That didnât work.
And with the winter solstice two weeks away, dark comes early to the Elkhorn Mountains.
Besides which, the couple, unfamiliar with the area, didnât know how far they might have to hike to reach safety.
The nearest home was in reality about 19 miles away.
âWalking wasnât viable,â Belknap, 28, said in a phone interview Tuesday evening.
The coupleâs other option happened to be orbiting the Earth about 870 miles up.
Belknap and McDonald, in addition to their camping gear, had brought along a Garmin GPS unit equipped with an inReach satellite connection. By pressing a button on the device, they sent a signal, via a network of orbiting satellites, that alerted law enforcement that they needed help. The signal also pinpointed their location.