Lost hikers on Franconia Ridge

[Dave Bear]

I came up through the notch Sunday afternoon around 4:30 and back down through at 6:30. The conditions were rapidly deteriorating at TH level and can only imagine what it would have been like on top. At 6:30 we ran into three full whiteouts in the single lane section where people would come close to a stop trying to find a well marked and plowed road. None of us would even want to imagine the panic that would set in quickly if we were on a somewhat knife edge ridge loosing the trail. Reports aside many of us may figure that we could get off the ridge quickly if something visible came in from the west. All too soon hypothermia would have its grips in you and play the major role in the outcome. "Stupid" in some posts here should be regarded as too harsh without being more informed and empathetic. Not so long ago posts went long and deep about brook crossings, turning back etc. Not being a member then I quitely sat back and listened knowing the day before we had averted tragedy by being overprepared. My hiking partner went through the ice over two miles out. Being forced chest first into the water and soaked through. Others had crossed the same spot but had no problems. If its never happened to you, the cold water cleans the wind out of you and cramps your long muscles. Within five minutes the clothes were freezing solid. We got her in a winter tent, in second set of clothes, in two sleeping bags with a torso warmer against her chest in half an hour. One hour later we were eating eye-of-the-round steaks drinking zinfindael and laughing about us floundering around in the brook. The next day was spent drying clothes and feeling blessed with good fortune and luck. Its too easy from a computer desk to judge preparedness or misfortune and would be bad karma. I feel how we approach the woods hiking in the winter is often the best education we can give others. If they see you headed for the ridgeline with a heavy pack and ask if your planning an overnight I often let them know I'm not planning just preparing! Traveling lighter or geared up is often a battle of judgement for me and a sign at the TH would remind me of times it paid off. Godspeed and sincerest sympathies to the victims, friends and families!

 

[carla]

Accidents, by definition

Dave Bear--very nice and thoughtful post here. It can all seem preventable/avoidable etc when we're sitting at a desk, but accidents ARE accidents and not predictable by nature. True, we can take precautions (checking weather and avy reports etc.) but sometimes freakish things just *happen* unfortunately, no matter how prepared, or perhaps unprepared.

All this said, I'm certainly on the side of preventing avoidable accidents and doing enough research/building up enough know-how to use good judgment. These days I am much more apt to simply not go, if the weather is predicted as super cold and super windy, snowy etc. When I was younger I might just do it anyway. So aging brings some tempering of zeal, at least for me. It's a bit of a shame, but it also means that I have more time to hike over time, instead of taking the big risk and then not being able to hike because of an accident, or worse.

 

[king tut]

I feel bad about passing any sort of judgement of the poor fellow, since he has passed on. He could be someone's father, brother, son, etc. I hope he had a moment of peace and clarity before he drew his last breath in. Rest in Peace.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I am relieved to hear that the surviving climber's condition has been upgraded. I hope that he will be willing to share some details of thier ordeal. I am perplexed by the amount of time they survived on the ridge? Heading up Falling Waters at 13:30 sunday and found Monday at 19:30 by Little Haystack??

I wonder if they hunkered down for the night sunday on the porch of Greenleaf Hut -- not sure how far they could have gotten sunday afternoon -- perhaps they made the ridge -- but it seems like there are lots of missing peices to this puzzle -- with the pea soup fog conditions sunday midmorning and the blizzard conditions later in the day -- perhaps they stayed at Greenleaf and then headed up on the ridge monday when things cleared?

Until Mr. Osborne recovers enough to relate their ordeal, we obviously will not know what really happened. But, given that they (presumably) headed up Falling Waters Trail on Sunday afternoon, which terminates at the summit of Little Haystack where they were found on Monday evening, I doubt that they made it all the way across Franconia Ridge to Lafayette and then down to Greenleaf Hut for Sunday night, and then back up Lafayette to the ridge and back across to near Little Haystack on Monday. My guess, and this only a guess, is that they topped out on Little Haystack late Sunday afternoon in extreme conditions and tried to head north, but did not get very far, or turned around at some point on the ridge, before collapsing near the summit of Little Haystack.

