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White Mountains Rescue: A Signal Seeking Help, But What Kind?...
Rescuers were in The White Mountains Saturday night after being alerted that somebody needed help. They just didn’t know who or why.
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Interesting but understandably brief article given that it was so soon after the event. Would be nice to learn if they were carrying other navigation aids such as map, compass or gps. Easy to get off course descending a mountain too.
Given the weather forcast, climbing Mt Adams and then getting into King Raven yesterday was not a wise thing to do yesterday. You wouldn't let your dog out in weather like we had yesterday. The very worst you can get. Trail conditions must have been an icy, slushy, wet mess.
Interesting
Reports are that they made a wrong turn at a trail intersection or just plain lost the trail due to weather/low visibility and became lost. Beyond that, as to whether they should have been out there in the first place given forecast conditions is a whole 'nother story. Idiots could have died.
Mu am very grateful there are volunteers out there who put their lives on hold to venture out in the darkest and coldest conditions to save others without passing judgment
I am......
Seconded. NH F&G is awesome. They go out in some of the most brutal conditions into terrain that is incredibly dangerous when people get into trouble - regardless of why. As to passing judgment - well, you just don't hike the Whites even in the summer without checking the weather forecast, and there are plenty of warnings and reminders to do so. I just don't understand the arrogance of people who put their own lives and rescuers in danger by INTENTIONALLY disregarding warnings.Quote:
Originally Posted by mfleming
It's pretty easy to get confused in that area, there are many trail junctions and diverging paths. Given the conditions and the possibility their judgement was already impared by mild hypothermia, it's actually pretty easy to make such a mistake. I'm guessing they made a wrong turn, but there was just enough snow on the ground that keeping track of an unbroken out trail could be difficult.Quote:
Originally Posted by 4eyedbuzzard
Yeah, the trail system can be very confusing up here (though I'm posting from my "work home" in TX), especially when trails and blazes/cairns get obscured, and without maps. But as you noted in an earlier post, what were they thinking being out there? They're Canadians, so one would assume they understand the concepts of "winter storm" and "freezing to death".Quote:
Originally Posted by Slo-go'en
I live just north of there, the summits were in clouds all day and it was drizzling. Its easy to lose the trail when there is ice and snow as much of the blazes are painted on rocks. There are cairns on the major escape routes and the Gulfside (the AT). The conditions were just about perfect for getting wet and the wind would cool someone down. Its real easy to get in the early stage of hypothermia and the first thing that goes is good judgment. Realistically there are no safe ways down Kings Ravine that are non technical with ice and snow on the trails and its easy to get sucked towards the lip if lost. There is a band of very steep to near vertical near the top of the ravine so if they were lost it was good they didn't keep going or it could have been far worse.
My speculation is they got up here and the weather was marginal, they had driven a long way so they decided to head up and hope the weather got better.
By the way, the first responder to a rescue in that area is typically the Grey Knob caretaker, followed by the NH F&G staff. Volunteers are generally not called in on an event like this but would be if more resources are needed. The Gray Knob caretaker is not necessarily a trained rescuer but frequently is. NH F&G will review the rescue and may elect to charge the individuals a fee for rescue. They have set the bar quite high and its rare that they don't try to collect these days as they are under a lot of budget pressure .
I would think they come down the Spur trail (which is treacherous in it's own right when icy) and then got confused where several trails branch off in different directions at the Pentatude junction (five trails meet there). They must have turned off onto the King Ravine trail instead of going straight onto the Amphibrach, which is the one which eventually leads to the parking lot.
The trails droping directly into the ravine from the ridge line have been serious ice climbs since the fall. Speaking of ice climbs, I stepped outside earlier and promply fell on my butt! Lucky I didn't break anything. Had to put my crampons on to walk down the driveway to check the mail (which might not come today). Almost a 1/4" of ice on everything now and looks like much more higher up. If this keeps up, the trails are going to be a big mess soon.