6 Tufts Students Rescued From Dry River

Six students from Tufts University Mountain Club were rescued early Saturday morning after they took the wrong trail down Mt. Pierce and wound up lost in the Dry River Wilderness area.

Story posted by the Union Leader

None of the students were from around here. I wonder if they even carried a map?

We met them on Crawford Path going up and again on the summit. I suggested that they might want to try going down via the hut, as they had snowshoes on and the trail was partly broken. It unfortunately never occurred to me to warn them of two trails going down from the hut. I feel slightly guilty, since as a former Accidents Editor I know that almost every winter some hikers get lost in the Dry River, descending that way either accidentally or intentionally (it makes a very neat loop on the map).

Since all ended well let me share an amusing story about these kids. My hiking companion that day is 65 years old, and I am 75. As the kids passed us we wondered whether their combined ages were less than ours, and on the summit we found that their ages were between 19 and 20, so 6×19.5 is way less that 65+75

so THAT's the meaning of 'Strength in Numbers'!

Mohamed Ellozy said:

We met them on Crawford Path going up and again on the summit. I suggested that they might want to try going down via the hut, as they had snowshoes on and the trail was partly broken. It unfortunately never occurred to me to warn them of two trails going down from the hut. I feel slightly guilty, since as a former Accidents Editor I know that almost every winter some hikers get lost in the Dry River, descending that way either accidentally or intentionally (it makes a very neat loop on the map).

Since all ended well let me share an amusing story about these kids. My hiking companion that day is 65 years old, and I am 75. As the kids passed us we wondered whether their combined ages were less than ours, and on the summit we found that their ages were between 19 and 20, so 6×19.5 is way less that 65+75

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That's OK Mohamed, when they get their bill for $7000 we'll pass your address along to them.

RollingRock said:

None of the students were from around here. I wonder if they even carried a map?

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Even a two bit compass would tell you you're going southeast rather than west. That's the big danger of the 'follow the leader' mentality. Just one person checking the compass could have made a difference.

Those of us who hike a lot sometimes get lost. Sometimes it can cause a chain reaction when the one in front suddenly stops because they "know" instinctively that something is wrong, usually within 15 steps of being off trail. The followers bump into each other and probably wonder why they weren't more aware. I know that's my reaction. Glad these hikers learned a lesson.

Yes glad they are okay, it's plenty rough in the dry River Wilderness esp. in the winter.

Glad they are ok. I know first hand that feeling lost in the woods is scary. They were lost, in the woods, at night, in the winter, after a long day of hiking, in a steep drainage, on a trail that has become difficult to follow in the best of circumstances.

So good on them to swallow their pride and call for help rather than muck around down there until things got serious. Given their age that must have been a little tough to do; it would have been for me at that age.

Since this doesn't seem to be a weather related or injury related escape into the Dry River drainage, I don't understand what happened. Maybe it is just "we got lost" and didn't have, or didn't know how to use, a map and compass. Maybe it is as simple as that. I would like to ask them if they considered turning around and returning the way they came in, maybe they thought they were actually on the west side of the ridge or maybe they were too fatigued for that.

This incident illustrates why I hope the USFS keeps the dry river trail and the lincoln brook trail opened/maintained and why I think the wilderness designation should be tweaked to allow blazing of those trails. USFS / NH F&G / SAR needs these trails to facilitate searches when people get lost off of the adjacent ridges which have some very popular peaks.

Interestingly, you never hear about people dropping off of the Carter Moriah ridge into the Wild River drainage, I wonder why that is.

Tom_Murphy said:

...Interestingly, you never hear about people dropping off of the Carter Moriah ridge into the Wild River drainage, I wonder why that is.

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Good question. I think in part it's numbers of hikers - .i.e., how many people would hike Moriah if it wasn't on a list? Or two of the Carters? Moriah is long via either approach and has obscured views. Even Carter Dome has poor views - only Hight has good views, and few do it. Another reason I think is the lack of trails into that drainage - Black Angel is the only trail hikers pass regularly between Zeta Pass and Carter Dome. The other trail - Moriah Brook - is on a section which is little used, especially in winter.

I would agree that the folks hiking on Pierce may be less skilled than those on the Carter Moriah Ridge in the winter. The Pierce Mizpah loop is a standard winter hike that usually gets beaten out quickly after a storm and given its closeness to the Highland Center, it may get a far higher number of folks not familar with the area. I expect there is a fair share of travel between Mitzpah and Jackson, so they may have been confused that the the cut off trail back to Crawford path only led to the Nauman tent site ?. I am somewhat surprised that the path down to the Dry River would have much traffic and was broken out. I do run group hikes on occasion and I find its easier to get lost with a group sometimes as everyone assumes that everyone else knows where they are going. Heck I have walked past the cut off trail in the past heading for the real obvious sign on the edge of the clearing heading toward Jackson.

As Kevin points out, most folks on the Carter Moriah wildcat ridge are probably better skilled peakbaggers and more familar with the area so wrong turns are less of an issue.

Tom_Murphy said:

This incident illustrates why I hope the USFS keeps the dry river trail and the lincoln brook trail opened/maintained and why I think the wilderness designation should be tweaked to allow blazing of those trails. USFS / NH F&G / SAR needs these trails to facilitate searches when people get lost off of the adjacent ridges which have some very popular peaks.

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I haven't been following the land management practices in the related Wilderness Areas for several years now so I'm out of the loop...

Do they no longer blaze or maintain those trails? Does that apply to all trails within the Wilderness Areas or just certain ones based on a variety of management concerns?