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Rick Wilcox, President of Mountain Rescue Service, published in the Concord Monitor:

"We call it full conditions," Wilcox said. "It's about as cold and windy as you can withstand.......It is not the place to spend the night," Wilcox said. "So something happened. . . . There was a desperate situation."

 

[una_dogger]

Thanks, Dr D, somehow I thought that they had headed up Old Bridle Path to the hut first and were planning to descend Falling Waters. Thanks for that clarification!

 

[miehoff]

Wow!

After reading all of these posts back-to-back, I am beginning to get confused. Is this really a discussion? Maybe my confusion goes hand-in-hand with my forgetfulness.

Seriously (and with all due respect), what are you guys talking about?

 

[sapblatt]

Deaths on the highway are a cost of transportation. Deaths in the mountains are a cost of hiking.

IMO, safety on the mountain mostly depends on the individual.

Doug

Dying is the cost of living - the only way to avoid death is not to live.

We cannot stop people from doing legal things - even if they are not educated or well equipped. My experience is that most people do not read signs.

My condolences to the family - does anyone know the status of the 2nd hiker?

 

[DrewKnight]

Good news on that front...

Mr. Osborne is improving, and has been upgraded from critical to serious. There's a short piece in the Concord Monitor tonight. All the best to him for a speedy recovery.

 

[king tut]

After reading all of these posts back-to-back, I am beginning to get confused. Is this really a discussion? Maybe my confusion goes hand-in-hand with my forgetfulness.

Seriously (and with all due respect), what are you guys talking about?

Put down the bong for a week, re-visit the posts, things will make sense. At this point, the posts will make you depressed, so pick up where things left off, b/c in VT this stuff isn't much of a crime anymore. Self medication is now cheaper than health care. Beware the leafy brownies at work.

 

[Maddy]

As a newbie, I was "educated" by rangers, the AMC at Pinkham Notch, and other experienced hikers.
I had no idea that I was really clueless about certain very important facts that could have impacted me in a very negative way when I was hiking. I was without a doubt one of those very "stoopid" ,aka stupid, people.
So now, years later, I have to reconcile myself to the fact that trying to help newbies who are as clueless as I once was, is a completely futile endeavor and a total waste of time. I guess I was one of the lucky ones because the people who dealt with me didn't feel that way.
Things change. This is a hard pill to swallow because I really thought that as a group we might just be able to make a difference. I get the feeling from reading many of the posts that it's never going to happen.
Something as simple as trying to improve the signs at trailheads would serve no purpose because most would not read them and if they did, they would flat out dismiss the info as absurd or insignificant.
You live, you die. Depends on how your luck is running on any given day.
It's up to each individual to figure it out even if they have not a clue that they have serious knowledge deficits when it comes to what you do and don't do to remain safe in the mountains. You just can't protect people. Live free or die.
I get it....and it make me very sad.

This quote was posted on a web site directly under a picture of Meredith Emerson and her dog sitting side by side looking out toward a beautiful pond in the woods.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
--Dr. Martin Luther King

 

[caleb]

As a newbie, I was "educated" by rangers, the AMC at Pinkham Notch, and other experienced hikers.
I had no idea that I was really clueless about certain very important facts that could have impacted me in a very negative way when I was hiking. I was without a doubt one of those very "stoopid" ,aka stupid, people.
So now, years later, I have to reconcile myself to the fact that trying to help newbies who are as clueless as I once was, is a completely futile endeavor and a total waste of time. I guess I was one of the lucky ones because the people who dealt with me didn't feel that way.
Things change. This is a hard pill to swallow because I really thought that as a group we might just be able to make a difference. I get the feeling from reading many of the posts that it's never going to happen.
Something as simple as trying to improve the signs at trailheads would serve no purpose because most would not read them and if they did, they would flat out dismiss the info as absurd or insignificant.
You live, you die. Depends on how your luck is running on any given day.
It's up to each individual to figure it out even if they have not a clue that they have serious knowledge deficits when it comes to what you do and don't do to remain safe in the mountains. You just can't protect people. Live free or die.
I get it....and it make me very sad.

