The INSANE Consequences for a Mistake in a National Park | Confronting Eric Hanson
Вставка
- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Eric Hanson was nearly thrown in JAIL for committing a crime in Grand Canyon National Park. What was his crime, you ask? Camping out of bounds. Yes, you read that correctly; the federal government tried to make an example out of him and get him locked up, simply because he is a public figure on TV and on UA-cam. In this episode he explains the FULL STORY of what happened.
Eric Hanson has his own UA-cam channel and, until recently, was the host of the TV show Epic Trails and the UA-cam channel BackpackingTV.
Eric Hanson on UA-cam: @eric_hanson
Trail Tales episode 157 (Kyle Hates Hiking podcast)
Listen to the show on:
Apple Podcasts - podcasts.apple...
Spotify - open.spotify.c...
Subscribe to my UA-cam channel: / @kylehateshiking
Follow me on Instagram 📸: / kylehateshiking
My Gear spreadsheet: lighterpack.co...
BIG FOUR 🤘
Backpack: ula-equipment....
My FAVORITE Tent: zpacks.com/pro...
Sleeping Pad: amzn.to/35rlMIw
OTHER SLEEPING STUFF 💤
Pillow: amzn.to/3he3mgX
FOOD & WATER 🍴
Filter: amzn.to/3pfZ25j
Stove: amzn.to/3simgd1
Cook Pot: amzn.to/3LSjqmJ
Spork: amzn.to/3shROja
Water Storage: amzn.to/3sinBk3
CLOTHING 👔
Shorts: amzn.to/3sdiQrL
Socks: amzn.to/3M2nPUi
Rain Jacket: amzn.to/3JPMBoy
Down Jacket: amzn.to/3UrHG2Q
ELECTRONICS 🔌
Power Bank: amzn.to/3t4fDds
Headlamp: amzn.to/3M9yrke
Wall Plug: amzn.to/3pa3JNJ
MISCELLANEOUS 🤘
Trekking Poles: amzn.to/3hqT39n
Ultralight Knife: amzn.to/3t0m3dL
Trowel: amzn.to/3CL0Ys6
Shoulder Pocket for Backpack: ula-equipment....
For sponsorships, business inquiries, or guest/episode ideas reach out to: trailtalespod@gmail.com
This video and description contains affiliate links, which means if you click on one of the product links, I'll receive a small commission at no cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!
Thanks for having me on and letting me share my tale!
thanks so much man. Sorry you had to go through that
Freeze dirt bag 😂😂😂😂
Is this for trying to kill Dan on that one hike ? Guilty for attempted murder
Been a fan of both you and Kyle for a couple years now so it was cool to see you in a video together- but I’m sorry to hear you had to go through all of this undeserved BS. Keep up the great content ( both of you😀)
Subscribing to your channel, so hopefully youtube does work out for you 😅
Sorry to hear this crap though, it's pathetic that you have a criminal record for camping.
A kid broke into a guy's house here, damage the floor because he was soaking it with the hose from outside to pull the floor safe out, stole multiple weapons and in court the judge said this is your first offense right? And drop the charges. And you get in trouble over this crap? Bulshit
We have over 10 million illegal immigrants in the country over the past few years that are receiving free benefits and committing crimes without any repercussions but camping behind a gas station is the focus of our judicial system? Fucking ridiculous.
All it takes is one person who loves the power to ruin your life simply because of their big ego.
You’re describing our entire justice systems core.
Welcome to a democrat controlled court system where in most places the good get locked up and the real criminals go free.
Our judicial system is totally corrupt now
For those people who have a power kink, this is pure abuse of authority.
Welcome to capitalism - it thrives on people like that!
I got a $380 ticket from a Forrest service ranger in Oregon a few years ago. I was parked near a river on gravel roads and was out picking up driftwood when the ranger came and told me I could t park where I was. He asked me to back up about 50’ to this other spot. So I got in my pickup and backed it up. Then the ranger pulls up next to me, flips his lights on, and starts asking for my license and registration. I asked him why is he pulling me over and he said I was in motion without my seatbelt. Efffing $380 ticket and I had to go to a federal court 3 times before the judge finally listened to what happened and he tossed out the ticket cause the ranger wasn’t present. WTF?
In one state it was ruled backing up without a seatbelt can not be ticketed because seatbelts are only effective when driving forward
And to top it off, a national forest isn't supposed to be "government property" the same as a military installation. The USDA isn't supposed to have its own police out enforcing local laws, that's the sheriff's role. These are effectively highly-paid federal agents harassing campers.
@@patrickday4206 in that case they would just argue that you improperly backed up down the roadway.
This is exactly why i don't like to deal with them... they're not fair and for the public....when justice is subverted for revenue, we're in TROUBLE!
buckle up( no pun intended) folks, we're in for a bumby ride!
He did his job. He knew it would be thrown out that’s why he failed to appear. He got credit for the mover and restitution was your inconvenience returning to court.
An Assistant US Attorney once warned me that any violation of law in a National Park is automatically a Class B misdemeanor. He cautioned me about speeding or rolling through a stop sign.
He told me he was repeatedly pushed by the Park Service to prosecute seemingly innocent individuals and cause them to have a criminal record for what would be minor infractions in the real world.
I do my best to pass his warning on.
Please be extremely careful to fully obey the law while in a National Park. The consequences of any violation are very severe.
This is like telling rape victims how to prevent rape.
Everyone needs to go after the criminal age put a stop to this.
Get those Rangers charged and out of their jobs for being abusive.
And I don't care what their title is.
This is abuse.
And immoral. And unethical. And just overall sickening
@@thehuntressdanni2972did they make him camp in the wrong area?? Just curious. Seems like getting mad at cops when the law is broken. I guess some folks just think that way. 😢
The big question is WHY? Why be so punitive? What are parks trying to hide?
