gut!
Gut Instinct took humankind from scavenging the kills of larger beasts, to BEING the larger beasts. It took us from caves to cities. Listen to it, and live. Ignore it at your own peril.
I've also dodged a few in my life, yeah, don't tell mom!
This is insanity to me. Missing guy, hasn't picked up his resupply box, I'm focusing on the area between those two points. Check, on foot, all camp grounds and standing structures along the trail. The rescue teams there are incredibly capable, he wouldn't be the first person they hiked up to get. Eight weeks this man waited, at their slowest pace, rescue could have made it in two weeks. This blows my mind.
You're right the search was absolute bullshit. The campsites and structures are all on the map.
You can’t blame the Rescue teams for Otters bad decisions. It was up to him whether to set off on the hike, it was his responsibility to have the equipment if things went south and he chose still to go! Personal responsibility!🙉
More thorough search and media attention. Did this story make the current news at the time? They might have found him with a local news saturation
@John Crouch I agree, but what he lacked in equipment, he made up for in skill. Dude had skill enough to survive for eight weeks. While he got himself in that situation, the rescue teams have one job.
@@johncrouch8988 You: you can't blame the rescue team for being awful. Nobody ever blame them for Otters bad decision. They are blamed for not doing their job. Like most civil servant in the US by the way.
Regardless of Otter's poor decision, it's really disappointing to hear about the incompetency of the search team; they literally had one job. Why they would call off or slow down a search due to unverified eyewitness testimony is extremely sad.
Because it’s extremely expensive and they got bad information, which they wanted to believe was true.
They so easily could've found him had they just looked.
The longer the search goes and the wider the search area. It will put live of the search teams at risk
It really is frustrating and gut wrenching to hear such needless suffering and misery. I’m not a hiker so I can’t understand the allure of putting one’s self in such a dangerous situation and physically taxing, especially without adequate preparation. I get the poor guy was stoned and certainly we’ve all made bad decisions here and there whether on inebriates or just naturally. But why would he not have an emergency satellite phone and GPS which it says he didn’t have, as in it was broken or he just didn’t bother with such things? If he had a cell phone and was posting to RUclips then tech shouldn’t have been an issue, and a solar/crank charger for power (forgive my ignorance, but isn’t there also an emergency beacon-type thing that is designed specifically for hikers, campers, etc?). I’d think anyone who does such long hauls, especially by themselves(!) would consider those the absolute minimum before setting out on a >thousand mile trek? I hate to come off as critical of the man as it’s always easy sitting in front a screen in retrospect, it’s just upsetting as he sounds like a wonderful guy and didn’t deserve such misery and to lose his life. I agree that it’s also irritating that a search would be called off because someone thinks they might have possibly seen someone who resembled the guy even when the scant facts from the encounter do not sound like him (evasive and clueless to the post office location) and no one bothered asking his name or checking guest log books, etc when the guy had already been missing??? Hope the guy that claimed it have seen him without verifying it feels real good. Geesh, and again, the angerI feel and wanting to blame people and demand how they can so freakin at careless and stupid is irrational, and it’s not like me. I started to erase this but then I wondered how many other people are experiencing the same emotions? Not because I’m a jerk, but because this really happened to a nice guy and really bothers me that silly, stupid mistakes from himself and even from others cost this guy his life, and not only that but he had a miserable couple of months leading to it. Horrible stuff, and hopefully will make the danger real to people in the future so they better prepare, …but doesn’t save Otter. Terrible.
@@NewtonDKC What you wrote is true.
And to those who think he could have been rescued; He couldn’t walk even 200 yards. We are talking waist high snow. And where would the rescuers look?
Many of the SCUBA divers who die are experienced as well. They get super comfortable, then start solo diving. When going solo, simple things can kill you. Humility is always warranted.
Their is a divers react channel that showed a video of a couple scuba diverse that got tangled up in these lines ans caught on rocks and died. It's crazy
The problem is that people solo hikes. I have been a day hiker for so many years and women are encouraging each other to do solo hikes bragging about their accomplishments. Some of the women are starting to try solo hiking without proper preparations. When I suggested they watched some RUclips videos on the dangers of solo hiking, I was the Debbie downer. Maybe I am. They are all over Facebook encouraging each other to go out on their own. It scares me and I prayed that I wouldn’t know anyone if dead hikers were found.
Yeah, shit, everyone knows the 'buddy system', jeez.
Being in a group doesn't mean you won't die.... it just means if you get in fucked and everyone in that group will die. In case you don't know there are people who has died in groups when 1 of them may get stuck and so all the people in front who made it out are still connected to the 3 people behind them who have gotten stuck. Sometimes it's pitch black and so they can't see what's going on and they eventually die.
Then there's other times where people will go missing but was then found..sometimes they are alive so that leads to a diver going in to save them but then end up dying themselves the same way the person who they were trying to save died. This is normally a small save tho. Meaning 1 diver would go down while 1 or 2 others stay on ground so that they can jump in to save the saver diver..
Then you have divers who are the best of best who will attempt to save a body and they might go down with themselves along with 5 others..so a pretty huge group...and will also have 50 people waiting on them to come back out with the body they went into save.... but then only 3 of the group comes back up but they do so without the main head diver.
So there's this respect with alot of divers now that is any time there's a diver who is though to had gone diving goes missing then they will do what they refer to as a in and out search where they do go in to look for the missing diver but will not go into the air pockets or anywhere they themselves would have to squeeze into. So in other words they can't put their lifes at risk... then another respect is that if the rescue divers do happen to find the missing diver then they will not attempt to bring up the body unless fowl play is involved and the police need the body but only if it can easily be removed and not put the rescue divers life in danger. . .
And it's not a big FU to the parents and matter of fact the parents can call a diving company who's company is strictly saving and removing the divers for families....
But the respect still remains rather it's a emergency for example if the diver is still very much alive when found then the respect is they will only attempt to save the still alive diver if they can for 1 be fairly easily saved and will not put lifes at risk.
But being on a group doesn't always mean they are safer... it just means more people can die ..
There are tons of videos about groups of divers who have died all together......
I dove solo many times and I survived
The frustration of not having the strength to go on while slowly wasting away is something I don’t have words for RIP Otter
The most important thing is our health when travelling. Once that goes....especially alone you are in trouble. It doesn't even have to as dramatic as this...in the wilderness.. which must be doubly scary. I got food poisoning in peru...and that was bad enough...onlybleaving the bed to puke and shit....got severely dehydrated...and addicted to 2 and a half men in this depressing budget hotel in a small town in peru. Iroinically I was planning to go trekking in huataz by myself...but after this illness it never happened. I only got better after the owner of rhe hotel noticed how weak I was....and he went off and gave me some hydration fluid. That allowed me to start drinking and eating again and I was fine. I also stopped self medicating with some anti typhoid pills which .ifht have made things worse. I was normal a fit guy so this was shocking for me..I was literally wasting away and had no energy. I can't imagine how bad this would be in the wilderness!!😢
I mean, if he could just go a few km a day, he would have ben out by january
Wow ! This story is a hell of a reminder that no matter how much sober (I would never contemplate life and death preparations for anything so potentially hazardous while "under the influence"---but Otter admitted that was his big mistake) preparations you undertake there are always the UNKNOWN FACTORS that you can not anticipate-- maybe that is why most experts advise against going into the WILDERNESS alone or without a satellite phone/cell fon, gps, etc. If you are ALONE a broken ankle or leg can mean the end of you without a phone and you appear much more appealing to the local bears.
@@balintmate4464our funny, stupid. He tried and you realize how tired he was?😂
Why aren’t readers mentioning what Otter said, his heavy marijuana use cancelled his good judgement - hikers, enjoy the good health of a fine hike and skip the false highs of a drug.
I got lost for 3 days in Kootenai National forrest and it was horrifying especially the first couple hours of panic but once I settled down and got my bearings I knew if I headed west I would encounter some civilization east would be towards glacier National park and ya no.. I eventually stumbled onto a farm and the old farmer and his wife scolded me but were very kind and fed me and even drove me 3 hours back to my vehicle
Well, at least you are here to tell the tale. That means you basically knew what you were doing. Kudos from an old search and rescue guy!
@@soxfan182 First of all, I do not like to put too much personal information on the internet. But, I will tell you that I am of older age and my start was when I joined the military in the late 1960's. I was stationed in Alaska and performed SAR work there. After military and as an avid outdoorsman, I spent a lot of personal time hiking and backpacking. Over the years, you meet a lot of like minded people and I volunteered to help when folks were lost or missing. Later, I spent a time explorin and learning the Southwest deserts and was called on to help out. The bottom line, you should find a line of work such as a fireman, sheriff deputy, paramedic or such and learn from a variety of people. Take training courses, learn outdoor skills even if self taught and volunteer when the opportunity presents itself. I wish I was a lot younger. It's been a rewarding life.
