Electronics help save lifes, would Dad be alive if he had a mapping gps?

[Siskiyou]

We now know the outcome of the tragic event.  Mr. Kim was found dead a few miles from his vehicle.  He had gone off the road and dropped down in drainage.  I spent about a month in this remote Southern Oregon area a few years ago.  Let me assure you that it is remote, steep, and lacks the items that urban Americans expect to find down the road.

I feel for the family, they did there best.  I know that when I started East up the narrow paved road out of Gold Beach, Oregon I was quickly surround my heavy vegetation, some of it encroaching on the road.  I had obtained a Forest Service map in Gold Beach so I knew where I was going, but it was also an adventure into the unknown.  The trip was in the late summer and snow and rain were not an issue.  The vegetation is a jungle, with a tight overhead canopy.  This jungle did not intimidate me because I had a map, compass, and supplies.  Cellphone service disappeared right out of Gold Beach.  In my pack was a signal mirror.  I did not make the trip from Gold Beach to Grants Pass, but I can appreciate that remote area.  The Kim’s had their vehicle mirrors, but was this area clouded over during this time.  I expect clouds and fog to be the norm for the area during November.

A few months after this trip I bought my first mapping gps.  A Garmin Legend which holds 8 MB’s of maps.  In my travels I also have my laptop loaded with MapSource USA Topo for the gps unit, and which I use to replace map sets as needed.  The laptop also loaded with an older version of DeLorme Topo USA.  But the eTrex series are not a good tool for heavy vegetation.  At best one must set still in an opening to get a good satellite lock.  Foresters in like areas use gps units that will take an external antenna and a compass.  Many of the lower end gps units will not take an external antenna.  I later purchased a Garmin Mapping 76C, which has a different antenna, and will take a plug from an external antenna.  The 76C was an improvement.  When I use the external antenna reception greatly improved.  I was also happy with the 115MB of internal memory which I took advantage of. 

Garmin changed the playing field when it came out with the new high-sensitivity GPS receiver by SiRF.  SiRF makes a number of gps chips but the one used in the 60 (x) series and the 76 (x) series outperforms earlier units.  I have conducted side-by-side test with my 76C and it cannot stand-up against my 76Cx.  In fact Garmin has discontinued some of the earlier 60 and 76 series gps units because the new units out perform them.  I should note that the newest eTrex units using Cx do not have the SiRF chip.  X stands for auto routing, which these units do.

I purchased a new Garmin Mapping76CX this past year.  Not only does it have the SiRF chip, but it also takes Micro SD Chips.  I purchased an after market 1GB chip.  On this chip I have all the Topo maps from the Eastside of the Rocky Mountain States to the Pacific Ocean, and from the Canadian border to the Mexican border.  In addition I have City Navigator V8 maps for Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and I-80 to the Mid West.  And I have space left over.  If I was going to take a trip to Hawaii I could load the Islands on the 128MB chip that came with the unit.

Since I have had the 76CX I have used it a lot side by side with the Garmin Legend, and the 76C.  The do not come near the 76CX in ability to obtain satellite locks.  I should note the 76CX, 76CSX, 60CX, and 60CSX share the same SiRF Chip, and operating system.  One big difference is the 76 units float, the 60 units sink.  In the market place the 60 units are doing better because of looks, not function.  I like the 60 units but have bought 76 models because of the rebate price.

According to reports Mr. Kim traveled about 11 miles in the remote Oregon Forest, but he was only a few miles from his vehicle.  In this situation a good gps could have made a difference.  In my hunting pack this fall there was also a compass and map.  In addition there is a compass stored in the center console of my pickup twelve months a year.

There are a lot of different circumstances that can strand a person in the woods.  S&R teams around the country are out everyday doing a search.  People need to be prepared.

A good gps maybe a life saving gift.  Along side them you could add a set of FRS/GMRS radios.  A portable CB would work because loggers use CB radios to communicate.

The real winner here was the ping from a Kim family cellphone, which had received a text message.  Engineers say that it was a miracle that a connect was made in that area.  Engineers then gave searchers a general area to search.

I am amazed at times the locations my cellphone signal is picked-up.  For some reason a tower on Northern California’s coast pick’s up my high altitude signal a hundred miles away.  I am at 8,000 elevation when this happens.  Another reminder, yesterday I was talking to my cellphone provider, and the helpful customer service person asked me if I had updated my cellphone software.  Apparently it needed to be updated to receive the new towers and the towers in areas the company had bought out a smaller companies.  He gave me the number for the update and I did the input on my cellphone.  I selected the update option and the process took about two minutes.

