Lost Hikers on Monadnock

[Woody]

Having hiked Monadnock many times I can understand how someone can get turned around on the summit, especially in the clouds. As many times as I have been up there, I always carry a map and compass. As mentioned earlier, when you start from the state park headquarters, you have to basically refuse to take a map from the ranger. Still, a compass and a basic knowledge of how it works, and knowing what side of the mountain that they parked on, would have been real helpful. Sometimes people expect direction signs everywhere they go.

 

[kerry13]

I got turned around on Chocorua early on in my hiking career and came off south side (I believe it was south) instead of Champney Brook and had to pull out the old map. There are several tops which I have since found to be somewhat confusng and require careful attention when arriving and departing and this is more critical in poor visibility. Yes, Monadnock is popular and its popularity also keeps many folks from falling into the same predicament as this couple. Usually the the line of folks heading and down the Dot and Cross makes getting lost pretty difficult. Having been up there many times this winter and in the past I can say there are sections where getting disoriented is very possible. It is what you do when you get disoriented that counts. Most of the blazes are painted on the rocks and snow and the elements don't help. In trail reports section there was another who noted his party lost the Pompelly trail near the bottom. Luckily he found his own way. Most of the time there is another hiker on top of this mountain. Even last thursday there was 5 or 6 of us there during the couple hours I spent on top. If you're not sure, it doesn't hurt to ask. Thursday I noticed that White Dota, above treeline, looked as if they had just been repainted and there were more. Rangers always offer you a map, free, when you pay and I believe there are maps at the weekday payment deposit site, so there is no reason for anyone not to have a map. As someone mentioned inattention was probably the cause. I am glad they are safe. I'll bet if they continue to hike they won't make this mistake again.

 

[hardyb]

3 Wise Men

The park isn't officially open on weekdays this time of year so there was no one handing out maps. I have given direction many times to hikers on Monadock, even ones with a map. I agree that it is surprising that there isn't more lost hikers due to the fact that this Mt attracts alot of unprepaired non-hikers.

I was on the summit one day when I overhear 2 girls asking 3 older men if there was an easier way down other than the white dot. During that conversation I thought I heard Smith Connecting trail mentioned, but that didn’t seem right, that is defiantly not an easier way down. The 2 girls left the summit and started heading down the white dot. As I started down I stopped to talk to the 3 gentlemen, they were trying to figure out how to use their GPS. After a short talk I got the impression that the 3 wise men were arrogant know it alls and this was their first hike up Monadnock. This started to concern me because of what I had though I had heard them say to the 2 girls. I though if I set a good pace I could hopefully catch up with the girls before they got to the Smith Connecting cut off. Luck ally they were going at a slow pace and I caught them not to far down from the summit. I ask the girls what the 3 gentlemen told them to take. Sure enough they were told to take the Smith Connecting trail to Cliff walk and then Lost farm. Anyone who knows this Mt knows that is not an easier route to the base. To compound this they didn’t have a map and one of the girls had sandals on. I gave them the spare map I carry and suggested that they go back down the White Dot or White Cross, I have always wondered how they would have done it they would have followed the directions of the 3 WISE MEN.

 

[Camper58]

Early on in my hiking adventures, I actually left the summit of Mt. Garfield in the wrong direction. I mean there are only two ways off, right? I came up the Garfield trail on a simple out and back hike. It was a beautiful day and I spent an hour or so on the summit. When I left, I never even considered the possibility I was going down the wrong path. 1/4 of a mile later I realized I was heading for Mt. Lafayette, oops.... So I guess I can understand how people can get turned around on a summit like Monadnock with multiple trails to/from the summit.

The first thing I do now when I get to a summit is turn around and fix in my mind where I just came from, or find my intended 'exit' from the summit. Then I can relax....

 

[Mike P.]

It's possible without a map or guidebook telling you of all the choices up top & not paying attention. My wife has been there 3 -5 x but if I shoe her a picture of the summit of a picture of the summit of Monroe, Adams, Madison, etc in the fog, she'd say "all these rocks look the same"

If you go at the right time of day solitude can be found on Monadnock.

 

[nartreb]

Another thing I don't understand:
Any cell phone made in the last few years has a GPS receiver built in. Not only should the police have been able to get the phone company to track their exact location, but they should have been able to ask the hikers themselves to put their phone into debug mode (the key sequence to do this varies by phone model but is easy to find on the Internet) and read off their location.

 

[Nessmuk]

Another thing I don't understand:
Any cell phone made in the last few years has a GPS receiver built in. Not only should the police have been able to get the phone company to track their exact location, but they should have been able to ask the hikers themselves to put their phone into debug mode (the key sequence to do this varies by phone model but is easy to find on the Internet) and read off their location.

Of course it's far from being that easy. It is a government mandate, after all.

Cell phone companies were granted an extension until the end of 2005 for 95% of manufactured phones to be e911 compliant. Then there are the usual foot dragging complications and other logistical issues.