Wow that's scary... Glad you made it back ok
@@soxfan182 where do you live brother, I would go hiking with you.
The drive back to your beginning was 3 hours by car?!? How many miles you hike just being lost? I realize now you prolly started on trail for some time before you got lost. Just curious if you ever figured how many miles did you go during the lost portion. Now I want to know weather, what gear you had etc!!!! 😅🙏🏼
I'm 70 now. Way back in my youth I did MANY solo backpacking trips in wilderness in all kinds of weather. I was careful but I have numerous times that I came very close to The End. One time I was 100% sure I'm not going to make it through that night. Seeing this story and thinking back to those days of no GPS or electronics to reach anyone, I thank God for being with me in my craziness. My motto was, "The woods can make a fool out of anyone. If it could talk it would say, I didn't ask you to come out here."
I am 65 and spent most of my early and mid life backpacking the deserts and mountains in the Western US. I had some very close calls. I took every survival course I could find, spent two years with a Madan indian learning traditional bushcraft, and eventually became a survival instructor. I used to think knowledge, equipment, and preparation were the keys but, sometimes our luck runs out. Of course there were no phones and GPS when you and I were out and about, so navigation was old school, which I think everyone should learn. There were so many mistakes made by everyone in this tragic story. Otter was one hell of a guy and a legend of a backpacker. I always feel safer in the wilderness then anywhere else.
@@don7294 For sure, I read and read about backpacking and survival. I had a small library If not for being so diligent in that, no way can I see myself still sitting here. No, it wasn't a war I was in, but going out alone in such wild areas and covering so much area, time after time, I guess such things, only God knows how close things came.
There's something special about risk takers.
I think what's important is to keep aware you are taking a risk, and what those risks are, and don't take shortcuts to the lessons on how to mitigate the risks so you don't die.
:)
@@SilentThundersnow Yes, it was a risk but I took it seriously. Some people take risks and don't take it seriously. They're the ones that are on the top of the list that don't make it. The more a person doesn't depend upon luck, the better.
What happened when you thought you'd die In the wilderness?
this was a really compelling version of Otter's story. Nice job on this, powerful video
Holy Crap! Where’s Seagull Lung!?
Bro, u know you doing something right when MrBallen is commenting your video. 🔥🔥
wow, thank you so much!
I’m a fan of the Strange, Dark, and Mysterious!!!
@@TheCookiejuice 🙏
The reason someone with a "vast amount of experience" did something that stupid was exactly because of that experience. It seems like with hiking and climbing in particular, some of the more experienced people become more and more comfortable with taking risks, sometimes ending very badly.
For example, I knew this kid from high school who was an "avid" backcountry skier but died in an avalanche within 1 mile of a major freeway because he thought his experience allowed him to ignore the Northwest Avalanche Center's warnings for that day.
survivor bias...
That's absolutely true, but it didn't help that he was stoned when making his original decision. He even made note of that in his journal. Drugs cause a numbing effect to all the natural human emotions we have, such as caution and fear. They also alter perceptions.
Absolutely! It’s a very good lesson: Always carry some kind of communication device (with extra batteries and/or a way to recharge it), a firearm (for protection, signaling and hunting), other emergency signal tools (mirror, etc.), paper map and compass, and never get intoxicated when on a solitary remote hike. These things cost him his life.
@@hikingwiththedog6078 I can see you have no idea what Canibis does and you numing claim is just BS.
It’s simply when you become comfortable taking risks you know the risks aren’t any less dangerous. you make an educated decision on the likelihood. But no expert pretends that it is not dangerous. The danger is part of the point.
Surviving as he did, for as long as he did, journaling as well as he did, and despite the odds against him, at the very end, still being considerate enough to write a warning on the door of the vault toilet is a testament to his character.
The roller-coaster emotions of optimism vs. depression each moment of each day during those weeks alone is excruciating to consider, let alone actually go through.
Otter remains a teacher to us.
I wonder how he had the energy to write such a note on paper as well as scratch words into the door.
It broke my heart when Otter started describing the nature of waist-deep snow. When you get over 50 years old you run out of stamina. I notice it when I'm in shin-high snow. I'm not in my 20s and 30s any longer. Be extra careful if you're older. RIP Otter
Breaks my heart thinking about someone struggling in snow like that
Never experienced snow deeper than my shins/calfs. But that was bad enough after some time walking in it so at waist height seems impossible to me to get through regardless of age or stamina!!
There were some cadets at the Air Force Academy some years ago who went to climb Pikes Peak at the end of May on Memorial Day. Already summer in Colorado Springs which is 5,500 feet. The peak is over 14k. They brought a tent but no winter gear. No problems, but when they got up to about 10k feet, waist deep snow, postholing all the way. Soon exhausted, even as fit 20 year olds. No proper gear, had to call and get airlifted off the mountain. I think they may have tried a snow cave, but their pants were so wet they were in danger from cold. Can't remember the exact details. The mountains are unforgiving.
@@indianastones6032 it's really fun, like jumping hoops all day long. Or waist deep, u'll be swimming on the stop of snow without snowshoes.
As an experienced hiker, I always say, "Be careful of overestimating your abilities and underestimating nature's."
That's right ✅️ .People forget about micro climate conditions!!!
Also about deadly cold micro burst.
I have been almost kicked off a Reddit thread for ultralight backpacking, for suggesting this exact same thing. If you are planning to spend the night above treeline in the Rocky Mountains, ultralight camping gear that you would use at lower elevations is probably is not going to be enough in case of a weather change. Any time of year!
Absolutely. Most people underestimate even persistent rain. How it turns some passages into insurmountable muddy tracks. For miles and miles. How it turns small creaks into streams or how quickly completely wet clothes and wind cools out your body.
Not to mention real storms, snow and very low temperatures. In addition, there is the danger of getting lost, steep slopes, lack of fresh water and and and. Even heat can make you defeat faster than you are used to in your daily life.
I always say if you are unsure about something (weather etc.) if there is even the slightest risk of disaster - skip it. Stay in the town you are in or drop out. However. The thrill of being successful, the thrill of courage is nothing compared to the fear and the regret you will feel. Be save folks!
Drugs like weed will impair your actions.
@@sparkmadd_IZM STFU. you obviously don't have even the slightest idea of what you think you are talking about.
The takeaways for me from Otter's story:
- always have a paper map with you
- always have a compass with you
- never do drugs when hiking
- write a journal regularly and frequently, not just about the hike, but about your decisions, feelings, thoughts, condition, etc.
- if you are about to die in a situation like this, put on notifications about your body for future finders
No one talks about the fact he was not a survivalist, only a great hiker.
How about light a tree on fire so searchers can find you? FUCKING ROCKET SCIENCE!!!
- Never go to a toilet thinking it's a bathroom.
Why did he not carry a PLD??
@@cyndisherry7547 PLD? Personal location device or something?
Sad reminder we all make mistakes, sometimes they cost us our lives. Hats off to this guy who did what he could then died with his boots on, even being considerate of others and leaving a note so as not to traumatize them. Way to go Otter. Buddy, you had some serious STYLE !! God bless you and your loved ones, family and friends!!!! Hell of a MAN !!!
I was in Canadian military. I hiked mountains 2 out of 4 weekend's, a month. I got stuck in a place called suicide bluff. Rescued, by search team, and on the news. I couldn't sleep for six months, studied real survival. No knife, no fire etc. 30 years later I'm good. But NEVER rely on that. Always tell someone where you are going !! By the way, I was w friends, but got separated.
Good point, I grew up in Algonquin area and leaned to eat ants and other things in Outward bound and canoe camp. Was funny at the time but took away the fear of doing it. Raw bass was a tough one to eat never had sushi in 1970s LOL! BC is worse though some places you can breakdown in are hike out only, lots of first nations people have helped me broken down too even put me up because they knew I could die alone with broke bike. All pre cell phone days,
Hello fellow Vancouverite. I never hiked that one, and wouldn't want to do it alone. I'm so glad you made it safely.
Real survival? Lmao calm down Rambo
Despite his mistake and death, I hope to give Otter his due honor by sharing how impressed I am at how long he was able to survive in such wintery conditions (and continue to journal).
@@kcnicky2242 They did but then some ranger said he saw Otto at a ranger station in a completely different area so the serch was called off. It looks like more than one mistake did him in both by Otto , the serch teams, and a Ranger of all things..
Nice reply. Thank you.
True that. His experience showed in how long he was able to stay alive under those conditions.
All about you huh?
@@skinebman1 ?
