Death on Mount Washington

Sad story:

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/re..._on_nhs_mount_washington/srvc=home&position=6

Awful news.

What a drag. Very sorry for his family and friends.

More info over at T4T:

http://timefortuckerman.com/forums/showthread.php?p=154708#post154708

daveyohill said:

What a drag. Very sorry for his family and friends.

More info over at T4T:

http://timefortuckerman.com/forums/showthread.php?p=154708#post154708

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Thanks for posting the link. I think it helps us all to have more information to keep us in a reality check. Accidents happen yet it is especially unsettling and sad when they take place so close to home, in mountains we here love so much, and to a fellow New Englander with whom we share a bond. Sending thoughts for strength and comfort to his family and friends.

Sad beyond words. Freak accidents like this make me feel even more vulnerable. Somehow when I am able to look at deaths in the mountains and point to mistakes, I can be deluded into thinking it couldn't happen to me. It's probably how many of us convince ourselves we have control. A fall, however, can happen to anyone, at any time. My thoughts go out to his loved ones.

terribly sad.... It would be helpful to have more detail... I just cannot figure out what might have gone wrong specifically. I mean, sure, it was after dark - those conditions with wind, etc, would have been difficult. Was he skiing (I didn't think there was enough snow?) or hiking. Did some equipment break down? Problem with crampons? There is so little detail to learn from what might have happened.

Having done Washington in October, November and December (and want to do it again this winter), this news struck a close chord with me. My thoughts go out to the loved ones of the victim.

I agree with Becca, I am curious to know if the hiker's intention was to descend the headwall, solo, and at night, or whether he wandered towards the headwall inadvertently due to the conditions.

Edit: Not sure if anyone has seen this article or not, but in the Conway Daily Sun, it explains how the caretaker at Hermit was alerted.

When I read the article it really made me think of what could have gone wrong. Im puzzeled by the choice to descend the Tucks headwall at night given the current conditions. I think I would have no doubt stuck to the Lions head route personally. That led me to speculate that he either had route finding issues and strayed into Tucks or he really intended to descend where he fell. Another possibility that ran through my mind was what was his traction? The use of micro-spikes has really changed the way people climb in the Whites. In the old days that was not an option and as a result you could really bite into whatever you where climbing. I love micro-spikes, but man they have thier limitations to be sure, at this time I carry them, BUT also carry my full on 12 pointers and if Im on ice of a high degree, IM in crampons micros can and will lose thier bite on steep ice.
Another thought was in relation to the current condtions in the Whites ( ok before today). the lack of snow is of a level Im finding hard to match in recent memory and people are running all over the whites in a fashion that would reflect a earlier time of the year imo, did this lead him to think Tucks was still ok to descend? I mean most mt washington vets rule out Tucks once the headwall is "snowed in" until it consoladates in the spring, leaving Lions head and the escape hatch in Hunningtons as the most viable descent routes on the east side of the peak.
Once again this is all just my own food for thoughts, not at all a critique, regardless of what happened, I feel for him and his loved ones. Death in the mountains while a fact of life is no less painfull for those involved.

sierra said:

Im puzzeled by the choice to descend the Tucks headwall at night given the current conditions. I think I would have no doubt stuck to the Lions head route personally. That led me to speculate that he either had route finding issues and strayed into Tucks or he really intended to descend where he fell.

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I have similar questions, though I interpreted the article differently. I don't think it was necessarily his intention to descend into Tucks. I think he probably was heading for Lion Head and got off track, put a foot in the wrong place, and went down into the Ravine. Or as you suggest, he was totally off route and just wanted to descend where he was.

MichaelJ said:

I have similar questions, though I interpreted the article differently. I don't think it was necessarily his intention to descend into Tucks. I think he probably was heading for Lion Head and got off track, put a foot in the wrong place, and went down into the Ravine. Or as you suggest, he was totally off route and just wanted to descend where he was.

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Similar questions here--it would be nice if the reports said a bit more about the lead-in to the accident. On the other hand, it is possible that it is not known.

My guess is that he was off-route. However, I have seen no evidence to support this guess.

Doug

From the photo's I've seen prior to the latest weather, conditions seemed more like mid-late November. Not enough snow to fill in spaces between rocks but more ice to make footing tricky.

A sad story.

When I did it from that side in November, we opted to descend the Road instead of going back down Lions Head, footing was too treacherous. Road was longer, more exposed but we had planned for that.

Don't know how he ascended or whether or not he decided to descend to get out of the weather, maybe he was a hat or balaclava short.

I don't know the details, obviously but hiking Washington alone in winter seems risky to begin with.

Tim Jones:
http://www.concordmonitor.com/artic...b8d78f84b459877a5e7b3223f3bd=google&page=full

Maybe coming back from Monroe?

Interesting and thoughtful story. Thanks for the link, Roy.

Good link. It's a very good question, what happened in the time between leaving the summit (having arrived at noon) and 7:30pm. The article mentions he borrowed eye protection; was perhaps the wind blowing into his face when hiking from the summit back toward Tucks?

According to the news report in the Conway Daily Sun, the shelter caretaker at Hermit Lake saw a hiker's headlamp falling down the headwall and launched the rescue effort. Apparently, Powers was still alive when rescuers first reached him, but died of his injuries before he could be evacuated to the nearest road.

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I wondered about when and from whom he borrowed eye protection. I've heard that he was an experienced winter hiker and had hiked Washington before in winter, as well as major peaks throughout the country.

I've also wondered about his timing, and whether he went over to Monroe. I'm a little surprised we haven't heard anything about others who were up there that day.

(P. S. Once I borrowed gear from the "lost and found" box at Monadnock State Park, so I would have a fleece sweater that I had left home on January 1st about 12 years ago. I was grateful to the Park for the loan, as I participated in a carry later that afternoon. Another time I was able to borrow poles from a resort's equipment saved for guest usage when I was on a backpacking trip.)

I was at Zealand Hut this weekend and the caretaker is friends with the caretaker who was first on the scene and saw the accident and mentioned the same thing that MJ just posted.

I heard though good sources that this guy was not prepared for this kind of undertaking. He was rumored to be wearing a sweatshirt for an outer layer. I was in the bowl yesterday and with the low amount of snow its amazing that he was still breathing after the fall and able to talk. He was seen summiting at 1:30 in the afternoon with no pack. Since he fell at aprox 7:45 I would guess that he was hypothermic and like most people in the state he descended the way the wind pushed him and ended up taking a fall off the headwall. Very sad story and its sad that He left behind young kids.

Thanks for posting that link, Roy. It was a good article.

The statement - "He did not have an ice axe, though he borrowed a single ski pole to use. In this case, an ice axe and the ability to self-arrest on a slope (something you have to practice BEFORE you start up the mountain) might well have made a difference." gives me pause, however. Clearly, an ice axe used quickly in the right conditions may save your life - the important word is MAY. It's not a certainty that you will be able to stop the slide.

The line between when to use poles and when to use an ice axe is not at all clear, and may vary every few feet of your trek. Many will agree that the most important thing is to prevent a slip in the first place, and poles are a better tool for that than an ice axe. And, when to switch between the two often varies between individuals with similar experience.

I don't wish to nitpick the author. However, I do think that too many writers create the false impression that "if only he/she had an ice axe" the outcome would likely have been different, and in doing so create a false sense of security in an ice axe itself.

yardsale said:

I don't know the details, obviously but hiking Washington alone in winter seems risky to begin with.

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IM not sure what point your trying to make, but all hiking is risky. The level of risk even for soloing washington in the winter is different for everyone, some might suggest ( myself included) that someone with the proper experience might have a minimal risk.