Hot Weather rescue in Maine - kind of early

[peakbagger]

http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...WS07/170619650

Sounds like the hiker had some combination of dehydration or maybe heat exhaustion. I don't think it was thru hiker as its early for Sobos and still early for Nobos, I guess section hike. We had a couple day stretch of 90 degrees and high humidity that had been preceded by below average temps. I was hiking on Saturday at the beginning of the warm stretch and it sure beat me up.

[tdoczi]

http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...WS07/170619650

Sounds like the hiker had some combination of dehydration or maybe heat exhaustion. I don't think it was thru hiker as its early for Sobos and still early for Nobos, I guess section hike. We had a couple day stretch of 90 degrees and high humidity that had been preceded by below average temps. I was hiking on Saturday at the beginning of the warm stretch and it sure beat me up.

no surprise with how terribly maintained the trails are up there.

[BuckeyeBill]

I wouldn't say they are terribly maintained. After all the rain and snow melt they have, I say the maintaining trail clubs keep them up pretty well. Besides that, we have no information on what shape or experience level of the hiker involved. I'm not throwing the blame on the hiker, but experience shows you need to drink fluids no matter what the weather is; hot or cold. I believe that the hiker that came along and assisted him was the hero here. Knowing what to do and when is a big help.

[LoneStranger]

We just finished three wicked days of heat and humidity and I'm sure this guy wasn't the only one hurting out there. Thankfully the Canadians sent us a relief shipment of air last night so the worst is behind us for a few weeks from the look of the long range forecast. Doesn't matter if this guy was NOBO, SOBO or section, it was brutal out there and I'm glad folks were able to get him stabilized.

As for Maine trails, if you can't handle them, don't blame the trail. It is just laying there. You have the option to go elsewhere if you aren't up to it, so if you stick around anyway the blame falls on you

[Water Rat]

We just finished three wicked days of heat and humidity and I'm sure this guy wasn't the only one hurting out there. Thankfully the Canadians sent us a relief shipment of air last night so the worst is behind us for a few weeks from the look of the long range forecast. Doesn't matter if this guy was NOBO, SOBO or section, it was brutal out there and I'm glad folks were able to get him stabilized.

^^ This.

I have been trying to get caught up on yard work this week and it has been tough to stay hydrated with the combo of heat & humidity. The poor guy could easily have unknowingly started out partially dehydrated and it snowballed from there. People sometimes don't use their best judgement when they get dehydrated or encounter heat exhaustion. That can lead them to make decisions like choosing to "summit and just get to camp already" at the hottest time of day, during high humidity. Any hiker (newbie or 40 years on the trail) can have this happen if they don't pay attention to their water intake.

Kudos to the hiker who recognized this guy was in bad shape and knew how to help.

[Slo-go'en]

Having a heatwave this early in the season is unusual, typically we don't get one until late July and lasts a week. He could have been a thru hiker, they are slowly showing up.

I gave up doing yard work the last few days. I'm building a rock wall along the side of my driveway and moving big rocks around in 90 degree heat and humidity wasn't working out very well. Plus the Black Flies and mosquitos have come out to play big time.

[peakbagger]

no surprise with how terribly maintained the trails are up there.

I assume you forgot to include the emoticon

[peakbagger]

I guess I will be "ageist" and assume that it would be atypical for an early NOBO thru to be 55 . I generally associate the early NOBOs as somewhat gaunt younger folks with gritted teeth flying through town

Nevertheless I will take today weather over the last few days,

[LittleRock]

Y'all Northerners can call 90 degrees and humid a heat wave if ya like, down here we just call it summer.

[rocketsocks]

no surprise with how terribly maintained the trails are up there.

best chuckle I had all day

[egilbe]

Y'all Northerners can call 90 degrees and humid a heat wave if ya like, down here we just call it summer.

Its Spring here. Not Summer yet.

its like when down South they get a three inch snowstorm and close Atlanta for three days

[peakbagger]

We just aren't used to it. I suspect that it the hiker looked south west he could still see snow in the ravines on Mt Washington I can see one patch right now as I type this in king Ravine. If you look at the Wildcat webcam https://www.mountwashington.org/prem...s/ravines.aspx there is still snow (assuming the webcam is up and its clear).

[cooper30]

We just aren't used to it. I suspect that it the hiker looked south west he could still see snow in the ravines on Mt Washington I can see one patch right now as I type this in king Ravine. If you look at the Wildcat webcam https://www.mountwashington.org/prem...s/ravines.aspx there is still snow (assuming the webcam is up and its clear).

Agreed. I melt in anything over 80.

Back in mid-May, my stepson and I went up Bigelow via the Fire Warden's Trail on the first day it hit 90 up here. Despite drinking over 3 liters of water on the hike and taking it easy, by the time we got back to the outlet of Stratton Brook Pond (.4 miles from my truck), I had to stop and sit in the stream under the bridge to get back from the edge of being a heat injury.

We don't get the sustained high temps that other parts of the country get. When we do get a couple days of 90+, it's hard to handle.