The amount of times he was ALMOST rescued is heart breaking. I can't imagine how horribly devastating it had to be to see the rescue copter but have them not see you.
Many Dopesmokers say that marijuana never killed anyone. In this case and many other cases it's absolutely wrong because a very experienced hiker lost his life after he ate way too many marijuana cookies and made a decision that ended his life as recorded in his journal. Also they are now lacing marijuana with fentanyl and it's killing lawyers doctors and all kinds of high-class people who have not build any resistance up to it. So no longer can we say that marijuana doesn't kill people. This poor hiker has proven that fact...may he rest in peace.
I heard in another story that rescue aircraft that spot you, but can't recover you directly, will circle overhead until the ground team arrives as a "I'm here and I see you."
That's why serious survival kits always have a mirror to flash a reflection of the sun into the pilot's eyes.
At what point do you just burn the damn everything down
@@veeforteeto5976this is great to know... Thanks for sharing
All facilities near hiking areas need emergency signal options. If they reach a restroom there needs to be a way to signal. Great share of his story.
Great idea!
I'm not a through hiker, but y'all should get this done for the community in Otters name. This is the most sensible idea of all. So far.
A standardized emergency kit mounted somewhere in/around the facility. They could call it the Otter Box
@@juice3167 I'd suggest inside the restrooms like in an upper corner so it is protected. Warning sign that $500 fine for misuse. Another idea is something that can be used to signal help is needed. In Hong Kong we have these oversized mop things that look like big pieces of red tarp on a pole that are near trails. There is usually a sign nearby regarding fire, trail safety and steps to take. I will try and take a photo.
Any experienced and “smart” thru hikers have communication capabilities. 1. Hand mirror. 2. Satellite connected communication device (GPS device) not expensive at all). 3. A large fire is always a good signal. No one should ever go on a long hike or through hike without both of these devices. Experienced doesn’t mean “smart” necessarily. Sorry, sad, but true.
It’s so crazy he saw the rescue plane like damn i couldn’t imagine being in that hopeless of a situation 😭
I just watched a video about the worse skydiving accident in history 17 or 18 people died. They landed in the water and the survivors were trying to reach the I believe coast guard or some other boat . One fisherman or something saw them and just drove by while they begged for help
@@High_Breadmore specifically; the fisherman had been playing hookie from work to have some "fun" with a secret girlfriend. He didn't stop because it would've blown his cover
@@High_Breaddid they live?
@@EvilDick1995 " 17 or 18 people died "
@Prlz3 misread and thought they meant 17 or 18 people died in the initial crash and then there were some survivors who attempted to be rescued.
Number one lesson anytime , anywhere : never make a life threatening decision when you are under the influence of drugs, alcohol , sleep deprivation or when you are emotionally stressed. I guess we've all done it and got lucky, but sooner or later your luck runs out. Rest in peace , Otter.
right on.
Finally, another commenter of like mind. Otter’s critical error was making a potentially “life & death” decision while impaired.
Just curious- how exactly did being high contribute to his death? I understand that you equate him being high with making a bad decision- but wasn’t what he did his intention all along? As in- wouldn’t he had made the same decision even had he NOT been stoned? I mean, he intended to hike this trail all along- as you say, he’d done it many times. Do you think he would have aborted the trip had he not been so stoned? RIP Otter
@@amazonmandy Exactly!! I don’t get the “what did the weed have to do with it” thought. Otter answered that question clearly.
Real talk
I’m not a hiker but I got seriously scared a few times when I missed my last night bus and felt like I’d freeze to death.
I never forgot that feeling of helplessness and sheer panic, when you start loosing feeling in your hands and feet, and I’ve gained a healthy respect for the nature and how quickly it can overcome us. It scared the heck out of me.
Nowadays I never go out unprepared.
Why would you ever leave the house unprepared??
@@beniciomanulskowicz-xc3dk
No I mean even when I go to the shops or go for a quick walk in winter, I always bring super thick gloves, scarf, hat, extra jumper, a fully charged phone, etc etc. Because even on a short walk, you never know when you’ll get stuck in the freezing cold. Stuff happens.
@@nicolew4877 just giving you shit. I was homeless for a long time and had some very very sketchy nights.. the kinda nights you're scared to stay in one spot so you pace and eat peanut butter to have some heat to burn off haha. So I am also forever prepared now.
@Kane Why are you living in your car?
Keep in mind. This mother ducker was stuck out there for like 60 days
A Personal Locator Beacon is a "must have" for every hiker... even (and especially) short day hikers. RIP Otter.
Those are not needed if you just use common sense, like not trying to cross 75 miles of mountains on foot in the f**king winter.
@@Princess_Celestia_ yah..
I think he realized that the pot really messed up his judgment on that...
@@Princess_Celestia_ - you could break your leg or run into a bear or mountain lion on a day hike any time of year. If you survive that, you're going to need that PLB to save you from hypothermia. Also, carry a gun and learn how to use it. Especially if you're female. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.
Exactly, a emergency beacon would have come in handy as well, or go old-school and carry a flare gun also. The flare gun would have gotten the rescue planes attention.
Retired USCG, veteran of hundreds of searches, mega dittos. This tech saves lives, why some idiots won't use it is beyond me.
I appreciate the care he took in securing his corpse. I had a friend in Colorado that went missing. It was a suicide, which was sort of assumed, but some random day hiker found the scene months after the snow melt. 4 counties of search and rescue and friends were on it. Even I would have rather taken that shock if I had any clue where to look. Don't make your mistakes some layperson's problem.
As a certified SAR volunteer, use a personal EPIRB, always tell people where your going and time line, often there is a Forest Service Station that will also collect your travel plans on an official document, have marine grade flares, carry an emergency long range radio, carry a high lumen strobe. It seems surprising he burned down a cabin and no one saw the smoke and that the plane didn't notice the burned cabin. Over plan, over prepare. My condolences to the Olshansky family and friends.
Watched a couple of videos wherein the lost person mentioned that the plane flew past them. Wondering how they are using their eyes on locating a missing person. Might as well not use any plane if they are useless. Just saying
@@kristinragengasacao528 Yes, agreed. Seeing a person from a plane/helicopter is a challenge. Seeing a burnt out building is easy from the air. Thus always carry items that can make you visible. Flares, mirrors, strobe, Reflective Orange coat or hat, radio. I've walked right passed 'lost people' because I couldn't see them.
Oh cool. I actually thought about getting flares. Glad that it's a valid choice.
@@ossian108 just be cautious during fire season. you don't want that flare burning down the whole forest with you in it.
@@jlt131 I don't want to burn any forest :)
I think the most important lesson here is "Don't make high-stakes decisions while intoxicated". As a friend of mine once put it, "If it's a good idea now, it will still be a good idea tomorrow".
Don't EVER become intoxicated . Drugs & Alcohol ruin the lives of millions . Stay away from drugs
@@helbitkelbit1790 Lighten up.
And people say pot doesn’t kill you…..
Agreed. Otter himself realized his mistake after the fact. I make a mental checklist of the mistakes made and try to learn from them. This story is a valuable lesson on many levels. It's also a look into the mental process that affects folks in dire situations. A person who's happy and healthy doesn't seem like the type to wish to take their own life, but circumstances can change that. Thank you, Otter, for describing your final days so that others may learn from you. This is the ultimate form of love.
@@darinr5591 don't use drugs......any drug . Stay clear
I knew Otter well and he was a dear friend of mine from my thru hikes on the PCT and CDT. He was an amazing person and shining light in our world. Thanks for telling the story as it was. It still sends chills down my spine knowing solo hiking can be so dangerous but I also feel his guidance and motivation as I’m trudging through the mtns. I wrote up a song on my guitar to go with his ‘Wander’ poem from that journal. RIP Otter.
Do you know patches green bus?
I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. 💕😢
@@Masaki-1334 does he have dreads?
@@serendipitybuslife a few. Taller white guy.
So very sorry for him and all who mourn his death. Sounds terrifying.
Truly a cautionary tale to aways respect the mountain, no matter how experienced we believe we are. You cannot simply go hiking in the wild in horrible weather, with no maps and stoned outta your mind. So sad such a seemingly nice nature-loving man died so needlessly.
This is why when a friend of mine was talking about getting into that level of hiking, I recommended that she get a sat-com device and keep back-up batteries in a water-tight section of the pact. If she get into a bad situation, a single button press sends an SOS and location data out for you. It also allows two-way texting for check-ins.
For the well healed there IS a watch available that is also an emergency locator beacon...made by Breitling it costs about $15,000! Effective at sea as well as land
@@philgiglio7922 Or you know... just get the Garmin InReach for like $500 like any sane person who wants to keep their life. This guy was an absolute. moron.
@@philgiglio7922 sounds worth while to save up for, just for peace of mind and usefulness. Can’t put a price really on your life’s safety.
