3 Hikers Rescued from Smokey Mountains

[WhiteBlaze]

Rangers reach hikers stranded on Appalachian Trail WSOC Charlotte (AP) Rangers have reached three Appalachian Trail hikers who were stranded in the snow without shelter. According to Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials, three men ages 21 to 32 from Gaffney, S.C., had set out on Thursday from Fontana Dam ... Three Appalachian Trail Hikers Need Rescue In Great Smoky Mountains ...National Parks Traveler Rescue in progress for distressed hikersMaryville Daily Times all 6 news articles »

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[googlywoogly]

3 cotton wearing no tent having individuals air lifted off AT. Looks like they were going for years first Darwin award:

http://www.goupstate.com/article/201...c=ar#gsc.tab=0

Left for 10 day hike in winter with no shelter to boot.

[Tennessee Viking]

If you are going to be hiking in the Smokies during the winter, you need to have insulating but breathable clothing, tents, a sleeping/liner rated 20degree or lower, and plenty of food and water.

[rocketsocks]

If you are going to be hiking in the Smokies during the winter, you need to have insulating but breathable clothing, tents, a sleeping/liner rated 20degree or lower, and plenty of food and water.

kinda makes you wonder how it was done in the old days...don't it

[Slo-go'en]

Yes folks, it's that time of year again.

kinda makes you wonder how it was done in the old days...don't it

Lots of wool.

[Malto]

Wow, so much wrong with this story don't know where to begin..... Oh wait how about, lets go hiking in the winter without a shelter with crappy weather forecasted.

[WhiteBlaze]

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Appalachian Trail hikers stranded in snow rescued Charlotte Observer GATLINBURG, Tenn. Three Appalachian Trail hikers who were stranded in the snow without shelter have been flown to a hospital by helicopter. According to Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials, Shawn Hood, Steven White and Jonathan Dobbins ... Rangers reach hikers stranded on Appalachian TrailWSOC Charlotte Hikers rescued from Appalachian TrailMaryville Daily Times Smokies rangers reach three Gaffney hikers stranded in snowSpartanburg Herald Journal all 26 news articles »

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[Tennessee Viking]

By the way, the weather forecast for next week is calling for negative temps.

[rocketsocks]

Yes folks, it's that time of year again.



Lots of wool.

and there ya have it...
I know my blue jeans were permanently frozen from Dec-March, I'd never attempt any kind of winter hike without some serious thought given to the garb...just to easy to die a horrible death out there.

[FarmerChef]

By the way, the weather forecast for next week is calling for negative temps.

Oooh. Awesome. To me it's always fun to get out and sleep in the cold. But getting out of the bag in the morning or making dinner at night is just plain chilly. I still have not learned to cook with my mittens on.

[hikerboy57]

this ws the go to jacket of its time
mil-tec_n3b_parka_navy_1.jpg

[FarmerChef]

3 cotton wearing no tent having individuals air lifted off AT. Looks like they were going for years first Darwin award:

http://www.goupstate.com/article/201...c=ar#gsc.tab=0

Left for 10 day hike in winter with no shelter to boot.

I didn't see where they had no shelter. But I DID see where they left out on the same day it snowed and wind chills plummeted. I would think even a cursory check of the weather would have been enough to suggest making alternative arrangements. Geez.

[SGT Rock]

A warning to take winter seriously in the mountains of the Smokies:

A rescue team extracted on Friday a trio of hypothermic hikers from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and took them to an Asheville hospital.

“The park is grateful for the exemplary work of the North Carolina Helicopter and Aquatic Rescue Team in bringing this operation to a success conclusion,” said Chief Ranger Clay Jordan.
The North Carolina HART is composed of members of the state National Guard and State Highway Patrol.
The afternoon extraction concluded a drama that began with pleas for help from the Gaffney, S.C., men Thursday night when harsh weather whipped into the region.
The men, identified by authorities as Shawn Hood, Steven White and Jonathan Dobbins, who range in age from 21 to 32. They were suffering from hypothermia and possibly frostbite.
They were taken to Mission Hospital in Asheville for treatment.
The trio had set out Thursday from Fontana Dam on a 10-day backpacking trip. Their destination was unclear, but they were not equipped for a winter hike on the Appalachian Trail.
“Winter hiking in the Smokies can be very dangerous without taking the proper precautions,” Jordan said.
The men apparently were wearing cotton clothing, which provides little warmth once wet, and were not equipped with a tent.
The hikers used cell phones Thursday night to request help after they realized they were unprepared for the harsh conditions. National Park Supervisory Ranger Kent Cave said the cell service was spotty, but allowed officials to determine the hikers were about five miles from Fontana Dam on the North Carolina side of the park.
Rangers embarked at 3:30 a.m. Friday for Molly’s Ridge. Rangers reached the hikers about 8 a.m. While the hikers were conscious, they were cold, weak and unable to exit the area on their own.
Rescue rangers had weather-appropriate clothing and a tent for the hikers, who were about five miles from the nearest trail head, Cave said.
Cave said the rescue team reported snow 4-5 inches deep with 2-foot drifts. The area Thursday night recorded wind gusting at 35 mph and temperatures in the single digits.
“It got as low as 20-degrees below zero with the wind chill,” Cave said. “This was a very dangerous situation for these hikers.”
More details as they develop online and in Saturday’s News Sentinel.

