View Full Version : Bizzare misfortunes on the trails
Careful where you sit down out there:
Hiker Killed In Freak Accident
Log Crushes Massachusetts Woman
POSTED: 9:14 pm EDT October 20, 2007
ALBANY, N.H. -- A newlywed from Massachusetts dies when a log rolls over her in New Hampshire.A spokesman for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says the 32-year-old woman and her husband were hiking along the Boulder Loop Trail in Albany when they decided to stop for lunch at about 3 p.m.Lieutenant Jim Goss says they sat on a felled tree trunk. The trunk snapped, they fell off, and a section of the tree about 20-feet long and two-and-a-half feet in diameter rolled over them.The husband and a nurse hiking near the scene administered CPR. The woman was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived.Her husband refused medical treatment and was able to walk out on his own.The woman's name was not immediately released.Goss says the couple had been married about two months.
A truly tragic event.My condolences to friends and family.
This brings to mind something that happened to me a couple weeks back.
After an overnight on Bigelow mtn, i was driving out the back road from Stratton Brook Pond to the highway when out of nowhere a large tree limb came crashing down on the hood of my rig denting the hood and side panel.
What are the chances of that happening given 5 seconds either way and it would have missed me. To add to this, a guy on a bicycle was coming the opposite direction and was right beside me when it happened, bout blew him off his bike as the limb disintegrated and flew in all directions. Add to that, 3 young women hikers were following about 100 feet behind me at the same time witnessing the whole event!
Certainly if that limb had hit the biker or 3 hikers the outcome could have been far more serious than dented metal.
You just never know......
saimyoji
10-21-2007, 09:14
Careful where you sit down out there:
Hiker Killed In Freak Accident
Log Crushes Massachusetts Woman
ALBANY, N.H. -- A newlywed from Massachusetts dies when a log rolls over her in New Hampshire.A spokesman for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says the 32-year-old woman and her husband were hiking along the Boulder Loop Trail in Albany when they decided to stop for lunch at about 3 p.m.Lieutenant Jim Goss says they sat on a felled tree trunk. The trunk snapped, they fell off, and a section of the tree about 20-feet long and two-and-a-half feet in diameter rolled over them.The husband and a nurse hiking near the scene administered CPR. The woman was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived.Her husband refused medical treatment and was able to walk out on his own.The woman's name was not immediately released.Goss says the couple had been married about two months.
A truly tragic event.My condolences to friends and family.
This brings to mind something that happened to me a couple weeks back.
After an overnight on Bigelow mtn, i was driving out the back road from Stratton Brook Pond to the highway when out of nowhere a large tree limb came crashing down on the hood of my rig denting the hood and side panel.
What are the chances of that happening given 5 seconds either way and it would have missed me. To add to this, a guy on a bicycle was coming the opposite direction and was right beside me when it happened, bout blew him off his bike as the limb disintegrated and flew in all directions. Add to that, 3 young women hikers were following about 100 feet behind me at the same time witnessing the whole event!
Certainly if that limb had hit the biker or 3 hikers the outcome could have been far more serious than dented metal.
You just never know......
Made it easier to read. :cool:
saimyoji
10-21-2007, 09:16
That's truly tragic. Not to be insensitive, but I guess thats why they call 'em widow-makers.
A truly tragic event.My condolences to friends and family.
This brings to mind something that happened to me a couple weeks back.
After an overnight on Bigelow mtn, i was driving out the back road from Stratton Brook Pond to the highway when out of nowhere a large tree limb came crashing down on the hood of my rig denting the hood and side panel.
What are the chances of that happening given 5 seconds either way and it would have missed me. To add to this, a guy on a bicycle was coming the opposite direction and was right beside me when it happened, bout blew him off his bike as the limb disintegrated and flew in all directions. Add to that, 3 young women hikers were following about 100 feet behind me at the same time witnessing the whole event!
Certainly if that limb had hit the biker or 3 hikers the outcome could have been far more serious than dented metal.
You just never know......
You probably remember this bizarre story (http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Falling+tree+kills+biker+on+ Kancamagus&articleId=55adb24e-8167-424e-a385-b31fa0c422dd), Woodsy.
A woman, riding as a passenger on a motorcycle, was killed by a falling tree. The operator of the bike was not injured. What are the odds? Ya just never know.
You probably remember this bizarre story (http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Falling+tree+kills+biker+on+ Kancamagus&articleId=55adb24e-8167-424e-a385-b31fa0c422dd), Woodsy.
A woman, riding as a passenger on a motorcycle, was killed by a falling tree. The operator of the bike was not injured. What are the odds? Ya just never know.