Maddy I get too. But what I get is that this collective places such a high value on macho individualism and self-reliance, and on the immutable powers of mother nature, that there seems to be scant room left for the respectful care of our fellow human.

Since WHEN is a warning sign required to produce 100% compliance in order for it to be deemed effective? It's not. It's absurd to think otherwise. Yet that's what's been asserted here...in reverse...repeated assertions of zero compliance. But to the posters who posited this...the cynical appraisal of the rest of the world as a bunch of unworthy idiots who never read signs, I implore you to read through my posts and Maddys too. This thread contains at least two examples where proper signage had an immediate, material, positive impact on safety. Though poison it may be to your Darwinian spleen, this is the unassailable truth: signs and warnings work; not alway well, but well enough so that it's incumbent on a caring community to consider the subject willingly and as a part of a reasonable mix of education and deterants.

Or maybe, truly, we simply don't care that much here (or we're so elitist we regard inexperience as a disease). I seriously wonder. And I wonder too, just how much of this machismo and callousness are the effect of a group dynamic and not the reflection of individual character. If i slipped on some ice and fell into the Pemi river, I'm positive I could count on nearly every one of you to help me out of my predicament. But if I fell into that same river and there were eight of you on the bank instead of one, I have the nagging thought I might meet up with a far different response. 'Wait...lets see if he can get himself out". or "I'll bet you a beer he can't make it to that big rock".

am I right? If I get kicked off I'll know for sure.

 

[chomp]

Since WHEN is a warning sign required to produce 100% compliance in order for it to be deemed effective? It's not. It's absurd to think otherwise. Yet that's what's been asserted here...in reverse...repeated assertions of zero compliance. But to the posters who posited this...the cynical appraisal of the rest of the world as a bunch of unworthy idiots who never read signs, I implore you to read through my posts and Maddys too. This thread contains at least two examples where proper signage had an immediate, material, positive impact on safety. Though poison it may be to your Darwinian spleen, this is the unassailable truth: signs and warnings work; not alway well, but well enough so that it's incumbent on a caring community to consider the subject willingly and as a part of a reasonable mix of education and deterants.

First of all, this argument uses a very popular form of faux-logic - you claim to have proven your theory by citing a few (2) examples, while dismissing others opinions based on their own limited experiences. The truth is - neither the pro-sign or anti-sign posters have any quantitative evidence to bolster their arguments. Its a mixture of opinion and very limited personal experiences. I looked for a study on warning sign effectiveness, and found nothing.

That being said, I come down on the anti-sign side of this debate. I offer no proof, just a personal belief that this world already has too many warning signs and that myself along with many others have become numb to these signs. "CAUTION: Coffee is HOT", "WARNING: Airbag may EXPLODE", "BEWARE: Cell Phone may cause CANCER", etc...

We as humans tend to ignore things that become the norm, and even mock them, despite how serious they are. "BABY ON BOARD" anyone? Remember when this started out as a good-intentioned way of letting someone know that there was an infant in a car. But that wasn't the end of it - soon we had KIDS, DOGS, GRANDPARENTS, etc... Soon the "warning" sign of who was in your car became a joke and everyone had one mocking the original. Or take the more recent example of ribbons or wristbands - what started off as something with a good intention became overblown and, eventually, mocked and ignored.

