Lost Hiker on Mt Lafayette - FOUND!

[DougPaul]

****Speculation Alert****
If this article is correct (keeping in mind that news accounts do not always reflect what really happened), it sounds like Gagnon was ahead after they decided to turn back, then missed the junction atop Lafayette, continuing north on the Garfield Ridge Trail. If the visibility was low, he conceiveably wouldn't have to be that far ahead to be out of sight. His partners may have arrived at the summit after he went straight, and taken the left to Greenleaf without realizing that Gagnon had missed the turn, still thinking that he was just ahead of them. I am guessing that once they reached Greenleaf, it finally dawned on them that Gagnon was not ahead, but even then, may have not been sure if he was still headed down the mountain in front of them.

IMO, a reasonable speculation.

What is the source of the article? Don't think I have seen it.

Having been in a few similar situations, I think a few good lessons can be gleaned from this incident. One would be to avoid losing visual contact with the members of your group when encountering high winds and low visibility, and another would be to always stop at any junction if in the lead, to wait for the group to catch up. Of course, when visibility is low, above-treeline junctions are much easier to miss, which may be exactly what happened here.

It can be very easy to lose contact in high winds and visibility.

Many years ago, some friends and I were skiing up Moosilauke via the old Snapper Tr in a gathering storm (wind, low vis, falling snow, but much milder than the conditions on Franconia Ridge). About at T-line (on the Carriage Rd, IIRC), we stopped to put on above-T line gear, including balaclavas and goggles etc (reduces hearing and vision...). When I was ready to go, I looked up and my friends were simply gone and I couldn't be sure which way they had gone. If they had said anything to me before they left, I didn't hear it...

It can also be very hard to hold a conversation in conditions such as those on Franconia Ridge--it is a bit like standing next to a fast freight train. At best you have to shout in each others ears, at worst, all you can do is use hand gestures. It wouldn't have been hard for the trio to end up "agreeing" to 3 different decisions...

One of the disadvantages to splitting up in this case was that the victim did not have access to all of the group gear (eg tent, stove, food), which was presumably split up among the trio. He is reported to have made a make-shift shelter, so he probably didn't have a tent. Don't have any reports on the stove and food. (Don't forget that some food is inedible without the stove.)

In any case, I am certainly glad he came out of this incident intact. The SAR folks really shined on this one, here is a hat tip to them all!

The victim was reported to have frostbite on his hands and feet, but I have seen no info on how severe it is. Severity can range from loss of tissue to completely healable, but moderate frostbite can result in compromised circulation and permanent increased sensitivity to the cold. It can take up to months for the final impact to be known. So while the victim survived mostly intact, it may be a while before the damage is known. (And the story will be well off the front page by then.)

Agreed-the SAR folks did well here.

Doug

 

[Tim Seaver]

This is the article referenced (hat tip to Cath Goodwin):

Search and Rescue

Just to be clear, when I used the word "intact", I meant that it was my understanding that he did not lose any digits. I didn't mean to minimize his frostbite injuries.

 

[Grumpy]

Based on what facts are provided by the account Tim Seaver has quoted, we have a fairly good general picture of where and when the party became separated. That can allow for some reasoned and reasonable speculation (as Tim has done) regarding where Gagnon got off the trail and became lost.

According to the quoted account, the decision to turn back was reached by an intact group. Things then become ambiguous in the story. What we still don’t know is exactly how and why the group split up.

I see three possibilities, phrased as questions: Did Gagnon simply outpace his companions inadvertently without being really conscious of what was happening, and thus loose contact with them under severe conditions? Or did Gagnon decide on his own to outdistance slower companions? Or was there conscious agreement between all three members of the group that Gagnon should move on ahead and not worry about keeping the party tightly together?

Their reported 90-minute wait at Greenleaf Hut implies to me that Smith and Duhaime, at least, thought there was some plan or commitment among group members to stay together. I would not second guess the decision to continue their own retreat off the mountain, which turned out to be a sound one. They obviously were not in a good position to go out looking for their missing companion, and extracting themselves so they could report the situation to people who could effectively help was the right choice at that point.

Again, I’ll stick to my belief that if the group had remained intact we most likely would not be discussing a lost hiker incident. I base my belief on the known fact that the two hikers who stayed together followed their retreat route accurately and made it “out” that day. Gagnon, who became separated from the party, clearly did not.

All that said, it is important to keep in mind that although something went seriously wrong to create this incident, much also went seriously right to give us a happy ending. I’m certainly glad that Gagnon came out of this incident alive and reasonably healthy. All-in-all, that speaks very well for his own ability to take care of himself when things went haywire. I think it would be fascinating – and very likely, instructive -- to hear or read versions of the story as related by Gagnon, Smith and Duhaime themselves.

