First, I shall relate the story as it was told to me by an uninvolved third party, some years after the actual event. Then, I will explain what really happened.
The Story:
Two young Boy Scouts were taking their orientation test together. They were blindfolded and driven to a starting point, then told they had 24 hours to make their way back to base camp. They were allowed to carry their pocketknives, a canteen, and a basic kit (survival blanket, magnesium striker, whistle, etc).
That night, a blizzard struck. Lost and disoriented, these two boys wandered through the howling winds. A search party was formed and sent out to recover them, but they were unsuccessful. The next day, after the blizzard broke, the Forest Service brought in a helicopter while the search team continued to look.
They were finally found towards 10pm that day, several miles off the best course, nearly dead and badly frostbitten, but alive. They were rushed to the hospital and both pulled through. To this day, the Forest Service doesn’t allow Boy Scout orientation tests in that national park any longer (Farragut State Park, if it matters), because of the bad publicity surrounding the event.
The Straight Dope:
My best friend and I were blindfolded and driven to a starting point (about five miles from camp), it’s true. And we had only basic gear on us, also true - map, compass, knives, etc. And there was a blizzard.
As soon as the blizzard started, we headed to the nearest ranger station, as indicated on the map, knocked on the door, and spent the night warm and cozy in front of a fireplace. The ranger drove us to camp the next day, where we were glared at by the other guys because they’d spent all night shivering in their tents.
Farragut State Park, as far as I know, allows winter camping except in certain areas (like most national forests), and there was no publicity to speak of.
The story came back to me about six years after the actual event, and for the life of me I don’t know how it started. I know it was about my friend and I, however, because the names were OUR names, and the date it supposedly happened was the date we were on the camping trip.
Kinda trippy. 