@@_trismegistus sometimes I wonder if Congress just has their heads up their collective...
I expect most law enforcement rangers understand that, and are willing to be a little bit lenient in some cases where there is no danger or damage. However, sometimes a law enforcement ranger or somebody involved in the administration of the park have a little bit of an ego trip and decide to exercise their authority in a way that shows the public who is Boss.
The way The story plays out in this video it would not surprise me to find that it was a park superintendent that decided to throw the book at these men.
Some free country we have here in the "land of the free" I mean fee
Getting prosecuted for trying your best to follow conflicting law enforcment officers orders is crazy. It really shows that people cant trust what officers tell them. The governmet will punish you for their own misdirection. Ignorance is only an excuse for those in uniform.
Both rangers said they couldn't bend the law for him. He then made shit up in his head to convince himself the second one would look the other way. Just follow the damned law, and you'll be fine. The first ranger told him exactly what he had to do, he agreed to do it, then he tried multiple ways to weasel out of that, and got caught. Pretty simple, if you do nothing illegal, they can't charge you with a crime.
@@EfficientRVerif you listen to his more detailed account of the incident the group believed they were in the right location.
@EfficientRVer so if the second officer outranks the first, who do you listen to? How is a citizen to know which officer is the correct one. What kind of rangers don't make sure the remainder of the group makes it to their site after an evacuation.... it's not like the ranger would have to walk more than 200 yards from the road to get to the site.
@@EfficientRVerTHANK YOU!
@@christianray7905first, clearly you go with the ranking officer because thats why they have the rank in the first place. Second, the ranger that did the rescue was with the patient.
The U.S. government lost the ability to not allow ANY content filming in our National Parks at the Supreme Court. This pissed them off so they will use any excuse to go after any creator for the slightest infraction.
Do you have any more info on that case?
@@Melanie-Shea No, but several content creators including Missing 911 did videos on it.
I heard about this when the government was trying to make this a law. Probably some outdoor YT channels mentioned it at the time. I think they were trying to make people making even the most basic/amature videos have to pay a fee.
@@inthedirt3224 Yup .
@stanw909 ... super delayed comment here, my apologies. I'd be curious what court case/s all of this arose from. Considering our present SCOTUS, we all need to be paying attention to WTF is going on in the U.S. and supporting those who get caught up in any legal matters. JFC, we are walking a freaking tightrope... 😞
It’s interesting that people can erect tents in downtown areas but not somewhere in the wilderness out of necessity.
Because then you can't be controlled
This is so ridiculous. I live in the state of Arizona and cannot believe that this kind of prosecution and “crime” is what we are focused on and spending resources on. This “crime” meaning me rolling my eyes as unbelievable. Super sorry and embarrassed that this happened in my state :( .
If it makes you feel any better, yes it did happen in Arizona, but he was charged by the federal government for a "crime" on federal property. So technically, every US tax payer is getting ripped off here.
Lol that doesn’t make me feel better at all. But at least we are all in the crap shoot together!
Arizona born and raised and for most of my life believed in a much different reality when it comes to the justice system. The truth is far scarier and unjust and something I wish no one had to experience personally. On top of that, Arizona is one of the worst, FACT.
Houndreds of thousands are allowed to illegally cross the boarder and camp anywhere in any city, but oh no let’s not let that warlord cartels boss monster hiker camp 200ft away from his asked and paid permit lol this gov is so retarded sometimes. Those park rangers should loose their jobs. The judge should quit.
Victimless crimes are atrocious, this makes my blood boil.
This is a gross waste of human resources, time, and tax dollars spent to prosecute an honest person. I respect Eric's admission of unintentional wrongdoing and overall lighthearted approach to reporting the traumatic experience. How do we lobby to have this misdemeanor expunged? Presidential pardon😂? I can't believe the judge even entertained this case.
it's ridiculous
It is ridiculous
Thank the leftists demoncraps for the spending of any money and wasting time!
I believe that pres candidate that says he would fire 50% of the federal government by random selection and it wouldn't make a difference at all (except for saved taxes).
@@johnnycab8986 President Trump 2024
The government is now cracking down on dispersed camping in some areas. They want us in campgrounds where they can easily patrol. Our grandchildren may never know the feeling of staring at stars miles from anyone and it saddens me.
The sierra nevadas have camp grounds with stars ❤
@@lifesahobby and enjoy neighbors 20 feet away in the next spot
@@jeffbybee5207 I had a good time there , but I know what you mean.
In Ireland , there are no wild camp sites at all , so think yourself lucky . We have to hike our gear out into the wild
@@lifesahobby a wild camp "site" is just a campsite
Wild camping is just anywhere you decide to pitch your tent 🤷
Fight back
As a tax payer and American citizen, this actually pisses me off. National Parks are Federally protected but they are Public land. They belong to us and if someone is not littering and/or actively/purposely vandalizing or destroying said public land, then there should be no violation of any law. Period. And to know that tax payer money was spent on prosecuting this BS is infuriating. We have much better things to be using tax payer money on in this country. We all need to contact our Gov't representatives and get our state and federal laws changed or modified so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else who is out in our public lands ever again.
Very good point.
lol this government will shoot your child in the face and get away with it. you really think you have representation?
Except our taxes do not pay for anything. When I learned what that meant I realized how this is all about to end.
I agree, I live and work within the national park so I guess I'm lucky, but as long as people don't litter, let em live.
Federal land isn't public land. It's the Feds private land. Please don't be naive.
In my 40+ years of backpacking, Park employees went from having biology degrees to military training. Now those jobs are filled with people totally misunderstanding why they are not in an adventure movie or climbing el cap.
