There are a few days left but l’m putting my bet on this post taking first place for the funnest for 2022.
Another Falling Waters Loop Fatality
- Thread starter NHClimber
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There are a few days left but l’m putting my bet on this post taking first place for the funnest for 2022.
TCD
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Not as much as Franconia. But Algonquin is a common site. Also Marcy, where folks mistakenly go downhill into Panther Gorge because it's down wind.
But the concept is the same everywhere. We only have 8 - 10 trailheads to cover to capture 90% of the hikers. It's just that no one cares, so it's not getting done.
Interesting how at AMC Pinkham Notch we have one of the largest educational trailheads in the state. With probably one of the most hiker/ climber/ skier visits. Yet people walk right by in jeans with no water and a First Aid kit all the time and get their arses in trouble.
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A permitting system that tied permits to completion of annual online training that could completed in under 30 minutes would go a long way to reducing these events (as well as helping with summer parking hot spots).
CaptCaper
Member
Ha .. right on. Some of them always think their smarter then others. I have a daughter inlaw whose just that person. Lives in a bubble and doesn't have street sense or commone sense due to her sheltered spoiled upbringing.
I always throw the Unabomber guy at her to keep her in check.
What the???
Mike P.
Well-known member
The other thing they have in the ADK is that several of the peaks not at the easy to reach trailheads, or popular ones, (Is the AMR permitting system in place for the winter or just "in Season"?) don't have marked trails either. IN NH, a summer hiker or someone who shouldn't venture out of their car drives past trailheads in Franconia Notch sees lots of cars at Crawford Notch and thinks why not me. No one stumbles into Upper Works and thinks Allen of Cliff might be a quick trip to start at 11:00. Some of those trailheads are hard to find, even for people looking for them. There is no easy spot to see cars and follow the tracks to Redfield, Haystack or Skylight. Cascade is the quickest from the road and has tree cover except for the last 100 feet of vertical or so, much like the Pierce summit but with bigger rocks to climb. Algonquin and Giant are the easiest of the big peaks to reach in winter and Giant is also tree covered most of the way.
JoshandBaron
Well-known member
Man whose body found in White Mountains on Christmas latest in troubling trend of lone hikers
"While tragic deaths of young hikers have drawn more attention in recent years, officials said, there has not been an increase in fatalities. Li’s death marked the 21st hiking fatality of the year for New Hampshire, making 2022 consistent with the past four years, which saw an average of roughly 22 fatalities per year, officials said."
"Despite rising concern, hiking rescues and fatalities in recent years have remained fairly consistent with pre-pandemic numbers. As of mid-December, the Fish and Game mountain team have conducted 168 rescues this year, a slight decrease from last year, when the team performed 183 rescues. There were 173 rescues in 2020, and 168 in 2019, according to officials.
"In [total rescue] missions, we’re maintaining fairly steady numbers. And with some of these recent fatalities, we’re quickly approaching our average,” Kneeland said. “Unfortunately the last couple have been a 19- and a 28-year-old… [and] with the age, they’ve gained a lot more notoriety, which makes it sound like there’s been a lot more."
"While tragic deaths of young hikers have drawn more attention in recent years, officials said, there has not been an increase in fatalities. Li’s death marked the 21st hiking fatality of the year for New Hampshire, making 2022 consistent with the past four years, which saw an average of roughly 22 fatalities per year, officials said."
"Despite rising concern, hiking rescues and fatalities in recent years have remained fairly consistent with pre-pandemic numbers. As of mid-December, the Fish and Game mountain team have conducted 168 rescues this year, a slight decrease from last year, when the team performed 183 rescues. There were 173 rescues in 2020, and 168 in 2019, according to officials.
"In [total rescue] missions, we’re maintaining fairly steady numbers. And with some of these recent fatalities, we’re quickly approaching our average,” Kneeland said. “Unfortunately the last couple have been a 19- and a 28-year-old… [and] with the age, they’ve gained a lot more notoriety, which makes it sound like there’s been a lot more."
DayTrip
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Interesting. I had my unofficial tally at 8 deaths. Had no idea it was that high, or that it was that common. I missed a lot of news stories this year apparently....
DayTrip
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More evidence that signs are useless. Maybe we should just hire an angry old man to shake hikers at trailheads and scream "You're gonna die dressed like that you jackass!". If the State was willing to insulate people against liability for assault I suspect we could drum up some volunteers....
TJ aka Teej
Member
I wish they did.
Closing a trail temporarily due to weather very seldom happens, once they're open for the season they remain open til season's end.
JustJoe
Active member
Quick related story. I volunteered to be a trailhead steward. I went to the orientation meeting in Compton. It was the start, of only the second season of this program. During the meeting a couple people spoke about how this went the first year. A question was asked about how hikers were handling this new, interjection. Most seemed appreciative of the effort the USFS was doing to inform the uninformed for safeties sake. But, there were a few instances (all from dudes) puffing their chest in front of their women like... "I don't need your damned help" sort of responses. It was at that moment I knew this was not for me. As I would instantly become that, "Angry old man"!
