tracking snow,lost ,searching for the lost

Few people get lost in winter as few venture out or far.Those looking for Bigfoot should stay close to open water areas of rivers or streams.But it still happens... with those most vulnerable,those with disabilities and especially Alzheimers.For you able bodied woodsmen who visit here.You know that the sun and the moon rise in the east of the southern sky and set in the west of the southern sky.You know that if either is visable you need only line up the glowing orb with a tree and sit in one spot until it emerges from one side or the other of a blocking tree.Getting a LOST person to sit still is another thing.Tracking snow or the sand we have here comes in handy,especially when other searchers have tracked up an area.What to look for is a track that is stumbling , or dragging a foot or just a shoe lace across the snow or sand.Look also for discarded items of clothing or gear,even a rifle.Beaten trails can dead end suddenly,so look up for a deer stand or all around for old boards or discarded bottles or cans.I have found ladders not used in decades that someone dragged miles back into the woods and abandoned.People die,quit hunting or whatever.What does not change is the beaten path attract useage by deer and other animals and their hunters for decades afterward.IF YOU are lost in winter and snow,my advice is to back track your trail.Nine times out of ten you have already picked out the easiest route and in winter landmarks all look the same.I carry these things in winter,an emergency blanket{these fit nicely in a front or back pocket},a compass and a last will and testament!Stay safe,stay warm,stay home!