DEI
They hired lots of ex cops I loved interacting with rangers when I was a kid always nice pleasant. Now I avoid them because they are rude a petty.
Eric arguably saved Dan's life that night by making sure rescue could get to him and even making his tent and this how that park ranger decided to treat him for staying an extra day in the middle of nowhere. We have less and less freedom everyday.
What we have is power-crazed petty officials. That kind of person should not have any power.
I’ve been less then thrilled with the NPS for awhile now.
Don’t even get me started on the legal system.
US sucks. Always has but it's gotten far worse. Tennessee has a camping felony law now. I really can't hike out to far anymore, to camp and all roadside dispersed camping in NE Tennessee has been closed or privatized or otherwise been made unusable. I'm a 57 y'old veteran and I'm not investing anymore of my life in America. Going to drive or sail down to Costa Rica and live there. This entire nation is sick.
@@danhaywood5696 the loss of dispersed camping sucks. My best friend is from Costa Rica, it’s a beautiful country!
@@danhaywood5696 That's the state government of Tennessee that did that, not the federal government or NPS. It was made a felony to camp on land owned by the state, and this was done specifically as a response to the protesters who camped outside the state capitol for two months.
It was later expanded to include local public lands and parks, as part of a crackdown on homeless people sleeping in parks. None of it applies to any federally managed lands.
There is no situation so bad and so dark that the presence of cops can't make it far worse.
I love this quote
@Vlasko60 Worse, always worse. Never call the police, handle things yourself.
@@zipzap8937 Oof, very bad advise, people who THINK they can handle a situation themselves if they lived by that logic will end up in a bad place if not dead.
@@HazardWolfCorp That's what happens when you call the police. *If they even show the fuck up in time when you can't handle a situation yourself.
Edit* On the contrary my friend, your lack of ability to take care of yourself in this world will put you in a bad place every time.
Nope. We have sheriff Grady Judd and others similar and they are amazing. If your cops suck then you aren’t electing the right people
He could get some great content out of this
“Biggest mistakes backpackers make when they’re new to the justice system”
The algorithms wouldn’t know what hit ‘em.
😂😂
I was glad that you were able to share this story. What a nightmare for sure.
This is what happens when you get involved with the government. Many years ago the race car driver Bobby Unser was snowmobiling in northern New Mexico. He was caught in a blizzard and ended up in a wilderness area. He was rescued and then charged for taking a motor vehicle into a wilderness area he was fined 10000 dollars. This is our government at work
Good. i want my wilderness to stay a wilderness. not a motorsport area for rich people and their snowmobiles. Do you know how much damage a snowmobile can do to the flora and fauna with its weight, gas smell and roaring noise? then when it breaks down, the damage that is done getting it out? if he can snowmobile, everybody else will be snowmobiling and doing whatever they want, going to stores and taking whatever without paying, crapping in elevators, why follow rules.
Why should he have not been charged? Does he deserve special privileges to break the rules and put rescuers in danger? I guess that defense didn't work too well in court.
Consequences, like I always say. As soon as there are consequences, these types of people will not even be in positions of power, be it judges, politicians, they will be gone in an instant if for a minute they thought that there might be consequences for their criminal treasonous actions.
No, this is capitalism at work heh
@@3nertia what does capitalism have to do with this?
Wow, I watched that series months ago and with everything they went through and the emotional state they were in when making the decisions on where to go, I can't even believe that happened. That's awful!!! A criminal record??!!! Just wow
I am under attack also. Why? I reported human trafficking.
The government local leaders are all in on it.
There are hundreds of slaves '(white ones) in every city both small and large.
This is a CRAZY story and I have two things to say about it - First, People in my life often get pissed at me because I'm always "confirming" everything. At the end of a meeting, before going on a hike, heck, before going to the mall "OK, so to be clear we are meeting here at 3PM" - Like Ya bro - we just talked about it. But you would be so amazed at how many times I "confirm" and everyone was "assuming" something different. This is one of those times when talking with that ranger you should have said "OK, so just to be clear, we can camp etc etc." The amount of miscommunication in this world is staggering. Second - I was planning on taking my family to the Grand Canyon this coming summer but this scares the crap out of me. You camped in the wrong spot and now have a criminal record and could have went to jail. AND....all this AFTER your friend had to be rescued. I mean...come on. If I need to pull over to get my kid a drink from the trunk am I going to go to Rikers Island? Kids in foster care? This freaks me out man. So sorry you ran into stupid people would couldn't use common sense.
You should be scared and aware but the risk is worth the reward, just be cautious. The grand canyon will be something you and your kids will remember for life, most likely positively.
Law enforcement and government agencies aren't your friend. They don't serve the public. They exist to control you. They ground you into the dirt by arresting and charging you. Once you are a criminal you have lost most of your rights. Welcome to Nazi America.
Nope you are not going to get arrested for pulling over to get a drink for your kid. The Grand Canyon is great and you will enjoy it. If you are going to go backpacking plan for it accordingly as opposed to winging it like these guys seemed to have done. In my opinion they did not take this hike as seriously as they should have and did some pretty poor planning for it as well as the Murphy’s law situations that can happen especially in the winter. They relied too much on Garmin In Reach as their life line. I don’t feel too bad for him because he made a bunch of money doing a video for some company and as well as the money made on his channel. In my opinion the North Rim is more beautiful than the south but the road is closed to it in winter through spring. So where they were going on their hike is truly isolated and these Rangers saved Dan Becker’s life by getting him on a helicopter to where he needed to go. And you know I’m sure the 8000 other people had good excuses why they camped out of bounds too.
when you break rules there are consequences,the backcamper in question is a seasoned professional and shoud know better than anyone what not to do. I think the enire hike they were unprepared for the weather and were way over there heads.