Nice ref👍
Phil, I guess I'm going to die then cause that's a piece of tech i can't afford
@@screenmonkey Garmin InReach.
It's a saying we hate but it rings true today. "Complacency kills"
Respect for mother nature should always be accompanied by a humble perspective. Rest in peace Otter, your lessons will not be forgotten.
This one was the most sad of all the tragedies that you have covered. Man, a simple GPS alert device would have made all the difference. It's no small feat that he survived that long. RIP, Otter.
You took the words out of my mouth about the SOS device. Satellite, PLB, either one would quite likely have saved his life by the sound of it. I get that some people wanna totally unplug... So fine, don't turn it on unless you need it. Simple as fuck. Absolutely tragic thinking about what he went through. I'd try to end things to.... Starvation sounds like one of the most miserable ways to go.
I once had to ration deer-broth corn cakes. I wouldn’t wish starvation on my worst enemy.
And they say weed is harmless! 😳
There was an Outdoor mag article about this years ago. Apparently he had been hiking with a GPS device but gave it away shortly before the incident. :(
We would all like to own one. Fact is that you have to pay monthly, instead of being set for life with the expensive purchase. Having one doesn’t mean you will be saved either.
What a sad ending. Even with all his experiences and expertise he still made a bad judgment call. RIP Otter ✝️
I was a member of Teton County County SAR in Jackson Hole for 12 years and served as deputy director and training director for 6 years. I responded to over 500 callouts, about 50 of which were lost person incidents. During my tenure, we found everyone we were tasked to look for. We were also called in twice to help other SAR teams find missing persons after they came up empty handed after a week of searching - and found the person in both cases (one alive, one deceased.)
Searching from the air is very difficult, even from a helicopter which is flying much slower than an aircraft. On the two searches we were called in on, there had been extensive aerial searches by helicopter. When we got called in, I downloaded the GPS tracks of the flights. On the search where the person was found alive, the helicopter had flown about a hundred yards south of where the person was located many times and he waved at them each time to no avail. When I looked at the GPS tracks, they hadn't flown over the north side of the canyon. When I had them fly over the north side, they spotted the person and they were rescued.
The second example was a 10 day search where we were called in to assist on the 9th day. The team had searched extensively by air and also on foot, in a rugged mountainous area. The person left a detailed journal of his plans and his objective was to scramble up several peaks in the area. The team was convinced they had thoroughly searched his objectives, so it took a lot of convincing to get them to send search teams back in the same areas. The next day the search teams went back in the same area and found the person, deceased. The helicopters had flown over the location where the person was found at least 10 times.
The most successful searches involve multiple searches by different resources - foot teams, horse teams, dog teams, aerial etc. By far the most effective are the dogs - some people say a dog is as good as 50 searchers - I agree they are very helpful.
A person in the wild is like a needle in a haystack. Our team practiced searches every year and we're very good. On one practice, I had a person sit in a tree well like a lost person might to stay warm. Two search teams walked right past the tree without spotting them. Finally, a K9 team came by and the dog immediately found the person. If you are lost but under cover, leave something (hopefully bright) to mark your location.
SPOT devices didn't come out until my last two years on the team.
My advice to maximize your chances of rescue is to carry a SPOT device, a solar charger, AND have someone monitoring you daily. Our SPOT allows our GPS tracks to be monitored and a few texts each day. We have a friend monitor us and exchange a text every day that "we're OK." This covers the scenario where you are unable to trigger the SOS on the SPOT device. My girlfriend and regularly do two week trips deep into the Wind River Range and this is how we improve our chances if something goes wrong.
If you can't afford a SPOT device, then print out a map and leave a detailed itinerary with a friend - and an EXACT date when to call in help. Prior to SPOT, I did a number of solo trips into the Wind Rivers and this is how I stayed safe - I RELIGIOUSLY followed my itinerary.
To maximize your chances of being found, you need to make the search area as small as possible. The search will start from either the PLS (Point Last Seen - where someone saw you) or LKP (Last Known Point - e.g. picked up your drop box). By having a person monitoring your SPOT or your itinerary, it helps reduce the area to search if you go missing.
Have fun out there and stay safe!
Wow. I'm not a through hiker, but this post has raised so many questions for me. Great content by the way. I'm really impressed that you are so damn accurate. You should be leading every search for goodness sake. I guess my overarching question is - How is it 2023, we have aliens and AI and we can't figure something out to avoid these situations. I was gobsmacked by a comment above stating there should be flares or signals of some sort at the bathrooms. Ummmmm.....yeah, that's a really good idea. Why hasn't someone had something coded to create a beacon on like a fitbit or whatever, air tags, anything. (or something - for the love of god) Am I missing something because it sounds like this is preventable to me. Please either enlighten me or get this going bc it will drive me nuts. I'm an avid forager and I found one perfect pristine chantrelle, and the next thing I knew I was crying and on the phone (yup had gps)crying to my son for rescue and it was less than 10 minutes. I never want to experience that again. Lets do this for Otter. I also think you should write a book on rescue. Interesting, thanks.
@@jenniferg6818 Thank you for your comments. I think getting lost and not being able to get in touch will soon be a thing of the past. Elon Musk and T-Mobile already have an agreement for T-Mobile phones to access the Starlink constellation in a few years. Your cell phone will have "service" almost no matter where you are. I believe eventually all major cell phone providers will have similar agreements with satellite internet providers.
What I don't know is if you dial 911 will the constellation know where the 911 center closest to you is? SPOT devices send a signal to the COSPAS-SARSAT satellites which are part of an international rescue cooperative and know who to contact in any given area to start a search. Airplanes carry an ELT transmitter which goes off automatically if a plane crashes. Ships carry the same type which activates if contacted by sea water.
An aircraft went down in our area and COSPAS-SARSAT contacted our local 911 dispatch and we were mobilized to go find the aircraft.
But certainly being able to call out or text would be very useful - just be sure to provide your GPS location. I have a free app on my phone where I can look at my GPS position (without using Google Maps) and can provide a location in either Lat-Long or UTM.
Great stories and info! It’s usually a series of unfortunate events that cause people to get lost. I have a Garmin but someone must monitor my texts or I’m sunk if things go sideways. I only solo hike in places where there’s sure to be others and never in bad weather.
I'm surprised you didn't mention how important a signal mirror could be....any glint of light from the ground will catch a searchers attention.
Question: As a former SAR member, what do you make of the fact that Otter was sheltering at a marked campsite with full bathroom facilities on a forest access road, and apparently no SAR personnel thought to head up there with a snow mobile to check for signs of life? To me, wouldn't the first part of the search include hitting all back country huts and camp ground facilities that were reasonably near his expected path of travel? Looking on the map, the camp ground was about a 50 mile round trip from a major roadway along a forest service road. On a snow mobile, that wouldn't be more than a 2 or 3 hour trip.
My mom was a Guide in the Olympic Mountains. In her later years her mind started to slip and the Rangers found her disoriented. Stories like these always hit home when I think of their families. Life is a journey.
I grew up around the Olympics, hiked many of those trails.
@@brianhoffman8055 beautiful country. If you ever saw Llamas on the trails it just may have been my mom’s troupe. Safe travels.
...but Olympus Mons is on Mars....
Survived so long, a testimony to his character and ability. On top of that, he was concerned for the psychological impact finding his dead body would have on somebody, and made sure to warn anyone about that, a true gentlemen and he has my upmost respect, I want to be able to become half the man he was, and I would be more than happy with that :)
His "ability" blinded commen sense apparently. Only an absolute bafoon would go hiking without a Beacon. Dude was a gleaming example of what NOT to do.
Aye.
@@ripF5C Point taken, and I agree with you that Health and safety is always paramount, not matter how experienced. But I don’t think calling him a ‘buffoon’ is justified, everybody makes mistakes, and and we saw in the video, it was evident he quickly realised his mistake and regretted his decision!
This guy’s resourcefulness is breathtaking. It’s heartbreaking he didn’t make it.
My family lives in a small community in the forest of northern Arizona about 12 miles away from the nearest small town. As a teenager me and my friend from the community were partying in town in the winter when we decided to walk through the woods back home at night with a few bottles of hard liquor. We were drunk and only wearing hoodies for warmth. I remember starting the walk and making it out of town and into the woods, but we were drinking quite a bit and I don't remember much after that. I woke up the next morning to find I'm laying on the ground in the forest, frosted over, with my friend passed out on the ground nearby and I was freezing half to death. I tried standing up but my body could hardly move. I yelled out to my friend to wake him up and he did but he too was freezing and could barely move. A snow storm was just starting and we knew we had to get home and to warmth soon or we were going to die out there. We knew we were about 5 miles away from home. We were super hung over and couldn't believe we didn't freeze to death overnight, we thought the alcohol is what kept us warm enough to survive it. It took hours for us to make the journey home and we were super cold the whole time, barely able to walk because of it. I remember almost just giving up and laying down and letting myself freeze. I don't know how we didn't get hypothermia or frostbite or anything, the snow started falling pretty good as soon as we were able to get up and walking. When we got home and told everyone we slept outside with just hoodies overnight they could hardly believe it. It was probably below zero that night. One of the dumber things I've done in my life.