 

[nartreb]

Nessmuk, you're talking about the phone company's ability to remotely access the GPS info on the cell phone. No surprise they've been dragging their feet - they don't make any money out of it. The phones themselves have had GPS for a while now, you just have to know the key sequence to read it out manually:

getting to "test mode"

 

[WhiteMTHike]

The first thing I do now when I get to a summit is turn around and fix in my mind where I just came from, or find my intended 'exit' from the summit. Then I can relax....

Exactly!

It sounds to me like the bottom line here is that these people are non-hikers who don't have much respect for hiking. I'm glad the story has a happy ending but when I see unprepared woodswalkers trying to be shake and bake hikers I have a tough time feeling sorry for them. I'm just glad they are alright and I hope they now have a new found respect for hiking.

 

[dug]

What's the difference between a woodswalker and a hiker? I personally would think it would be easier to be lost in the woods that it would be on a summit.

Not that this has anything to do with the "constructive criticism" being given to these two walkers/hikers/sightseers.

 

[Grumpy]

Exactly!

It sounds to me like the bottom line here is that these people are non-hikers who don't have much respect for hiking. I'm glad the story has a happy ending but when I see unprepared woodswalkers trying to be shake and bake hikers I have a tough time feeling sorry for them. I'm just glad they are alright and I hope they now have a new found respect for hiking.

Yikes! I don't want it to seem like I'm singling out WhiteMTHike to argue with on this, but that statement can't go unchallenged.

Look, one of those people was 51 years old, the other 50. According to the news account provided above, via a link, they were adequately dressed for conditions, had food and water, carried a cell phone with them and used it to contact authorities when they realized they were in a fix . . .. They survived a nasty night out, evidently with no great ill effects except (possibly) for the intense blushing that comes of embarrassment.

I don’t think it’s right to assume -- or even speculate -- these people were inexperienced hikers. Maybe they were. Maybe they weren't. In fact, I don’t think it’s right to assume anything about them. For all any of us knows they may have hiked all over the place, for decades, without incident. But we do know for sure they fouled up good on Mt. Monadnock, the most climbed mountain in the world (by some calculations). As Nessmuk has said:

Maybe they got lost (and didn't bring a map or compass or "local knowledge") because they read reports saying it is impossbile to get lost on those trails.

This isn't to let them off the hook of responsibility for their own plight, or suggest there aren't some lessons to be learned from the experience those folks had. It is to say that the known facts are sufficient to form the basis of a discussion. We don't to be making things up to suit our own peculiar views of the world.

G.

 

[Nessmuk]

What's the difference between a woodswalker and a hiker? I personally would think it would be easier to be lost in the woods that it would be on a summit.

Not that this has anything to do with the "constructive criticism" being given to these two walkers/hikers/sightseers.

When you are at the base of a mountain, reaching the summit requires only that you follow one direction, "up". In simplistic cases compass azimuth may be ignored (though this is not necessarily recommended practice). Even if you come to an obstacle you must circumnavigate, up remains the only course to seek in order to reach the summit, in theory a single point that all "up" leads to. As long as there is mountain yet above and you can still physically make it to the summit, you will not be lost.

On the other hand, there are countless directions to take to go back "down". Most directions would be wrong choices, leading you far away from your intended base destination. Unlike the ascent, the descent requires that at least one azimuth be followed to get you back to home territory.

In either case of being a woodswalker or a climber you must pay attention to where you are and where you have been, as much as to where you are going. Turn around frequently to look behind you, especially at turn points and trial junctions, to get a mind picture of what it looks like from the other direction. There's almost always something distinctive to note about the area and direction from which you came. Where it is confusing, make a note. Sometimes I'll put a stick or other object as a marker where I know I can't miss it, but not where it is likely to be moved by someone else. This reverse image practice will save many headaches later.

 

[dug]

So, is it easier to get lost as a woodswalker than a hiker? Are you less prepared or more so if you are a woodswalker vs. a hiker? Are you more likely to be creamed on a message board if you are a woodswalker than a hiker?

Reason I'm asking is that even though I have been hiking for about 35 years in NH, I consider myself more of a woodswalker. I don't collect peaks like trophies. I go out for walks in the woods almost every night. I can go out for hours just exploring the woods. A hike to me is nothing more than a walk in the woods that seems to have a helluva lot of going up, and it follows a trail for much of it.

I'm guess I'm mostly curious why the term woodswalker is used to reflect someone less knowledgeable.

 

[DougPaul]

Yikes! I don't want it to seem like I'm singling out WhiteMTHike to argue with on this, but that statement can't go unchallenged.

Look, one of those people was 51 years old, the other 50. According to the news account provided above, via a link, they were adequately dressed for conditions, had food and water, carried a cell phone with them and used it to contact authorities when they realized they were in a fix . . .. They survived a nasty night out, evidently with no great ill effects except (possibly) for the intense blushing that comes of embarrassment.

