staff writer: sophie Machesky
Summertime is almost here. Many students at Penn State are looking forward to having copious amounts of free time. A con that I have noticed with too much free time is my accompanying sense of boredom. When I don’t have anything to do, I miss the homework and exams that kept me busy during the semester.
This is when I start to look into thrilling activities. The most exciting feat for a human being is to take risks. We feed off of our need to try new and dangerous activities. While doing these, we expand our horizons into the unknown, accepting any dangers that may come our way. But in doing so, we keep the idea of rescue in the back of our heads. It’s always fun to make an impulsive decision and take risks; however, we should also be prepared because a harmful situation could occur that we don’t see coming.
The coronavirus pandemic forced everyone around the world to lock themselves in their homes and stay isolated from each other. It became boring to repeatedly watch the same tv series. With nothing to do at home, and fear to go in public, many Americans turned to the wilderness. Hiking is a very adventurous and energizing activity, used to explore places that you haven’t been to before, but it may not be a good idea to hike when you are unprepared.
There have been many instances since the pandemic began in which groups of unprepared hikers requested rescue from dark, cold woods. Police will bring the so-called hikers water, light, and direction back to safety. With this becoming a common occurrence, the cost of a rescue is coming into consideration. A typical rescue could average $5,000, which is a large sum of money to use to rescue people that weren’t prepared for their trip. With these unnecessary risks being taken and requesting duty from officers that could be using their time in more important situations, some states are considering charging those that shouldn’t have needed rescued in the first place.
One must consider if this is the right thing to do. Should we be charged for having fun and accidentally stumbling across obstacles? A similar situation happened to me during the pandemic. I was a senior in high school when my friends and I celebrated Senior Skip Day by having a bonfire. Right beside an opening to the woods, we sat around the fire, telling ghost stories and roasting marshmallows. After having nothing left to speak about (and my mind beginning to stress over exams) I suggested going into the woods.
We grabbed flashlights and bug repellant then made our way into the trees. None of us had been in this forest before, so it was easy to get lost, but we did our best to stick near each other and use our flashlights to guide us in the right direction. For about a half an hour, we would walk, trip over twigs, and scare each other from behind bushes. It was fun to let my mind separate itself from the exams that I had been worrying about. After a while of walking without direction and not knowing where to go next, I looked at my phone and noticed that I didn’t have service. I told my friends and we all wanted to freak out, but we decided to stay calm and find our way out of the woods.
This is an adventure I will never forget. Having the adrenaline rush from getting lost in the woods is one of the best feelings I have ever had, even though I wasn’t sure if we would make it out alive. I don’t regret this experience at all because while we were lost, I was able to make deeper connections with my friends and share a great memory. Having this experience under my belt, I don’t think that unprepared hikers should be charged for just wanting to let loose with their friends. Although we didn’t end up needing to be rescued, it was good to know that if we had service and couldn’t find a way out, that officers would find us and bring us home. If people knew that they would be charged heavily for being rescued, less people would take these risks.
It doesn’t hurt to be prepared, though! Bring flashlights, water, snacks, and friends to keep you company on any risky excursions.