That's a miracle.
It really is a miracle
Alcohol lowers your body temperature so if you are ever in such a situation and remember your story DON'T drink your alcohol. Use it to start a fire, maybe, but don't drink it.
It wasn’t the alcohol that kept you alive. It was The Lord Jesus Christ. He is the giver , and taker of life. To Him belongs the Glory, both now, and forever… Amen….
Glad you are still alive, HalaluYah, must be the Most High Yah still has purpose for your life! 🙂
@@jennyluvsjapan1 😅😂
I know the guy should've alerted authorities earlier, but Otter was alive plenty long enough after the search began. Surviving 2 months less than 15 miles from safety... that's rough. When the resupply box isn't picked up and the weather was severe near the trailhead, hard to justify why the search ever really left that first section. I think I would've waited a few days and forced my way out or die trying, personally. I can't imagine how horrible the slow death must've been.
What I can't figure out is how could he not physically get himself out of this. By experience and understanding I'm a novice. He but he immediately felt weak, I'm assuming due to elevation. But after some weeks that should subside in time to jerry rig a solution to cover a brutal 10-20 miles in a day. What am I missing? I "hiked" through a ~200M run of a waist-deep snow drift once at ~8000ft, and it was exhausting. Took me about 30 mins. It was the end of a day hike, so no supplies. If my life depended on it and I had some time to fashion tools with existing kit, I feel like I could have continued on for a miserable days if it was my only option.
@@randomnobody8770 yeah somethings weird about that. Maybe he was hiding something else besides the weed he had eaten before leaving. Just mysteriously being too 'weak' to hike out from your own death to the point of even trying to end yourself twice, it just doesnt add up.
It sounds like he was suffering from some kind of brain organicity. Once he found the FS road and with the toilet house as two points, the knowledge of the area ought to have been enough for him to walk back to Chama in less than three days. Otto kept wasting time and resources going back and forth, back and forth.This suggests he had become very confused and with two deliberate suicide attempts, mentally ill.
@@randomnobody8770
The problem is that over those few weeks he's getting weaker from starvation and hypothermia. And that's assuming it was elevation sickness, and not something age related like a minor stroke.
I would've forced my way back to where I started, too. Even doing just 1 mile a day, means returning to be able to contact help within 12 days.
Last month, February, I was day-hiking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and I got off the trail without knowing. I kept hiking, hiking, hiking, blissfully ignorant that I was lost. I had to walk for miles in a ravine that I couldn’t climb out of that was full of boulders. I’m 54, and after two hours of climbing up and jumping off boulders nonstop- my knees couldn’t take it anymore. But I couldn’t sit down and rest because the sun was setting soon. I thought I was going to have to spend the night without any provisions and it had snowed the night before. The most horrible sense of dread came over me. I started hiking with a panic over those boulders and wondering where I had gone wrong. And this was just over the prospect of me having to spend one night outdoors without provisions. So I can imagine the much worse and absolute sense of dread that he must’ve had- for days, day after day, week after week. Such a sad tragic story. These stories are so often about one wrong decision. One wrong decision can end your life.
You didn't make just one wrong decision, and neither did Otter. You didn't know the trail, you had no means of navigating, no emergency provisions, no emergency shelter, and I'm guessing no emergency kit of any kind.
The message of this video, and of your story is that people go into the wilderness woefully unprepared, and most days it works out just fine. But as soon as one thing goes wrong, one bad decision is made, you're helpless, in a panic, because all the good days lulled you into a false sense of security and gave you a vastly over inflated sense of your abilities. If you can't answer the questions about what you'll do if you lose the trail, get injured, get caught in bad weather, etc. - before you head out on the trail - then you're starting every trip by making a big list of bad decisions.
Wait -- so what happened? Did you have to spend the night?
Glad your okay. Stay safe.👊🙏❤️🦅🇺🇸
This is one of the saddest stories ive heard, i think. To be that hopelessly lost in the wilderness but able to survive for so long, waiting for a rescue... What a poor (amazing) man.
No paper map, no emergency radio, no high visibility kit, and getting high before heading out into weather you know will be bad. This guy really let his hubris get the best of him. At least his mistake can be used to help demonstrate how important it is to be safe and never think you don't need back up plans for long term hikes
Yea, he was careless.
Well sadly thats how death gets you
When you get too careless
And don’t get high.
Complacency kills, no matter the environment.
@@Aiyvas lol ok Nancy Reagan. Just say no, right? 😂
My nephew and his girlfriend got lost in the bush in Kahurangi National park in foul weather. They were missing for 18 days before they were finally found - thankfully alive, albeit somewhat worse for wear.
It's stories like this one that really bring home how fortunate they were, since so often the story does not have a "happy ending".
All the best to Otter's family and friends and the many people who encountered him over the years.
I got stranded in kaharungi national park too
@@megansummers3775 Glad you made it out safely. How long were you stuck there?
Can well imagine how relieved family/friends/whānau must have been that you got out safely.
Far out - I remember that, They were so lucky.
@@michelleharnett1351 Very lucky, given how rugged that area is. Fortunately, they did the right things to keep themselves alive until they were found.
That was in the papers internationally in 2020! Hope both have fully recovered from their ordeal!
The best gift you can buy a hiker (even a day hiker) is a personal locator beacon. So many people could be saved if they had one.
Seems like they are $400 for the best and $125 a year for a subscription. My life is worth that...Hope others follow your advise as well.
THANK YOU!!! This guy is literally a lesson of how not to be prepared. One single device and all of this could've been prevented. Absolute clown.
@F5C you sound like a very ugly person
@@ripF5C Piling on a dead guy. Nice!
Very interesting kind creepy strange seriously 😒😳 scary WOW 😲😳 OMG 😱😳
I find Otter's courage inspiring. His tenacity in trying to survive the situation, his integrity for owning the errors in judgment he'd made; and even the attempts he undertook to end his life, which themselves failed...but still, he defied despair by continuing to write in his journal. I have regretted things in my life, and felt stuck and alone. I can only imagine how he must have felt through it all. He stayed true to himself, and his story makes me feel like mistakes in life, errors in judgment, fruitless efforts, bad circumstances, and even death itself, none of these things has to mean defeat.
Very well said. It’s all about perseverance & perspective in life.
We’re all blessed to be here ❤
I’ve summited Mt Whitney 3 times, but attempted it 5 times. Summited Half Dome 3 times, but attempted it 4 times. Backpacked to the bottom of Grand Canyon and back out 2 times but had to turn back on 3rd attempt. Hiked the Narrows & Angels Landing multiple times but have had to turn back a few times. Many more i could list, but what they all have in common is sometimes it’s just not meant to be. On one Whitney trip i was with 5 other guys, i was the trip organizer & permit holder. Early afternoon of day 2 we were above tree line and a thunderstorm rolled in. I told everyone we need to drop down to a safer area but all the guys wanted to continue. By the time i did this trip i had been hiking and backpacking for about 25 yrs and learned a thing or two. I explained the danger of being exposed to lightning at our altitude, on a surface that conducts electricity very well. After about 20 min of me detailing what could happen to us and how unsafe it was, they mostly agreed. We went to lower elevation, put up the tents in a safe area and rode the storm out. It lasted into the night, and because we were now a day behind, getting to the summit was not possible. We spent the rest of the trip hiking out on the planned exit so that we stuck to the itinerary i gave at the ranger station. We then camped in Alabama Hills for a couple nights before going home. A couple of the guys got pissed off, they had summit fever, and went home once we exited the backcountry. Oh well, their loss! For me, peak bagging isn’t the the most important thing, it’s just being out there. Play hard, but be safe!
No shame in turning around. I also had to bail summiting Whitney. Didn't take away from the experience at all. Camping, hiking, and star gazing with good company... It was breathtakingly beautiful, but it's even more beautiful when you make it back alive.
I'm glad to hear your adventures. It is to your honour that all of the people in your group survived, and were not injured. You called it correctly, well done!
@itsallinthewrist Think about the achievements you’ve done in your incredible life... think about what Otter achieved, how long he lasted... all these missing hikers ? Just goes to show how life hangs in the balance of the turn of a friendly card ?
