Ken MacGray
Active member
Also two posts up. 
Hiker dies on Bondcliff Christmas Eve
- Thread starter peakbagger
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There were a bunch of Boston chapter leaders but my recollection is it was a "bootleg" trip, not a listed AMC trip.
sierra
Well-known member
This is just my opinion but I think there is a big difference in knowing " How to hike" and knowing " How to survive". I also think, that there are many experienced hikers out there, that have very little knowledge of backcountry survival techniques. let's face it, you can hike for many year's and never run into trouble. Myself, I had to teach myself everything about the outdoors. But as many books as I bought on hiking, I bought books on survival techniques as well. Granted, I had an advantage, as a youth, I spent 7 day's hiking with a leader who was a former Green Beret, who drilled into our head's what could go wrong and how to address such crisis. I know this group is the exception to the rule regarding skillsets, but the average hiker is ill prepared for an epic. The thing is, when things go sideways, it happens quick. Having the forethought to see and rectify any such time, is critical in a positive outcome. If you have the right gear and knowledge, it's pretty tough to get hypothermia. Hikers who have a decent amount of experience are actually more prone to tragedy, as they can lull themselves into situations that quickly outpace their skillset. The Whites are deadly for a couple of reasons. They are tough in bad conditions and the weather itself can not only turn fast, it's really brutal. I grew up hiking here. When I finally went out west, I thought conditions were much easier to be out in. These peaks are not forgiving at all in the winter, just being a hiker is not enough, imo.
buddy
Member
Well said. I consider myself well versed in back country hiking and have the equipment and skills to survive what I know the mountains can throw at me, it's what I do not know that scares me. Much of what I now know I learned through experiences that happened from not knowing. This is why I think these discussions generated around unfortunate events can be helpful, perhaps life saving, for those who care to listen. A discussion of one persons tragedy can in some ways be the gift of life to others. Respect is given to the deceased when it is acknowledged that we are all vulnerable and we can all learn from each other. It's more often ignorance (not knowing) than stupidity that gets us humans in trouble. My condolences to all who have lost loved ones to the mountains.
DougPaul
Well-known member
I have often advocated that people go to winter school rather than trying to learn on one's own. One of the reasons is that a good winter school will teach how to do things safely, things to avoid to reduce unnecessary risk, as well as survival skills. All things that one can do without until one suddenly needs them... Trip leaders associated with such classes also often have cold-weather first aid and rescue training.
BTW, there are some important differences between cold weather and warm weather first aid.
A meteorologist friend of mine liked to compare the difference in the weather between the bases and summits of Pikes Peak (14115 ft) and Mt Washington (6288 ft) (as part of a winter school lecture on mountain weather). The difference for Mt Washington is significantly greater than the difference for Pikes Peak...
The Whites aren't big, but they can be nasty. A classic winter weather event is cold rain followed by a ~40F degree drop in temp accompanied by high winds (a cold front). A hiker is likely to get wet during the rain and then gets hit with the cold and wind. A tent (or shelter) and sleeping bag may be required to survive the event.
In the accident that spawned this thread, the victim was out in cold rain/warm snow (30-35F) for an extended period on the 24th and was found in an exposed place at 8pm on the 25th. The rescuers were hampered by a drop in temp and high winds, but I don't know if the cold started soon enough to impact the victim. (The Mt Washington records show temps in the lower 20's and upper teens during the 24th decaying during the night to the lower teens til ~7am on the 25th when a sharp drop down to 1F starts. Winds were in the 40-60 kt range during the entire period. The temps were probably a bit warmer and the winds were probably not as strong at the accident site, but these records are the closest that I can access.)
Doug
sierra
Well-known member
Having lived at the base of Pikes Peak for 5 years, I concur with your friend.
John in NH
Member
Temps is the 30s with rain (esp with wind, but even without) is absolutely worse than dry and 0 degrees for developing hypothermia. The former were the conditions he was caught out in. Sadly many think "oh it's above freezing" so even if it's raining that is fine to hike in in winter because that's better the cold. I recently had to strongly urge a novice friend not to venture into the high peaks on such a day.
I am very saddened over the loss of this young man in the incident on Bondcliff and my prayers go out to him and his family.
I am very saddened over the loss of this young man in the incident on Bondcliff and my prayers go out to him and his family.
jfb
Active member
The Boston Globe article indicated that an autopsy would be performed.
DougPaul
Well-known member
IIRC (from winter school and/or outdoor first aid), most cases of hypothermia occur in wet conditions (eg rain or falling into water) at temps above freezing. It was "perfect" hypothermia conditions--rain and/or melting snow at temps near freezing with wind. Staying dry while hiking under these conditions is nearly impossible.
The improperly applied jacket is a strong indication that he knew he was cold but was unable to put his jacket on properly (perhaps because his hands were too cold). The wind could also have interfered with putting the jacket on (as well as increasing the heat loss rate). Given the conditions, hypothermia was a likely cause of death.
<speculation>
However, a heart attack might have a similar presentation: he might have been in a state of partial collapse when he was trying to put the jacket on and this prevented from applying it properly.
