Lost hikers on Franconia Ridge

[Grayjay]

The lack of snowshoes indicates spiraling wrong decisions for the start. By the time they got to treeline, the amount of energy they had used was too much for what they had accomplished. Getting caught in a blast of whiteout somewhere on the ridge, they would have had some options with snowshoes, even heading down into the Pemi for a cold night, but with a fire and shared warmth. One piece of equipment can mean life or death.
It sounds like they didn't have a lot of contact with other winter hikers in their routine. Sites like VFTT should get to a wider audience.

 

[CaptCaper]

Us Divers have an insurance called DAN Network.. regular Blue Cross just doesn't cover helicopter,decompression chambers,etc. It's not mandatory except in the professional end..were you have to have it to teach or divemaster work.

It's fairly reasonable. It's plastered all over the magazines,dive shops,etc.

I don't know the figures but alot of divers have it..

It would help Fish and Game to improve and survive better.. This is todays world.. and it isn't going to get any better.

 

[WinterWarlock]

Us Divers have an insurance called DAN Network.. regular Blue Cross just doesn't cover helicopter,decompression chambers,etc. It's not mandatory except in the professional end..were you have to have it to teach or divemaster work.

It's fairly reasonable. It's plastered all over the magazines,dive shops,etc.

I don't know the figures but alot of divers have it..

It would help Fish and Game to improve and survive better.. This is todays world.. and it isn't going to get any better.

I forgot about that - that's true. DAN also supports a LOT of educational programs about diver safety...

So now we need HAN?

 

[rocket21]

No, but they are paid for through our taxes. Are you suggesting S&R should be paid for through taxes? If so, whose?

It should be noted that fire departments are generally funded through property taxes (ie taxes you pay as a home owner). One could make the argument that those who hold the tab for SAR shouldn't because I doubt many actually go out and hike etc. in these areas.

 

[Maddy]

Another real tragedy in the Whites.
Hypothermia begins gradually, and has a cummulative effect. In the early stages it often goes unnoticed, most especially by folks who are not on high alert for the signs and symptoms that all is not well. It doesn't just go away all on it's own. Slowly but surely if you continue to expose yourself to dangerous cold, freezing fog,hurricane force winds, and do nothing to reverse the process once it has begun, you will find yourself in a death defying predicament. You become irrational and you cannot function.
I will simply say...been there, done that!
If these two hikers lacked experience and knowledge, did not even have the presence of mind to bring showshoes, I suspect that they did not recognize the early symptoms of hypothermia and soon became consumed by it, costing one his life and the other to be in critical condition fighting for his.
Like so many of us who learned from our mistakes, I suspect these two just didn't know all the rules for winter hiking and the precautions that one must take. After all, how bad could it be?
Unfortunately you get your answer but it comes too late.
I don't believe for a minute that there is nothing more that can be done to avert such disasters in the future.
Money talks. I think it's a great idea to start to charging for rescues. They could suspend the charges for folks who sustain an injury or become ill while hiking, through no fault of their own. However, if you want to go up into the mountains in raging storms, and someone has to risk their life to save your bacon, there should be financial consequences. The knowledge that they might have to pay out a substantial amount of money might just be the motivation they need to pay very close attention to what is being taught in the Hike Safe programs.
How about a nice warning sign at the base of all the more popular trails. It would have to be done in such a way that it would capture the attention of more inexperienced hikers and make them stop and reflect on what they are getting themselves into. Even if they hiked a certain distance, it couldhelp them to "abandon their climb without shame, for the worse is yet to come".

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I wonder just what conditions were like when the two guys were climbing Falling Waters. Big Earl's trip report for his Saturday hike said there were a lot of people out, and the trails were in great shape. They certainly would have gotten some snow on Saturday night, but Falling Waters may not have been all that bad when they were hiking it on Sunday (morning?). Also, I think Sunday started with temps in the teens and manageable wind speeds.

The sub-zero conditions and deep snow reported were the conditions the rescue team encountered 24 hours later.

I've never had the pleasure of encountering a sudden cold front moving through while I was on the trail, and I hope I never do.

 

[BIGEarl]

We encountered four large groups and a four pairs totaling close to forty hikers on the trail Saturday. All of them were hiking the same route as us. (Falling Waters Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, and the Old Bridle Path). Roughly half were hiking clockwise and the other half counterclockwise. We were hiking clockwise.

