Northern Presis Resue 7/9 ?

While driving by on RT2 in Randolph NH yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM. I noticed a rescue party staffing up. There were four fish and game trucks and several private vehicles and numberous volunteers. I didnt hear any helicopters in the area so it must have a been a litter carry.

Unlike the reported conditions elsewhere it was a fairly nasty day on Madison until later in the afternoon. There were significant sustained winds with gusts from the NW and it was raining at Madison Hut around noon. I expect many folks got into more than they could handle as it was a beautiful day in the valley. The winds and mist made fro interesting walking. The summits appear to have cleared by mid afternoon (and clouded up later). We bailed on a traverse over to Jefferson as the conditions were nasty.

As an aside, the Madison Hut rehab is impressive although I expect the new windows are going to be replaced fairly quickly as they werent up to the task of staying sealed in windy conditions. Not sure if I would want to sit near them in a windy rain storm.

On our descent from Adams via Airline, once we were below treeline, a helicopter circled overhead from around 6pm until well after 7:30pm. We saw it hovering over Rte 2 around 7:30. Conditions were nasty/windy up high. As an aside, we were asked by a couple carrying an infant how to get to Washington from T-storm junction, and that was late in the day....

more info

just found this pointer:

http://www.wcax.com/story/15054767/hiker-rescued-in-nhs-white-mountains

Becca M said:

just found this pointer:

http://www.wcax.com/story/15054767/hiker-rescued-in-nhs-white-mountains

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WMUR now has a blurb on it, with a picture, and the usual commentators.

http://www.wmur.com/news/28501346/detail.html

Poor guy -- last weekend, we met a woman at Madison Springs Hut who was staying there until the weather cleared enough for a helicopter to arrive. She had badly injured her knee on Jefferson and had slowly made her way across the northern Presi's to Madison Springs Hut (with her very kind husband by her side), took her until 2:30 in the morning to arrive. I was amazed at her fortitude and positive attitude. (I am not implying in any way that this man should have done the same, the injuries must be very different).

Hope the fellow heals quickly.

TrishandAlex said:

She had badly injured her knee on Jefferson and had slowly made her way across the northern Presi's to Madison Springs Hut

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Ouch! Did they talk much about what had happened? I'm curious why they chose to go all the way to Madison Hut instead of to Grey Knob, or even over to Washington where ground transport could be used for evac? Anyone with good knowledge of the trail surfaces in that area want to suggest what would be the best route for an injury around Jefferson?

From what I remember...and I could be getting the details wrong. -- There were several who contacted SARs after she fell. She had the option of being carried down (there were phone conversations between the SARS team and the couple), but she politely refused and chose to make her way to Madison Hut. She and her husband were staying at the hut until the weather allowed for a helicopter, their son was waiting in the valley for their return. They had already been there a couple of days when we arrived. Apparently, this had all been discussed at length with the hut croo and SARS...honestly don't know what the reasoning was behind the decision. May have been that the weather was going to deteriorate and they wanted to make their own way to the hut rather than have a group of 30+ hike up in worsening conditions and carry her out? They seemed like very conscientious folks, and they said there were a few people who helped them make their way across the range.

(Very nice couple -- the man was great with the girls and played cards with them for much of the evening. The lady was extremely sweet too).

(ETA: Again, not at all implying the fellow who recently fell should have done the same.)

TrishandAlex said:

Apparently, this had all been discussed at length with the hut croo and SARS

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I would do whatever SAR told me to do, too. Good fortune to them to be able to have made contact.

Couple with infant

Hey Becca,
Funny you should mention the couple withe infant. We did a loop over Adams and Madison, then down the Watson Path on Saturday morning. It was wild up there in the morning, 30-40mph sustained winds, damp and wet. Incredibly on the way down the Watson Path, just under treeline we came across a couple dressed in shorts and t-shirts with the cutest little baby strapped to the guy's back. The kid was adorable and seemed to be loving ever minute. BUT, they were very clearly not prepared for the tempest above.
I am not normally one to offer unasked for advice, but this was an exception. Here we were in Gortex and rain gear in the middle of July and the baby literally was in a diaper. The couple were wearing sneakers. I explained politely, but perhaps more firmly than I normally would, that the weather they were going to be experiencing in a few minutes was very nasty. Secretly I was hoping the baby had a spacesuit because the wind was going to lift him into orbit!
They assured us that they would turn back if necessary - to me there was no question that it would be necessary. (Even though as you all know going DOWN a wet and muddy Watson Path is not easy either!) I wonder if this was the same couple you saw? If it was the same couple then I guess they did have the proper gear after all, which I'm glad of! I have a picture we took of the baby which I'll post when I find it.

Tobit said:

WMUR now has a blurb on it, with a picture, and the usual commentators.

http://www.wmur.com/news/28501346/detail.html

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The stuff people say in fhe comment section on wmur stories is horrendous. I wonder what some of theese people would do in a similar situation? Also would the say theese things if it was someone dear to them. I would venture to say that most of us use extreme caution so that SAR never has to help us but Things happen in the mountains that we can't always predict and avoid. I just hope this gentleman is ok and his injuries are not long term.

