KEN KNIGHT IS MISSING ON APPALACHIAN TRAIL IN VA

[Boozer]

Sometimes Nate it troubles me that I agree with you so much.

[Ken Helwig]

Isn't it nice that your mag is now famous because your editor got lost? Ha! How much money did it cost to find your editor? I know, I am supposed to think courageous, but seems more like irresponsible.

Nice comment j tomias. Real mature. Glad you have such a wonderful opinion.

[Jesse Glover]

Don't feed the trolls just ignore it.

[Rick Cheehy]

Hey tomias have you ever:
1 broke the speed limit
2 swam in the ocean
3 played a sport in school
4 dove off a diving board

There are dangers everywhere, to live life is not irresponsible. Or are you insinuating that people with disabilities don't have the same right to pursue happiness as those who don't?

[Tom Brown]

I'm one of the "Lynchburg trolls" Nate referred too. As Red Cross volunteers, my wife and I were also one of the people who was at the Incident Commmand center running the search for Ken at 6:30 am yesterday morning. I was there along with about 150 other local trolls who also volunteered their time and worked their butts off in the massive search for Ken.
Nate, I can tell you that none of us trolls would martyr themselves before rescuing someone who's lost in the woods – even you. Although, after your moronic comments and insults too those Virginians who had their boots on the ground instead of in a cozy chair in front of a computer, I'd definitely take the time to have an extra cup of coffee before I hit the trail looking for you.

[Unknown abc]

>"Ken Knight, 41, was found at the base of Little Rocky Row after a small signal fire he lit got out of control, turning into a 2-acre brush fire on the ridge that got everyone’s attention, said Lt. Brandon Co.cke of the Big Island Volunteer Fire Department."

>“He was fine, Said Co.cke "He was talking, laughing and carrying on.”

Wow, what misunderstanding jerks. I'll bet the 2 acre bush fire is an exxageration, those idiotic news peoples!

[Nate Meinzer]

Okay, this is getting off topic and I feel responsible.

Tom, I don't think you understand the term "troll", or else you wouldn't have called the volunteers on the ground "trolls". Trolls are people on the internet who get kicks out of posting incendiary, often cruel, things…..their favorite targets are the disadvantaged/minorities…..

Everyone here has nothing but respect and admiration for local volunteers.

[Rick Dreher]

I take comfort in knowing that one S&R volunteer or professional contributes more to society and our nation than a thousand intertubes trolls. I also know that a successful search is a thousand times more rewarding to these selfless folks than a recovery operation.

By my crude arithmetic that means this wonderful outcome for Ken is one million times more valuable than a thoughtless lashing out from one small, angry person.

It's a happy day, indeed!

[Unknown abc]

Yes, the S&R team as well as the ER people are the ones who deserve the honor here…I was taliking about the media that twists and exxagerates things so people will pay more attantion to the story. They are the jerks. just look at the exxagerated cooments above.

[Miguel Arboleda]

Please, please, don't turn what for most members of BPL is a joyous time and thread into something crass and irrelevant. Waiting for the news of Ken's safety has been quite emotional for a lot of us and this thread was where we watched it. If you want to quibble over silly ideas, please do it on another thread. It is disrespectful for what we went through and hoped for here.

[Tom Brown]

Welcome home, Ken! I can't wait to read your account of this whole thing, but first take some time to just relax, rejoice, and reflect.

[Amy Rochelle]

Personally, I admire Ken. He doesn't let his lack of sight define him or what he's able to accomplish and experinece in life. He's out living life to the fullest, and doing so independently, well educated and prepared.

People who know and love him were mobilized instanteously it seems. If only we could all be that kind of friend to percipitate such a respnse from so many people in our moment of need.