You should never visit any national parks, the risk is just too great. Same for airports, shopping malls, and public schools.
This is absolutely ridiculous! You camped out of bounds primarily because you attended to a medical emergency that resulted in an evacuation. I'm flabbergasted
no, they camped out of bounds the 2nd night after visiting a vista, moving from the original area they stayed (for the emergency), and only THEN failing to camp within a designated area. The night AFTER the emergency.
How people conflate these two things is beyond my understanding
No, primarily because he was too lazy to snowshoe the last 200 yards to the campground he knew he had to camp at.
@@SeanTheEvanswho gives af pu$$y
After mixed messages from a few different park employees, Eric believed he was doing what he was told. There was no intent... "No harm. No foul." What would happen if he brought charges against those who gave him unclear and incorrect instructions that resulted in his prosecution?
Don't they usually have immunity? I'd almost bet they do.
There is no "charge" for "unclear and incorrect instructions"
What kind of fool thinks you can criminally charge someone for getting information wrong? You're camping, it's your responsibility to do it per the rules. Not a criminal complaint if someone doesn't hold your hand the whole time.
The gall of some people. Yes, they have immunity to things that aren't crimes.@@jomama5186
the prosecutor's wife probably left him for a backpacker a year before, lol.
A backpacking UA-camr😂😂😂
yeah we did forget to mention that Eric recently married the prosecutors wife, my bad.
kidding, obviously
The Park Service would have been better off, and looked better, to just issue the citation and charge a fine. Now they, and the courts look stupid. In fact, under the circumstances of the rescue, they should have done nothing at all.
no, they camped out of bounds the 2nd night after visiting a vista, moving from the original area they stayed (for the emergency), and only THEN failing to camp within a designated area. The night AFTER the emergency.
How people conflate these two things is beyond my understanding
@@SeanTheEvans No one said they didn't. The punishment is over the top considering where they camped and the fact that no damage was done. They have those rules mainly to prevent damage to the environment, maintain order during busy seasons and safety. They were there during the off season, they didn't damage the environment and they were never thought to be missing causing an expensive search. Yes they broke the law but given the underlying circumstances the prosecutor should have offered a plea for an infarction and fine from the beginning. I understand the reasons for the law but in this circumstance, "throwing the book" at him seems extreme.
ah, so they shouldn't follow the rules because you deemed it unnecessary for them in this specific instance? Good for you. Now the ranger deemed it necessary, and they have more experience and authority, so feel free to write them a letter of complaint.
Or you can keep commenting at me on UA-cam like a real winner. @@PHUCKyoutube689
"In fact, under the circumstances of the rescue, they should have done nothing at all." That's a quote from the person I was replying to. Please explain how the location they stayed on the 2nd night was related to the rescue? These ideas are being conflated. @@PHUCKyoutube689
While guiding I've often been afraid of legal consequences to unforseen random events. Hearing this story hits home. I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this!
I used to work for the National Park service, they love making specticals out of people for minor BS. I'm actually surprised they didn't give you jail time. I walked away from that work for this reason. BTW I can't enter Canada now because of crap like this. Love both of your channels. Good luck.
I worked for TSA, and that checks out. Government workers SUCK BA**S. Some are really sweet but most suck and are awful people who shouldn't have the job they do BUT no one else is "qualified," because they all do weed 😂😂😂😂. To be a government worker, you must be the goody-two-shoes, NEVER moved or left home, never done anything to be recognized anywhere, be an absolute stick in the mud and follow BLACK and white rules (emphasis on black) with no critical thinking skills. It's so corrupt.
Canada? You're not missing anything
@@missingremote4388i can’t either, we’re not missing out on the people or lack of rights, especially self defense, but I sure wish I could visit some of those parks and mountain ranges.
Canada? If somebody breaks into your house in the middle of the night you might as well go out the back door because if you hurt the robber you end up in jail. In US they expect you to shoot him. It's true they are taking our rights but we always fight for them. Canada has always been worse and canadians think "it's the way it is". Teenagers are tought in school to tell parents how to run the household. You can't discipline a 10-yearl old child because they know "children' rights".
My Mom’s biggest dream for me and my siblings was for us to be park rangers. She wanted us to get college degrees just to reach that goal. I had to break it to her that i love nature too much to become a national parks cop. I had no interest in becoming someone who polices the parks. That the job is mostly selling entrance tickets, and walking around busting people for things while wearing the most unflattering pants known to humanity. No thanks.
Fantastic topic/subject Kyle. I saw his video recently going over what happened. Eric is a great guy and his story definitely needs continued exposure and discussion.
Thank you so much for listening. Eric is very humble about all of this, it's total BS
Yeah man, these national parks are horrible places to visit because of the rangers. My brother and I had federal warrants put out for us at Yellowstone for walking along the riverside (which is allowed). We came across a tiny unmarked hot spring that fed into the river and walked around it. Apparently you're not allowed within 15 feet of any hot spring and we got ticketed. Long story short, they messed everything up with the court dates and erroneously put out federal warrants for us. We ended up resolving it but damn, what a shitshow. I'll never go back.
Yet illegal “Urban” camping takes place everyday in most cities and they trash everything and nothing happens. This is absolutely ridiculous.
"Urban" campers... You mean homeless right? That's like saying all backpackers are a bunch of freeloading hippies that forgot to move out of mom's basement. Homeless are not always this dirty nasty old man pushing a shopping cart... It's a single mom on the run from the father of her child living out of her car. Or The guy that couldn't come back from a bout of depression. Yeah some are nasty, but the majority you wouldn't even know that they were homeless.
Homelessness or actual Urban camping?
Why are some homeless leaving trash behind????
To get attention to their plight. They were thrown out of somewhere. ...
