‘Life isn't worth losing for a cool Instagram picture,' says hiker who called Coconino County Search and Rescue twice in two days

Vasto, an “independent contractor” and self-described “experienced hiker,” was visiting Phoenix on business when he decided that he would attempt to summit Humphreys Peak in Flagstaff. Standing at 12,633 feet, Humphreys Peak is the tallest in Arizona. The trail to its summit runs over 10 miles roundtrip with over 3,000 feet of elevation gain. To Vasto, who completed his first major hike two years prior at the Grand Canyon, the Humphreys Trail was “just another challenge” that he wanted to attempt.

Using YouTube and the popular trail guide app AllTrails, Vasto conducted some research that suggested the summit of Humphreys Peak could be reached in two to three hours. However, most of his research pertained to trail conditions in milder seasons and did not accurately reflect the snowy conditions that Vasto encountered. When he began his first attempt at about 2:30 p.m. on March 2, Vasto struggled for about an hour to find the trailhead underneath the snowpack. He eventually located the trail but struggled to keep his bearing in the heavy snow.

“It was very easy to get off the trail and fall into the snow,” Vasto said.

Unequipped with a light source, when night began to fall Vasto became increasingly concerned about his direction. At approximately 6:50 p.m. he called 911 and reported that he was lost on the trail but would try to navigate his way back. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit was dispatched to respond to the incident and determined that Vasto was located near the Humphreys Trail at around 10,600 feet in elevation. Upon finding Vasto, Search and Rescue personnel spoke to him about the dangers of hiking without proper equipment and planning. They encouraged Vasto to wait a couple months and revisit the trail in a better season, said responding officer Sgt. Aaron Dick.

But less than 24 hours later, Vasto attempted to summit Humphreys Peak again. This time, he started the trail at about 9 a.m.

“I was thinking if I start early in the morning, I'll have all the time in the world to reach the summit,” Vasto said.

On the way up, Vasto met two hikers: husband and wife team Jonathan and Alberta O’neill. Together, the three relied on Vasto’s AllTraills phone app to navigate up the trail. When they reached the saddle at about 2:30 p.m., a passing hiker informed them that they still had at least an hour of hiking before the summit. They continued up the ridgeline, but when they still hadn’t reached the summit at around 3:30 p.m., the O’neills decided to turn around.

“I definitely did not want to get caught on the mountain past dark,” Jonathan O’neill said. “I decided that we had to put ego aside, respect the mountain and get down safe.”

Vasto decided to continue on. But about 15 minutes after the O’neills' departure, he turned around as well.

“The reason why I turned back, what was slowing me down so much, was just how powerful the wind was blowing,” Vasto said, estimating gusts of about 25 mph. “It was an incredibly, incredibly violent gust.”

While he navigated the rocky, snow-covered ridgeline, Vasto slipped off the trail and sustained minor abrasions to his leg. As he recuperated from his fall, he began to feel lightheaded and “numb all over.” When he checked his phone he found that only 5% of its battery life remained, ostensibly drained from its use as a primary navigational tool. At about 5 p.m Vasto called Search and Rescue -- again.

“I did not know just how cold it would be to be up there at that time of year,” Vasto said. “I decided, at the very minimum, let me call somebody because that way they can at least know that I'm out here.”

Around that time another hiker, Phillip Wyatt, came across Vasto and recognized his state of peril.

“It was very apparent that he wasn't prepared for the climate that he had gotten himself into,” Wyatt said, noting that Vasto appeared utterly exhausted. “I don't think he was physically capable of getting back down before sunset.”

Wyatt decided to stay with Vasto and provided his number to the Search and Rescue team so that they could make contact in the likely scenario that Vasto’s phone ran out of battery life.

Meanwhile, Coconino County Search and Rescue, having received Vasto’s second call in two days, decided that his location, alongside increasing winds in the overnight forecast, warranted immediate extraction. They requested assistance from the Arizona Department of Public Safety Northern Air Rescue Unit and a helicopter was sent to retrieve Vasto and Wyatt.

Once safely delivered to the Arizona Snowbowl parking lot, a Search and Rescue team provided Vasto with a preventative education. He was then “encouraged to not attempt the hike again.”

Incidents like Vasto’s are not as uncommon as one might think, said Dick, who has nearly 30 years of experience. In the San Francisco Peaks Wilderness area, which contains Humphreys Trail, 62 search and rescue missions have been conducted in the past 10 years. Over that time, Dick has noted the impact made by the proliferation of cellphones, social media, and trail finding apps. Ironically, he estimates that as trail information has become more easily available, people have felt less need to research trails with diligence. Hikers may also be soothed into a false sense of security by the knowledge that help is just a phone call away.

“One of the potential pitfalls of the technology is that people take a shortcut and don't spend as much time preparing, gathering info or building up their skills to be sufficient in these kind of austere environments,” Dick said. “They know that if things don't go well, or they're not enjoying themselves and it's not working out the way they wanted to, they can push a button, make a call and summon assistance quickly.”

On the other hand, the ability to communicate through cell phones makes search operations safer and “a lot less complex” for both rescuers and those in need.

“I don’t think the technology is all bad,” Dick said. “Responsible use of the technology is the thing we want to get across.”

For Dick, that means going back to “offline” basics, making sure hikers carry and learn proper use of paper maps and compasses as part of their essential equipment. He also recommends researching trails through agency sites, such as the Forest Service, and checking weather forecasts before engaging in any wilderness activity. And most importantly, if things don’t look good, change your plans.

“The nice thing about mountains and canyons is that they will be here next week, next month, next year,” Dick said. Incidents like Vasto’s most commonly occur when people demonstrate an “unwillingness to back down.”

After two humbling hikes, Vasto also recognized the need for humility in the wilderness. The day after his second rescue, Vasto took to Instagram to post about his experience. He uploaded several pictures of himself smiling and appearing triumphant on the snow-capped mountain and included a caption that noted he failed to reach the summit and “had to turn around near the top.”

“I highly advise NOT attempting Humphreys Peak in the winter,” he wrote. “It was arguably scarier and more dangerous than Kilamanjaro at this time of year. I'm not ashamed of turning back. After all, life isn't worth losing for a cool Instagram picture. Part of being a hiker is realizing your own human limitations and respecting the mountain and the climate.”

Vasto didn’t include that on his path toward realizing his limitations, he had to call for Search and Rescue, twice. That’s an expensive lesson, but Vasto won’t have to foot the bill -- in Arizona, search and rescue operations cost about $1,000 an hour and are funded by state taxpayer dollars.

When asked about the omission, Vasto told the Daily Sun that he could adequately tell his story on social media without the full details.

“We make posts on social media about how we want others to see us,” he said, and added that he feared the full story would incur judgement over Instagram.

To his credit, Vasto has done his part to help other hikers not repeat his mistakes. On the AllTrails app he left a review strongly encouraging hikers to take the advice he ignored and “wait for warmer months before attempting” the Humphreys Trail.

Vasto plans to return to the trail with Wyatt in May.

“I really respect Phil’s perseverance,” Wyatt said. “I hope that he’s able to make it to the top sometime.”