I climbed angels landing and had like 3 tall cans on the way. 3.2 Utah beer, but still.
What I find really sad is that in *2016* - we are not talking about a period in time in which people were naive and unexperienced - the rescuers were as easy going and I'd say negligent as shown in this story. The common thought should not be "Oh well, looks like he made it out alive." but they should expect that if in doubt then this man is still out there heavily suffering. There was a *really* good chance of finding him from what I heard and honestly *plenty* of time. Otter survived for months, including suicide attempts. What happened, happened it can't be changed. I'm sure the resuers also felt terrible when he was found but it feels so sad and unbelievably baffling to not hear a lessons learned from this. Did nothing change ? Everyone messes up, Otter got himself into the situation by messing up, it happens. But I would ask myself, "What can we do better ?"
what can we do better, dont use those dang drugs !! they contort reality.
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Boy, if this can happen to someone like Otter...
My brother, his girlfriend, her father, and I did the full Appalachian Trail back in 1976. I was 13 and had spent my days in the woods and hiking every chance I got. My brother who was 7 yrs older than me and his girlfriend's father both were experienced backpackers and they had been on several extensive hikes with me and invited me along with them. We started making our preparations 8 months ahead of time. We mailed boxes of supplies for restocking to Post Offices along the trail and in the states, we had friends, whom we arranged an overnight stay with. The girlfriend's uncle owned hundreds of acres in PA and the trail happened to go along the back acres. When we got to that area, the uncle met us and we stayed for 3 days with him and his wife. Awesome people and experienced hikers themselves. When we got to the CT section, we were all from CT, we met friends for a weekend. We finished the trail at MT. Katahdin (which surprisingly was not the most difficult part of the trail for me. It was Clingmans Dome that I kinda struggled thru, but did do it ), and then back down to Vermont where the girlfriend's father's family owned an old farmhouse and land. We wound down the whole experience there and both families met us at the farm. It was great seeing my parents and siblings after months on the trail. We stayed for 4 days to relax, and pick apples from their orchard, and the last of the blueberries. Our family went home with 3 bushels of apples and several qts of berries for mom to bake pies, cakes, and apple/blueberry crumble from. I'm 61 now and though both my brother and his then-girlfriend are married to other people, we all stay in touch and have done other thru-hikes together over the years. Her father passed away years ago but continued to hike into his late 70s. I was unable to continue thru-hiking after 17 due to bone cancer that took my left hip. I was able to continue my walks into the woods up until age 50, but it became too painful and difficult after that.
I am so grateful though for that experience and the many years I was able to continue my time in the woods with all of God's beauty.
Great story. You were well organized.
Thank you for your story. Sorry about the cancer and its consequences. Sounds like you are resilient, possibly because Hiking teaches resilience? So it was all in prep for the time ahead.
Did you mean the Appalachian Trail?
Wonderful story of a love of hiking. Only made it south through NC. Never got to finish GA.
Life happens and things that are important one moment can no longer be accomplished but the memories of what was, well, those memories are priceless.
What an awesome story!! Thanks for sharing. 💕
RIP Otter. Now you are truly free.
I'm so sorry, that you were lost. I don't understand, how you weren't found. It's so sad.😢
I hope that all your trails, are now happy ones.
💜💜💜
He sounds like a truly beautiful soul. Rest in peace Otter.
As a tiny lizard who spends most of my time observing the world from the safety of a rock, I've seen many things come and go. I've watched towering trees sprout from the ground and reach for the sky, only to wither and die with the changing of the seasons. I've witnessed violent storms rage across the landscape, leaving destruction and chaos in their wake. But perhaps the most profound thing I've seen was the passing of Stephen "Otter" Olshansky, a man whose life was cut short on the Continental Divide Trail in 2016.
Otter, as he was known to his friends, was a force of nature himself. Unlike me, he didn't spend his days watching from afar. He was out there in the thick of it, traversing mountains and valleys, pushing himself to the limits of his physical and mental abilities. I often watched him from my perch, envious of his ability to move so freely and purposefully across the land.
But as I observed Otter's life, I began to see the similarities between us. Like me, he was a small creature in a vast and unpredictable world. Like me, he was subject to the whims of nature and the forces that govern our existence. And like me, he knew that life was fleeting and precious, to be lived to the fullest while we had the chance.
So it was with a heavy heart that I learned of Otter's passing. I knew that his life, like mine, was but a brief flicker in the grand scheme of things. But in that brief moment, he had accomplished so much. He had explored and discovered, he had challenged himself and overcome obstacles, he had made connections with others and left an indelible mark on their lives.
Otter's life was cut short, but it was not a life wasted. He lived with passion and purpose, and in doing so he showed us all what it truly means to be alive. Rest in peace, Otter. Your spirit lives on, in the mountains and in the hearts of those who knew you.
Truly Beautifully Stated, David♡~If You Have Not Already Written a Novel, or Short Stories, Please Consider Doing So...Your Understanding of Thought, & Words, is Inspired☆☆:)
(Holly in Arizona)
I am a true sucker for a good read. You, sir, need your own blog! This was beautifully put and I’m sure Otter would be pleased with it. RIP, Otter.
Beautiful ❤️
Why's it called hiking and not walking? Vet's like myself that's been on over a hundred 20 mile road marches don't walk for fun? Save your feet we are all going to need them! RIP Otter!
Your writing captivated me. Beautifully written. I hope you’re writing something.
To me the biggest lesson of this story is it's nice to have experience, but you have to act in a way that allows you to benefit from your experience.
one thing your stories have taught me is -no matter how experienced or prepared- it only takes one wrong step or one bad decision for disasters to happen. mother nature is really intimidating. poor otter, may he rest in peace
This is really a sad story. I've never heard this story either. Thanks for sharing. Otter sounds like he was a good guy. I've been a backpacker for over 50 years and I do a lot of solo backpacking. I've aborted multiple trips due to bad weather conditions. Although I wished I could have done the trip, it always turned out that my instincts were right. When solo backpacking it is always best to do the safest thing in my opinion since it is better to live with a bruised ego than to be dead.
Exactly. He regretted his decision within a few hours of heading out it seems like. Poor guy, this one really hit me because I could easily see myself as an experienced hiker (albeit not at his level) doing something similar.
Yep. I have cut more trips short than I care to admit, but as the lady at the hostel (who bailed me and a friend out of a really bad weather situation in Maine) said: "The Trail will be there next year."
Never heard of him sad story but valuable lessons to be shared
You hit upon a salient human point about ego: I’ve found that humility tends to breed far more happiness than ego ever will, and I’m the biggest-headed guy I know.
This poor guy, it’s very sad and he seems to be such a good guy, for some reason he looks very familiar to me??? I don’t know where he’s from maybe I’ve met him on the trail in the past? Thanks for sharing his story, and he deserves his story to be told, heading out in the wilderness when you do it all the time and you’re seasoned your in shape you feel like you can pretty much do anything and then when the mountains weather changes it’s quick and then the elevation gain etc. etc. it’s rare but sometimes it just hit you and it happens it’s sad, I see that smile on his face in the photo and you could tell in that picture how happy he was to be there, I will always remember this video.
Every time I hear his story, it makes me so sad. Imagine knowing the outcome. The videos he made as he was coming to the realization he might not make it out are harrowing. RIP Otter- you were a true man of the mountains.
Back in 87 on the CDT we carried maps of course. On more than one occasion we wished we'd had maps to the east or west of our route so we could go out for more food. Without maps we didn't know our options but weight was so critical. This poor guy may have been able to go down a drainage to a lower elevation if he'd known his route options. We all make mistakes and sometimes we don't survive. He certainly sounds like a man one could easily respect. God bless him 😢
I decided to subscribe after hearing this young man (I'm over 65) tell the same story I have heard 2 other times but he tells it better. I like the way he describes the situations, his sincerity and the way he represents the back packing hiker community.
After having a long term health problem finally fixed with an open AAA bypass surgery (look it up) I am looking forward to getting back into the sport or for some "the lifestyle". Now that I'm retired I can make it a life style. Hearing this story about an old guy that bit off more than he can chew is a cautionary tale for everyone no matter what age you are. Know your limits, tell friends and the ranger station where when and for how long.
At my age I believe in swim buddies and hike/camp buddies because just like old cars breakdowns can happen. When someone is lost it puts a lot of hurt on a lot of people. Don't be selfish...
Goes to show that even the most experienced of us can make fatal mistakes. I wish otter nothing but a peaceful rest
Otter sounds like an amazing human being. Thinking of others in time of great stress. They should really make a movie about him.
Tom Hanks. He'd be perfect as Otter!
@@bishopp14 he might be done with the wasting-away-while-surviving roles. but i agree he'd do it well.
@@jlt131 Yeah, he does do a lot of those doesn't he.