I claim that the same is true with the warning signs. How many people here have seen a group of hikers laughing and joking at the big, bad yellow warning signs in the Presis? Raise your hand if you have done the same. I have:

http://gallery.backcountry.net/chompat99nh/aaq
http://gallery.backcountry.net/chomp-MonroeKingsWashington/aba

My point is that these signs are already a joke for quite a few hikers, and adding more will just make the lessen their impact further. There is already more than ample information at the trailheads about the conditions and the risks, especially the Falling Waters Trailhead. As you can see from this picture, they have a board: "Alpine Zone- its a Tough Place to GO" (the GROW one is to the left):

http://image64.webshots.com/64/0/51/36/2179051360049791970qXTlee_fs.jpg

Bottom line - accidents can and do happen, but when they are a relative rarity, we think that we could have prevented them. Life is not always clean, and sometimes you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Its unfortunate, its sad, and like everyone else I wish I could go back and whisper in these guys ears that a nasty storm was coming. Its not that I don't care (or that I am elitist or Darwinian) - its that I honestly and truly believe that a warning sign would not have made a difference. Worse, actually - I believe that adding MORE signs would make the current ones less effective. I'm sorry to hear about these two men just as I am sorry to hear about the shooting victims in Illinois, I just don't see what could have reasonably been done to prevent this unfortunate accident.

 

[caleb]

I just don't see what could have reasonably been done to prevent this unfortunate accident.

So you wish you could have had a chance to whisper in the guys ear, but you would oppose putting signs up at the trailhead because you're certain it wouldn't have helped.

nice. enjoy your certainty.

I'm out. It's beginning to feel like my fraternity days. We do recover, but if anyone wants know how to turn a decent kid into a clever, tough, gaping hole of a human being, just let me know.

 

[grouseking]

Because this seems to be getting out of hand a little, I will post a funny picture or two. I too, have toyed with the warning signs....

Don't you dare pass...

Where's my hammer?

Honestly, arguing about this stuff is just crazy right now. A hiker just died, and one's health is slowly improving. Let's learn from their mistakes, and hike a good hike next time.

I don't really get all caught up in the risky behavior with hiking, honestly...people are just hiking their own hike. I don't turn my head unless I see them out there deliberately trying to do ignorant and stupid things. I'll let the reader be the judge on what you think is stupid, because what I think is dumb, might be slightly different, and I'd rather not get in an online shouting match.

You could be in a group of 15 people, and accidentally trip over a branch or rock, and break your ankle, or slip and fall down a gully, just as much as if you're alone. I know that when I'm in a group of people, I don't pay attention to my surroundings as much. I'm too busy gabbing. So for me, solo is sometimes better, depending on the trail, and weather conditions. But thats just me. You can't eliminate the risk completely. The signs now are fine as is...no more needed. For the most part, hikers know what they're getting into when they're winter hiking above treeline. If they don't? Well thats why we have these signs.

As Chomp and many others have said, you can't keep things completely risk free. Its not a perfect world.

grouseking

 

[forestgnome]

But what I get is that this collective places such a high value on macho individualism and self-reliance, and on the immutable powers of mother nature, that there seems to be scant room left for the respectful care of our fellow human.

"macho" is used here as a pajorative to describe individualism. Now, that is a sad day in America. Also, I don't understand how you've determined a lack of respect and care for our fellow humans. If someone beleives that more signage doesn't work, that cannot be evidence that they don't care for others' well-being. It just means they think more signage won't work. You are free to devalue freedom and individualism, but it has led to an error in judgement about those who do.

I beleive the signs do work for a limited percentage of people. Many unprepared hikers will and do hike right by them and into peril. Others are what would be considered prepared and experienced, and hike into peril.

Others are thoughtful folks who really don't know how much different it is in the mountains, especially above treeline, in winter. Upon reading good signage at a trailhead, they reconsider. The signage is definately not completely useless, nor will it ever save everyone, no matter how much signage we use.

I theorize that signage at treeline is a bit less effective, since most hikers seem to be focused on reaching a summit. After hiking for miles, it's exciting to reach treeline, therefore there's more desire to press further. And at that point, you can't decide to bring more gear.

At the trailhead, a sign might encourage a person to bring more clothing, which could make difference.

happy trails

 

[rocket21]

One example of signage is the ski industry - over the years, lawsuits and tragedies have resulted in requirements to post all sorts of signs and warnings everywhere. As a result, many don't bother to read any of them. It amazes me how few people know the responsibility code or the different lift loading/operation tips/etc. - part of it has to do with a warning overload. Think about it - there are already a lot of signings describing 'alpine zone' dos and don'ts, wilderness dos and don'ts, camping dos and dont's, etc. - next thing you know, the hiking trail has more signs per mile than the nearby highway...it gets a bit excessive. The good thing is that there are so few hiking deaths in New England compared to the millions of hikes attempted each year.