</speculation>
While hypothermia is the most likely cause of death, the cause should be determined with greater certainty by the autopsy.
Winter temps are divided into dry cold (~ <= 20F) and wet cold (~ > 20F). In dry cold, snow that gets on you does not generally stick or melt and (as long as you avoid sweating) you can stay dry. In wet cold, snow that gets on you tends to stick and melt or you can get wet from rain. If temps are below freezing, your outer clothing can become icy and in extreme cases can turn into solid ice armor. Keeping one's shell closed to shed the water will likely result in the accumulation of perspiration in one's insulation. It is very difficult to nearly impossible to stay dry while hiking under these conditions. Adding wind makes it worse.
In wet cold one needs to be obsessive-compulsive about immediately brushing snow off before it gets a chance to melt to stay as dry as possible. Dry cold is nicer (and safer unless the cold is extreme) in a number of ways.
(At the risk of beating the same horse again), this is basic safety info which is taught in any decent winter school...
Doug
Raven
Well-known member
Good points Doug. I'll take a swing at that horse.
To add for clarification: the effect of water/moisture/humidity is similar in warm climates as it is in cold ones. Florida at 90 degrees with 100% humidity is hotter than Arizona at 100 degrees and no humidity. It actually holds more heat energy.
Your body generates a limited amount of heat energy when you are hiking (this comes from the food you eat and the energy stored in the fat of your body primarily).
The heat you generate is used to warm up your core and whatever is surrounding it. If you are dry, much less heat is needed to increase/maintain your core temperature. On the other hand, if you are wet, the heat you generate will also be used to heat up the water on your body/clothing. Since water takes an enormous amount of heat to maintain its temperature, most of the body heat you generate gets lost to water and is not used to keep your body and the air layers around you warm.
Heat and temperature are two different things. Think about boiling a pot of water. You can add massive amounts of heat and energy to the water by boiling it on a stove. The entire time you are boiling it however, the temperature remains the same. Only when the water is all gone, does the temperature of the container begin to rise. And it rises fast once the water is gone. A coffee pot left on never catches fire when there is coffee left inside it because the temperature can never rise high enough with water present to heat. As a hiker, be the dry coffee pot.
Stay dry. If you get wet, then your priority is to get dry. Wet doesn't get warm in the field.
I'll take 10 degrees and dry any day over 25 and damp.
To add for clarification: the effect of water/moisture/humidity is similar in warm climates as it is in cold ones. Florida at 90 degrees with 100% humidity is hotter than Arizona at 100 degrees and no humidity. It actually holds more heat energy.
Your body generates a limited amount of heat energy when you are hiking (this comes from the food you eat and the energy stored in the fat of your body primarily).
The heat you generate is used to warm up your core and whatever is surrounding it. If you are dry, much less heat is needed to increase/maintain your core temperature. On the other hand, if you are wet, the heat you generate will also be used to heat up the water on your body/clothing. Since water takes an enormous amount of heat to maintain its temperature, most of the body heat you generate gets lost to water and is not used to keep your body and the air layers around you warm.
Heat and temperature are two different things. Think about boiling a pot of water. You can add massive amounts of heat and energy to the water by boiling it on a stove. The entire time you are boiling it however, the temperature remains the same. Only when the water is all gone, does the temperature of the container begin to rise. And it rises fast once the water is gone. A coffee pot left on never catches fire when there is coffee left inside it because the temperature can never rise high enough with water present to heat. As a hiker, be the dry coffee pot.
Stay dry. If you get wet, then your priority is to get dry. Wet doesn't get warm in the field.
I'll take 10 degrees and dry any day over 25 and damp.
jfb
Active member
You may have experience hiking in these conditions and may have learned how to adjust your layers. Many hikers have not. If he was on the return trip from West Bond, he would have ascended Bond from the north on a section of trail that is sheltered from the wind. Upon summiting, he should have added a layer before descending to Bondcliff.
una_dogger
Well-known member
The worst part of this - he was just SO close to being off the ridge :-(
alexmtn
Member
Not quite as much irony there as "SO close" might otherwise suggest -- in tough conditions, the exit off Bondcliff can be a challenge to find, even for hikers who've been there many times before. Add to that some hypothermia-induced mental degradation combined with panic, and you've turned an irony into an inevitability.
hikerbrian
Active member
What a loss. This makes me so sad. I don't even know how a family recovers from such a lost. Jeez.
That spot between Bond and Bondcliff is yet another White Mountains death trap. A wind tunnel from hell. Many winters ago my dad and I were camped somewhere below Bondcliff and had hiked up from our tent without overnight gear (just the bare essentials) to tag all of the Bonds. We got to the infamous wind tunnel and turned around because it felt like even if we made it through the wind tunnel and up Bond, even the slightest increase in wind speed would trap us a very long ways from nowhere. For years, when talking about favorite hikes in the Whites people would express surprise that we would have gotten up Bondcliff but turned around before completing Bond and West Bond. Most people have no idea how bad that section can get.