No ,i don't remember hearing about that.
Wrong pace at the wrong instance kinda thing isn't it?
I've never known mother nature to have a conscience.
superman
10-21-2007, 10:16
In 2000 there was a news story about an ex-wife and ex-husband who went hiking and camping together in the Smokies. The ex-wife was killed and partly eaten by a bear. It was an odd story. Most of my fellow hikers speculated that the ex-husband had something to do with it but there were no charges, that I'm aware of.
Flush2wice
10-21-2007, 11:28
In 2000 there was a news story about an ex-wife and ex-husband who went hiking and camping together in the Smokies. The ex-wife was killed and partly eaten by a bear. It was an odd story. Most of my fellow hikers speculated that the ex-husband had something to do with it but there were no charges, that I'm aware of.
Heres a link to that story (http://www.mysmokymountainvacation.com/news/bear-attack.html).
It was later confirmed that he had nothing to do with it.
Several years ago my wife and I were driving near Woodstock, Vt when a logging truck pulled onto the highway in front of me. The truck was going at a fair rate of speed, but quite a bit slower than I was driving, so I was following him closely for a few miles looking for a place to pass.
For some reason I remember thinking that I didn't like the look of those logs so I intentionally slowed down allowing him to pull away. Around the next corner he lost about half of his load. Logs were everywhere and the pavement was full of holes from the cartwheeling logs. What if I had still been tailgating him? What told me to back off and let him pull away?
I guess its all just random chance, but sometimes you just can't be sure.
cowboy nichols
10-21-2007, 13:45
When it is your time ---you go.
whitefoot_hp
10-21-2007, 14:07
there was a death on the chattooga river that involved a man scouting out a rapid when a tree fell on him.
As I've said before, we are all born with a number, when it comes up, we die.
Still, a truely tragic event. My condolences to the family.
As I've said before, we are all born with a number, when it comes up, we die.
.
That's what i'm thinking when i'm about to enter widowmaker alley (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18955&)
we've got alot of these around here.You dial-uppers may want to skip the click, slow loader
If one lets go. you won't likely have time to get out of the way, so i walk fast through these areas, just for the fun of it.
Eye-pokers, hat-smashers and ankle-twisters!:eek:
shelterbuilder
10-21-2007, 18:58
That's what i'm thinking when i'm about to enter widowmaker alley (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18955&)
we've got alot of these around here.You dial-uppers may want to skip the click, slow loader
If one lets go. you won't likely have time to get out of the way, so i walk fast through these areas, just for the fun of it.
WOW!:eek:
I'm always concerned about hazard trees near the shelters and privies - and invariably they lean toward the structures! Always LOTS of fun.
saimyoji
10-21-2007, 19:04
Earlier this summer a 40' box elder tree fell against our house. Glad to see that eye-sore gone. It was in the neighbor's yard so we couldn't cut it, but we sure got our share of the box elder bugs. :mad:
Insurance covered all costs. Fortunately there was practically no damage.
shelterbuilder
10-21-2007, 19:13
Earlier this summer a 40' box elder tree fell against our house. Glad to see that eye-sore gone. It was in the neighbor's yard so we couldn't cut it, but we sure got our share of the box elder bugs. :mad:
Insurance covered all costs. Fortunately there was practically no damage.
People in our hiking club and folks that I work with, are always calling me to come help them with trees in their yards - I guess that's what happens when you get the reputation of being able to work miracles with the big rogue trees! But I've been lucky, I guess - very little collateral damage over the last 20 years. (I have to admit, though, that I have said "no" to a couple of jobs that were right on the edge of my "comfort zone".)
Uncle Silly
10-21-2007, 19:22
That's what i'm thinking when i'm about to enter widowmaker alley (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18955&)
we've got alot of these around here.You dial-uppers may want to skip the click, slow loader
If one lets go. you won't likely have time to get out of the way, so i walk fast through these areas, just for the fun of it.
Oh god, I remember walking through that. Glad it wasn't a windy day!!
Rift Zone
10-21-2007, 20:35
I was hiking in Castle Rock State Park (Santa Cruz Mountains) and got the $#!^ scared out of me once. There was this huge crash off to my right. Now, I'm not a jumpy sort... I have far more curiosity and adventure in me than fear, but I swear when that happened I nearly jumped out of my boots. I went from hiking west to facing north from the south side of the trail. I executed a backside 90. The crash came from a tree limb that had fallen from the sky with no warning. The two foot section that broke off upon impact was as thick as a soda can. The remaining length was over 2 meters long. It was so close that it would of hit my arm if I had it further away from my body.
lol :-? Probably shouldn't be hiking in storms.
