I guess that's my conundrum jason - bear in mind, for the record, the ACR will probably be going with me on *most* of my trips, since most of them I might see one other living soul in 3-4 days. My thought is where do you draw the line on the "self rescue" point when at any point in time on that trail I am at worst, 5 km from cell phone coverage, and 15 km from a road? It's actually not that clear, Let's try a scenario which might be informative for everyone:

First the Scenario:

I have broken my ankle and can't walk much more than a hop and hobble and am in a lot of pain. I can set up my tarp as a nice shelter, get into my sleeping bag to stay warm. I have a litre and a half of water, and there is water within crawling distance. I have a days worth of food I can stretch to three. I have 6 percocets, 6 Aleve, and 6 ibuprophen with me that could be used to take the edge off. (and everything else that's in this gear list while we're at it), I have a cell phone, and
I have an ACR microfix 406 PLB.

Now the locations, Both in Jasper National Park - google the locations to find them:

A) I am on Skyline trail in the snowbowl, let's say anywhere in the bowl, after the campground hiking towards big shovel pass. Nobody is with me but 10 hikers or more a day pass through here, and I know 3 to 4 were leaving the snowbowl campground that morning behind me and will be heading my way probably within the hour. Cell phone coverage is 5 km away in either the east or west direction, Ranger station is 15 km away at Maligne Lake trailhead which is the nearest exit.

B) I am at Southesk lake on the side loop from the South Boundary trail. I suspect it sees two hikers a year, and maybe a ranger twice on horseback. I'm pretty much 3 to 4 days hard hiking from anywhere where there is anyone else, unless by some miracle someone chances by. Cell phone coverage is nonexistant anywhere.

So in each place, what to do:

0) Hack up my trekking poles to splint it, and limp/crawl/suck it up to head for civilization
myself? (or otherwise do something similarly desperate)

1) Flag down a passing hiker for help, ask them to head for one of the nearest passes and contact the warden station to get me out on a horse or otherwise? - give them my cell phone if they don't have one.

2) press the PLB button on my ACR unit.

Personally, I'd definately press the button right away at Southesk Lake. I know I would, I know
I'd be screwed without it, and I'd stand in front of a judge and confidently say so. Without the PLB I would probably consider (and don't ever do this kids it's very illegal) just waiting for favorable wind and getting a very large "signal fire" going - the kind that burns a few acres and is visible from fire towers and and gets them to fly over to look.

I'm not sure I'd press the button on Skyline - I know darn good and well I'd hurt like heck, and
I'd want to push the button and have the big birdie come get me. But should I? Or should I pop my pills, and wait for what I know is coming down the trail? I think the location definately
matters for this doesn't it?

(and the reason I chose it is I think a busted ankle is a heck of a lot more likely to happen to me
than internal bleeding that doesn't just kill me outright or within a short enough time that it doesn't matter)