It reminds me of a famous singer who killed himself, and left plenty of warning notes near the scene.
🙄
Lot's to learn here. I tell folks all the time that people should approach any endeavor in the wild the same way rock climbers approach their passion. No matter how experienced you are, there are more dangers than anyone can imagine. If you think maybe you should turn back, do it. One of the most common mistakes is not turning back. Be alert and keep building knowledge by doing things like watching videos like this one, talking with other hikers about how they survived difficult situations, etc.
I came near to death once from high altitude pulmonary edema. I new about the illness but didn't recognize it until it came back going over another 14k pass. But it wasn't because I remembered. Another solo hiker I came across with only a day pack 35 miles from any road noticed I was sick, asked the right questions, and mentioned the possibility of pulmonary edema. Then it clicked. I rapidly descended to a lower elevation and set up camp when I felt a lot less sick. It worked. To this day I don't know how that person was even there (it was late in the season). But they saved my life. I'm sure of that.
Angel’s come in many different shapes and sizes
If you''re planning a group trip, plan go/no-go points and poll the team. If anyone's not comfortable, that's a no-go for everyone. The mark of a good mountaineer isn't the peaks that they summited, it's the ones they wisely left for another time.
They saved your life? You said a solo hiker. They is plural.
Poor Otter 💔 deepest condolences to his friends and family.
Breaks my heart. I had to stop watching for a minute because I was so overwhelmed. If Otter’s family and friends read this, I am very sorry for your loss. You could see a lot of his spirit and personality in his photos. Someone I would have loved to meet.
Glad he took responsibility for his actions - and called out the obvious mental fog that the intoxicants had put him in. Don't make that same mistake!
Yeah wouldn’t blame anyone for slitting their wrists in that situation but until it’s over you still have hope (however realistic it may or may not be) of being rescued. It’s a roll of the iron dice. .Most don’t win
Man. How does your backup rescue person wait so long? Shit. My mom almost called search and rescue on me after I climbed Mount Shasta and didn’t call her back the next day cause I passed out. You have to have someone that loves you man.
They were probably all fkd up on weed too idiot
Yes
I don't know. I was on a hike in 2019 and had told my wife that I would contact her by a given date from Lake Edison Dam. Turns out I no longer had reception at Lake Edison like I had the previous 2 times that I had been there, and even though I was a day early getting there, I cancelled the rest of my plans and hiked as fast as I could in the most direct route back to my car worried about what my wife was thinking and hoping she didn't call SAR. When I got into the nearest town 3 days later, she asked what happened, why was I already done with my hike? She wasn't worried that I hadn't called her from Lake Edison. She just figured (rightly) that I didn't have reception to contact her. I'm not sure what to make of her lack of concern, lol.
@@michaelb1761 I would make sure she hasn't taken out a very large life insurance policy on you. 😁
@@michaelb1761 that is a crazy story. That’s why I’m excited to get the new iPhone14 cause you can make SOS calls or signal for help. Putting your rescue in other peoples hands just doesn’t seem reliable.
Such a sad tragedy. Poor Otter. He seems like he was a good man.
Have you heard the story of the two climbers that went missing on Mt. Adams, Washington in November of 1980? I worked at the same hospital they did and hospital staff always wondered what happened to them until their bodies were discovered, trapped in the ice, by a guy and his dog in October, 2001. Their names were Gary Claeys, 28, and Matt Larson, 25. News articles can still be found online about their discovery.
Thanks for all the great videos.
What's sad is he had all the experience, but it sounds like his health itself abandoned him at the worse of time. Condolences to the family and friends
he wasn't in his youth
Looked like a really nice guy, insane to hear how close to rescue he was. Be safe out there
Seemed like a decent guy. Even the best of us make bad decisions. Kyle, you did a great job telling Otter's story......respectful while also getting across an important lesson.
I’m absolutely shocked that someone with his experience didn’t have an emergency locating beacon
I never have. You think you're a mountain man, and only fools get lost.
@@scottslotterbeck3796
I would say only fools don't prepare for emergencies. That's why you tell people where you go and for how long. That's why you take an emergency beacon.
You don't have to get lost to need one. Especially when you hike alone. Most people fall and get injured. A cellphone won't help if there's no cell tower close by.
@Scott Slotterbeck Shit happens man. Always nice to have a backup plan
@@scottslotterbeck3796that line of thinking gets people hurt
@@blitzie66 you mean killed
Sad. Japans have one saying "Come back so you can reach" Most hard thing for learning in climbing is to when come back and not to push forward. Many climbers and hikers never learned that. I am a mountain ranger and many times I didin't reach a summit because of the weather. Made decision to come back. Much pity that he didn't make that decision too. Really much sorry for him.
How horrible and sad!
A couple of decades ago, I was training for a walking vacation in Ireland. Everyday I was walking home from work ~10 miles. Most of it was on sidewalks, however there was a river crossing. In my city, the river valley varies in depth of between 300-500 ft deep. My guess is that my crossing was closer to the 300 ft up and down.
When I left work, it was beautiful but it soon started to snow. First fine flakes, then big, fluffy and wet ones. By the time I got to the river crossing, the snow was getting to be about a foot deep, and the going was slow. I started to be concerned about making it home. This was before cell phones were common. Because my shift ended at 1230 PM, most people weren't at home in the afternoon on a workday. The going got tougher and tougher. The last couple of blocks were almost a test of will. By that time, the snow was up to my knees and there were no tire tracks to follow even on the street.
I got into my attached garage and was tempted to lay down. I felt so hot and shaky, with nervous and physical exhaustion. I forced myself to go into the house, as I didn't want to pass out in the cold garage. I've never been more grateful to get home!
I know I wasn't in any real danger, but it felt like it. I can imagine a teeny, tiny bit of some of Otter's struggles.
Yes …
Still here to tell the tale... Good on ya'.
Uh, as someone who's had severe hypothermia, you definitely were in "real danger". Idk what your body temperature was, but the fact that you almost took a nap in your own garage is a pretty damn good sign of hypothermia.
Absolutely real. One small, mechanical change can put a person in real danger. Just an inch or two of snowfall can make a climb out of a canyon/valley almost impossible. Even rain sometimes. Taking things for granted is a real gamble at times. Glad you made it home. That fear you felt helped you grow and serves you well, no doubt.
@@userequaltoNull Yep. Was thinking the same. Easley could have died in the garage.
It blows my mind how it was WEEKS and no one could figure out the 12 mile stretch of trail he was on
The snow makes it almost impossible sadly
Was a CDT hiker going south in New Mexico in 2021, was in the same area of Otters death and even saw the remaining foundation of the privy he died in. We were there in early November but We ran into crazy a snow storm the day before seeing Otters privy, was certainly a surreal experience as we realized how the weather can quickly change and screw you over. We heard if his story earlier so we knew the privy foundation when we saw it, truly sounded like a horrific end.
Also some people get very forgetful under the influence of pot.They can get in a crazy loop thinking 🤔!!! You're no longer in your living room.
RIP.Otter.
Did they tear it down or something?
This would make a great 1 hour short film on this man's life. Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention, he will be added to my prayers.
Experience becomes meaningless when your body just can't do it anymore. It's so important to know your limits, especially as you age. He realized it too late. RIP.
Well said. It’s really tough to face, but it doesn’t matter if you’re an Olympic athlete who still exercises religiously… there will come a point where your ceiling lowers to the point where you simply can’t safely do some of the things you used to be able to.
I met Otter in Eastern Oregon about a year earlier, maybe more. Gave him a ride and gave him a hot meal. Super cool dude ❤
I solo backpacked for years. Only 2 times was I ever on trips with a couple of other people. The story that always stuck out to me was the story of Mike Turner, a solo backpacker in the winds river range in Wyoming. Look up his story as it is really something. Hard to imagine what Mike went through. Hike safe people and ALWAYS have someone at home covering your back and waiting to hear from you. Make your route known and stick to it unless you notify your safety person of a deviation. Give them your what I use to call my drop dead date when they would notify the agency responsible for search and rescue if you had not come out and contacted them. I use to give myself an extra 2 or 3 days just in case. Hike safe and enjoy yourself!
Im a backpacker/ wilderness survivalist raised in the wilderness of Alaska. My worst nightmare is not getting lost or stuck somewhere or even dying of overexposure... It's getting eaten alive by a bear. Pretty rare compared to the other things that could get you, I know, but they literally don't kill you first. They just start crunching on you. Way worse than anything else.
agree, any kind of animal or bird could probably do that , once driving down road had one of those bubble gum / grocery store dragon tattoos on my arm , a buzzard / bird of prey was over the car following me 🤪
Yeah, i'm an experienced Alpinist and into ski-mountaineering. I still struggle to understand what had him fail at improvised snow-shoes from the local pine trees. A great material for the task - just crack & weave a few large branches together. He was clearly knowing he had to improvise something like ski or snow-shoes. He had plenty of time to do it, shelter, food and firewood to keep him going for weeks. I don't get it.