[Derek Anderson]

Hello,
I was one of the people at the search and would first like to thank everyone for all the good things that have been said. I am glad ken is safe and is going to be allright. And would like to say thanks to all the people whom came out to help look for ken to. It was a pleasure to meet Ryan also. Not many people can say there boss will come help look for them if they were lost! As far as the comments that were on the media site. Just don't pay any mind to them. They are people that hide behind the computer screen and complain because they have nothing else to do. THE important thing is that by pulling all of the resources together such as, The VA dept of emergency management, the national park service, black diamond search and rescue, intermont search and rescue, Angel search and rescue, mid-Altaic search and rescue and all of the other VA SAR teams, the c-a-p, and all the fire fighters and volunteers and red-cross all pulled to gather to help find ken.

that is the most important thing of all that KEN IS SAFE. Who cares what those rude internet trolls say.

[Dave T]

Hi all.

As other posters have noted, it would be great to keep this thread SOLELY about the search for Ken and the positive conclusion to it.

I imagine that there could and should be another thread later where we all can talk about what went wrong and all that (I imagine Ken might want to be involved so it's all firsthand info); that's how we all learn more about how we all stay safe in the backcountry. But until then, let's try to limit this thread to our good wishes about Ken being safe and sound, and our thanks to all the hardworking SAR folks and other volunteers that helped to get him back safe.

So… welcome home Ken, and THANKS to everyone's great efforts to help make that happen!

Dave

[Cayenne Redmonk]

Thank you to everyone involved in the search and rescue effort, and others that aided the process. It is so awesome to read that Ken is found, alive, and doing well.

[Donald Johnston]

I can understand the comments of some members of the general public to the newspaper articles. They don't have the perspective, don't understand and don't really want to. It's easy to judge and even easier to judge when you don't have anything more than general information or broad overview from one perspective. Whatever mind set is currently popular in the general public due to current events will also have it's influence.

Backpacking like many outdoor activities involves some risks. That is a part of it we all accept at some level. Some wouldn't really want to participate if there wasn't this challenge to overcome. All of use hope that should something go terribly wrong somebody will come looking for us and not be all about assigning blame and who should pay. We hope that we won't see our experience hashed over in public forums. Who can say what combination of circumstance will be the the one that would get us? Yet we all prepare because we accept that it could happen.

I was on site though I never did anything more than be available and listen. I'm sure I probably misunderstand some of it also but I think I'm close. From what I understand what Ken experianced this time normally would not play out this way but like most situations requiring rescue it was a combination of very minor things which combined to make the perfect storm. Maybe it isn't the storm that would have gotten me or you because our boat has a different design which just happens to make a difference. How did we end up on the boat we are on and will we always be in the right boat for the particular storm that comes our way? What if what I really need is a sub?

We backpackers try to learn everything we can to prepare for the unexpected and talk a lot about it and achieving balance at the same time in forums. We talk about what to do if indeed it does all go wrong. Ken is a very experienced backpacker and as each of us are aware of our individual circumstances he is well aware of his own and like us is normally very successful at managing it appropriately. He has been successful at it for more years than many of us have been into the sport. Ken actually achieved in this situation what may hikers who end up in a rescue situation have not by making enough correct choices to come out with a positive outcome. Most experienced backpackers will see this immediately but the general public will not. Those with less experiance may still think it won't happen to them because they are unable to see a situation that could get them. We have spent so much time and energy and care to make sure it won't. For most of us that one really bad day won't ever come. Yet in this community regardless of experience we all think we need to be prepared so it doesn't happen to us. We spend quite a lot of time on this subject.

You can exam any set of events after the fact and come up with a different way to do things next time. It's how we learn to do better next time.

When I put myself in Kens place I have real fears that I would not have made those correct decisions. I would have been to hasty. I probably would have taken some risk that might have gone very bad or gone good to get myself out of my situation. How many who didn't make it out have done this before me resulting in sage advice in the texts such as stay put and they will find you. Move around and you make it harder for them to find you. Could I have made myself stay in place with little food that many days? I like to eat.

Like many backpackers I didn't think I could be the one to accidentally start a forest fire but I had that notion scared out of me in a back county campground in Yosemite one year when I discovered the DIRT under my stove in this heavily impacted dirt campsite smoldering enough to burst into flame before my eyes when I lifted the stove to packet it up after I cooked dinner. Dirt doesn't burn does it? I learned that it can if composed of enough organics of the right kind and moisture level. I've always carried something very light but effective to place under my stove since.