TrishandAlex said:

Poor guy -- last weekend, we met a woman at Madison Springs Hut who was staying there until the weather cleared enough for a helicopter to arrive. She had badly injured her knee on Jefferson and had slowly made her way across the northern Presi's to Madison Springs Hut (with her very kind husband by her side), took her until 2:30 in the morning to arrive. I was amazed at her fortitude and positive attitude. (I am not implying in any way that this man should have done the same, the injuries must be very different).

Hope the fellow heals quickly.

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That woman was lifted out on Saturday between 130-3pm. We watched from the top of Adams as the DART helicopter made his passes and then finally come in for the pickup.

Buffalo said:

Hey Becca,
Funny you should mention the couple withe infant. We did a loop over Adams and Madison, then down the Watson Path on Saturday morning. It was wild up there in the morning, 30-40mph sustained winds, damp and wet. Incredibly on the way down the Watson Path, just under treeline we came across a couple dressed in shorts and t-shirts with the cutest little baby strapped to the guy's back. The kid was adorable and seemed to be loving ever minute. BUT, they were very clearly not prepared for the tempest above.
I am not normally one to offer unasked for advice, but this was an exception. Here we were in Gortex and rain gear in the middle of July and the baby literally was in a diaper. The couple were wearing sneakers. I explained politely, but perhaps more firmly than I normally would, that the weather they were going to be experiencing in a few minutes was very nasty. Secretly I was hoping the baby had a spacesuit because the wind was going to lift him into orbit!
They assured us that they would turn back if necessary - to me there was no question that it would be necessary. (Even though as you all know going DOWN a wet and muddy Watson Path is not easy either!) I wonder if this was the same couple you saw? If it was the same couple then I guess they did have the proper gear after all, which I'm glad of! I have a picture we took of the baby which I'll post when I find it.

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Hi Buffalo, the couple was indeed in sneakers and the guy was carrying the baby. They had a strong foreign accent, but, not sure what. They were in light shorts - sounds like the same couple? Like I said, they wanted to go to Washington and kept asking people how to get there. From T-storm jct at 5pm!!! it was 5.1 miles to George and the wind was pretty fierce!!!! We had to point out that George was the one with the towers on it!!!! They did not seem to have a map. I was just SO SHOCKED that they were there wondering where to go!!!! I mean, that baby was TINY!!!!!

Fisher Cat said:

That woman was lifted out on Saturday between 130-3pm. We watched from the top of Adams as the DART helicopter made his passes and then finally come in for the pickup.

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Thanks for the post -- good to know she was taken down safely. Her husband told us he would hike down after his wife was taken care of.

MichaelJ said:

I would do whatever SAR told me to do, too. Good fortune to them to be able to have made contact.

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It could also have been just that one hut was less crowded than the other.

Becca M said:

Hi Buffalo, the couple was indeed in sneakers and the guy was carrying the baby. They had a strong foreign accent, but, not sure what. They were in light shorts - sounds like the same couple? Like I said, they wanted to go to Washington and kept asking people how to get there. From T-storm jct at 5pm!!! it was 5.1 miles to George and the wind was pretty fierce!!!! We had to point out that George was the one with the towers on it!!!! They did not seem to have a map. I was just SO SHOCKED that they were there wondering where to go!!!! I mean, that baby was TINY!!!!!

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Hi Becca, yup that was them then. We passed them around 2pm right below treeline on Watson so it took them about three hours presumably to tag Madison (or maybe bypass) and get to TJ. They said nothing to us about Washington though, sheesh. Yeah that was one of the littlest babies I'd ever seen up that high. Oh well, since we haven't heard anything about a rescue etc. I guess they made it ok. Not a chance I would have taken, but kids are tough, even if they are babies

MichaelJ said:

Ouch! Did they talk much about what had happened? I'm curious why they chose to go all the way to Madison Hut instead of to Grey Knob, or even over to Washington where ground transport could be used for evac? Anyone with good knowledge of the trail surfaces in that area want to suggest what would be the best route for an injury around Jefferson?

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While it is longer to go down via Madison, it would be easier to exit via Valley Way as opposed to Lowe's. And the Gulfside Trail is as smooth a trail as you'll find in the Northern Presis. Also, there are more staff and more supplies, food, etc. at Madison than Gray Knob and at the former you don't have to climb up a ladder to get to the sleeping quarters.

A very detailed account in today's Berlin Daily Sun. www.laconiadailysun.com/files/pdfarchivenew/BerlinPDF/2011/07_July/12B.pd

Also happens to be a great account of a CPR life saving on Mt. Washington last summer.

I also happened to be on Madison saturday afternoon. Heard the first chatter over the radios in the hut, and thought I heard "near Chandler Fall". Saw the infant also, and thought the same thing about the windows as peakbagger.

Andrew said:

A very detailed account in today's Berlin Daily Sun. www.laconiadailysun.com/files/pdfarchivenew/BerlinPDF/2011/07_July/12B.pd

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Bad url.

Good url: www.laconiadailysun.com/files/pdfarchivenew/BerlinPDF/2011/07_July/12B.pdf

Doug