G.

 

[Snowflea]

Franconia/Garfield Ridge-Greenleaf Jct.

It is very, very easy to miss the turn to Greenleaf Hut from the summit of Lafayette.

 

[expat]

Breaking up is hard to do

Several people have indicated that if the group had kept together, there may have been three lost hikers.

However, they would have also had all of their group gear, and could have likely weathered two or more nights much better than one person with only partial gear did.

Given the discussion points it seems like there are a couple of things that were the major contributing factors:
1) Decision to travel above treeline when the weather forecast had been clear as to the expected conditions, *and* when arrival at treeline confirmed that the actual conditions matched the forecast.
2) Not staying together to descend as a group.

The rest of the discussion topics (boots, map/compass) are compounding issues that would not have had the impact that they did without items 1 and 2 above.

There have been several points discussed here that have been helpful to me, and I hope will help me to keep out of trouble on future outings.

I have only been lost in a whiteout above treeline once, and was able to use several methods to get to the planned descent trail, but it was a very difficult, anxious time doing it. I would not want to be in that situation again.

There are probably other times that something like this might have occurred, except that I made the decision to turn around before it did. And I probably should have done the same that time, but I was lucky to have been able to get out of it well.

If we have learned to plan well, and consider our decisions completely, then we have learned something from this.

 

[giggy]

.
All that said, it is important to keep in mind that although something went seriously wrong to create this incident, much also went seriously right to give us a happy ending. I’m certainly glad that Gagnon came out of this incident alive and reasonably healthy. All-in-all, that speaks very well for his own ability to take care of himself when things went haywire. I think it would be fascinating – and very likely, instructive -- to hear or read versions of the story as related by Gagnon, Smith and Duhaime themselves.

G.

well said - in 100% agreement with that. I am going to shut up on this now. I have said far too much.

 

[RoySwkr]

IIRC, he knew the route over South Twin. Familarity can be a powerful lure in bad conditions. Bushwacking down toward Threau Falls Trail might also have been a good option and would have been protected the entire way.

Bushwhacking down to Franconia Brook Trail is much shorter, I wondered at the time if that's what I would have done. But sub-zero temps is not a good time for those inexperienced in bushwhacking to learn it.

 

[DougPaul]

Bushwhacking down to Franconia Brook Trail is much shorter, I wondered at the time if that's what I would have done. But sub-zero temps is not a good time for those inexperienced in bushwhacking to learn it.

That would have required going into the wind over the ridge. Going down toward Threau Falls Tr would have been protected the entire way. Either could have been better than over S. Twin.

Agreed--I have no idea how comfortable he would have been bushwacking. He was clearly experienced at trail hiking.

Doug

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

****Speculation Alert****
If this article is correct (keeping in mind that news accounts do not always reflect what really happened), it sounds like Gagnon was ahead after they decided to turn back, then missed the junction atop Lafayette, continuing north on the Garfield Ridge Trail. QUOTE]

...and, one of the quoted sections from the Nashua Telegraph article in Tim's reply, and linked above gratis Cath....

"Their plan was to summit Mount Lafeyette, hike along several miles along the exposed ridgeline, and then spend the night at Liberty Spring campsite. After they summitted Lafeyette and walked dead into freezing 60-mph winds, the group decided to turn back. Gagnon went ahead, but somehow missed the trail junction leading back to Greenleaf Hut."


Concerning my earlier speculative posting, if the prevailing wind was indeed from the south on Saturday, then perhaps I can understand why they decided to turn around and return over the summit of Lafayette. But, I was under the impresssion that the wind was prevailing from the west to northwest, hence I would have kept going south. Commonly one gets nailed on Franconia Ridge by strong updrafts from the steep gullies in a prevailing westerly wind, but that is usually more sporadic than what one faces head into the wind descending from Lafayette's summit to the hut.

 

[DougPaul]

This is the article referenced (hat tip to Cath Goodwin):

Search and Rescue

Thanks,

Doug

 

[John H Swanson]

One thought on the subject. Sorry if I'm on my soapbox.

In general, navigating consists of knowing where you are - all the time - and making decisions to choose your route. That said, It is not sufficient to know how to navigate if you go above tree-line in nasty conditions. You really should be able to get un-lost. Meaning: when you are going cairn to cairn and you loose sight of the cairns do you turn left or right? If you turn right and start going downhill, at what elevation do you say, "it was the other way"? If you can't do this, and you frequently play above tree-line in nasty weather, then you'll probably, eventually, run into a problem.

