Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board PLBs during Shutdown

My assumption is that NOAA is not monitoring the PLB channels during the @#$%^&&* government shutdown. I don't know that for sure. I just tried a search on "NOAA PLB Monitoring" but didn't find anything useful. Does anyone have any information on this? If my PLB isn't being monitored I might as well leave it home and make my pack that much lighter. (Note: I have a regular Personal Locator Beacon thingy, not a Spot.)

Burt,
slightly different topic but thought you may know. Are the
federal court systems shut down also?/ If not what would it
take for a national org. like say the sierra club to ask for
an injunction(??) to get our recreational lands opened back up
on a "use at your own risk" basis.. just a thought.

Rick

I wasn't trying to start a political discussion, although I agree with you, I was really trying to find out if NOAA is monitoring Personal Locator Beacon transmissions during the shutdown. I was planning on taking a hike on Monday which is off the established trail and more than routinely difficult (Register Ridge up Mt. Baldy). If I do, it's likely I won't see anyone from the time I leave the trail at the bottom end of the route until I meet the Backbone Trail at the top. If I can't rely on my PLB for emergency backup I'll change my plan and just do the Ski Hut trail to the top. There's always other people on that trail.

Which device are you using. Turns out multiple satellites actually intercept the signals including those run by foreign governments. In the past, even during hostilities, data would be forwarded to the appropriate country often resulting in more than one report for a single incident. Some of the commercial systems have there own centers to receive data in real-time.

Are you perhaps using SPOT?

Pushing the equivalent of the 911 button does comprise an emergency and responses to emergencies are still authorized.

I wouldn't worry too much about register ridge. The trail is used quite a bit. Though there may be a light dusting of snow tonight. It was bone dry yesterday.

Could have sworn I read somewhere the the U.S. Air Force also has a Command Center that monitors for the PLB signals and will forward that info on to the appropriate Civilian organization...

SPOT is a toy... that you hope will work if you ever need it.

I carry a Kannad Marine Safe Link, not a Spot. It's serial # is registered with NOAA. I can't say I use it because I've never needed to. And hope not to.

I've hiked Register Ridge before, including earlier this year. I have never encountered another hiker between the turn-off at the bottom and the junction with the Backbone Trail at the top. That wouldn't matter if I got killed up there - it wouldn't make any difference to me how long it took for someone to come by and find me. But if I broke my leg I wouldn't want to wait for a couple days for the next hiker. That's why I carry a PLB.