@@voster77hh someone else mentioned he could've spelled out SOS with the sticks too.
Yeah that is true, they will pin You down and just start munching...
Wild Dogs will do this and also use tactics to corner/ambush Prey but luckily accounts of Wild dogs eating People are rare, can't say the same about Wolves though.
The Last Hike I did was in Azores, Terceira Island, The Great Western Hike.
When I was in Santa Barbara Caldeira (Extinct Volcano) There were these Massive Bulls and they were Nocturnal, which was terrifying the first night... Also they make what sounds Like a Dinosaur Howl in the Middle of the Night.
Absolutely Incredible Place the Azores Islands
Polar bears will lock onto you and just keep following you until you're too exhausted to move. Then yes they will eat you alive. If you only have a small caliber rifle you might be better off using it on yourself instead of the bear.
It's crazy how a tiny mistake can just grow and grow into something completely lethal. My heart goes out to Otter and his friends and family.
We call it an "Error Chain". A very interesting subject to investigate.
It wasn’t a tiny mistake, champ. Not even close. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
@@sludge8506 I'd call it a tiny mistake, buddy.
@@elliotw5918 Yeah, a *tiny* mistake that caused him to die a slow and painful death over a period of almost three weeks.
It wasn’t a tiny mistake. It was a huge, careless, and arrogant mistake, and the poor gentleman paid for it, in full. 😢
It was a combination of things and certainly not tiny. You are literally talking about his years of experience plus the combination of drugs and wanting to hit a Thanksgiving deadline. I’m certain that if just one of those factors were not a thing, he would’ve never made that hike.
Really really sad story. Prayers go out to him and his family. I wish he could have been saved.
This is the most compelling reason to have an PLB or a satellite-connected device on your person when backpacking-especially if solo-hiking. I’ve been an active backpacker for nearly 50 years and now that I’m older (61), I am going to get one before my next trip.
Thank you for the thorough report of this unfortunate incident. I think a follow-up video re: lessons learned. 🌿
For the record, I Winter camp in snowy conditions but I don’t hike in. I drive my equipped SUV and hot tent ❄️
Thank you for telling his story. He wanted others not to make the mistakes he made. RIP Otter!
Yes, that’s a good point. I’m not a hiker, but if I were I’d be glad I saw this. Sounds like a really exceptional person, and he was thinking of others in the end. Sad story, but important.
You hit the nail on the head "never get to comfortable with your abilities". There is just to many things that could go wrong and in every hike you do, you learn something new.
RIP, Otter.
Also, excessive mind-altering substances used right before making a critical, potentially life-threatening hiking decision. Unfortunately, sometimes weed kills.
Land of Entrapment can kill anyone.
Yes. As a user in my youth.
It can help with aches and pains of outdoor activities but it also weakens you. And fogs the mind.
@@jadepaulsen8456 Harshness? No. He even said himself in his log that he highly regretted making the decision to leave in bad weather while high and overly confident from it. He wasn't wrong. Would you then recommend that others do the same? Sorry to offend you by simply reinforcing his own good advice to others.
Too
😢Rest in Paradise Otter ❤ I Admire the Strength and Tenacity of the Hiker
Community. I live vicariously through you because of my multiple illnesses
I couldn’t do this even if I tried. Please be careful out there, Much 💕 Love
What's disturbing is the utter failure of searchers to actually search the freaking trail and local sites. That's S&R 101.
Yeah I feel like the SR team must have also been stoned as well.
Yeah, they had weeks to do so... That's disappointing.
This is the most New Mexico effort I can think of
It might've had something to do with the enormous amount of snow on the ground.
@kyoshiro558 I'm not trying to be snide, but actually agree with you- the fact that they didn't find him means that by definition they could've done more. This is an unfortunate fact of S&R- Resources are limited. Who would fund the 9 zillion snowmobiles (and riders), skiers, etc. to perform this search? I'm glad I'm not the S&R manager who had to focus his efforts because he didn't have the funds/people/etc to increase search activity.
RIP Otter. He died doin what he loved ,but starving to death is horrendous. Love what these storytime segments are doing for your channel, keep up the amazing work!
So to honor Otters life just remember to use the terribly hard lessons from others errors so our loved ones never have to ask Why? Or What if?
RIP
@@patroberts5449 I Agree with you. Even the pro’s die from bad decisions.
Starving to death is painless.
@@Mrs.TJTaylor what?
@@Mrs.TJTaylor wrong
So sad. He seemed like a very nice guy. RIP Otter
It’s very sad that he couldn’t get rescued but at least he died doing something he loved. Hopefully his struggles will serve as a warning to other hikers. Rest easy bro ❤
1) Hikers often known to stay in bathrooms during bad weather
2) Lost hiker in bad weather reported
3) Send rescue to check campgrounds and bathrooms?
4) "Nah. Let's just fly around aimlessly instead."
😡
And he was near a trail!
The core lesson is one I had about motorcycle riding. I was an experienced and high mileage rider (daily driver, commute and weeks long road trips, etc.) Overconfidence is a good way to get hurt and die, and for a bunch of reasons it's easy to do, sometimes a chain of incremental steps none of which alone or in small groups are all that bad but as a whole area a severe risk. Even with keeping to paved roads I made a point of having a SPOT with me because a breakdown when crossing a desert, etc., can become a survival situation quickly.
Plus you wore and had the right gear. Otter did not 😔
Not a Motorcycle rider.
Please explain a SPOT ?
@@jimsmith9853 It's a GPS
The SPOT locator can send a pre-programmed signal to search and rescue including GPS coordinates or send a message to others with a pre-programmed message. I believe the newer models can sync with a smart phone to be used as a satellite telephone.
What a tragic story. Once he started journaling that he knew he was going to die, my heart sank. He really wanted to get out of there. The fact that the search party just gave up is the most anger inducing things. He could have been found.
Agreed, a so-called "sighting" by someone who doesn't even know him was not sufficient reason to call off a search... The state police decision that"there's no specific information saying he is in danger" struck me as completely illogical blather.
Don't be angry at Otter that the search party just gave up -- it risks lives and costs money to fly all those search planes and pay all those pilots. Be angry at Otter for causing the expensive searches in the first place by arrogance and bad judgment.
@@cathynewyork7918 of course. It's still sad that he was close to being found a few times, but he did know the risks of going out that time of year.
@@mikaross4671 Yes, I agree. Just think what could have happened if he had been just a little bit smarter - (1) to not go out at all that time of year, or (2) if he had built a large bonfire in an open area what would have been seen when the planes flew over him. It's a sad story.
You're sad not mad. If that induces anger you need to keep your mouth shut in public.
It's a sad story, and hopefully a warning. Him being so experienced probably led to him making bad choices. Absolutely horrific way to go. I hope he found peace at the end. RIP.
What an interesting story, both tragic and beautiful. Sounds like he lived his life to the fullest.
I'm actually really surprised that Otter didn't even have a solar charger for his phone in his backpack as such an experienced hiker, because I know I certainly would, hiking in his situation!...
Something as simple as that, so that his phone could at least remain on, even potentially along with GPS tracking and location services if he had cell service where he got stranded, MAY have actually saved his life!
Remember that in 2015, that kind of equipment wasn’t as common or inexpensive as it is today. And at Otter’s age (I’m 54 now so I can relate) you don’t necessarily pick up on every new piece of tech because you had gotten along without it to that point.
There were already GPS personnel locator beacons on the market then with reasonable prices and light weights. Those 2 way text devices are toys, when your survival depends upon getting a emergency signal out a gps personnel locator beacon is what you need.
@@jackdbur I think it needs to be evangelized that a locator is required equipment. No hike is worth your life.
This man had tons of experience and what he loved killed him miserably.
@Captain Pedro In 2015, Spot GPS emergency locators were standard equipment for field people in the company I worked for then. I had one I took to a remote project in Mexico. The price then was $300. Still is. Annual subscription is still $300. Cheap insurance.
He didn't even bring a map, a paper map!
Being stoned, making the decision in the first place to go when he knew better if he weren't is what killed him.
I can't believe they stopped looking for him!!!! ☹️😢🕳️
SAR is a service made up of volunteers that donate their own time and resources. While it is tragic what happened to Otter, SAR does not have the resources to search for missing hikers for weeks at a time. It’s a service that desperately need government funding.
Freedom is a doubled-edged sword. This is so sad.
Heartbreaking story. Thank you sharing this man’s story. ❤