Rescue on Mt Katahdin

FYI

http://www.pressherald.com/news/hik...frigid-night-lost-on-katahdin_2011-02-21.html

I love the comment

Put him in the middle of any more lines! Why doesn't everyone check the person behind you while hiking? We do that down in the US!

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When did Maine defect? Is it now part of Canada?

A group of four of us were up there Saturday and it was pretty brutal on the Abol slide. Between the wind and snow it was near whiteout conditions so we turned back just before Thoreau Spring.

Easy to see how the trail could be lost. I sure wouldn'y have wanted to spend the night out!

knife edge

If they were on the return trip on Helon Taylor it means they did the Knife Edge to the summit? It could get pretty sketchy there during high winds. I am surprised they did not make staying together a priority.

"Chris Dubois, a University of Maine student from Madawaska, was the trailing hiker making a 10-mile hike with three friends Saturday when he tumbled down a slope into some trees, Baxter State Park Director Jensen Bissell said. By the time Dubois' friends realized he was missing, they were unable to locate him or hear him because of limited visibility and high winds"

I'm guessing that he fell while on Helon Taylor because a fall from the KE to the trees would be quite a long fall. (I want to hope his friends at least hung around to make sure he got off the KE & through the chimney.)

Assuming Madawaska is in Maine also as if Mr. Dubois was from Canada or another state, they would have said the Province or state name but this was the Maine Paper. (Is the question, should Maine Defect? Will they keep exporting Lobsta & Good Beer?)

Madawaska is on the New Brunswick border and might as well be Canadian. Other than a small finger a bit to the west (where nobody lives), it's the farthest point north in Maine.

I don't think the group was hiking Baxter Peak. It sounds to me like they were only hiking Pamola.

I haven't seen anywhere in any of the articles where he actually thanked the SAR teams. He makes it sound like he saved himself b/c he's had a bit of survival training. "Thank You" should have been the first words out of his mouth when he was talking to the reporters.

Incidentally, Joanna and I (and another family) were in the Park, taking Andrew on his first overnight ski adventure to Katahdin Lake for the long weekend.

spencer said:

Madawaska is on the New Brunswick border and might as well be Canadian. Other than a small finger a bit to the west (where nobody lives), it's the farthest point north in Maine.

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Yes, Madawaska is in Maine. I grew up there. Just drive North until you hit Canada, and back off a quarter turn. It's in Aroostook County, other wise known as "The County" up here in Maine. I've always called Aroostook County - Southern Canada. It's kinda the land the time forgot. Ah, the memories: Potato picking, Hockey Night in Canada, Snow banks taller than any building in town.....

Salut,
Mon amie

I just watched this interview of the incident on NECN. Here: http://www.necn.com/02/22/11/Hiker-...nding_weather.html?blockID=415667&feedID=4211

I've been peakbagging in the county, the largest county east of the Mississippi.

Felt odd after the business trip to have to drive over an hour south to get to BSP.

PETCH said:

Yes, Madawaska is in Maine. I grew up there. Just drive North until you hit Canada, and back off a quarter turn. It's in Aroostook County, other wise known as "The County" up here in Maine. I've always called Aroostook County - Southern Canada. It's kinda the land the time forgot. Ah, the memories: Potato picking, Hockey Night in Canada, Snow banks taller than any building in town.....

Salut,
Mon amie

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There's also a Madawaska County in Canada.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madawaska_County,_New_Brunswick

Cheers

Brambor said:

I am surprised they did not make staying together a priority.

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This must not have been a "Group Hike"??????