Hiker death on Little Haystack (NH) - boston.com

[rafe]

FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) — Officials say a 65-year-old hiker has died after having a medical emergency near the summit of a New Hampshire mountain.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says Maxim Raykin of Nashua, New Hampshire, had been hiking with four companions when he collapsed near the summit of Little Haystack Mountain on Saturday morning.
Officials say efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

[GoldenBear]

http://www.wmur.com/news/hiker-dies-...ntain/37989924

Sounds like he had a heart attack or stroke.

[Feral Bill]

Predicted bad and deteriorating weather. What were they thinking?

[4eyedbuzzard]

Predicted bad and deteriorating weather. What were they thinking?

Yes, temps and wind are certainly an issue right now, but the Little Haystack summit is just where you break out into above tree line terrain via either the Franconia Ridge (from the south) or Falling Waters Trail. You can be down and in more protected trail within a few hundred feet, so it's not a particularly dangerous area as far as above tree line exposure unless you continue north on the Franconia Ridge towards Mt. Lafayette. Liberty Springs, Franconia Ridge, Falling Waters loop is a pretty popular loop hike. Not a day I would choose to be out for sure, but initial reports are that his death wasn't directly due to weather conditions, not being equipped, etc. RIP

[rafe]

WMUR report indicates he was an experienced hiker with proper gear, etc. I've done that loop a couple dozen times and there's no way in Hades I'd have attempted it this weekend.

[Puddlefish]

From what I read, he'd hiked that trail many times before, and the group was prepared. His three companions carried him back down to the waiting rescue crew. Can't really predict a medical emergency.

[4eyedbuzzard]

WMUR report indicates he was an experienced hiker with proper gear, etc. I've done that loop a couple dozen times and there's no way in Hades I'd have attempted it this weekend.

I've also hiked those trails many times and I agree - no way I would do it on a day like today. But, there are people who are made of tougher stuff than I, to whom such conditions are "challenging" rather than an outright "no-go". No reports on whether they were doing the Liberty Springs - Falling Waters loop, or if they were doing the Old Bridle Path - Falling Waters loop with more exposure above tree line, or some other route.

[Feral Bill]

The conditions would seem to add to the stress and difficulty. For me, a no go. I suppose it could have happened in July on a city street, though.

[4eyedbuzzard]

The conditions would seem to add to the stress and difficulty. For me, a no go. I suppose it could have happened in July on a city street, though.

I agree, and I'd also venture that the conditions definitely added to the stress on his body. I'm closing in his age, and I don't handle the increased weather related stress as well as I once did. There's a lot of added stress - respiratory (breathing cold air), hiking into high winds, body working harder to stay warm. Yeah, a no-go for me anymore.