Last winter on the first day of a Pemi loop, my two partners and I started out on Wilderness trail in low single digit temperatures with a forecast of increasing temps, then light drizzle, then moderate rain, followed overnight by a cold front. Classic. We packed all of our gear in huge zipper bags and as soon as it began to warm up got as much of our clothing into plastic bags as possible. It started to drizzle and then rain right as we were heading up Bond. We had been completely comfortable all day, but as soon as the rain started, all of us were immediately chilled. We all put on extra fleeces under our GoreTex shells and managed to keep relatively warm, but there was no stopping the wetness. On top of that, with heavy 4-day packs none of us had a lot of energy left in the tank, in spite of eating all day. It was difficult to generate much body heat, and the wetness constantly robbed us of heat and energy. Fortunately it was only another hour to Guyot. By the time we rolled in we were all cold and tired, but we'd gone in expecting exactly that scenario and had packed and behaved accordingly. I cannot imagine turning around in our soaked gear at that point and trying to slog out in the dark. We got dry base layers on in the shelter, dry insulating layers, and climbed into our sleeping bags. Ramens with butter never tasted so good.
It is curoious that he never activated his rescue beacon. I mean things had to have gone downhill in a hurry for that to happen. But I think it's possible in this scenario: full, very hard day out to West Bond uses up most available energy/heat reserves. Slowly deteriorating weather that reaches a point of no return when he's already past the wind tunnel. Slowly creeping in hypothermia, insidious, due to the wetness and inability to assimilate enough calories to keep the furnace running on high. Then unexpected wind on the reverse trip through the wind tunnel. No shelter. Too cold and too little energy to extract himself. No place to go. Just heart breaking.
That spot between Bond and Bondcliff is yet another White Mountains death trap. A wind tunnel from hell. Many winters ago my dad and I were camped somewhere below Bondcliff and had hiked up from our tent without overnight gear (just the bare essentials) to tag all of the Bonds. We got to the infamous wind tunnel and turned around because it felt like even if we made it through the wind tunnel and up Bond, even the slightest increase in wind speed would trap us a very long ways from nowhere. For years, when talking about favorite hikes in the Whites people would express surprise that we would have gotten up Bondcliff but turned around before completing Bond and West Bond. Most people have no idea how bad that section can get.
Last winter on the first day of a Pemi loop, my two partners and I started out on Wilderness trail in low single digit temperatures with a forecast of increasing temps, then light drizzle, then moderate rain, followed overnight by a cold front. Classic. We packed all of our gear in huge zipper bags and as soon as it began to warm up got as much of our clothing into plastic bags as possible. It started to drizzle and then rain right as we were heading up Bond. We had been completely comfortable all day, but as soon as the rain started, all of us were immediately chilled. We all put on extra fleeces under our GoreTex shells and managed to keep relatively warm, but there was no stopping the wetness. On top of that, with heavy 4-day packs none of us had a lot of energy left in the tank, in spite of eating all day. It was difficult to generate much body heat, and the wetness constantly robbed us of heat and energy. Fortunately it was only another hour to Guyot. By the time we rolled in we were all cold and tired, but we'd gone in expecting exactly that scenario and had packed and behaved accordingly. I cannot imagine turning around in our soaked gear at that point and trying to slog out in the dark. We got dry base layers on in the shelter, dry insulating layers, and climbed into our sleeping bags. Ramens with butter never tasted so good.
It is curoious that he never activated his rescue beacon. I mean things had to have gone downhill in a hurry for that to happen. But I think it's possible in this scenario: full, very hard day out to West Bond uses up most available energy/heat reserves. Slowly deteriorating weather that reaches a point of no return when he's already past the wind tunnel. Slowly creeping in hypothermia, insidious, due to the wetness and inability to assimilate enough calories to keep the furnace running on high. Then unexpected wind on the reverse trip through the wind tunnel. No shelter. Too cold and too little energy to extract himself. No place to go. Just heart breaking.
I read this and had a horrible thought....
What if, he realized he was in bad shape, but figured he would be better off resolving it himself vs. opening himself up to conjecture, ridicule, and a heavy fine for a rescue? After debating that, it was too late to do anything....
I have no idea if that happened, or could happen.
Trail Boss
New member
Putting on one's jacket backwards could be due to:
I've never hiked Bondcliff in winter. My sole experience in August gave me a tiny taste of its "wind tunnel" effect and I was surprised by its power. I can only imagine how severe it can be in winter. My condolences to the young man's family, loved ones, and friends.
- Diminished manual dexterity; you're unable to operate the zipper.
- Broken zipper; wear the jacket backwards and it'll seal out the wind.
I've never hiked Bondcliff in winter. My sole experience in August gave me a tiny taste of its "wind tunnel" effect and I was surprised by its power. I can only imagine how severe it can be in winter. My condolences to the young man's family, loved ones, and friends.
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una_dogger
Well-known member
Totally agree!
If it was raining, then freezing, perhaps the rocks became slick with ice. No traction=broken bones. Wind + no traction + ice would be disastrous.
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