Lost Hiker 11/30/06
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Tom Rankin
Well-known member
dug said:
Quote:
"Fitch committed three cardinal sins of hiking:
leaving his hiking partners,
leaving the trail
hiking at night without a flashlight."
Given #3, #2 will soon follow!
DougPaul
Well-known member
According the report he also:Tom Rankin said:
"walked out of the woods at about 8:30 a.m., right into the parking lot where searchers had gathered after looking for him all night."
Doug
I'm assuming they put a boot on his vehicle so he couldn't leave without paying....
On a more serious note, I came out of the woods WWWAAAYYYY later than expected on Friday. I told my wife I would be back home between 3-4. It was close to 5:30 when I walked in the door. We were at my in-laws, which is only 20 minutes from Mt. Madison, so the drive wasn't the problem.
I couldn't get the cell phone to work to let her know I was running late. She tried to call but I had it off. For the first time ever, she was concerned for my safety as I was solo after all and it was getting pretty freakin' cold out. It was about 99% darkness by the time I got to my car.
All I could think about as I hustled my butt down the Howker Ridge Trail was this board, and the how I could possibly defend myself if I showed up at my car to see S&R milling around the parking lot!!
On a more serious note, I came out of the woods WWWAAAYYYY later than expected on Friday. I told my wife I would be back home between 3-4. It was close to 5:30 when I walked in the door. We were at my in-laws, which is only 20 minutes from Mt. Madison, so the drive wasn't the problem.
I couldn't get the cell phone to work to let her know I was running late. She tried to call but I had it off. For the first time ever, she was concerned for my safety as I was solo after all and it was getting pretty freakin' cold out. It was about 99% darkness by the time I got to my car.
All I could think about as I hustled my butt down the Howker Ridge Trail was this board, and the how I could possibly defend myself if I showed up at my car to see S&R milling around the parking lot!!
gram
Member
dug -
My husband and my biggest fear is being written up in Mohamed's accident reports!
Things don't always go right on the trail - especially in winter.
My husband and my biggest fear is being written up in Mohamed's accident reports!
Things don't always go right on the trail - especially in winter.
MadRiver
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DougPaul said:
And your point?
teejay
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MadRiver said:
I think it is glaringly obvious and I anxiously await DP's response.
teejay
I think the point is that while he made some mistakes, he also survived the night and got himself out to safety under his own power. There are lessons to be learned here; it does no one any good to merely vilify the hiker.MadRiver said:
-dave-
MadRiver
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I would be more interested in the S&R team’s perspective on this one.
teejay
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The point
Of course, we don't know the entire story. What I see by Doug's quote is this. The hiker made mistakes that we know about. S & R was contacted by his hiking partners. Why? Obviously they were concerned based on their own knowledge. Was he prepared to spend the night? Was he experienced? Did he have food and water? Did he have a map and compass and know how to use them? Was the terrain where he went astray threatening? Was weather a factor? We don't know the answers to these questions, but S & R began an all-night rescue based on their assessment of the situation and whatever knowledge they could gain from the hiker's partners. I'm not an S & R person so won't try to second-guess them. But the hiker's mistakes and the answers to those questions told them, "We need to start looking now!!!"
Let's take another scenario. The same hiker makes the same mistakes and his partners report to S & R that their friend did not come out of the woods. S & R is told the lost person has extra clothing, food, water, temporary shelter, was experienced in the woods, knew how to use his map and compass, and terrain and weather conditions weren't threatening. What would S & R's response be given that input? Start an all-night search, put someone at the trailhead to wait, start the search in the morning? I'll leave that up to those in the know.
My point is this: Everything said that a rescue attempt was necessary, and, for whatever reason (dumb luck?), it wasn't.
I'm not trying to vilify the hiker.
teejay
Edit: I left a rather key word out of my original post in paragraph 2. Fixed
Of course, we don't know the entire story. What I see by Doug's quote is this. The hiker made mistakes that we know about. S & R was contacted by his hiking partners. Why? Obviously they were concerned based on their own knowledge. Was he prepared to spend the night? Was he experienced? Did he have food and water? Did he have a map and compass and know how to use them? Was the terrain where he went astray threatening? Was weather a factor? We don't know the answers to these questions, but S & R began an all-night rescue based on their assessment of the situation and whatever knowledge they could gain from the hiker's partners. I'm not an S & R person so won't try to second-guess them. But the hiker's mistakes and the answers to those questions told them, "We need to start looking now!!!"
Let's take another scenario. The same hiker makes the same mistakes and his partners report to S & R that their friend did not come out of the woods. S & R is told the lost person has extra clothing, food, water, temporary shelter, was experienced in the woods, knew how to use his map and compass, and terrain and weather conditions weren't threatening. What would S & R's response be given that input? Start an all-night search, put someone at the trailhead to wait, start the search in the morning? I'll leave that up to those in the know.
My point is this: Everything said that a rescue attempt was necessary, and, for whatever reason (dumb luck?), it wasn't.
I'm not trying to vilify the hiker.
teejay
Edit: I left a rather key word out of my original post in paragraph 2. Fixed
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MadRiver
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I do not believe we were vilifying the hiker. I’m glad he was able to find his own way out. However, just because he made it out under his own power, that doesn’t lessen the contribution the S&R made to the effort, which was my one and only point in this matter.
sierra
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stuff happens, I dont see this incident as that big a deal. I mean he came out at the parking lot, what more do you want.
giggy
New member
Maddy said:
come on - huge difference in soloing a glaciated cascade peak that is known for large crevasses (baker in this case) and taking a hike above treeline in NH.
beverly
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Tom Rankin said:
Sounds just like George!
Maddy
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I stand corrected. I will d/c the post immediately because it doesn't bear any resemblance at all to Mt W. which absolutely pales by comparison to Mt Baker. It was a great pic of an SAR.giggy said:
Our area is far less intimidating and relatively safe if one uses a few simple basic precautions.
I'm glad this fellow made it out of Franconia safely.
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giggy
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Maddy said:
I wouldn't say that - its just different. hint: that guy wasn't solo either - just un roped!
Maddy
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giggy said:I wouldn't say that - its just different. hint: that guy wasn't solo either - just un roped!
"The word was he fell in around 4PM (solo climber) last night." This is from the original post on the site where I got the pic.
Regardless, he is out safely and I might be in error again. I thought you were indicating that we cannot compare Mt Baker to Mt W because the terrain is much more aggresive i.e.the glaciated peaks and crevasses.
You are absolutely right. You cannot compare that to an "above treeline hike on Mt W."
Maddy said:
Read the second or third post there. He had a partner but they were unroped. The fallen-in victim had the rope so the partner had to climb down carefully to him, got him in a sleeping bag, etc., then went for help.
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