Oh god, I remember walking through that. Glad it wasn't a windy day!!
Me Too! Those leaners were creaking without the wind blowing much.
warraghiyagey
10-21-2007, 22:48
That's what i'm thinking when i'm about to enter widowmaker alley (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18955&)
we've got alot of these around here.You dial-uppers may want to skip the click, slow loader
If one lets go. you won't likely have time to get out of the way, so i walk fast through these areas, just for the fun of it.
Those are all hangers. If you can't outfox one of those sliding to the ground it's probably natural selection.:rolleyes:
CoyoteWhips
10-21-2007, 23:22
Those are all hangers. If you can't outfox one of those sliding to the ground it's probably natural selection.:rolleyes:
Yeah, that's a skill I'd rather not practice often.
warraghiyagey
10-21-2007, 23:24
Yeah, that's a skill I'd rather not practice often.
Watchin the Sox?
CoyoteWhips
10-21-2007, 23:49
Watchin the Sox?
Listening. It's deja vu after the Pats, today.
warraghiyagey
10-22-2007, 00:14
Listening. It's deja vu after the Pats, today.
Golden Age of sports in Boston for sure. Even Boston College is ranked #2 in the country. And don't get me started on the Celts. Oh wait, the Bruins too? No way!!!
How many Miami Dolphins today do you think thought of that commercial with the catch phrase 'Wanna Get Away?'
I had the dubious pleasure of tenting out in several thunderstorms this summer. Seems every tent site I picked had these ominus half-dead trees waiting for a good wind to blow them onto the tent platform. Sometimes shelters don't suck...
Ok I'll admit it that last line is just wolf bait ;)
nitewalker
10-22-2007, 07:12
3 years ago outside of my camper there was this tree that i kept saying that i needed to cut it down before it falls and puts a nice puck on the camper. well what do you know 2 days later a man and his wife came to the camper[ im the manager] looking to make a payment. the second they walked out the door to leave the tree made a thunderous crack and what do you know here comes the tree strait at the door. the two people heard the crack and were able to take 3 to 5 steps away from that spot..BOOM GOES THE TREE ALL OVER MY CAMPER AS I AM SITTING INSIDE. thankfully there were no injuries. but i had to reroof the deck around my camper...
peace out, nitewalker
Lone Wolf
10-22-2007, 07:26
Ok I'll admit it that last line is just wolf bait ;)
i ain't hungry this morning. i ain't biting. :)
oldfivetango
10-22-2007, 08:38
Several years ago my wife and I were driving near Woodstock, Vt when a logging truck pulled onto the highway in front of me. The truck was going at a fair rate of speed, but quite a bit slower than I was driving, so I was following him closely for a few miles looking for a place to pass.
For some reason I remember thinking that I didn't like the look of those logs so I intentionally slowed down allowing him to pull away. Around the next corner he lost about half of his load. Logs were everywhere and the pavement was full of holes from the cartwheeling logs. What if I had still been tailgating him? What told me to back off and let him pull away?
I guess its all just random chance, but sometimes you just can't be sure.
I think what "told you" to back off was something called "common
sense".Belive it or not,mine speaks to me when I follow any vehicle
with something on the back of it;particularly ladders,utility trailers,
people hauling their old junky furniture secured with only a piece of
twine.
You get the picture.:D
Oldfivetango
The husband of the woman who was killed in bizarre hiking accident gives first hand account of the tragedy in this interview, (http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/10/23/newlyweds_perfect_hike_ends_in_tragedy/) warning: really sad.
dessertrat
10-25-2007, 09:36
When you walk through that stand of trees with half of them leaning and creaking on the others, of course it is a nervous business. But then I think to myself, they have probably been this way for weeks or months. What are the odds of one of them falling right now?
Still, it could happen.
If you spend enough time in the woods, you're likely to see or hear a tree fall. Happened to me in MD last summer. Very weird.
taildragger
10-25-2007, 11:23
When you walk through that stand of trees with half of them leaning and creaking on the others, of course it is a nervous business. But then I think to myself, they have probably been this way for weeks or months. What are the odds of one of them falling right now?
Still, it could happen.
The odds increase everyday that they have been there, if they didn't fall yesterday, then they are more likely to fall today.
Desert Lobster
10-25-2007, 17:40
A tree fell on a hiker's head in 98. I think they had to get off the trail for two weeks.
CoyoteWhips
10-31-2007, 07:17
The odds increase everyday that they have been there, if they didn't fall yesterday, then they are more likely to fall today.
Yeah, but they're even more likely to fall tomorrow, so move.