Naaaaah…..just think of all the great photos you would get. Besides it would only be three questions you would have to ask.Quick related story. I volunteered to be a trailhead steward. I went to the orientation meeting in Compton. It was the start, of only the second season of this program. During the meeting a couple people spoke about how this went the first year. A question was asked about how hikers were handling this new, interjection. Most seemed appreciative of the effort the USFS was doing to inform the uninformed for safeties sake. But, there were a few instances (all from dudes) puffing their chest in front of their women like... "I don't need your damned help" sort of responses. It was at that moment I knew this was not for me. As I would instantly become that, "Angry old man"!
https://media.giphy.com/media/TayI4SCiq0dJ6/giphy.gif
ChrisB
Well-known member
We got some great candidates here on VFTT who could fill this role beautifly !!
There are plenty of inexperienced hikers that make it out alive. Conversely there are many experienced hikers who meet unfortunate ends. So far all I see is people losing the trail interacting with inadequate equipment.
As an aside, if the latest victim was being tracked, barring some kind of Chinese Huwaei police surveillance app --maybe the parents consulted with the local police--, wouldnt the presumption be that he had an SOS button...as far as I recall there is cell service on that side of the range.
As an aside, if the latest victim was being tracked, barring some kind of Chinese Huwaei police surveillance app --maybe the parents consulted with the local police--, wouldnt the presumption be that he had an SOS button...as far as I recall there is cell service on that side of the range.
Maybe the Wolfman from Clarks Trading Post is available for winter work
There is new tower installed this summer near the Flume area on RT 3.
DayTrip
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I don't know what he had for an app/device but most of the ones I have used (InReach, Spot, Zoleo) allow for location sharing (actively and/or passively) on a map location without the use of a cell phone. The device sends GPS locations that the person following can see on a map by logging into an app.
I currently use Zoleo which has an excellent mapping feature for this. I simply enable Location Sharing, select a time frame and I pretty much don't have to do anything after that. It sends my location at the preset intervals and my wife can pull up my locations in numbered order on the map. These followers can download and use the app, send messages, etc at no charge.
Lots of mountain runners who announce that they are going after a FKT (Fastest Known Time) use one of these apps to verify their record attempts.
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I stand corrected...his cell phone died before he could call for help....or so suggests the Boston...
Andrew
Active member
In 2001, I moved the manager's office at Monadnock State Park to the trailhead for the White Dot Trail so I could keep an eye on more hikers to try to head off so many responses (the previous manager had his office down at his residence so he could keep an eye on his kids). I used the office until 2008 and tried every method and technique of communication available to communicate stark realities to people with only limited success. The stories are too many, but I have stood there and told moderately experienced hikers exactly what would happen to them if they decided to go above treeline in present conditions (in great detail), only to have them play out the horror that I exactly described would happen to them.
I accompanied Ken Holmes on the first leg of his final hike and tried to convince him that the XC skis I was on were more fun, and he should change his plans and come on a ski trip with me, and that he really only had a 50/50 chance of completing his loop; but he was going anyways.
As long as there are mountains here, there will be dead hikers sometimes. I am fascinated by this powerful draw that the mountains have on people including myself.
I'll tell the one most effective intervention that would play out at Monadnock was when we would try our best to convince a group of hikers that their plans are a bad idea; and you could not get through to them and more than once out of frustration made a big display of writing down their vehicle plate #, and names of occupants, and flatly stating something along the lines of "Well, since you guys are telling me you are so amazing that none of these things will happen to you. And since me and my crew are so exhausted from so many rescue responses that we really could use some rest. That if we get a report that you guys are in trouble, or if your car is here well after dark, we won't come to help you......right....cause you guys are telling me you are so amazing and all these things are not going to happen with you?...."
This actually worked once and a while with someone coming back over to us to ask if we were really not going to respond if they called for a rescue. But of course, the ones who were brazen and ignored all warnings and made it out fine would have to stop and tell you this and what a jerk and know- nothing they think you are.
I accompanied Ken Holmes on the first leg of his final hike and tried to convince him that the XC skis I was on were more fun, and he should change his plans and come on a ski trip with me, and that he really only had a 50/50 chance of completing his loop; but he was going anyways.
As long as there are mountains here, there will be dead hikers sometimes. I am fascinated by this powerful draw that the mountains have on people including myself.
I'll tell the one most effective intervention that would play out at Monadnock was when we would try our best to convince a group of hikers that their plans are a bad idea; and you could not get through to them and more than once out of frustration made a big display of writing down their vehicle plate #, and names of occupants, and flatly stating something along the lines of "Well, since you guys are telling me you are so amazing that none of these things will happen to you. And since me and my crew are so exhausted from so many rescue responses that we really could use some rest. That if we get a report that you guys are in trouble, or if your car is here well after dark, we won't come to help you......right....cause you guys are telling me you are so amazing and all these things are not going to happen with you?...."
This actually worked once and a while with someone coming back over to us to ask if we were really not going to respond if they called for a rescue. But of course, the ones who were brazen and ignored all warnings and made it out fine would have to stop and tell you this and what a jerk and know- nothing they think you are.
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