Could I make signal fires every day for a week without a spark getting far enough away to set off something unnoticed before it is too late? I realized after this event that I have not practiced making signal fires. I wonder how many backpackers have? When the rubber hits the road and I need to do it how big does it need to be to make enough smoke using the materials I have at hand to be noticeable. Sure I've read about it but that isn't the same as doing. If this is a much larger fire than I have experience with how big of a clearing do I need to account for sparks that might travel and what about ground that might appear safe but doesn't turn out to be? I know how to make small controlled fires. Something big and smoky enough to attract attention isn't in my practiced skill set. Could I achieve a week worth of signal fires before something went wrong?

Many of us have hiked with Ken. Those few I have talked to would not be very critical of how he handled his perfect storm. Impressed is more descriptive. I'm sure he has spent a lot of time the past few days pondering what little things he could do differently to shift the odds farther away from this occurring again. I expect he will have gained valuable insight I could learn from.

Photon

[Dondo .]

Nicely said, Photon. Your post should be required reading for any of us who are tempted to rush in with Monday morning quarterbacking. For myself, I'm happy that Ken is safe, and I'll wait for his own post-trip analysis.

[Tom Clark]

Hey, you live & learn. Nice to learn from others' mistakes, but it doesn't always work that way.

[Dana S]

Humbled at the way our community has banded together to support all the SAR operations. Thank you to everyone involved in the search for Ken.

Great to have you back Ken!

[Joshua Billings]

Glad you made it out safely. Good to know that BPL can be used to rescue people. I should hope my name would never be in a red band above the screen but its nice to think that BPL would be there as a tool in my rescue.

[Matt Lutz]

I'm still floored by the amount of support that went out from non-BPL sources. Twitter, for example, had this news flying around very quickly after Ryan posted it here.

[Lisa Tompsett]

Thank God Ken was found and is alive to tell the story!

I heard of Ken's disappearance from a co-worker whose husband is friends with him. I don't know Ken at all yet I have been drawn to the story of his disappearance with a concern I can't explain. I prayed very hard for his safe return and am glad to hear it happened! It was very touching to see the outpour of concern and the way people near and far gathered to help with the efforts to bring this man home alive. As many others have already said we can only ignore and feel sorry for those who condemn and criticize Ken for being brave enough to continue with his passion for hiking despite his disability. No time or money on this earth is too much when it is spent to save a human life!

[Ron Hedlund]

Life is a gift from God. It is precious and priceless, and that is why so many people put so much into the SAR effort. Many situations I see, I realize it could easily have been me in the ringer. Mistakes get made. Sometimes, even when we learn from them, we make them again.

I'll wait for the dust to settle before putting deeper thought to pen. Still recovering from the short-term effects of gravity on an aged, overweight body.
Reply With Quote

from sarman on Whiteblaze.com

[Mary D]

Yes, I hope someone will get the red banner off the home page! Of course it is a weekend! With the entire BPL staff either looking for or worrying about Ken for most of yesterday, they deserve a rest day.

I am looking forward to Ken's own analysis of what happened. I know it will probably be a while–it should be, because he needs to recover from the experience and gain some perspective on it.

Since I have reduced vision in one eye from a detached retina and several subsequent surgeries, am at high risk for the same thing happening again in either eye, and have a family history of macular degeneration, I could very likely end up as a visually impaired backpacker myself. This makes me doubly interested in Ken's situation!

One other thing: it's not every boss who would drop everything and travel across half a continent to help search for an employee! I well remember a colleague who almost got fired when he left work to participate in a SAR operation to which he was called. Fortunately, our human resources department scolded the supervisor instead! Good for you, Ryan!

Photon, your post was excellent!

[Matthew Roberts]

I have also been following Ken's progress. I am excited to hear the wonderful news.

The red banner at the top of the page has served to be very effective.

It would be appropriate for one of the backpackinglight.com website admins to rewrite the Emergency Alert at the top of the webpage to "MISSING HIKER FOUND".

[Author]

Posts