Mohamed Ellozy said:

Since all ended well let me share an amusing story about these kids. My hiking companion that day is 65 years old, and I am 75. As the kids passed us we wondered whether their combined ages were less than ours, and on the summit we found that their ages were between 19 and 20, so 6×19.5 is way less that 65+75

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Wow, I never liked math to begin with. Now as I get older my hatred for it will only grow.

dave.m said:

Do they no longer blaze or maintain those trails? Does that apply to all trails within the Wilderness Areas or just certain ones based on a variety of management concerns?

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Our group maintains Smarts and Drakes Brook trails. We were specifically told by the Forest Service not to blaze past the wilderness designation sign. All existing blazes are to be 'faded' out.

I agree that this is bad policy and only inviting more people getting lost in the future; especially in winter on an unbroken trail. I also think that with the growing 'nature deficit disorder', we should be getting newbies to get OUT there and not having to worry about loosing the trail due to poor blazing. Getting people out on the trails in one of best ways to make sure the next generation will protect our environment and be an advocate to funding the Forest Service! It seems to me they are shooting themselves in the foot

I have no problem with the fading blazes - I think challenging trails are part of the experience - but it should be made clear on the Wilderness Signs what is in store, so people are informed.

Tim

Well, that sounds like my guess has a good chance of being right: confusing the Dry River Cutoff for the Mizpah Cutoff.

RollingRock said:

Our group maintains Smarts and Drakes Brook trails. We were specifically told by the Forest Service not to blaze past the wilderness designation sign. All existing blazes are to be 'faded' out.

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I do not believe this is in accordance with their own approved Forest Plan. Those trails from their north ends into the Wilderness are classified as Zone C, areas within 500' of moderately-used trails. In particular:
"Trails and associated structures are consistent with WMNF Level 2 trail specifications (FSH 2309.18)."
"Signs will be present at trail junctions and at designated campsites and will be used for resource protection."

Remember, it is not allowed to undermaintain trail(s) in an attempt to reduce the number of people using them. Look for a post from me on the topic sometime in the past several years for the citation on that.

According to FSH 2309.18, Level 2 trails are "moderately developed" with "route identification signing limited to junctions" and "Route markers present when trail location is not evident..

In fact, Level 1 trails, for Wilderness Zone B further out into the wild, still specifies "Route markers present when trail location is not evident."

So it is my assertion that the approved 2005 Forest Plan for the WMNF states that blazing *should* be used past the Wilderness boundary, especially on those particular trails, but also on a lot of others.

Any other direction is not consistent with their own Forest Plan and should be challenged if felt to be unsafe or inappropriate.

MichaelJ said:

I do not believe this is in accordance with their own approved Forest Plan. Those trails from their north ends into the Wilderness are classified as Zone C, areas within 500' of moderately-used trails. In particular:
"Trails and associated structures are consistent with WMNF Level 2 trail specifications (FSH 2309.18)."
"Signs will be present at trail junctions and at designated campsites and will be used for resource protection."

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Thanks for that info. Will challenge them about this then.

Tom_Murphy said:

Interestingly, you never hear about people dropping off of the Carter Moriah ridge into the Wild River drainage, I wonder why that is.

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The trail along the Carter Moriah Ridge is lined with trees and is very easy to follow. (At least along the portion that I have been on recently--Carter Dome to North Carter.) In contrast the ridge followed by Crawford Path has significant sections that are well out of the trees. Crawford Ridge is also quite broad in some areas which may make it easier to become disoriented. And, as Kevin noted, there are more trails off Crawford Ridge into the Dry River drainage than off Carter-Moriah ridge into the Wild River drainage.

In high winds, people tend to go downwind. The winds may be stronger on Crawford Ridge than on Carter Moriah Ridge.

Doug

RollingRock said:

Thanks for that info. Will challenge them about this then.

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The 2005 (and revised on a rolling basis, for example the Wild River Wilderness was added to it) Forest Plan:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/w...ment/planning/?cid=STELPRDB5199941&width=full

"Trail Fundamentals and Trail Management Objectives" which references FSH 2309.18 and is where my quotations about what Level 1 and Level 2 trail maintenance came from.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5341754.pdf

Challenge nicely.

Mohamed Ellozy said:

We met them on Crawford Path going up and again on the summit. I suggested that they might want to try going down via the hut, as they had snowshoes on and the trail was partly broken. It unfortunately never occurred to me to warn them of two trails going down from the hut. I feel slightly guilty, since as a former Accidents Editor I know that almost every winter some hikers get lost in the Dry River, descending that way either accidentally or intentionally (it makes a very neat loop on the map).

Since all ended well let me share an amusing story about these kids. My hiking companion that day is 65 years old, and I am 75. As the kids passed us we wondered whether their combined ages were less than ours, and on the summit we found that their ages were between 19 and 20, so 6×19.5 is way less that 65+75

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Interesting, I passed and greeted you on the Crawford Path, too. I though that might be you, Mohamed. I was a solo female hiker, headed down and you both were headed up. The large group passed me, too. The last two stopped and asked me if I had spent the night out and why I was carrying so much gear. I kindly explained that as a solo hiker, I was responsible for myself and would rather have a chance to survive than be a casualty if something should happen to me along the way. Thankfully, SAR did another great job and this group will have a tale to tell when they get back to campus this week.

Mohamed, you might want to contact Fish & Game, and at least notify them that you were partially responsible. Granted the ultimate responsibility rest with the hikers themselves, yet they did take the advice of a well-respected local who knows the trail system. Just a thought.