Who: 28-year-old Steven Smith, his 21-year-old wife Megan Smith, 27-year-old Jeremy Borie and his wife, 24-year-old Alana Borie
Where: Wet Beaver Creek wilderness, Waldroup Canyon, Northern Arizona
Their mistake: Looks like they trusted the sole source of a guide without consulting the Internet or books
What happened: Four friends went on an overnight hike through the Wet Beaver Creek wilderness area in Waldroup Canyon. They asked a guide for information on the area and the guide told them that the route could be done in 16 hours. But the group got delayed because they had problems negotiating the rock scrambling, boulder hopping and the deep water pools that they had to swim through.
Friends of the group expected them to get out of the canyon after one night. And when they didn’t return, they called authorities to report them overdue. Their friends told authorities that they were supposed to come out of the canyon today, but they were in their 20s and well-prepared for the hike with additional food, supplies and appropriate shelter.
Because of their preparedness and their fitness, a search and rescue operation was delayed in hopes they would walk out. Rescuers found them shortly after the formal search launched. They were all in good condition. Authorities said the route, which the guide said could be done in 16 hours, really is a two- or three-day hike.
Read the story here.
Some years ago, I ran into a freaked out guy and his sister in Teton Nat. Park who were told by a ranger that they could get to a destination in a day. The problem was: They were out of shape, the ranger was at peak performance. Always do your own research.