Because they have no trash pick up available.
Because they hate you for not caring that drug pushers are really the men in nice cars and business suits. Nice homes and reputations and protected by our "leaders".
It’s the National Park. You are actually allowed to camp way more places than us. This is a ridiculous use of the law, but the underlying sentiment of the ability to incentivise campers to move on, if camping in vulnerable unique natural areas is well thought out. There’s a difference between incentivising people to move on and punish them for every tiny thing.
A lot of that trash (certainly not all) is dumped from housed people, trying to hide their dumping by making it look like houseless dumping. Journalists did a story on it.
Thanks for sharing your story Eric. Kyle thanks for getting this pod cast together. Awesome content.
Leave it to the government to throw a man in jail for camping in his own country. 8th Amendment violation.
Ah, in the UK wild camping is illegal accept in Scotland and Dartmoor. They keep trying to push laws against wild camping in Dartmoor, though.
We are a tiny island with lots of greedy people though. As well as a lot of people that don't know how to appreciate nature and 'leave no trace'
Jail time seems excessive especially after he explained the whole circumstances. They weren't hurting anyone and they were trying to do what was best for their situation. The Employee also agreed, very sad that the employee may have been reprimanded or fired for trying to look out for people.
How tf this guy got a criminal record for camping is pathetic. Glad he told his story.
By saying they will charge the max and getting you to plea to a lesser charge out of fear, is considered a win on their record.
What an obscene injustice. The punishment, and possibility of even worse punishment, absolutely DID NOT fit the crime. And I imagine, considering what had occurred with the rescue, how exhausted they had to have been, the amount of snow on the ground at the campground, what they were told by the rangers, you would think they'd be cut some slack after a full explanation. But no. And I cannot imagine the sheer cost of time and money it took to hire a lawyer and fight this. All the stress, missing work, expensive flights back and forth, appearance after appearance in court, and then ultimately a criminal record, what he had to sacrifice was beyond shitty.
People love the outdoors for the freedom, but in National Parks if you accidentally stray off the designated trail then you risk federal imprisonment. That doesn't sound like fun to me when an honest mistake can ruin your life.
Law wonders why they garner so little respect. As I look back on 50 years of being an outcast criminal and magically today I am not. "Camping out of bounds" in the wild makes about as much sense as the devil's weed yesterday, legal today.
Also it's very interesting. Our homeboy here got the white version of what we in the city call prosecuted for Walking While Black or Driving While Black. It sounds exactly like that only on a more elevated and polite scale due to the target. In spite of the civility, you still got a record. Laws are made by men, therefore they reflect the agenda of men. The more hyper focused a law is, the less legitimate. Don't kill makes sense. Don't walk on this inch of snow next to that inch you're allowed on, doesn't.
😂😂 good point
You realize that theres NO connection between a Park Ranger and the Cop in your neighborhood right? That the laws in one State are different from those in another? That the Cop in your City has actually very little in common regarding how they do their job from the Cops 3 suburbs over?
@@thomasgerace4354 None of that made the least bit of sense, I think you're on the wrong thread.
I know a guy that fell asleep on a park bench. He got the same charges. I don’t go to national parks anymore just because the stupid laws there.
😮
They didn't want their overreach exposed to the public and tried to ban you from uploading the evidence for the public
Funny now we know all about them. Nasty is what I know now.
Have to say, I find both Eric's and Kyle's candor about the creative and financial considerations of UA-cam channel production to be quite refreshing!
This story is the natural consequence of granting government more and more power. Bureacrats are not accountable to the public in any real way, so they end up not having very good checks on their behavior. We as citizens need to advocate for better feedback loops of accountability between elected officials who can feel public pressure and these large federal bureacracies where there are many layers of authority between some park official and the people that they are policing.
I love outdoor space and I am glad for public land that is not all locked up in private hands, but over time as the bureacracy grows they tend to begin to make decisions as if the land belongs not to the public at large, but to the agency itself. The officials become the experts and whether they intend to or not they begin to see themselves as the protectors of their territories so they are eventually pitted against the other users of the land.
This certainly is not the intent of many public officials who view themselves as the good guys, but lots of evil gets done in the name of doing something good, especially when groups get isolated from external accountability. Internal justification makes it hard to see the injustice even when it is so clear (as in this case) from the outside. Also, no one individual ends up having to take accountability, it's just the system or the rules or somebody else's fault. I'm just following orders!
I know many hikers and outdoor enthusiasts have a public good or more socialist mind set, but episodes like this prove that you have to understand the tendency of individuals and organizations to collect power and that power will eventually corrupt. The checks and balances that were originally built into the US constitution to stop this kind of abuse are no longer working when it comes to the large federal bureacracies.
Wholeheartedly agree... More Government is NEVER the answer. Rather than fixing problems they either make them worse, or they create new problems to ensure they can grow and have more power and control.
This shows that you should always video tape your interactions with government staff. If you had done, this might have been thrown out even by the new prosecutor.😊
Never, ever answer LEO questions. He should have never admitted the person in question was him. Had he not said a word, there could have been no prosecution.
He was doing a highly professional video production PROMOTING responsible use of this beautiful national park. Instead, because of the system, THEY (ranger, prosecutor, and judge) have caused a situation that has TARNISHED the national park and justice systems. Shame on them!
Eric Papillion Hanson, you should have been banished to a French penal colony in French Ghana. Camping in a no Camping zone in the dead of winter, purely criminal for sure. Being in law enforcement, what that Ranger did was BS, plain and simple.
He should have taken it to a jury. There's no way I'd go down without a fight. Any normal jury members would aquit after hearing the complete story.