In this case, you miss the turn for the trail wanted. When do you realize it? It depends. If you leave the summit and 2 minutes later your compass reveals that your headed north, you should be thinking, oh ****! Did I say the "c" word?

When I break tree-line on a wind-blown, poor visability, day my compass is around my neck. Five minutes after breaking tree-line, I shoot an back-azmith (take a bearing looking backwards) as the route enters into the woods and try to memorize the view. I do the same just before the summit when I plan on going back on my tracks.

When I get the confused look from my companions, my standard replay is "I don't know about you, but I'm getting back to the car today!" Then when things get ugly (30ft visability), sometimes they line up behind me like little ducklings.

The lesson here is: winter, summer, whenever. If you have poor visability and you are not intimately familar with the mountain or staring at a sign....when you leave the summit you should check the bearing. You should do this every time, and check it at least a few times for the first 10-20 minutes....At least if you want to descend the right side of the mountain.

I relearned this lesson myself when it took us 2 minutes to find the trail entrance at tree-line on Jackson!

IMHO this is one very important lesson everyone should learn form this situation.

Other subjects of prepardness and staying together can be discussed and debated forever. In the end, knowing how to stay out of trouble will avoid the emergency situation. Being proactive in avoiding the bad situation is by far better than dealing with it when it arrives.

Now, deciding to decend the backside to get into the lee is another thing.

 

[DougPaul]

In this case, you miss the turn for the trail wanted. When do you realize it? It depends.

Part of the problem is that you may not know that you have passed it. All you know for certain is that you have not found it. Is it ahead? Is it behind? Have I veered off onto a different trail? Until you find a known landmark, you don't know what to do.

When I break tree-line on a wind-blown, poor visability, day my compass is around my neck. Five minutes after breaking tree-line, I shoot an back-azmith (take a bearing looking backwards) as the route enters into the woods and try to memorize the view. I do the same just before the summit when I plan on going back on my tracks.

Looking back to memorize the view or recording back-bearings are all good advice. But bearings are only a direction--if you don't know where you are, you cannot be sure what they point at. (Yes, it is desirable to always know where you are, but that doesn't always happen.)

This is also a place where the high-tech tool shines... GPS waypoints placed at trail junctions, trail entry points at T-line, etc can solve the problem very effectively, as long as your GPS is still working. You can also backtrack along a recorded track, even if you have not saved any waypoints.

FWIW, I have read of people using GPSes instead of wands to retrace a route on a glacier in a white-out or after heavy snow-fall has obliterated the old route.

Required bit of standard advice: try to be able to return/get to your destination using a variety of navigational tools in case any of them fail. The redundancy also helps to confirm that you are indeed going where you want to be going.

Doug

 

[John H Swanson]

Part of the problem is that you may not know that you have passed it. All you know for certain is that you have not found it. Is it ahead? Is it behind? Have I veered off onto a different trail? Until you find a known landmark, you don't know what to do.

Looking back to memorize the view or recording back-bearings are all good advice. But bearings are only a direction--if you don't know where you are, you cannot be sure what they point at. (Yes, it is desirable to always know where you are, but that doesn't always happen.)


Doug

I use my altimeter in tandem with the compass bearings. For instance, you take this bearing starting at a particular elevation.

It's tough in winter because altimeters work off standard pressure and temperature. But if you do this alot, you can corrolate correction factors (that's another subject).

Off course you are 100% right that a GPS is far superior and preferred for this task if you have one and know how to use it. But I view that as the next step. While someone muight not have a GPS, I have a hard time understanding why someone would not having a compass.

 

[DougPaul]

I use my altimeter in tandem with the compass bearings. For instance, you take this bearing starting at a particular elevation.

Yep--altimeters can help too--depends a lot on the terrain.

It's tough in winter because altimeters work off standard pressure and temperature. But if you do this alot, you can corrolate correction factors (that's another subject).

The "standard atmosphere" can differ from the actual at any time of year. Don't know if the variation tends to be bigger at any particular time of year here in the NE.

Off course you are 100% right that a GPS is far superior and preferred for this task if you have one and know how to use it. But I view that as the next step. While someone muight not have a GPS, I have a hard time understanding why someone would not having a compass.

Just another tool. M&C is cheapest, altimeter next, and then GPS.

It seems to me, that if one wanted to make a habit of going into places where weather makes navigation difficult, then all 3 would be worth having (and knowing how to use).

Doug

 

[sardog1]

This is also a place where the high-tech tool shines... GPS waypoints placed at trail junctions, trail entry points at T-line, etc can solve the problem very effectively, as long as your GPS is still working. You can also backtrack along a recorded track, even if you have not saved any waypoints.

