Word: parkes
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...park administrator's view, "No one is competent to do the hike alone. It only takes one slip. Mr. Yates had good equipment and seemed a capable individual but he shouldn't have done it by himself," continued Tibbs...
Yates is sorry that he put a lot of rangers and the pilots of the helicopter and plane in a dangerous situation, and he regrets that he underestimated the scale of the operation. However, he still feels that the park officials never should have had to do what they did in the first place--namely initiate the search...
...points out that the plane, helicopter and ranger hours were already paid for by taxpayer money. And although the park authorities feel that four is the minimal number of people needed to deal with an accident in severe weather conditions, Yates thinks that one can be just as safe. At least an injured solo hiker isn't endangering the lives of anyone else...
Yates would like to see park systems institute a legal waiver system which would free the government from any responsibility for camper safety. Signing a waiver would also make the hiker more aware of the seriousness of undertaking a hike in the wilderness. However, at the present time, most waivers do not hold up in court...
...regulated areas. Someone wanting to climb unimpeded could in any one of countless mountain ranges. At the same time, though, as Yates' case illustrates, it isn't fair that one can't climb solo in a particular area just because it happens to be nationally- or state-owned. Park land is land that the people have bought; they should be entitled to use it however they please provided they don't abuse it or anyone else...