Boston Globe article on Mt Washington hiking

Hi all-
The Travel Section of the Boston Globe today was highlighting NH in the Explore New England section. Included was a report of a Mt. Washington hike that a writer took with three 8-10 year old boys in late June. There are also photos that you can access from this link.

Globe - Mt. Washington

Marty

To retreat down our sinuous trail, now slick and wet, would increase the chance of injury. If we could just make it to the shelter at the summit, we could take the Cog Railway down, a far preferable option.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the ticket.

I suddenly feel a bit ill.

I don't like the message that this sends...

From the sounds of it, this group was VERY lucky that the cog was still running, or that nothing went wrong when they were on the trails. The mention of the shivering kids, and their reluctance to retreat makes me turn as well...

Exact same attitude that got the hikers that broke into the stage office last september in such an unfortunate plight...

I'm disgusted by the article as well. Steve Ahearn warned them the weather didn't look good at the PVC, but "We weren't deterred.".

Rather than turn back at treeline, they continued on into rain, hail, etc. When there's hail there's a good chance of lightening. Endangered himself, his son, and his two friends.

And now he has 3 boys who think what they did was OK and "cool".

Doesn't say much for the gene pool.

Tim, W7xman, Kevin -
that is exactly what I thought, too. Glad I am not alone!

Regards,
Marty

Give me a break

marty said:

Tim, W7xman, Kevin -
that is exactly what I thought, too. Glad I am not alone!

Regards,
Marty

Click to expand...

Not alone but not opposed either!

I don't think this is such a big deal. The weather is similar to the first time my Dad took me up in '86, when I was 11, and we also took the Cog down (having come up the Jewel).

The summit house is open during the summer -- I doubt they were in any real danger. So what if the kids got a little hail in their face. Probably need to toughen up anyway.

C'mon -- I really don't think Washington is all that dangerous a place at all. There have been three (3) deaths from falls and hypothermia during the summer time in the past 30 years -- not a real serious threat if you ask me. Probably safer than hanging out in the mall or sitting around playing video games and drinking sodie-pop. I say thumbs up to this guy for not being such a wimp and toughening up those 3 kids a bit.

I love New England. And since I moved out of Boston and into Western Massachusetts, I love it so much more, but I think us New Englanders have a tendency to overrate the dangers of the mountains here, especially Washington. I feel like we have the Napoleon Complex in that hey, our mountains are little but much more dangerous than your big ones! If there's an added risk to leaving your house to go for a hike, then take it. Common sense says be prepared and I guess if you're not your stakes are higher. But I think this guy and kids were at minimal risk.

-Dr. Wu

dr_wu002 said:

I say thumbs up to this guy for not being such a wimp and toughening up those 3 kids a bit.

-Dr. Wu

Click to expand...

Deciding to take the train down is when they pegged the wimp-meter, IMHO, but I am probably in the minority on that one

If you get yourself in, get yourself out.

Tim Seaver said:

Deciding to take the train down is when they pegged the wimp-meter, IMHO, but I am probably in the minority on that one

If you get yourself in, get yourself out.

Click to expand...

they didn't call for a helicopter with their cell phones. They took the freakin' train that goes off from the summit. I've been on that stupid train before. I think it's harder to take that down than it is to walk.

-Dr. Wu

Wonder how they got back to Pinkham. Didn't read it word for word - was too disgusted - but I think they ended up on the wrong side of the mountain.

And they can't claim to have climbed the mountain unless they also get down under their own power.

FWIW, there has never been a hiking/climbing fatality for an individual under 15 on Mt. Washington.

Kevin Rooney said:

And they can't claim to have climbed the mountain unless they also get down under their own power.

Click to expand...

Not everybody heeds FTFC rules. They can count it in any way they choose.

-Dr. Wu

Shocking!

This would make me think twice (or a third time) about sending my kid into the wilderness with somebody else.

I think that any summer conditions (besides lightning) are safe for a well-seasoned, properly geared hiker, not necessarily for a weekend warrier (with 3 kids!) What a huge responsibility. Likely smudged is his notepad, were utterings of how scared sh*tless he was.