Flush2wice
10-31-2007, 08:20
This was in the newspaper a few days ago.
http://www.charlotte.com/112/story/339060.html
Falling rock fatality leaves shock in Va.
N.C. woman's death unprecedented at park
DONNA ALVIS-BANKS
Roanoke Times
AUSTINVILLE, Va. --
Oct. 20, a Saturday, was a pretty day for a bicycle ride on the New River Trail, a 1 1/2-hour drive up Interstate 77 from Charlotte
The old cinder-based rail bed was carpeted with freshly fallen orange and yellow leaves, and the sky was cloudless and as blue as a robin's egg. The towering rock overhangs in the rail trail's center section seemed to stretch up forever.
But shortly before 5 p.m., on the trail near Austinville in Wythe County, a large slab of rock dislodged and tumbled down a steep precipice before becoming airborne and hurtling toward the trail.
Sudie Jenkins Hatcher, a 48-year-old cyclist from High Point, just happened to be in the path of the rock. She was riding with a group and was wearing her helmet, according to park officials. But she could not escape the speed of the falling rock, which was 3 feet long and more than a foot wide. It struck her in the head and killed her.
The strange accident crashed into a serene afternoon and sent Hatcher's friends scrambling to try to help her. It also put officials at New River State Park -- a popular weekend destination for North Carolinians -- in a situation they've never been in before.
They wouldn't release any details about the incident until 48 hours after it happened. Meanwhile, bikers, hikers and horseback riders continued using the section of the trail where the rock slide happened.
Gary Waugh, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, said the department did not believe the area posed a further danger after Hatcher was struck.
"We have been operating the trail for over 20 years," he said. "We did not think there was a dangerous situation there, so the need to warn the public was not something that I personally considered."
Mark Hufeisen, the New River Trail's park manager, said serious injuries are rare on the trail, a 57-mile linear park that runs along the New River from Pulaski to Galax.
Falling rocks, he said, are rare, too. It's not an unprecedented occurrence, though. In 1999, an 83-year-old Georgia tourist was killed when a piece of limestone struck her in the back of the head as she was reading a plaque underneath the 215-foot arch of Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County.
Waugh said his department will assess the situation on the New River Trail and determine whether any changes need to be made. He said a decision to post caution signs warning trail users of possible rock falls had not been made.
Although construction and excavation on private lands bordering the trail do occur, Waugh said his department had not had rock formations evaluated by geologists or other experts.
Waugh said he knew of one rock slide on the trail that required attention.
"We had to blast back the rock and then regrade it," he said. "Remember, this is an old rail bed that's been there since the 1880s."
Designated a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior, land for the New River Trail was donated to the state in 1986 by Norfolk & Western Railway, and the trail opened in 1988.
Many of the trail's users, such as Hatcher, visit from North Carolina. Hufeisen said last year 60 percent of trail users came from the neighboring state.
"This is a popular destination for those within a 1 1/2- to 2-hour drive," he said.
Katherine and Frank McCormick of Yadkinville drive more than an hour each week to bicycle on the New River Trail.
Although she said she sometimes sees evidence of rock slides on the trail after a rain, McCormick said she considers the New River Trail safe. The scariest thing she has seen is the occasional copperhead snake.
She said the tragedy wouldn't stop her from biking there.
"I'm not going to let it scare me off -- even though I will be more cautious," she said. "I think it's just a freak accident. It might not ever happen again."
envirodiver
10-31-2007, 11:45
Freezing rain is not uncommon in TN especially just prior to snowfall. If the freezing rain lasts long enough to coat the trees heavily things start to fall and break.
We had one years ago and at my place it sounded like a war zone. Cedar and pine trees coming out by the roots and thumping as they hit the ground and big limbs sounding like gunfire as they broke and fell. I sure would not have wanted to be in a tent that night.
With all of the deaqd pine trees in the south the last few years, it's more and more important to look up when setting camp.
Tipi Walter
10-31-2007, 15:28
There was an old story of a Lakota Indian women killed by a falling tree crushing her tipi back in the 1830's and depicted on a hide winter count in pictographs. So, it can happen to the most experienced.
Close calls come and go, I had a huge limb fall next to my tent and figured a T Rex just stomped thru. Another time at Marys Rock in Shenandoah a tree did fall and hit my tent, breaking a pole and ripping up the nylon. I luckily stepped out right before. Since that time I pay careful attention to WHAT'S ABOVE ME and not just to the lay of the ground below.
As far as high wind, well, a tree could fall onto you hiking a trail in high wind just as easily as falling onto you in a set-up campsite.
freefall
11-28-2007, 10:14
This just happened yesterday in Rocky Mountain NP.
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=81779