Nearly all were wearing snowshoes. I believe there were less than ten that were bare-booting or using crampons. Two were on skis.

Additionally, there were two more groups hiking the area below the final crossing of Dry Brook on the Falling Waters Trail. I'm sure they did not continue to the ridge.

Bottom line, the Falling Waters Trail was really well packed by the end of the day on Saturday. We were probably the last group to hike it from the ridge that day.

 

[DrewKnight]

Another real tragedy in the Whites.

...If these two hikers lacked experience and knowledge, did not even have the presence of mind to bring showshoes...

I don't believe for a minute that there is nothing more that can be done to avert such disasters in the future.... Money talks. I think it's a great idea to start to charging for rescues.

I agree in principal with everything that you're saying, Maddy (and others)... but I also worry that the same spiral that leads people to hike without adequate equipment and fail to check the weather forecast (sudden onset or not, the wind, cold, and white-out conditions were entirely predictable as early as Thursday last week) probably would preclude the threat of being charged for rescue services being much of a deterrent or educational tool.

I am really sorry about what happened to these two gentlemen, and I hope Mr. Osborne makes a full recovery -- but it is my uninformed opinion based on the limited data available that they were probably in way over their heads from the moment they left the trail-head, that they apparently exercised poor judgement in both preparation and in the execution of their hike, and that the idea of a rescue probably never played seriously into their thinking... so the idea that having to pay for a rescue probably wouldn't have changed their approach at all.

Everyone makes mistakes, and as you point out, if you're lucky, you learn from them (and if you're smart, or at least well-prepared, your preparation seems to greatly improve the odds you'll be 'lucky'). I just don't think we can legislate against bad planning and bad decision making -- though charging for rescues might at least have the somewhat-desirable effect of cost recovery (and, I guess, if well-publicized, might serve as an educational tool for a subset of folks who are more thoughtless than negligent in their preparation).

 

[sardog1]

FWIW, there are in fact fire departments that charge for service on individual emergency responses, often in rural and exurban areas. I haven't seen much evidence of it in New England, but it's fairly common in parts of the Midwest and elsewhere. Your homeowner's insurance policy will typically have coverage for it.

 

[DougPaul]

A number of posters have been focusing on the lack of snowshoes. The reports say the victims were found without them, but we do not know if they started without them (a bad idea) or lost them because they were hypothermic.

Doug

 

[rocket21]

A number of posters have been focusing on the lack of snowshoes. The reports say the victims were found without them, but we do not know if they started without them (a bad idea) or lost them because they were hypothermic.

Doug

Good point, nor do we know if snowshoes would have prevented this situation from happening. Indicator of lack of preparation? Perhaps.

 

[DrewKnight]

True, not fair of me to presume in this case

A number of posters have been focusing on the lack of snowshoes. The reports say the victims were found without them, but we do not know if they started without them (a bad idea) or lost them because they were hypothermic.

Good point, Doug. Definitely a dearth of information in this case. I am OK with taking my point up a level -- we've all debated the case of the shorts-sandals-and-tee-shirt-on-the-Presis crowd before. I doubt they'd be much deterred by the idea they could be charged for their own rescue should it become necessary.

If you know better, you probably hike (over)prepared and hang out with like-minded people, or even hang out on VFTT. If you don't, I am not sure it's going to percolate to the majority of the population.

 

[Jason Berard]

My deepest condolences go out to the families of these two people. This is a real tragedy for these two people and all the people who love them.

I've been thinking about this accident a lot since I first heard about it yesterday morning. Given the conditions the Big Earl reported here for the day before, the trail may well have been suitable for bare booting when they left the parking lot. I can imagine them making good progress up the trail, talking, laughing, having a great time, and sweating. Then, as they cross the ridge they get blasted by that front coming through, and are stuck up there, not knowing which way to go to safety, disoriented by the whiteout, at first, and then by the strengthening of hypothermia's hold on their judgement.

I know their are myriad other things that may have lead to their tragic predicament, but it may be that their biggest mistake, was not checking a forecast before they left. I'm sure we all have made similar mistakes at one time or another, and not paid so steep a price as they have already paid.