Ethics, bro'

dr_wu002 said:

they didn't call for a helicopter with their cell phones. They took the freakin' train that goes off from the summit. I've been on that stupid train before. I think it's harder to take that down than it is to walk.

-Dr. Wu

Click to expand...

I certainly wouldn't argue that the train would be an unpleasant way down, particularly on the wallet. What was it, about $160?

If we could just make it to the shelter at the summit, we could take the Cog Railway down, a far preferable option.

Click to expand...

What made me a bit queasy is the way that the author breezily plans on taking the train down, and states it in the article as if that is routine. I don't think that's a particularly helpful thing to suggest in a major newspaper (not just a trip report on VFTT) from an area that supplies a lot of the traffic this way. It kind of mocks the idea of self-sufficiency, which to me is the primary mountain ethic. But that's just me.

And as far as the hiking back down (the most likely reason they were shivering on the train is from standing around and sitting still while damp), I think you said it best in your first post:

dr_wu002 said:

So what if the kids got a little hail in their face. Probably need to toughen up anyway.

Click to expand...

He had 3 kids 10 and under with him!!!

I am with kevin on this one for sure.

sounds like this guy had some outdoor experience, which makes this all the more "interesting" - to take two 10 year olds and an 8 year old up in the conditions described and the fact that the conditions were bad on lions head - makes me sick he choose to go for the summit. And then to write about it glorifying the day?

if this was a bunch of adults - who cares, but 3 children 10 and under?

would have interesting if the cog was sold out for the rest of the day.... he is lucky one of these kids or himself didn't get hypothermia.

Tim Seaver said:

I certainly wouldn't argue that the train would be an unpleasant way down, particularly on the wallet. What was it, about $160?



What made me a bit queasy is the way that the author breezily plans on taking the train down, and states it in the article as if that is routine. I don't think that's a particularly helpful thing to suggest in a major newspaper (not just a trip report on VFTT) from an area that supplies a lot of the traffic this way. It kind of mocks the idea of self-sufficiency, which to me is the primary mountain ethic. But that's just me.

Click to expand...

Back in '86 my dad was able to sell me to medical science in exchange for two (2) Cog Tickets down. The medical testing took a full year which is why I graduated college at 23.

You know, writers always lie, right? Where's Alpinista when you need her? I bet he was on Mt. Washington State Park in the Taconics or something. This whole site is full of fiction, I wouldn't be surprised if a newspaper was either.

-Dr. Wu

giggy said:

I am with kevin on this one for sure.

sounds like this guy had some outdoor experience, which makes this all the more disgusting - to take two 10 year olds and an 8 year old up in the conditions described and the fact that the conditions were bad on lions head - makes me sick he choose to go for the summit. And then to write about it glorifying the day?

If it were my kid, I would have him charged with child endangerment.

if this was a bunch of adults - who cares, but 3 children 10 and under? what an idiot.

would have interesting if the cog was sold out for the rest of the day

Click to expand...

C'mon Gig, the world is a sea danger and Mt. Washington is just a blip in the noise. At worst the kids were in for some misery gettin' pegged by hail. There's never been a fatality for someone < 15 years old hiking Mt. Washington and I doubt any of these kids were near being numero uno.

-Dr. Wu

Kevin Rooney said:

Wonder how they got back to Pinkham. Didn't read it word for word - was too disgusted - but I think they ended up on the wrong side of the mountain.

Click to expand...

I had the same thought. I wonder if they didn't plan to descend the Cog from the start. There were at least 2 other adults on this trip - he mentions two others who fell behind, and then there's the photographer, if the picture was actually taken on the hike. That's plenty of drivers for a car spot. (Yes, this is speculation.)

I would have felt better if anywhere in the article he had admitted he was taking a lot of risks with his safety margin, especially hiking with kids. But maybe he wrote that and it got edited out.