Cost was probably a factor... A defendant, if they want competent representation, is paying ridiculous amounts for a lawyer to defend them out of their own pocket, whereas the Government, through the continued fleecing of it citizens in the name of "Taxes", has virtually unlimited resources and will do everything in their power to bankrupt you so you can no longer afford to fight against them in a court of law that is already stacked against you.
This has greatly reduced any trust and respect I have for ALL park rangers......
Ashamed is the least of what they should feel. You don’t wreck the rest of someone’s life because they camped over a boundary in quite a bit of snow during an emergency. This could affect his life in ways that don’t match the degree of the crime… it’s a disgusting abuse of power and the law. The punishment should match the crime. Clearly the judge and prosecutor have a certain view of all UA-camrs… biased much?! It’s so ridiculous
super biased! if they had taken the time to watch Eric's channel before they charged him they would realize he is a positive voice on UA-cam
This sounds but exactly like everybody ever busted for weed lol - It just got legalized here yesterday. And all these people running around with records smh
Momma always told me never talk to rangers
@@worm_vaquero lol
@@readdeeply9278 I hope they all get their records expunged!
This story makes me so mad. We were in Zion 2 years ago and a 19 year old kid decided to ride down some slick rock in Gifford Canyon right in front of us. He went the wrong way off a 60 ft cliff and crashed into a slot canyon, broke his elbow, ankle and dislocated his spine... it took us forever to get the Ranger to respond and me and my sons helped extract him on a backboard with help from local ems. I was worried about him and finally found him in St George regional due to an article in the paper. The paper referred to him as an illegal mountain biker and didn't even mention he could have died. The disregard for a kids life and inability to recognize a kids ability to make stupid mistakes and lack of grace was sickening
Wow, absolutely ridiculous! Most certainly government over-reach for sure. Huge waste of tax $$$s.
1. admit nothing ( keep the old pie hole shut ) - - did you admit BEFORE you took a plea ? #smh
2. make the STATE prove their case ( it is THEIR responsibility to do this NOT yours )
3. subpoena ALL witnesses - demand evidence
4. always push for a TRIAL ( you may get a better plea offer - you can likely accept up till day of trial , though prosecutor will act tough and say NO )
5. Once you demand TRIAL you can make MOTION FOR DISCOVERY to see what "evidence" they have against you ( in this case likely NOTHING )
6. Demand that all the involved rangers appear at trial for cross-examination - - SUBPEONA THEM SO THEY HAVE TO SHOW UP ON THEIR DAYS OFF - STATE / FED has to PAY them= case will be dropped
7. they use threat of jail to intimidate people like you who are totally clueless about how it all works - - you apparently went thru an arraignment - entered a plea - had a pre-trial but you don't even know that ?
8. you were NEVER going to jail - - extremely rare that anyone convicted of a misdemeanor serves time
9. why are you NOT naming names ? Judge ? County of Court ? Prosecutor ?
10. for $20 you can buy a nice suit any most thrift shops then toss in trash or re-donate
11. any good Atty would have LOVED to tried this case before a jury ( THIS is what our taxpayer dollars are doing for us ? ) , your were likely any a lower court would had it removed to a higher court = typically meaning NEW Judge & Prosecutor who would both go WTF ? AND POTENTIALLY DISMISS
12 . KNOW / LEARN your RIGHTS & HOW the the US JUSTICE system works
13. NEVER Go to Court without a competent lawyer representing you , If you can't afford one if they are threatening 1yr + jail they have to appoint and pay for one for you
14, 90 % plus chance that the only way that anyone will ever know about the charge is if YOU TELL THEM , will most likely never show up on any background check ( not everyone watches UA-cam )
15 , you may potentially be able to have the charge expunged / wiped from ever happening
16. if not , go back and film an episode of "To catch a Predator" to expose all involved in this debacle - - might blow you up to Mr.Beast level !
You don't have to be a legal genius to know what tyranny is. This is tyranny in the first degree. Many people in this nation are getting sick and tired of things like this. Eric Hansen is NOT a criminal. On behalf of true Americans who want FREEDOM, I apologize to Eric for this ordeal.
Especially if you are already filming, always film your interactions with law enforcement.
What happened to Eric is complete and utter BS. Go show him some love and subscribe to his channel: www.youtube.com/@eric_hanson
See my other post. He agreed to plea deal, and these violations were AFTER the emergency. Imagine if they didn’t leave the tents up at the trailhead and didn’t choose to go on the content hike AFTER the emergency. He got what he created. Also no trail gps to find the general store please… Wait first video no mention of second guy that said fine stay where you are. Now all of a sudden this video, he claims this other undisclosed guy said stay. Hmmm, interesting omission from first video. Wonder why???
Hoooly craaaap! I heard this story on another channel a long time ago. I never knew it ended in criminal charges for Eric. I remember all the craziness with the cars and trying to get Dan out of there. That is CRAZY that they KNEW there was an emergency evac and they went out of their way to punish him.
This is the problem when you're the only people near an enforcement agent that needs to justify their job
Lets all go make tent marks in the snow next year and see who they mail a class b to
36:17 The irony of saying "I think they were assuming" is lost on both these people.
This country is outta control with everything. Victimless crimes make revenue.
Ridiculous! It waa an honest mistake made during a stressful time.. I'm so sorry Eric has to deal with this.
exactly! I feel bad for him
Wasn’t an honest mistake, he made choices after the emergency ended. And instead of hiking out and making sure their friend was ok, they left tents up, then went on a content hike, then didn’t allow enough daylight to get there. And what, they didn’t have a gps or a map showing exact location of permit camp site allegedly 200 yards away. No sympathy here.
I'm amazed that they were able to get to the General store because, you know, 8 Feet of snow. and the campground is behind the Store under 8 Feet of snow!
And nobody was even out camping out there in that weather - why so strict ? Why that camp ground - was it because their permits gained were for EXACT location ( GPS) ?