 

[WinterWarlock]

Snowshoe Requirement

In parts of the Adirondacks, it is required to have snowshoes if the snow is of a certain depth - I take it NH does not have a similar requirement? I actually saw a ranger ski down a group of folks hiking from the ADK Loj to Marcy Dam and send them back...

True, this is more for trail stewardship than for safety, but if you have to wear the 'shoes anyway - then you have them.

Just a question...

 

[dug]

In parts of the Adirondacks, it is required to have snowshoes if the snow is of a certain depth - I take it NH does not have a similar requirement? I actually saw a ranger ski down a group of folks hiking from the ADK Loj to Marcy Dam and send them back...

True, this is more for trail stewardship than for safety, but if you have to wear the 'shoes anyway - then you have them.

Just a question...

That is correct, there is no law in place today.

 

[Tuco]

Not a comment on these two gentleman but the issue on snowshoes is you can't even go on the day befores activity. We were on South Twin that day and with 10+ people packed it out well. By the time we left Twin Mt. that night it was already snowing fairly hard. Must have been fresh powder on the trail the next day. May have nothing to do with this story though.

Terrible story. I know I hike very picky in the winter as do my hiking partners but part of that for me is understanding that with total care it can still be out of my control. I hope this gentleman recovers and also that we get to hear what happened- any data can only help.

Sympathies to the family.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

FWIW, there are in fact fire departments that charge for service on individual emergency responses, often in rural and exurban areas. I haven't seen much evidence of it in New England, but it's fairly common in parts of the Midwest and elsewhere. Your homeowner's insurance policy will typically have coverage for it.

I am a volunteer EMT on the Fire Department in my town which is a rural town in CT with a mixed Paid and Volunteer system. Our policy for an ambulance is if you are a member, meaning you have signed up through our fundraiser then there would be no charge. If you aren’t a member, you or your insurance company gets billed. If you are a town resident we are somewhat flexible meaning I don’t believe we really pursue this (shhh don’t tell anyone). This does not include if it is an ALS call requiring a medic. They are a “for profit” service and expect to be paid.

My town also has I-84 going through it so we get a lot of high speed accidents, rollovers etc many times with the associated trauma. This is a significant expense for the town. We have instituted a policy, on the fire side, of charging for accidents on the highway for non-residents where the heavy rescue truck needs to be used. So if you need the Hurst tool (Jaws of life) for a highway accident you will be charged.

Keith

 

[carole]

A couple of us on PVSART have begun a discussion about what more we might do about warnings, such as signs, etc....
The HikeSafe program has been useful, but is there more that we can do?
Any other ideas out there?

Sadly, the best warning is when something like this happens and it is all over the news with the precautionary info added. People are more likely to read, hear and talk about it and hopefully some take heed.

 

[Maddy]

...though charging for rescues might at least have the somewhat-desirable effect of cost recovery (and, I guess, if well-publicized, might serve as an educational tool for a subset of folks who are more thoughtless than negligent in their preparation).

Yes...I was hoping that it might at least save a few.
I can recall reading the first pages of the AMC White Mountain Guide years ago.
There was a very clear statement about how the weather can change and violent storms can move in up there with little or no warning year round.
The rest I memorized: "At the first sign of bad weather, abandon your climb without shame for the worse is yet to come. Freezing fog blinds and suffocates, hurricane force winds exhaust the strongest hiker. Many have died above treeline. Don't be one of them."
Over several days, I must have read this 100 x at least. I could hardly believe it. I had never heard such a thing. A very descriptive warning. It certainly got my attention and sobered me up enough that when it came time to do my first ascent, Mizpah to Lakes, to summit on day three, I insisted that my friends father come with us. He was an AMC 4 season hiking guide.
He was of course happy to oblige. We got caught in a terrible storm with visibility reduced to just a few feet, (could only see bright jackets) and 70mph winds. My friend and I would get so tired , we would sit down behind a rock but he would always make us rise and keep moving. No prolonged breaks. We had to stick like glue to each other. It was so scary and very exciting. We had much trouble finding the cairns and were going at a snails pace.
I just do not think that there are enough of those kinds of warnings. To any hiker who read these words, I cannot imagine that they would not think twice. Combine that with a warning that you will be charged for your rescue, it just might deter some who would otherwise be inclined to just press on.

 

[Grayjay]

I have certainly done a lot of hikes this winter without snowshoes and prefer not to bring them if the trail is packed. The force of the storm that hit them must have been something else.