 

[dr_wu002]

I beleive the signs do work for a limited percentage of people. Many unprepared hikers will and do hike right by them and into peril. Others are what would be considered prepared and experienced, and hike into peril.

Others are thoughtful folks who really don't know how much different it is in the mountains, especially above treeline, in winter. Upon reading good signage at a trailhead, they reconsider. The signage is definately not completely useless, nor will it ever save everyone, no matter how much signage we use.

I theorize that signage at treeline is a bit less effective, since most hikers seem to be focused on reaching a summit. After hiking for miles, it's exciting to reach treeline, therefore there's more desire to press further. And at that point, you can't decide to bring more gear.

At the trailhead, a sign might encourage a person to bring more clothing, which could make difference.

happy trails

I tend to agree... I think that a lot of people see the signs as the "silly government wagging it's finger at me, telling me not to hurt myself" and I wouldn't be surprised if, in some cases, the signs would actually motivate people to move on rather than turn back in dangerous conditions.

For a lot of us here, we are aware of the dangers so the signs are usually irrelevant. Barbarossa and I recently went up Pierce and Eisenhower in complete "whiteout" conditions. We took our time going from Pierce to Eisenhower, gingerly moving from cairn to cairn taking care to not lose sight of the ones in front and behind. We came down Eisenhower and actually considered going to Monroe but decided against it and went down Edmond's Path instead. The whole time above treeline we were aware of our escape points if we needed to get out of there and we also both had map and compass. I wouldn't want to be in a whiteout without a compass as the landscape quickly becomes ambiguous and then disorienting. Following cairns is one thing, but once you lose them it's difficult to know where you're going.

-Dr. Wu

 

[Dugan]

Charge everyone for rescue. Along with the self-service pay-to-park kiosks, introduce trip insurance vouchers (or, like the WMNF parking stickers, have the ability to pay for a whole season). Anyone who pays for a voucher won't get charged, regardless of circumstances. Anyone who doesn't, gets charged. Revenue to help defray cost of rescue.

This eliminates the subjective judgement of how "accidental" any single situation is. It sets in place an easily understood rule. It outlines the dangers by implying that rescue may be necessary. It clearly states that there could be a financial hit for disregarding both preparedness and a voucher.

 

[Waumbek]

I believe that signs at trailheads would make a difference while signs at treeline might not be worth the effort. The relatively well-informed VFTT group is not the only bunch that hikes, remember. You would be surprised at the number of families that arrive in Franconia Notch and decide to take the kids for a hike up the Falling Waters or Bridle Path. Or the couple from Connecticut who are passing through. They are totally unprepared for what they will find in a mile or two. They don't go in winter, usually summer, but they leave late and get benighted nevertheless, or lose the kids, and then the cell phone calls go out for rescues, and lost childen are never taken lightly. These are not bad, careless parents, just uninformed ones. They probably would read trailhead signs about what's appropriate for this hike--footgear, flashlights, the importance of staying together, etc. They might also benefit from advice about where to take kids that is appropriate for a late afternoon "walk," not a hike. I would.

 

[WinterWarlock]

Charge everyone for rescue. Along with the self-service pay-to-park kiosks, introduce trip insurance vouchers (or, like the WMNF parking stickers, have the ability to pay for a whole season). Anyone who pays for a voucher won't get charged, regardless of circumstances. Anyone who doesn't, gets charged. Revenue to help defray cost of rescue.

This eliminates the subjective judgment of how "accidental" any single situation is. It sets in place an easily understood rule. It outlines the dangers by implying that rescue may be necessary. It clearly states that there could be a financial hit for disregarding both preparedness and a voucher.

Probably not a bad idea, if you could find an insurance company to underwrite it, even better.