Missing Hiker in Northern Presidentials - Found safe

[ColdRiverRun]

Maybe the most informed comment from the lot following the article.

"If anyone has any doubt about the danger, even with this warm spell, read Nicholas Howes book " Not Without Peril". Anyone who attempts to hike 17 miles in the Whites, in one day, is seriously misinformed at best."

 

[una_dogger]

This is not a perfect comparison, but Six Husbands roughly equates to Haystack from Panther Gorge. Throw in a couple of the worst ledges and ladders from Basin, and you are getting close to the idea.

Adding in a raging river, and ya get the picture.

What a great ending! Great job by this young lad -- echoing all that's been said here, two nights out with minimal gear and food, dealing with rotten snow conditions, having the foresight and determination to reclimb the ridge and get himself found --- kid prolly woulda made it back to Pinkham sometime this afternoon on his own!!!

If you are a member here, my kudos to you for pulling it all together, making some crucial decisions, and getting your butt back home safely!!!

And special thanks to Psmart and other SAR folks.

Maybe the most informed comment from the lot following the article.

"If anyone has any doubt about the danger, even with this warm spell, read Nicholas Howes book " Not Without Peril". Anyone who attempts to hike 17 miles in the Whites, in one day, is seriously misinformed at best."

LOL! Love it...wow...we are one sick bunch of ill informed reckless adults here, aren't we!!!

 

[Whiteman]

Great Kid

An Eagle Scout, resourceful in the woods, and collecting 3200 lbs of food for the homeless in Boston as his Eagle Scout project. This fellow has two thumbs up in my book.

 

[Woody]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ColdRiverRun
Maybe the most informed comment from the lot following the article.

"If anyone has any doubt about the danger, even with this warm spell, read Nicholas Howes book " Not Without Peril". Anyone who attempts to hike 17 miles in the Whites, in one day, is seriously misinformed at best."



LOL! Love it...wow...we are one sick bunch of ill informed reckless adults here, aren't we!!!

I guess most of us could use to have our heads examined.

The Great Gulf is a nice place for solo hiking and solitude. I just have enough experience to know not to drop down into the Gulf this time of year. I got this experience the same way most of us did. I had my own little epic with spring snow and raging streams. Fortunately the only thing that happened to me is that I had to walk in wet boots. My rain pants actually did keep my pants fairly dry even though I was wading up almost to my waist at times. I was only dealing with Downes Brook and not the Peabody River.

I haven't read the UL's comments, but I did read the comments on Boston.com. By the comments you would think that this kid was a total screw up and had the worst parents in the world.

There are a lot worse things a 17 year old could be doing instead of getting a good bit of useful outdoors experience. This kid was walking out on his own. I think he did pretty well. He'll sure have some great stories to tell when he gets back with his buddies!

 

[WhiteMTHike]

These parents ought to be slapped into reality.
Why did they let a 17 year old come to NH by himself to hike ALONE???
He couldn't have been too great an eagle scout if he got into trouble AND decided to hike alone.
I guess they give anyone an eagle ranking now.
Hope they make him and his idiot parents pay for all the trouble he caused.
Mexico is not the only border we should close.
- Donna, Rye

Idiocy at its finest.

Glad this kid is OK. Sounds to me like these parents have raised a kid who has a sense of awareness to the outdoors and a good sense of responsibility. I guess Donna from Rye is immune to making mistakes.

What a classic post.

 

[sierra]

I do not read the union leader and do not watch channel 9 news because they have no clue whatsoever, they cant even report the news correctly, all dramatics, its sickening. When i was 15 yrs old, my mother would drive me to manchester and drop me off at the offramp to 293, so I could hitchhike to the Whites for multiday backpacking trips. I could only imagine what the news would have reported if I got rescued and what bad choices I made. My point is, this kid has it going on to some degree and he rose to the occasion. I think living and experiencing things like he did at that level of adventure, lends itself to make you a stronger more resiliant person in the end. Civilians (as I call them) dont get it, but then again thier not supposed too, thats the point. Ive always thought mountaineers have special traits, why cross a steep snowslope with only one tool to stop a deathfall when you dont really have too? because it puts sitting in the lazyboy to shame everyday, its called living.

 

[griffin]

Just out of curiosity, a number of comments posted on both the Union Leader and Boston Globe sites have stated that "he's an Eagle Scout/Scouts are taught to never hike alone/he should have known better/etc"

Do the Scouts really teach that? Not that it makes a difference one way or the other.

Glad he made it out ok - sounds like a pretty level-headed kid to me.

 

[Dave Bear]

When I first heard about this fellow lost and what his ambitious hike plan was I thought " Man he is in way over his head!" Just thinking about the trek back across from Madison it made you wish someone had coached him a bit. Then even before he made it out I thought about my own brazen mentality at that age. I did everything in jeans and sneakers and at that age you consider yourself invincible. Any challenge was worthy, whether jumping over a roaring bonfire or scaling a cliff freehand, never considering using a rope!

