Flume Slide Rescue 3/27

[peakbagger]

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news...rd-rescued-on-trail-in-new-hampshire/2454661/

https://www.unionleader.com/news/sa...cle_7c243b40-c390-5aaa-a6ef-cb1ae85ca941.html

My guess is he was just getting into the serious stuff.

 

[Mike P.]

So at 2:30 my fellow Nutmegger was in deep snow and it took 70 minutes to hike out so likely at the bottom of the slide if that far. He planned on climbing Flume Slide and Liberty and descending Liberty Springs. I'm thinking he left late and may not have started before 10 or even 11. Had he not called then, this was only going to be a harder rescue later.

 

[rocket21]

Appears to be yet another rescue that could have been prevented with better planning and bringing snowshoes.

I feel bad for my friends in SAR getting all of these avoidable call outs.

 

[maineguy]

Ya know, there used to be an excuse for this sort of nonsense. You had to rely on the TV weather forecast and maybe read a guidebook or two to have some idea of what the conditions would be. But nowadays, with all the information that is readily available, there is just no excuse for not knowing what the approximate trail conditions are and what equipment you should bring.

 

[ChrisB]

Ya know, there used to be an excuse for this sort of nonsense. You had to rely on the TV weather forecast and maybe read a guidebook or two to have some idea of what the conditions would be. But nowadays, with all the information that is readily available, there is just no excuse for not knowing what the approximate trail conditions are and what equipment you should bring.

I am wondering if the FS should temporary post signs at trail heads in the Spring that describe what awaits the victims-in-training. Example:

----------------------DANGER----------------------
DIFFICULT STREAM CROSSINGS AND DEEP SNOW AHEAD
WATERPROOF FOOTWEAR AND SNOWSHOES REQUIRED

I know I know, it states the OBVIOUS, but if it reduces SAR call outs might be worth a try.

And come June replace it with a DANGER -- BLACK FLY ZONE AHEAD sign.

 

[Mike P.]

One report says he was two miles in and the other said he called at 2:30. That sounds like a really late start or a long time figuring out brook crossings. You could call the MWO for their weather report from landline at a place called a telephone booth back in the day too. You could call PNVC also. I think I still remember the trails desk extension. (ext. 116?)

The guidebook was the only source of info so you would have read that the Flume Slide trail is steep and slippery and not a good choice for winter travel. Now so much info, you can drown in it. So many trip reports that if you have an out of shape hiker and a trail runner, they may very well write two very different reports you would think it was two different sets of trails. We were commenting on another thread about Alltrails. They have something for virtually every trail and they seem to get top position on search engines. On the other thread, the general consensus was they might be okay but not very trustworthy. Most of us have been doing this a long time so we know better.

Personally, I'm MA bound for the next couple of trips to anyplace with "Mount" in it's name, east of the CT River trying to avoid snow. If Clark is looking for some hiking without deep snow, he doesn't have to travel more than 70 miles north of Hartford.

 

[Mike P.]

I am wondering if the FS should temporary post signs at trail heads in the Spring that describe what awaits the victims-in-training. Example:

----------------------DANGER----------------------
DIFFICULT STREAM CROSSINGS AND DEEP SNOW AHEAD
WATERPROOF FOOTWEAR AND SNOWSHOES REQUIRED

I know I know, it states the OBVIOUS, but if it reduces SAR call outs might be worth a try.

And come June replace it with a DANGER -- BLACK FLY ZONE AHEAD sign.

Required? This isn't the ADK's & How can you do that in a State with the Live Free or Die motto. Black Flies, They have a few in NH but they can't hold a candle to the ADK or ME ones. Your sign would need to be more than one language also. (That was brought up in a 90's fatality from someone hiking out of PNVC.)

 

[TCD]

Not to mention that it's an established fact that people do not pay attention to signs.