I am in the process of obtaining a new cellphone.  There are a lot of options, but my number one priority is the number of minutes the battery will last transmitting. 

A few minutes ago my wife and I discussed the value of the cellphone and the engineers ability to generate a search area.  Even if you are lost if you are in your vehicle you can plug into auto charger and keep pinging the world.  Remember after nightfall radio signal seem to be more effective. 








http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2701410

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2699915

http://wcco.com/topstories/topstories_story_340152429.html

Purchase a 60-series or eTrex-series and Receive Cash Back
Receive cash back when you purchase a GPSMAP® 60Cx, GPSMAP 60CSx, eTrex® Venture Cx, eTrex Legend Cx or eTrex Vista Cx.
(July 28, 2006 – December 31, 2006

http://www.magellangps.com/products/product.asp?segID=355

http://www.lowrance.com/

http://theopticzone.com/gps.aspx  The Optic Zone sells Garmin and Lowrance gps units

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00027362000

Midsouth is selling the new Bushnell Onix gps.


The Onix 200 allows you to download satellite & aerial photos with screen layering. Features include: Safetrack battery conservation mode, Customized user profiles, 204x160 pixel 16 level grayscale screen with Night Mode Viewing. A base map of the United States & Canada with a 32MB flash memory. Allows you to save up to 500 waypoints, 20 routes and 10 trails. This unit is made for the outdoors with a LCD screen that is readable in direct sunlight, it is also Waterproof with a rugged rubber armored outside. It also has SiRF GPS chip set with 12 channels and is WAAS enabled. Map information will soon be available at www.bushnellgps.com

[EsoxLucius]

My understanding is he had a GPS unit like a Tom Tom in his vehicle.  Didn't seem to help him from getting into trouble in the first place.

[Siskiyou]

I would not be surprised that he had a TomTom or some other automotive gps unit.  I understand he was a tech type.  My son has a TomTom and I can ask him about its software.  I think it is focused on streets in populated areas and major highways.  Earlier this evening I located Bear Camp Road and Big and Little Windy Creek drainages using MapSource software on my computer and my 76Cx.  As a reference point only I created a waypoint on the Bear Camp Road at the head of the Windy Creek drainage.  I then created waypoint down in Big Windy Creek.  I did this based on the information that the car was found on the Bear Camp Road and the body in Windy Creek.  I do not know if this information is correct.  And the map is for example only and is not factual.

But I did this to see if a person familiar with MapSource US Topo software would benefit from it.  I understand that he also had a State of Oregon Road map with him.  The map had a statement to the effect that State Highway 42 in the area was not maintained during the winter.  I have no clue regarding his woodsmenship ability.  But I know that rural Counties spend a lot of money every year rescuing or recovering people from the Bay Area.  This is also true of other areas around major cities.  I have been stuck in the woods a couple of times but I have always managed to get myself out.  That is why tire chains and the shovel were invented.  And I always leave the main road with a full tank of gas. 

I found that US Topo provide good mapping information of the area and that the points of interest function which uses the US Topo data surrounding the point of interest to be useful.  I expect the TomTom software like Microsoft Streets & Trips, and MapSource City Navigator show the Bear Camp road, but few or no terrain features, nor points of interest in the area. 
I might try a few screen shots later to give the reader a better view of what it looks like on the 76Cx.

It seems that when folks get into serious trouble their mistakes multiply.  Once he decided to hike out he should have stay on the road.  I am sure he was tired, hungry; concerned for his family, and his mental reasoning was starting to break down.  Once he left the road the environment was against him.  The route he was taking down into the remote river drainage was the last place he needed to be.  Every bush that he brushed against was loaded with moisture from the recent rain.  The cool moisture soaked into his clothing, chilling his body, and the effects of hypothermia was setting in.  In the long run it is easier to walk a road then shortcut across switchbacks in step country and he would have stayed drier.  But he went the wrong direction.  He could have used a handheld gps in the track mode to back track his way out of the area.  I always have my gps in the track mode when beating around in the woods.  It can always be cleared.

[victorcharlie]

I heard there were bear tracks found near where he left the road.  One theory is he left the road to avoid the bear.

[EsoxLucius]

http://www.layoutscene.com/james-kim-path/index.html
Added attribution of source.

[Siskiyou]

ExoxLucius:  I like the work that was done on the Google Earth area photos.  Great work.

The Black Bar Lodge shows on my Garmin as a point of interest.  Until more information comes out we will not know the full story.  But that is a big country and if you are driving the roads at night it is very easy to become disorientated.  That is where the back track function on many handheld recreation gps units come in handy.  A guy could go nuts in some of those logging area running into deadend logging spurs.  It is amazing that a logging truck driver backs his trucks up the short spurs and the non-logger has a hard time driving a pickup up the same spur.