@@SonarTravelsSo you never violate any law? Do you hike? I remember hauling a 105 pound hall bag on the longs peak trail in Colorado state park. I got a permit to camp at Chasm View but carrying all those ropes and hardware I had to camp below Chasim View The next morning right before I began scrambling up to chasm View so I could make several 60 meter rappels down to Broadway so I could climb Christafer Robinson a grade 5 A3 5.8 bigwall climb. Before I began moving up Jim Deterline and his partner stoped and looked at my permit and asked for my ID which I didn't have He would have arrested me right there but I told himI have my liscence number memorized. I gave him my ID number and he ran it and talked with his buddy and decided not to arrest me but he was going to right me an official warning that forced me to agree with his assesment which was that I was out of shape and unable to handle the hiking and that I would make sure I never overstated my ability to hike again. I had to sign off on this! I hiked 13 miles with 105 pound haul bag in 12 grueling hours but had to say I was out of shape. He said my ability to remember my Driver's liscence ID number saved me from arrest. I won't say anything bad about Deterline he died in a climbing accident he loved to rope solo one of the 5.4 variations to the summit and took a lethal fall. Detterline was a good man but I will never forget that I was almost arrested for physically collapsing below the place I said I would camp. You probably agree with Detterlime and that I should have made it to Chasm View no matter how miserable it would have been. This isn a trail it is a talus scram le. I was able to talk my way out of being arrested but other people were not so lucky. I think that arresting someone for camping in the wrong place is absurd. That park belongs to the tax payers of Colorado their needs to be a certain amount of compassion. I was from California but in California we cut people some slack. You won't be arrested in the mountains unless you commit an actual crime that hurts another person. Oh well if you follow every law by the letter I guess your belief in 100% compliance is well deserved. I prefer a little leeway when it comes to law enforcment. Why not just go back to the times of common law where there was no flexibility or compassion just words on paper and prescribed punishment or a duel a fight to the death. Husband and Wives unable to divorce thanks to Catholic law would fight to the death. The husband would stand in a hole 3 and 1/2' feet deep with a sharpened stick or crude blade and the wife would often use a long shield with wicked shaped points on both ends and they would fight in that position till one was dead. That is the ultimate reality in a common law world. We could see such things again as civilization breaks down and people become wack jobs from the lack of food and constant suffering in a world to hot to maintain civilization. Common law sucked and this instant borderline on that primitive legal system. Thete has to be more than just the letter of the law it's the spirit and interpretation of the law in a living breathing legal system in which external and internal factors play a part in the ultimate decision as to punishment. We don't need judges or prosecuters in a common law system.
I watched the video way back when you did the hike. I agree with Eric that is was an impressive video packed with intense good lessons and also portrayed the rangers and hospital in a good light. It was comforting to know that people are out for our best interest. Dang what a let down to hear what happened after and taking such a stressful unjust turn. I miss the days when humanity and logic came first.
This is something that bugged me since I studied law half a century ago. Officials are not in the least concerned with deciding innocence or guilt but are simply intent on the law being applied regardless of any other mitigating factors.
Some friends of mine got charged with felonies for riding their bikes on a paved trail in a national park just after sundown. It shows up on background checks when they apply to rent apartments.
Aside from a few back country rangers who were some of the best people I ever met in the wilds, my encounters with ranger staffs were usually typified by pedantic attempts to find fault with my kit or my itenary. Early in my hiking career and under pro advice I made it a point to avoid the encounters which I found quite quit easy to do. They generally only frequent the most populous venues in the parks.
A fab interview/ conversation.
Particularly I noticed with the great lighting in the room, it brought out the beautiful + intense blue hue of your eyes.
Practically glowing through the screen!
I’m a disabled veteran and have a national park permit, and I was thinking about visiting some parks next summer. This video makes me afraid now to go. I certainly don’t want to make a mistake and end up in jail.
It's amazing this turned into a criminal charge. I've camped outside of designated grounds or without a proper permit several times. If I'm hiking and it's getting late, and I can't find the marked camp site, I'll just pitch a tent at the nearest flat spot I can find off the trail. Am I supposed to just walk blindly in the dark until morning?
The lesson is "Stay out of national park communist boundaries"
The government officials that did this should have to personally reimburse the government for the cost of all this nonsense. They frivolously cost the taxpayers, and our economy, tens of thousands of dollars. Maybe more! Yet, they want to charge someone personally for life flight services. How do we fix this mess of a system?
I just stumbled upon your podcast and channel. I really enjoy your content so far. I have a newborn baby, so my backpacking days are over for a while, but these interviews makes me feel like I’m out there again. Keep up the great work.
People riot and burn our cities, loot stores and have no consequences. Yet you have a person who by mistake camps in the wrong place one night in a heavy snow situation and get this kind of treatment. Sad statement for America today.
Intent is everything. Your intention, Eric, was to safe your buddy's life. Your reward for doing so was to get somebody pissed at you (probably the third Ranger). Who, in turn, started a paper work process that has everyone on board to teach you lesson. And, you know Kyle, you can't even call it "a mistake" for Eric was doing everything to accommodate the Ranger's and that one employee's advice or directives. His efforts were heroic in my book.
This was 100% something that should never have gone to court. Proof our country has gone to the dogs and that our parks and judicial system are run by people out to flaunt their authority and make a buck.
It’s a shame when those in authority push their weight around. That case should have been tossed out after he proved the other park rangers had told him to go there or at least gave him the benefit of the doubt he miss understood directions. Looks like he will have a very successful YT channel. ❤❤
he will indeed!
@oldkayakdude There was an emergency situation involved. So yeah some discretion could have been made. This was a fine at most.