Source: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2014/ja...of-missing-sc/

Nothing on the park service daily report yet.

[rocketsocks]

this ws the go to jacket of its time
mil-tec_n3b_parka_navy_1.jpg

yeah in green, and orange on the inside

[googlywoogly]

Here is another report that specifically states they didn't bring a shelter.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article...ed-hypothermia

From that link:

The three planned to stay in shelters and did not bring a tent. They also didn’t have clothing that was warm enough for the frigid temperatures.
“They were just not very well prepared for what they were going to do,” Cave said.

[Starchild]

3 cotton wearing no tent having individuals air lifted off AT. Looks like they were going for years first Darwin award:

http://www.goupstate.com/article/201...c=ar#gsc.tab=0

Left for 10 day hike in winter with no shelter to boot.

I didn't get that they did not have a shelter. but why would they. The regulations require them to sleep in shelters, tenting is prohibited. On the AT I met many hikers, thru hikers, ill prepaired for cold weather, what saved them was the community of thru hikers, and really spooning. to say that they were contenders for the Darwin award does not speak kindly for the law and the people who serve the Smokies as rangers as it is obviously their responsibility to protect people who go there considering they make it illegal to tent. the people followed the rules and the rangers came though when they needed help, these people from what I read are very much alive and free to reproduce.

In other words I think you are a little harsh, these people could have been any one of us and I do believe most of us know it. We make mistakes, and thankfully due to human kindness, Darwin no longer applies.

[rocketsocks]

I didn't see where they had no shelter. But I DID see where they left out on the same day it snowed and wind chills plummeted. I would think even a cursory check of the weather would have been enough to suggest making alternative arrangements. Geez.

here's a different article that Hiker mom posted in the harriman trip thread.

Stranded Smokies hikers treated for hypothermia






Jan. 3, 2014 11:22 AM |
4 Comments

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Julie Ball

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Three stranded hikers who spent the night in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been airlifted out of the park.
The three were treated for hypothermia earlier today. They have been taken to Mission Hospital.
Rangers reached the hikers around 8 a.m., bringing them warm clothing and tents.
“They are all three very weak. They cannot walk right now,” said Kent Cave, supervisory park ranger.
The three men from Gaffney, S.C. started out from Fontana Dam Thursday for a 10-day backpacking trip. They got about five miles down the trail.
The men were identified as Shawn Hood, Steven White and Jonathan Dobbins, ages 21 to 32.
The three planned to stay in shelters and did not bring a tent. They also didn’t have clothing that was warm enough for the frigid temperatures.
“They were just not very well prepared for what they were going to do,” Cave said.
The park got four to five inches of snow in that area and wind chills dropped to 20 below zero.
“It would have been difficult even with proper clothing,” Cave said.
The hikers called 911 last night, and rangers began rescue efforts.
“This was a dire situation and getting to the trail head was a challenge for our people,” Cave said.
The strong winds created snowdrifts up to two feet.

[johnnybgood]

Carrying. no shelter for a 10 day trip is a real head scratcher . Glad they were rescued.

[SGT Rock]

Carrying. no shelter for a 10 day trip is a real head scratcher . Glad they were rescued.

Yes I was thinking the same thing. I found this on another website:

Previous story


(WBIR - Smoky Mountains) The Great Smoky Mountains Rescue Squad have made contact with three people on a search and rescue mission Friday morning after rangers received distress calls late Thursday.


According to Public Affairs official Caitlin Worth, rescuers made contact with the group of three men at around 8:30 Friday morning. Medics and two EMT units were on scene at around 9:30 to treat the men. Worth said the men are aware of their surroundings, and are in fair condition.


Coordination efforts for the search began late last night. The actual search began at 3:30 Friday morning in the Doe Knob area north of Fontana Lake. Worth said all three men are from northwest South Carolina, and were on a 10-day trip through the park.


Worth also said they are considering doing an air rescue, depending on weather conditions.


There are currently 5-8 inches of snow in the higher elevations of the Smoky Mountains and between 1-2 inches in the lower elevations.

Source: http://www.wbir.com/story/news/local...okies/4302653/


So they were about +/-3 miles from Mollies when they called for pick up.

[Mags]

kinda makes you wonder how it was done in the old days...don't it

Insulating but breathable clothing - wool and leather. For really cold and dry conditions, a cotton anorak. Wool knit hat used. (cf. the coureur de bois). Furs as well at times.

Tents were still used: Made of hide or heavy and treated cotton (used something similar in boyscouts myself). Or a sturdy lean-to made with cut down branches.

Insulation on ground used for sure: pine boughs and/or furs. Furs or heavy wool blankets used for covering.

What I am getting at is that I doubt the old timers did winter activities in the 1700s equivalent of Levis, sneakers and cotton hoodies. You still need gear and clothing appropriate for the environment...then or now!

For modern take on some of the older methods, check out this site:http://wintertrekking.com/clothing/