Missing Hiker in NH's White Mountains

[Tom Murphy]

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/News...en_042709.html

CONTACT:
Lt. Robert Bryant: 603-271-3127
Liza Poinier: 603-271-3211
April 27, 2009
Search Ongoing for Teen Missing in White Mountains

CONCORD, N.H. - A search in New Hampshire's White Mountains has been ongoing since Sunday for a missing 17-year-old. Scott Mason of Halifax, Mass., left the Appalachian Mountain Club's Pinkham Notch Visitor Center at approximately 8:30 on Saturday morning, intending to do a 17-mile hike. Mason was hiking alone. His plans included hiking to the summits of Mount Washington and Mount Madison, then returning to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. Mason's plan was to complete the trip in one day. It is unknown what type of clothing and gear he is carrying.

The conditions in the high country currently include waist-deep snow with the potential for avalanches. Heavy rains overnight Sunday and Monday morning have added to the difficulty of the search, with resulting high water making stream crossings extremely difficult. The temperatures have been mild, remaining in the 40s overnight.

Currently the NH Fish and Game Department is coordinating the search. The U.S. Forest Service, Appalachian Mountain Club, Mountain Rescue Service and Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue are rendering additional assistance.

[HikerRanky]

Here's praying for a good result.....

Randy

[kyhipo]

hope they find the lad.ky

[Blissful]

Boy, I don't know. Hope he's okay. 17 too. Man oh man.

[chrishowe11]

he's pullin a chris mcandlas or what ever his name was...

hope your out there buddy

[Alaskanhkr23]

Oh yeah Christopher Mccandless all the way.Sorry to hear it though that som e kid may die.Prayers to his family,I know some people that hike that area its touph

[Alaskanhkr23]

I feel helpless i live by there well bout 3 hours away but that my old stompin ground for hiking

[Peaks]

17 miles is a long strenous hike anytime in the Whites.

[TJ aka Teej]

NH TV reported the ME Forestry helo spotted tracks heading down Six Husbands. If that's him, he'll hit possibly uncrossable high water. No sleeping bag or tent - that's woefully unprepared.

[the goat]

No sleeping bag or tent - that's woefully unprepared.

i don't know a/b anyone else, but i've never carried a sleeping bag or tent on a day hike. never seen anyone else do it either, for that matter.

[Tom Murphy]

Still no word..this is the latest

http://www.unionleader.com/article.a...0-f85a1b9f25b2

[DavidNH]

Well first off, I sure hope they find this kid alive. I am not optimistic thought.

This is actually worse than what Chris Mccandles (sp?) tried to do.

Mid April in the Whites, heading up from PMC over summits of Madison and Washington facing waist deep snow or more and expecting to do it all in one day. What really bothers me is, far as I know, he had no gear for staying out over night. Sleeping bag, tent etc. Man that is REALLY rolling the dice even if you know what you are doing. The people who "know what they are doing" do NOT attempt a 17 mile hike in the presidentials in winter/spring conditions alone and without provisions for staying out over night. At the very least he should have had a sleeping bag and a tent.

David

[Lone Wolf]

whwere's the parents through all this? what were they thinkin'?

[Tom Murphy]

I agree that carring a sleeping bag on a spring day hike is overkill, but with all due respect, I don't think of this hike that Scott attempted as a day hike.

Scott was planning a 17 mile hike across the Northern Presidential Range..alone. He started late too - 8:30am.

There is still a lot of snow at the elevations he was going to. Waist deep, wet, slushy snow.

When I am day hiking solo in the winter, I always carry a sleeping bag and w/p bivy.

[Chaco Taco]

whwere's the parents through all this? what were they thinkin'?

Thats what Im saying

[JAK]

Sad. I don't know the area, but this is just sad. More kids need to have such spirit, but there is so much to learn. So much conflicting information. Its hard to learn without not knowing when you are making some big mistakes. Very dangerous time of the year for sure. Praying for him.

[HikerRanky]

i don't know a/b anyone else, but i've never carried a sleeping bag or tent on a day hike. never seen anyone else do it either, for that matter.

I do carry a sleeping bag and a shelter with me.... Seen the weather change too rapidly for my comfort...

Randy

[Snowleopard]

"took a thermal blanket" (Mylar space blanket??).
It's tough conditions, but warm. Apparently some places with 20' of melting snow. If he hasn't been injured and he's careful, he'll probably be OK. Rescuers are following tracks into the Great Gulf Wilderness (seems like lots of lost winter hikers end up there). River levels are very high from snow melt now. I hope he's OK.

[Blissful]

whwere's the parents through all this? what were they thinkin'?

Absolutely.

Unless this kid took off on his own without saying. And at this age, could very well be...

[ryan207]

I was up there hiking that same day, he was ahead of us I am assuming judging by his and my departure times. He was aiming for a 17 mile day and we did a 14. But his itinerary involved much more elevation gain and loss than ours. Its so hard to say where he could have ended up given the option for escape routes. I am thinking he probably wandered down into the Great Gulf Wilderness via Six Husbands trail or Sphinx. There were a few times that day where I thought to myself, it would be really easy to just get over exhausted in these conditions. Slush, ice, deep snow in places and not to mention the sun reflecting off of the snow which I believe took it out of me the most. At times we only averaged a mile an hour, I carried 2 liters of water and that still didn't feel like it was enough. There is hope for this kid, its been warm and sunny for the most part. River crossings are horribly dangerous right now though. Spring time here is so decieving.