FWIW, I have read of people using GPSes instead of wands to retrace a route on a glacier in a white-out or after heavy snow-fall has obliterated the old route.
Doug

Yup. But in the words of the immor(t)al Dirty Harry, "A man's got to know his limitations."

[Hectoring, lecturing hat on]
Folks, when relying on a GPS trackback and/or waypoints in hazardous terrain, remember always that the positions recorded and displayed on your receiver can vary from the actual by a few meters or more. This isn't a big deal when you're trying to find a trail junction on the Wilderness Trail at noon. But it is a very big deal when you're trying to find your way off the Rockpile or any of its lesser brethren in a whiteout. Following the screen blindly, while you're blinded by the weather or darkness, is a quick way to step off into nothingness, even if you're just trying to trackback on the route you just came up.
[Hectoring, lecturing hat off.]

 

[hikerfast]

does anyone know exactly where he went and where he was found? maybe it's on here and I'm going blind. I didn't know if that info was available yet.

 

[DougPaul]

Yup. But in the words of the immor(t)al Dirty Harry, "A man's got to know his limitations."

[Hectoring, lecturing hat on]
Folks, when relying on a GPS trackback and/or waypoints in hazardous terrain, remember always that the positions recorded and displayed on your receiver can vary from the actual by a few meters or more. This isn't a big deal when you're trying to find a trail junction on the Wilderness Trail at noon. But it is a very big deal when you're trying to find your way off the Rockpile or any of its lesser brethren in a whiteout. Following the screen blindly, while you're blinded by the weather or darkness, is a quick way to step off into nothingness, even if you're just trying to trackback on the route you just came up.
[Hectoring, lecturing hat off.]

There's always the guy who drove into the river/lake by following his GPS to the ferry crossing when the ferry was out...

Hopefully most hikers will look up from their GPSes/maps/compasses/altimeters before they step, if only so they don't trip. (Although I understand that in really flat light on snow, it is not always possible to distinguish more snow from the top of a cliff.)

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

does anyone know exactly where he went and where he was found? maybe it's on here and I'm going blind. I didn't know if that info was available yet.

I've seen several descriptions:

Gagnon was found at about 12:20 p.m. about one mile from the summit and near 3,500 feet elevation,
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070123/NEWS01/201230364

he was found in a drainage area over by the 13 falls tent site.
bobandgeri, post 99 this thread

Doug

 

[MadRiver]

Ivy posted this on ROT: Thought it was interesting:

Rescued Hiker's Family Shows Appreciation through Donations

CONCORD, N.H. -- The family of Brian Gagnon, the hiker who was rescued off Mt. Lafayette in Franconia, N.H., on January 22, 2007, has expressed its appreciation by making donations to the search and rescue community.

"Brian's family demonstrated their deep appreciation for the searchers' efforts through this donation," said Col. Jeffrey Gray, Chief of Law Enforcement for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

Gagnon's family donated a total of $3,000 to organizations that participated in the search effort. The N.H. Fish and Game Department received $1,000. Through the New Hampshire Outdoor Council, $500 was donated to each of the four volunteer search and rescue organizations involved in the effort to locate Gagnon -- the Mountain Rescue Service, Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue, Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team and the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team.

A search was initiated for Brian Gagnon on January 20, 2007 and continued for two days until he was eventually located by search crews while holed up in his sleeping bag awaiting rescue, deep in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Gagnon had failed to return from a hike on Franconia Notch's Mt. Lafayette after he lost his way on the summit in conditions of dangerously high winds, poor visibility and subzero temperatures. Gagnon and his hiking companions had turned back to abandon their original itinerary, but Gagnon became separated from the others and lost his way in the adverse conditions on the summit. His companions made it safely to the trailhead, where they requested assistance for Gagnon. Gagnon did have a subzero-rated sleeping bag, which can be credited with saving his life until rescuers could find him.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department has not yet completed its investigation and review into the possible reimbursement by Brian Gagnon for the rescue costs to the Department. This review is in line with the N.H. Statute that allows the department to seek reimbursement for situations where an individual recklessly or intentionally creates a situation requiring an emergency response (RSA 153-A:24).

In presenting the donation, Gagnon's mother, Susan Dow, stated that she and her family consider the wilderness rescuers to be their heroes, and gratefully thanked them for their professionalism and committed efforts to locate Brian.

 

[jjmcgo]

Not the pier, the shore

I wouldn't have driven off the pier, I would driven into the water next to the pier because my GPS always seems to be 36 feet off!