Lost hikers on Franconia Ridge

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carole

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Link - It was a cold one last night, I hope they were well equipped. :(
 
All I have to say is, I am very worried. I hope they know what they are doing up there. Last night the temperature dropped to -15 or -20 with winds 70-90 mph with falling snow. I just hope they built a snow cave or got below treeline, if not, it is unbearable. Someone update if they hear something. -Mattl
 
Let's hope they did exactly what you said: get shelter. Hopefully they had some extra gear and food too.

I'm reading "Deep Survival" by Laurence Gonzales and it's really making me ask myself how I'd react in that situation.
 
Latest from WMUR site isn't very encouraging

http://www.wmur.com/news/15272087/detail.html

Poor man's synopsis: noted overdue when they didn't show up for work this AM, car found on side of road, search started this PM. Friends uncertain that they were prepared for extreme conditions.

Given how things were blowing around below treeline yesterday afternoon, I sure hope they were ready for what they encountered.
 
Second Night in this Weather

Very, Very, tough conditions. A second night out in these conditions for guys on a day hike is very concerning. Lets hope for the best.

God bless the SAR teams for their efforts.
 
Grandaddy said:
It looks as if the weather changed rapidly towards mid afternoon, with the winds really kicking up with the squalls that passed through. Perfect setup for a ground blizzard. Really bad conditions for Franconia Ridge, I imagine.

http://www.weather.gov/data/obhistory/K1P1.html
http://www.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KHIE.html
http://www.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KBML.html

Hope for the best.
Click to expand...

Actually, they changed a bit earlier. It was 1-1.30 p.m. when the first whiteouts occurred. Yes, very bad conditions. Yes, hope for the best. The best are out there searching.
 
The helicopter just flew by overhead again. It's flown overhead so many times this afternoon and evening and now into the night. As soon as it passed the cold wind hissed outside, rattling my windows. It is such a helpless feeling to know these two men are just a few miles away while Atticus and I are inside, safe and warm. My thoughts and prayers are with them and their families and friends.
 
<phew>
I am amazed at the weather conditions faced by the hikers and searchers. When we were leaving Lincoln yesterday late morning the snow was beginning to blow in heavy squalls and the heavy cloud ceiling was at about 500 ft. I can't imagine being up high in those conditions. Later in the day, the storm brought heavy snow,thunder and lightning to my area. The cold and wind behind it were gusting loudly here all last night and much of today. I can't imagine what it must have been like for them up there. Thank goodness they were found alive.
Thanks for posting the link, Carole.
 
Sad News

According to the latest update on WMUR, the older of the two hikers, Laurence Fredrickson, 55 was pronounced dead after arriving at the Littleton hospital. As of 6:30 a.m. the other hiker, Osborne was in critical condition at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Our prayers are with their friends and family.
 
They called for squalls with possible lighting strikes, high winds in the weather forcasts.. from WMUR 9. I saw this myself at home. I was out in ithe open my self at Cherry Pond Preserve and it was blizzard like for a while at 1000ft. in Whitefield. The temps dropping fast as the cold air was rushing in..The forcasters call this clearly.

I'd love to hear the story on how and why they went. I'm 59 and wouldn't want to deal with possible hurricane force winds with whiteouts on my day off. So did they not see the weather or ignored it ?
 
Emergency Bivy Equipment

Maybe someone can shed some light on why the Emergency Bivy gear that used to be placed just beside the boulder near the top of the Falling Waters trail is no longer put there in the winter, and who did it?

The last time I remember seeing it in place must have been at least ten years ago.

Could have been a life saver. Seems we all knew about it's location back in the eighties.
 
Hillwalker said:
Maybe someone can shed some light on why the Emergency Bivy gear that used to be placed just beside the boulder near the top of the Falling Waters trail is no longer put there in the winter, and who did it?

The last time I remember seeing it in place must have been at least ten years ago.

Could have been a life saver. Seems we all knew about it's location back in the eighties.
Click to expand...

I, for one, never heard of it so if it was there it would do me no good. But I can imagine just like any good thing out there for emergency use would be abused by those who figure on using it because it’s there without there being an emergency, so if needed in emergency it would be gone or useless.

Reading “Our Mountain Trips”
it was interesting to see that at shelters one could expect to find cooking pots, etc. and usually firewood cut and stacked by the last person, with the idea that if you use it you cut and stack more for the next person. Times change.
 
I wonder if they were found above treeline or if they made it at least to scrub. Very tragic and sad, I hope the second person makes it. He is right down the road at the hospital, as I work up from Dartmouth, and I am looking down towards him hoping he makes it. -Mattl
 
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