I don’t think it’s right to assume -- or even speculate -- these people were inexperienced hikers. Maybe they were. Maybe they weren't. In fact, I don’t think it’s right to assume anything about them. For all any of us knows they may have hiked all over the place, for decades, without incident. But we do know for sure they fouled up good on Mt. Monadnock, the most climbed mountain in the world (by some calculations). As Nessmuk has said:

This isn't to let them off the hook of responsibility for their own plight, or suggest there aren't some lessons to be learned from the experience those folks had. It is to say that the known facts are sufficient to form the basis of a discussion. We don't to be making things up to suit our own peculiar views of the world.

Agreed. This thread contains a lot of unsubstantiated assumptions which are then used to "convict" the hikers. We would be better off if we stuck to the facts...

Doug

 

[post'r boy]

Agreed. This thread contains a lot of unsubstantiated assumptions which are then used to "convict" the hikers. We would be better off if we stuck to the facts...

Doug

agreed, i know some of the very people who are posting such nonsense ,have been lost themselves
people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

 

[WhiteMTHike]

So, is it easier to get lost as a woodswalker than a hiker? Are you less prepared or more so if you are a woodswalker vs. a hiker? Are you more likely to be creamed on a message board if you are a woodswalker than a hiker?

Reason I'm asking is that even though I have been hiking for about 35 years in NH, I consider myself more of a woodswalker. I don't collect peaks like trophies. I go out for walks in the woods almost every night. I can go out for hours just exploring the woods. A hike to me is nothing more than a walk in the woods that seems to have a helluva lot of going up, and it follows a trail for much of it.

I'm guess I'm mostly curious why the term woodswalker is used to reflect someone less knowledgeable.

Sorry but I'm sticking to my position on this one. I've seen too many people go into the woods and on to hiking trails without being prepared. I realize that any of us could get lost in the woods but I think the reason most of us on this board usually don't is because we go on our hikes with some degree of preparation. When I see people going on to trails with no maps, compass, GPS, guidebooks, backpacks, water etc. etc. I can't help but think that these people are asking for danger to come and get them. I also think they are thumbing their noses in the air at hiking and thinking it is just a trivial walk in the woods. That is the mindset which I have a problem with.

For example, I'm in the Whites last fall and I see this minivan pull up to a trailhead. This guy gets out with his female companion and the two of them looked like they were going sailing for a day. Levi's Dockers, boat shoes and zero hiking gear . Then they start out on the trail; Mt. Hale to be exact. Are these people kidding me? I mean what do people like this expect to have happen? Somehow I don't think they got to the summit. It was no surprise and I was actually relieved when I drove by the trailhead a little later and saw the minivan gone. I might add that this is only one of many examples I've seen of what I refer to as woodswalkers. Here again, if people respect hiking, come prepared and take it little more seriously (i.e. realize that it isn't always just a stroll through the woods) then I think many problems and potential tragedies can be avoided. Sorry but that's just how I feel.

 

[MadRiver]

I not certain which I fear more, being hopelessly lost in the woods or being dissected on this board. I have already decided when the SAR does find me, I will be using someone else’s trail name.

 

[DougG]

I'm guess I'm mostly curious why the term woodswalker is used to reflect someone less knowledgeable.

Same reason some folks use 'tourist' to reflect someone less knowledgeable.
It makes those doing the denigrating feel better about themself. Pretty silly for something as simple as hiking although there are some who try to make hiking as complex and full of 'special' skills as..............................

Geez, two 'hikers' get botched up on Monadnock's summit, get down on their own without injury, and you'd think there is great analysis that needs to be undertaken. (slow news day)

 

[post'r boy]

Sorry but I'm sticking to my position on this one. I've seen too many people go into the woods and on to hiking trails without being prepared. I realize that any of us could get lost in the woods but I think the reason most of us on this board usually don't is because we go on our hikes with some degree of preparation. When I see people going on to trails with no maps, compass, GPS, guidebooks, backpacks, water etc. etc. I can't help but think that these people are asking for danger to come and get them. I also think they are thumbing their noses in the air at hiking and thinking it is just a trivial walk in the woods. That is the mindset which I have a problem with.

For example, I'm in the Whites last fall and I see this minivan pull up to a trailhead. This guy gets out with his female companion and the two of them looked like they were going sailing for a day. Levi's Dockers, boat shoes and zero hiking gear . Then they start out on the trail; Mt. Hale to be exact. Are these people kidding me? I mean what do people like this expect to have happen? Somehow I don't think they got to the summit. It was no surprise and I was actually relieved when I drove by the trailhead a little later and saw the minivan gone. I might add that this is only one of many examples I've seen of what I refer to as woodswalkers. Here again, if people respect hiking, come prepared and take it little more seriously (i.e. realize that it isn't always just a stroll through the woods) then I think many problems and potential tragedies can be avoided. Sorry but that's just how I feel.

i've seen people in the grocery store outfitted like they were going on an everest expedtion and they don't know what isle the peanutbutter is in!!!

 

[WhiteMTHike]

i've seen people in the grocery store outfitted like they were going on an everest expedtion and they don't know what isle the peanutbutter is in!!!

They would if they paid attention to the smaller details.