Huntington Ravine question

[DougPaul]

I met Mike Pelchat at the summit (he was working in the Tip-Top House), and he told me that the Tuckerman ranger had recently rescued a couple of hikers who were stuck at the top of the fan and were too afraid to go either up or down. It was their first hike up Mt Washington - bad trail choice.

Once upon a time, we took a beginner up. She froze. One guy pulled and I pushed to get her over the slabby part.

Not difficult, just psychological. If you have any rock climbing experience, it is a trivial walk-up (and there are layback holds in the back of the inside corner on the right...).

Doug

 

[grog]

Glad to hear you had a great hike Paul. So how tired were you when you finished? The first time I did that hike with my daughter we were both trash. We agreed never to go up the rock pile again. The next time we went up HRT we cut across the gardens and went down lions head, much better. I guess if I lost 40 pounds I would feel even better.

grog

 

[peakbagger-paul]

I was pretty tired by the time I got up to the Alpine Garden, but after a short rest there, where I also changed back into my hiking boots, I was ready to go on. The going was much easier up the rest of the Huntington Ravine and Nelson Crag Trails, but I did stop a couple of times for a minute's rest.

I had a Power-Aid drink at the summit and rested for a while, and then headed down the Tuckerman Ravine Trail.

I could stand to lose a few pounds myself, and I tend to be a bit slow climbing (it took me 6 hours to get from Pinkham Notch to the summit), but I do all right going down (about 2:45 from the summit to Pinkham via the Tuckerman Ravine Trail), and can usually go for a 12-hour day hike without completely pooping out. About halfway down from Hermit Lake, my feet started to feel blistery, and was glad to get back to the car.

I was okay the next day and I didn't really have any blisters. I guess they were just hotspots.

I was only wearing a day pack. An overnight pack would have been mucher tougher.

 

[sierra]

Hunningtons is a great route, glad your ascent went well.

 

[Breeze]

I met Mike Pelchat at the summit (he was working in the Tip-Top House), and he told me that the Tuckerman ranger had recently rescued a couple of hikers who were stuck at the top of the fan and were too afraid to go either up or down. It was their first hike up Mt Washington - bad trail choice.

I can fill in some background on that walk-out. They were newbies to MW, women( mid-late 20's) who had been "talked into" that route by their more experienced Significant Others. When the women became hesitant, they moved off the trail to let others pass, and the SO's continued on towards the summit, leaving them behind. The women tried to re-orient themselves to the trail, but were also raving angry at their hiking companions who appeared to think it was a trivial thing, and they would all meet at the top.

I think the anger component won out among the women, and yes, they were over-challenged to begin with, so there was a multiple meltdown. I believe it was Nate Peters from USFS in Tucks who went up for them, and it was a simple, uneventful walk-out for all of them.

VBG I know Nate from Ski Patrol at Wildcat in the winter months. He is one of our SP riders ( boarders) and he has the perfect personality to restore faith and trust, revive the weak of heart or mind and define the steps to safety.

Some of this was relayed to me by Mike Pelchat and Diane Holmes. NH F&G mounted an extensive effort because the women called 911 on a cell phone, but the resolution was pretty simple.

Its right out there in the situation, never separate a group, stay together, proceed at the slowest member's pace ESPECIALLY on a new venture for one or more in a group, advocate the mission and yet realize when to pull the plug

Breeze