Its too bad more kids out there don't have the nuggets and stamina to be out doing what he is willing to do. Its probably hard for him to find somone his age to hike with and consider a hiking partner. He'll likely get more than his share of critiquing and advice now about what he should have done and how. I certainly hope he garnishes the lessons that are sound yet maintains a freespirit in what he does.

It would be great for him to network with other hikers -RMC, AMC and hiking forums in order to have more info on resources. That way he could have known more about the spring snow, flooding, shelters available ie. - The Perch and Gray Knob. I'm sure that many newbie hikers twice his age have headed above treeline with much less of a clue on their first journey. Glad his paths will continue and his family is supportive and confident in him!

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

When I first heard about this fellow lost and what his ambitious hike plan was I thought " Man he is in way over his head!" Just thinking about the trek back across from Madison it made you wish someone had coached him a bit. Then even before he made it out I thought about my own brazen mentality at that age. I did everything in jeans and sneakers and at that age you consider yourself invincible. Any challenge was worthy, whether jumping over a roaring bonfire or scaling a cliff freehand, never considering using a rope!

Its too bad more kids out there don't have the nuggets and stamina to be out doing what he is willing to do. Its probably hard for him to find somone his age to hike with and consider a hiking partner. He'll likely get more than his share of critiquing and advice now about what he should have done and how. I certainly hope he garnishes the lessons that are sound yet maintains a freespirit in what he does.

It would be great for him to network with other hikers -RMC, AMC and hiking forums in order to have more info on resources. That way he could have known more about the spring snow, flooding, shelters available ie. - The Perch and Gray Knob. I'm sure that many newbie hikers twice his age have headed above treeline with much less of a clue on their first journey. Glad his paths will continue and his family is supportive and confident in him!

Very fine post!

 

[bobandgeri]

Do the Scouts really teach that? Not that it makes a difference one way or the other.

I do not have the actual Hiking Merit Badge booklet, but the requirements are as listed below. I found several references on Boy Scout websites that seem to indicate that, yes, they are taught not to hike alone.

Hiking Requirements
1. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while hiking, including hypothermia, heatstroke, heat exhaustion, frostbite, dehydration, sunburn, sprained ankle, insect stings, tick bites, snakebite, blisters, hyperventilation, and altitude sickness.

2. Explain and, where possible, show the points of good hiking practices. including the principles of Leave No Trace, hiking safety in the daytime and at night, courtesy to others, choice of footwear, and proper care of feet and footwear.

3. Explain how hiking is an aerobic activity. Develop a plan for conditioning yourself for 10-mile hikes, and describe how you will increase your fitness for longer hikes.

4. Make a written plan for a 10-mile hike, including map routes, a clothing and equipment list, and a list of items for a trail lunch.

5. Take five hikes, each on a different day, and each of at least ten continuous miles. Prepare a hike plan for each hike.*

6. Take a hike of 20 continuous miles in one day following a hike plan you have prepared.*

After each of the hikes (or during each hike if on one continuous "trek") in requirements 5 and 6, write a short report of your experience. Give dates and descriptions of routes covered, the weather, and interesting things you saw. Share this report with your merit badge counselor.

 

[focusonbalance]

Bob and Gerri got it right about the buddy system, whether hiking or not, a Scout is always instructed to have a buddy. As a Scout leader I can tell you that there seem to be two kind of groups, the Scouts and leaders who know what they are doing and those who think they do.

Unfortunately, like folks that I'm sure we we all know, even if they are in the know, it doesn't mean they do what's right. And I'm sure that just about all of us at some point or another are probably guilty of that to some degree too. I guess the trick is to stay out of the oh crap moments or catch a bit of luck when over your head and caught up in it. I like to try to stick to our motto, be prepared.

Bottom line, he is okay and I'm sure learned a heck of a lot, hopefully others will too.

 

[focusonbalance]

Bob and Gerri got it right about the buddy system, whether hiking or not, a Scout is always instructed to have a buddy. As a Scout leader I can tell you that there seem to be two kind of groups, the Scouts and leaders who know what they are doing and those who think they do.

Unfortunately, like folks that I'm sure we we all know, even if they are in the know, it doesn't mean they do what's right. And I'm sure that just about all of us at some point or another are probably guilty of that to some degree too. I guess the trick is to stay out of the oh crap moments or catch a bit of luck when over your head and caught up in it. I like to try to stick to our motto, be prepared.

Bottom line, he is okay and I'm sure learned a heck of a lot, hopefully others will too.

 

[dentonfabrics]

Video summary of this event posted on youtube by the Union Leader

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gib-A72bBAU

 

[Tuco]

AP Article- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090430/ap_on_re_us/us_missing_hiker

 

[mookie]

not sure why some are hating on him. for 17 years old he seems to have a good head on his shoulders....made some good decisions as well.

 

[Barkingcat]

When I first heard about this fellow lost and what his ambitious hike plan was I thought " Man he is in way over his head!" Just thinking about the trek back across from Madison it made you wish someone had coached him a bit. Then even before he made it out I thought about my own brazen mentality at that age. I did everything in jeans and sneakers and at that age you consider yourself invincible. Any challenge was worthy, whether jumping over a roaring bonfire or scaling a cliff freehand, never considering using a rope!

