Hiker Swept Away Crossing Feldspar Brook - Perishes

[Tom Rankin]

Sad story...

http://www.lakeplacidnews.com/page/...-found-dead-in-Lake-Arnold-area.html?nav=5005

 

[TCD]

Very sad. There were heavy storms Saturday afternoon, but it's surprising that little Feldspar Brook would come up that fast to a level that could sweep someone away. Scary. Also, the article has some inconsistent information. Lake Arnold is hundreds of feet uphill from the Feldspar Leanto. Unlikely that a person would be swept from Feldspar Brook to Lake Arnold - maybe they meant "The Lake Arnold Trail"?

 

[Sherby]

She was an experienced backpacker and an active member of fousderando.com a "french canadians" hiking forum.

 

[woodstrider]

My condolences to her family and friends.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

I happened to be hiking Allen that afternoon/evening. Even the small streams were roaring, and we were lucky to be able to cross one of them on an elevated fallen tree. Later, five of us were turned back in the dark at the incredibly high and fast Opalescent River that was merely ankle deep that morning. My condolences to the hiker's family and friends; I can't imagine the emotions of seeing your friend swept away in the water.

 

[BlackSpruce]

Al, and you were taken out thanks to the kindness of an
Opalescent Club member who took your group out by truck driving through knee deep water in the middle of the night. Plus one in your group almost drowned while fording the Opalescent earlier in the day. She was lucky the current of the Brook entering the Opalescent shortly downstream of the regular crossing pushed her towards the shore when she was swept away. Specially since she has secured her backpack thinking it would act as a flotation device. As well I cannot believe the group had separated considering the weather and trail conditions that fateful day. Guess more important to make the summit than anything else...

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

BlackSpruce: There are several inaccurate statements in your judgement; basically, everything. When I was camping in Ontario last week, I wrote a trip report for the Allen hike; since I have yet to post that, people can only make inaccurate assumptions such as yours based on incomplete information.

 

[BlackSpruce]

You wrote yourself on another thread that you were "hours" behind the hiker temporarily swept by the Opalescent current.

And you were not given a ride in the middle of the night by a kind member of one of the hunting clubs? All the way to the regular Allen trailhead where said hiker was in the car waiting for the rest of your group?

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

I don't think it appropriate to have this discussion on this thread; if you're that interested in criticizing our group, that can be done privately or if/when I post the TR on a separate thread.