As past guidebooks have stated,Mt W tolerates most fools, but once and awhile takes one without mercy. Fortunately, it wasn't a youth in this case. At least the father at some point in the past worked the boys up gradually with other hikes. But someone has to have a level head when it comes to weather conditions. Sure, many of us have pushed on above treeline with low temps, precip, and even lower visibility. Yet we also have a measure of preparedness. Let's face it, more and more people are climbing and they are less and less prepared in both clothing and water. We've witnessed many couples climbing the Osseo Trail up Flume (11 mi round trip) with no pack, no food, and 2 Poland Spring water bottles. That's it! Unbelieveable.Some of my best hikes up Mt W in particular have been in very thick fog & clouds. I'm glad the group in the article made it, though as mentioned, if not for the Cog, what would they have done? I'm sure somewhere in the back of their minds they now have a better idea of preparation than before.
As for not thinking Mt W is a dangerous mountain, I grew up looking at that Presi Range everyday, as a kid I will always remember the fatalities that happened to some very good climbers, and it put a sense of dread, awe, and healthy respect for those mountains. I still have it today.
Several years ago a friend from PA wanted to hike Mt W. They asked where in PA they could hike to get an idea what its like. Simply stated, there's nowhere in PA or a lot of other places that can prepare you. They made it up Tucks to the summit, but then were afraid the rocks were too slippery to go back down and took the Cog.
They still tell people they climbed Mt W, but I think in their case Mt W climbed them.

I have to agree with Dr Wu on this one. It is this guy's job as a writer to make his story overly dramatic and interesting, who knows how close to the actual truth it was. I climbed Katahdin and Washington when I was around 7 and 8 years old respectively, and had no problem. Of course, I made it down under my own power....in that respect, I would have to call these people city slickers, like in that Billy Crystal movie when he was rounding up the cattle. Kinda funny how they are bragging about bagging the mountain, when they had to take the cog railway down. I found this story more humorous than alarming.

I tend to agree that most people are overly dramatic about the dangers of the Presidentials. The majority of injuries happen to ice climbers or skiiers that have had one too many cocktails before skiing down the ravine. It always seem like the same responses about how disgusted people are about the auto road, the cog, the buildings on top. i.e. technology and progress. ironic that they are sitting on a computer typing their response.

Switch to decaf people.

king tut said:

I have to agree with Dr Wu on this one. It is this guy's job as a writer to make his story overly dramatic and interesting, who knows how close to the actual truth it was. I climbed Katahdin and Washington when I was around 7 and 8 years old respectively, and had no problem. Of course, I made it down under my own power....in that respect, I would have to call these people city slickers, like in that Billy Crystal movie when he was rounding up the cattle. Kinda funny how they are bragging about bagging the mountain, when they had to take the cog railway down. I found this story more humorous than alarming.

Click to expand...

There's no freakin' train on Katahdin!!


It's funny -- I grew up kinda a City Slicker as well. I took the Cog down the first time I went up Washington but I didn't give a crapola about any rules about "bagging" a mountain. I was happy to go up and I think the bit of an ass-kicking me and my dad got in the bad weather conditions was both healthy and an eye-opener. Next time we went up and down and we were also better prepared (incidentally, I've never had bad weather again on Washington in about 10-20 subsequent times up).

It was probably good for those little cry-babies to have hail stinging in their eyes and whatnot. At least they'll learn early on (if indeed they are City Slickers) to respect the power of nature a little. Sure, maybe some of those kids'll hate it and never want to go outdoors again, but it sho' didn't have that effect on me and I'm sure it didn't have that effect on others on this site. In fact, the bad weather made me love it even more -- I was bummed the following year when it was dry, warm and sunny!

Hey, let's everyone talk about their first hiking experiences. I bet there are some eye openers. Back before Mt. Washington my dad and I would go "Stream Wackin" -- we'd find a stream or a river and walk up it as far as we could go. We'd be fallin' in and soaked all the way to our heads, off trail and in the middle of the woods going absolutely no-where. Instead of pushing through spruce we'd be pushing through cold, rushing water, sometimes over our heads. I loved it as a kid but it was awful and these days I wonder what the hell we were doing getting soaked and cold like that. I mean, even Eric doesn't try to convince me to go Stream Wackin! Glad my dad started taking us up Washington on those vacations instead of Stream Wackin. Talk about weird.

-Dr. Wu

The only problem with overly-dramatic stories, whether they be true or exaggerated, is they only further inspire the foolhardy and unprepared.
Otherwise I agree with dr wu and king tut, even I could make falling off the backporch in inclement weather dramatic.
BTW dr wu, is the cat in your avatar a Maine Coon?