Gerry Largay's Legacy: Lessons learned from a tragic story.

[piscatore]

Well, it took a while, but the book is finished. Out next June, here's a blog link with info.
Thanks to everyone on WB--the best website on the Internet.

https://www.ddauphinee.com/blog/2019...c-hiking-story

--Dee

[Dogwood]

The greatest lessons I learned from Inchworm's accounts is to never solely relegate my rescue and survival to electronics when I have a brain that shouldn't ever be turned off which can also lead to self rescue and survival. She gave up her power to use her brain and seek self rescue.

She was uninjured of somewhat sound mind with dwindling food supply and no longer had electronic power. She still stayed put...for what was an excessive amount of time. By some accounts several wks, alive and uninjured. Sometimes, survival is NOT about staying put but finding your way out - self rescue, self survival instead of giving up under these circumstances. Harsh, yes. But thats's what survival entails. Fight or give up.

It wouldn't have been impossibly difficult to reacquire the beaten down AT tread and possibly encountering others if she took note of the sun as a general direction in the northern hemisphere, remembering the AT in ME runs generally northeast as she was traveling, and by remembering which side of the AT she stepped off, either to the right or left. At some pt it would have crossed my mind that I needed to save myself rather than waiting for a Saviour.


Tragic, indeed. It didn't need to turn out the way it did. I wish she had more fight in her.

[MuddyWaters]

Topic was beat to death , and then some, previously.

There are lessons to be learned for those willing. Id wager there a lot of AT hikers with deficient skills , that escape similar misfortune just by luck.

[piscatore]

Topic was beat to death , and then some, previously.

There are lessons to be learned for those willing. Id wager there a lot of AT hikers with deficient skills , that escape similar misfortune just by luck.

I agree; beat to death-- but not with research or investigative journalism.

[kestral]

Please remember family members review these sites. Be kind. The lady died.

Easy to have 20:20 hind sight. The mind can play wicked tricks when overwhelmed.

[Feral Bill]

Topic was beat to death , and then some, previously.

There are lessons to be learned for those willing. Id wager there a lot of AT hikers with deficient skills , that escape similar misfortune just by luck.

I expect that most people on this site, including me, have cheated death by plain dumb luck at least once. Most without knowing it. Problems arise when don't realize that it was just luck that saved us.

[tdoczi]

The greatest lessons I learned from Inchworm's accounts is to never solely relegate my rescue and survival to electronics when I have a brain that shouldn't ever be turned off which can also lead to self rescue and survival. She gave up her power to use her brain and seek self rescue.

She was uninjured of somewhat sound mind with dwindling food supply and no longer had electronic power. She still stayed put...for what was an excessive amount of time. By some accounts several wks, alive and uninjured. Sometimes, survival is NOT about staying put but finding your way out - self rescue, self survival instead of giving up under these circumstances. Harsh, yes. But thats's what survival entails. Fight or give up.

It wouldn't have been impossibly difficult to reacquire the beaten down AT tread and possibly encountering others if she took note of the sun as a general direction in the northern hemisphere, remembering the AT in ME runs generally northeast as she was traveling, and by remembering which side of the AT she stepped off, either to the right or left. At some pt it would have crossed my mind that I needed to save myself rather than waiting for a Saviour.


Tragic, indeed. It didn't need to turn out the way it did. I wish she had more fight in her.

there was a gravel road at the bottom of the hill just before she lost the trail, but she went uphill instead of down. it is assumed she did so to try and find a cell signal. the text messages she attempted to send said things like "try and contact the AMC" and "see if there is a trail angel nearby" if i remember correctly.

to me everything you need to know/the lessons to be learned are right there.

[MuddyWaters]

I expect that most people on this site, including me, have cheated death by plain dumb luck at least once.

I survived close calls of youthful stupididity quite a few times, that easily could have gone bad for me. While seeing others not so lucky.

[John B]

So you uncovered and provided greater insight than did Kathryn Miles in her articles published in the Boston Globe?

Just wondering because I don't want to buy something that's largely a rehash of stuff previously published.

[peakbagger]

There was recent book by a risk management expert on a lost hiker in the whites in the winter that ended up badly. https://www.amazon.com/Where-Youll-F.../dp/0996218157 If you search around the web for Kate Montrosova you will find plenty of articles. No doubt there was more interest in the case as she was an attractive blonde with a good backstory. Unlike the Largay extended duration this was done and over in less than 24 hours Despite the in depth articles in the press, the book brings together all the rescue and recovery efforts and spends quite a good amount of time on the motivations of the climber and similar climbers.

I expect if done right, a forensic approach from someone with access to all resources involved may be of interest to some folks. The biggest issue I see is if some party is not interested in participating or is not interested in having the facts come out. If relevant facts and background are omitted due to an attempt to smooth over bad decisions then it is IMHO a wasted effort.

[Slumgum]

I expect that most people on this site, including me, have cheated death by plain dumb luck at least once.

You can put my name on that roster. Hikers can never let down their guard.

[piscatore]

Good point. The book is kind-- we should all strive to be.

[piscatore]

Yes-- a great deal more, with some corrections. Those were feature pieces; this is a book (childhood, hiking relationships, friends, conversations, fears, decisions, gear, weather, wardens, SAR, Navy personnel, lost person behavior, etc). But there might be a lot more detail than you desire.