@oldkayakdude said the sheep.
@@singlespeedcrossbikesays Dan’s #1 fanatic!
Man im hiking without an ID from now on. What the fuck. Do we gotta worry about the police state in the fucking woods now. Needing permits and reservations to sleep on the dirt is already outrageous.
I am from the northeast. Many of us out here know that there is very little BLM land, so its more costly to travel here to visit for a youtuber to consider visiting. With that being said, the gas prices are lower here so it might be a wash or better to pay to visit the east coast! There is so much beauty here. Personally, after a visit to Moab, Utah, which is like being on another planet, I came back to appreciate all the trees, lakes and rivers!
Reason #1246 why I freakin hate government - all governments!
Was this 3rd ranger the most senior of the three..? A wise and fair judge would give that ranger a warning not to abuse his authority. Not only did the group move the first time without any objections but they were also unaware of their mistake. If it was like he told this is absolute a travesty. David Paulides, the author of Missing 411 has equally concerning experiences with the US national park services ...
They won’t stop….
Stand up to bullies.
Cross the border illegally and get $5000 and a phone. Camp out of bounds in a national park as a citizen - 1 year jail, 5 years of probation and $5000. Makes perfect sense.
His description of miles in hiking in the Grand Canyon is ALSO TRUE OF YOSEMITE VALLEY and taking hikes up the canyon walls. The signs posted give a distance, which when hiked feels more than twice as long as the distance posted. I have hiked other steep trails NOT IN NATIONAL PARKS and on those hikes the distances posted seemed to match the distance felt from hiking.
I believe this occurs because in these national parks the distance for trail distances are calculated from map and or arial photographs and is not derived by walking the actual trails with a wheel to measure the distance exactly, so on these very winding twisty canyon wall trails the distances posted are probably 2.5 times shorter than the actually distance.
He isn't the criminal, they are.
Yup
This is why you stay away from government employees.
He should have sued the park.
They did not maintain clear markings and signage (10 ft snow) but kept the park open to campers unfamiliar with the grounds and alone.
This is the very definition of a victimless crime. Prosecuted for packing down snow in the wrong spot.
Locked up 6 times on false charges, my wife put under so much stress that she started having epileptic seizures and this last time kept in jail for 8 months, 1 week and 4 days before the evidence was looked at. I was lucky I had a black woman Judge (two groups of people who have been done wrong way to long, way to often, and way to much!) and a public defender who talked with me for what seemed like an hour trying to understand why I didn't take the 'deals' but WANTED a trial! The Judge read the elements of the charges Andover the objections of the DA, dropped the charges :) Read Blind Injustice by Mark Godsee; a former prosecutor who's eyes were opened when he retired and started working for the Innocence Project.
Terrorist Rich of Norwalk Ca USA
Straight up Federal Government overreach. This has been an ongoing fight at the National level (see Price v . Barr) regarding commercial filming in National Parks. Someone in charge over at Grand Canyon was absolutely seeking to make an example here.
I just listened to this on my drive home from a short backpacking trip and it broke my heart that you had to go through that...also a bit peeved that the case wasn't just thrown out.
Oh , And we have open BORDERS . This was so wrong ,
"I fought the law, and the law won."
Great episode! Crazy how wrong things can go...no need for this type of stuff to happen. I would love to do this podcast!
There's definitely some shady stuff going on inside national parks. It seems like the NPS is doing whatever it can to discourage camera crews from filming inside the parks more and more. Look into all the people who just vanish from national parks. It's scary as hell.
So Very True...watch Canam 411 with David Paluadies
@debbiebarrow817 I've followed David Paulides and the missing 411 topic almost since he started. He's the only one trying to bring awareness to all these people, and the NPS has tried to silence him many times as well. At first, I kind of blew him off as some sort of wacko conspiracy theorist, but once I started actually listening to what he was saying, I realized there really is something happening in our national parks
Stop it, people disappear from NP because of the endless forests to get lost in. Do you honestly think there’s some imaginary trap door or boogeyman grabbing these people? Scary to think we share the road with people that believe this foolish stuff.
Very good point. Very suss.
@@bradkempton7905 Sounds like you fell for a conspiracy. People disappear in parks because they are untrained, unprepared and go off trail.
This feels like the guy that was to drunk to drive home. He threw his keys out of the car and was sleeping it off in his car. He was given a DUI. So many times these tickets make money for the department that is giving the tickets.
I think that the take away for me was that "This was all Dan Becker's fault." 😆
This is seriously scary. Life is stressful enough. Please sue the bullies
This is absolutely ridiculous, camping out of bounds in the middle of winter and they did this to you!
They realized that Ranger shouldn't have given that citation under those circumstances, but they knew it was BS, but government won't admit it.
I'm not a fan of the channel but I watched it for Eric. This is some blatant abuse of authority.
yeah it's ridiculous. thanks for giving my show a listen and i hope you'll give another episode a try!
Most amazing part of the story is not the government’s bureaucracy and all, but the squirrel alerting you!
Smart squirrel!
What do you expect from our government? Decency, respect, understanding? They work for the gov for a reason & it’s not just their salary.
Sorry for Eric, but it makes me smile, I got a ticket on my rim to rim, went to court to see the magistrate. I still love the canyon.
Absolute arsehattery by the gov doing this. Such a waste of resources, time and money.
yeah it's absurd
Yeah. It’s totally unreasonable that after two LEOs cut you a break, tell you just to move to where you have a permit to camp and you decide to not do that even though you only have 200 yards to go and get a ticket? The rules are actually meant to be followed by EVERYONE? We can’t just pick and chose what we want to do even after being nicely informed twice? The horror of a civilized society.
Appalling government overreach, entirely undeserved despite having camped out of bounds, especially under the circumstances.