Its too bad more kids out there don't have the nuggets and stamina to be out doing what he is willing to do. It's probably hard for him to find someone his age to hike with and consider a hiking partner. He'll likely get more than his share of critiquing and advice now about what he should have done and how. I certainly hope he garnishes the lessons that are sound yet maintains a free spirit in what he does.

It would be great for him to network with other hikers -- RMC, AMC and hiking forums in order to have more info on resources. That way he could have known more about the spring snow, flooding, shelters available i.e. -- The Perch and Gray Knob. I'm sure that many newbie hikers twice his age have headed above treeline with much less of a clue on their first journey. Glad his paths will continue and his family is supportive and confident in him!

I concur, Dave...I concur.

RE: allowing this young man to network with other hikers -- perhaps someone might know him (or know how to get in touch with him) and offer to sponsor him for VFTT...?

 

[erugs]

As I was thinking about this event, I, too, remembered some of my own actions at that age. Riding on the back of a motorcycle at over 100 when the driver was dui. Driving my ol' VW beetle to Toledo, OH and back to Boston without telling anyone where I was going. Engine overheated on the way back -- think I had to add oil, don't remember now.

Also wondering: what if he had been hiking with a friend or two. Then perhaps there would have been two or three lost in the wilderness, and who's to say good decisions would have been made then? Would one have followed the other despite good "gut instinct" that they should turn around? And then wound up in a worse mess by no one wanting to give in and bail?

He's an admirable young man and I'd encourage him to keep up his spirit of adventure when it is tied in with the solid thinking he's already demonstrated. Thank goodness he survived to learn from his experience. Many of us have who have followed the story have, don't you think?

 

[--M.]

I concur, Dave...I concur.

RE: allowing this young man to network with other hikers -- perhaps someone might know him (or know how to get in touch with him) and offer to sponsor him for VFTT...?

I concur, too, but that's where we part:

He needs (or doesn't need) to take the initiative to learn from his experience and use his resources better, including this awesome research tool (and community!). He'll grow more completely if he finds places like this through (as another "program" says) attraction, not promotion. He seems to have initiative already, so it seems to have been a positive training/learning experience for all (albeit compulsory for some). I'll bet his reality got adjusted but good on that ridgeline!

 

[NorthShore]

Just out of curiosity, a number of comments posted on both the Union Leader and Boston Globe sites have stated that "he's an Eagle Scout/Scouts are taught to never hike alone/he should have known better/etc"

Do the Scouts really teach that? Not that it makes a difference one way or the other.

Glad he made it out ok - sounds like a pretty level-headed kid to me.

We teach the scouts that they have to stay with their patrol or troop while on hikes and we require a buddy system for all scout activities. This is pretty much all it says about the matter in the Scout's handbook. The buddy system is to be used at all times; even going to the bathroom (from Guide to Safe Scouting: "The buddy system should be used for latrines by having one person wait outside the entrance").

The first piece makes perfect sense...there are enough bad stories that followed groups splitting up in the wilderness. That being said, these cover scouting events which are inherently group activities.

For hiking on his own, I'm sure the advice would have been for the lost hiker to take a buddy on his private trip, but the armchair comments about him being untrained or ignorant or the Eagle rank being bestowed upon anyone are absurd. There may be good reasons for hiking on your own (I do it) but we don't want our scouts going off on their own at scouting events.

As for his age, I'd be nervous about my sons doing that trip, but they are younger and I am overprotective. He encountered obstacles he hadn't planned on (although he probably should have) and dealt with them admirably.

Here are the only passages from the BSA Guide to safe scouting that actually abstract the buddy rule to hiking specific situations...again they apply to scout trips which are always group events:

• Safety rule of four: No fewer than four individuals (always with the minimum of two adults) go on any backcountry expedition or campout. If an accident occurs, one person stays with the injured, and two go for help. Additional adult leadership requirements must reflect an awareness of such factors as size and skill level of the group, anticipated environmental conditions, and overall degree of challenge.

• Use the buddy system for winter outings. Buddies can check each other for frostbite, make sure no one becomes lost, and boost the morale of the entire group.

 

[Bob T]

I am glad he's ok and I'm sure he learned a lot. He's 17 so he learned as we all learned at that age: by getting in over our heads. He was resourceful in the face of a difficult situation.

Also wondering: what if he had been hiking with a friend or two. Then perhaps there would have been two or three lost in the wilderness, and who's to say good decisions would have been made then? Would one have followed the other despite good "gut instinct" that they should turn around? And then wound up in a worse mess by no one wanting to give in and bail?

I agree. I believe that had he brought a buddy this outcome would not have been as good as it was.

Bringing a buddy can be more challenging than soloing. It's not a magic wand that wards off accidents or bad judgment. Unless you've learned to check in with each other, adjust your goals dynamically, collaborate, make sure everyone in the group is comfortable with the pace/route/conditions/etc., you might end up with a strong engine at the front of the train and a bunch of lighter cars getting pulled along in an increasingly dangerous way as they tire.

Perhaps for the older elephants two heads are better than one, but I'm not so sure that applies to young elephants.