[lewdogg21]

Siskiyou - This is a good thread b/c it will bring awareness and hopefully prevent something similar or even somebody getting lost and spending a night in the woods.  After this was over I realized I don't have a mirror in my daypack and need to add one.  While I don't jump off and head into the wilderness alone I do carry matches, a lighter, space blanket, some snacks, saw, flagging tape, etc in my daypack and wear it everytime I leave the truck.  I realize that all it takes is one bad shot on a deer and God knows where I will end up going.

You may remember my thread on issues with my Garmin.  Well I started using it this hunting season and learned quite a bit.  I will get a pc cable to update roads and topo's for this hunting season.  One thing I haven't found is exactly how far was he from I5?  It's easy to get turned around on logging roads especially without a map. If you (meaning whoever reads this) have even been turned around or unsure of where you are its a bit scary.  Imagine now your wife and kids lives depends on you getting help.  Sad story.

[Siskiyou]

The vehicle was about 23 “air miles” West of I-5, but their best route out was the Bear Camp road to the Merlin-Galic Road.  http://www.rogueweb.com/merlin/

When their first option to get across to Gold Beach did not work out in my opinion and based on past experience the best route back across to Gold Beach is to take State route 199 West from Grants Pass, and then up the coast to Gold Beach.  This route is maintained by the State of Oregon and the State of California year around.  I must admit to getting carsick on this route when I was about eight years old.  There is a nice rest area on the West side of the summit.  I recommend a stop there if you have carsick kids.  When you travel East or West from the rest area you have a curvy road. West bound is very curvy.  And if your passenger does not like drop-offs you might put a bag over their head.  I rather drive it, and then be a passenger.

I checked with my Son regarding his TomTom.  He says that in the remote areas he has been it might show a major haul road, but there are many logging roads that are not showing in his software package.  BUT he says that you can always have it look for a city and it will give you the direction and air miles.  A lot like a handheld gps without Topo software.  He says his TomTom has a built in rechargeable battery that is good for five yours.  With management you can make it last a long time.

This week two Bay Area off road motorcycle riders were lost East of Nevada City.  They broke into a cabin and were later spotted by a helicopter.  A dispatcher friend tells me they were in a cellphone area and about two miles from a subdivision.  A map,  mapping gps, and a cellphone would have saved a lot of time.  They broke into a cabin and built a fire.  It was snowing and taking shelter was the right thing to do.  Now the right thing to do is pay the property owner for any damage they caused, and for the firewood they burnt.  Frankly most city people fail to do this after getting lost in the woods.  Under California State law their Home County will be billed for the search cost.

A lot of credit needs to go to the volunteer search and rescue people.  Search and Rescue is a tough job.

A little hint if you are every flown out by an air ambulance to a hospital make sure you are admitted over night to the hospital, otherwise most insurances will not pay.

[Siskiyou]

I have the advantage of having a couple of handheld mapping gps units.  The Garmin units prioritize the mapping software installed on them.  Priority #1 is City Navigator, Priority #2 is US Topo, and Priority #3 is the Basemap.  By choice when I am in a remote area or when otherwise needed I chose to have the City Navigator hidden, and make US Topo priority # 1 because is show most of the logging roads and rural road systems that do not show up on City Navigator. 

I found that the unit would auto route to or from a waypoint on the Bear Camp Road to the nearest town and beyond.  POI or Points of Interest showed the Black Bar Lodge.  I selected both US Topo and City Navigator to be shown on the option page.  I cannot speak to pure automotive gps units.  I had been looking at the area using Google Earth(cheap version) when ExoxLucius made his excellent post with the enhanced Google photos.

Search & Rescue becomes an educated guessing game.  There are all kinds of issues that come up in this incident, and a lot of questions.  A bear track was mention as a possible factor in Kim leaving the road.  Did he leave the road because he observed a track, or did he leave the road because he encountered a bear.  Foresters along the West Coast encounter bears on a regular bases.  People who work in bear country adjust to them, and most use caution, and they respect the black bear. 

But after reading the link below it appears that Kim had plan on going down to the river at sometime.  Clearly he did not known much about the Rogue River and how much better off he was to stay on the road.  Normally bear will take off this time of year because of the hunting season. 

http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1165652726218920.xml?oregonian?lctop&coll=7&thispage=1

Based on this article I would think that he did not have a TomTom

Tracking cellphones, look at the link below.

http://news.com.com/Turning+cell+phones+into+lifelines/2100-1039_3-6140794.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0612/11/acd.02.html