boy scouts resuced

[Frog]

This past weekend with temps near 0 and wind chills near 20 below a troop of boy scouts with about 30 members went to mount Rogers area and camped. Around 11 of them split up and hiked out towards the Rodi.Gap. There stoves froze and so did there boots. They were resuced sunday. Some had frost bite and some had hypo. All are recovering at home now. Winds at Rogers on Sunday where in the 50 mph range. This was there 5 winter trip up there in as many years but still this is a warning all ways check the forecast and realize that the forecast isnt for that area you can almost all ways add colder temps and higher winds for that area than the forecast calls for.

[Lone Wolf]

Piss poor planning on the adult's part. Bad weather WAS forecasted.

[SGT Rock]

From the Roanoke Times (http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke%5C17421.html)

Tuesday, January 25, 2005


Snow ends Scout camp


The group trudged ahead with its camping trip on Mount Rogers despite rangers' warnings of deteriorating weather.


By Lindsey Nair
981-3334
The Roanoke Times

A group of North Carolina Boy Scouts were rescued from a camping trip on Mount Rogers this weekend after they were overwhelmed by below-freezing temperatures and heavy snow.

Despite their motto, "Be prepared," several Scouts wore improper clothing and had tennis shoes frozen to their feet when they were brought out of the woods Sunday, rescuers said.

"They tried to build a fire, but they never could get one to go," said park ranger Roy Kilby with Grayson Highlands State Park. "There was too much snow and wind."

Of the 15 people taken to a hospital, two remained hospitalized Monday.

A spokesman at the Piedmont Council Boy Scout office in Gastonia, N.C., where the Scouts were from, was out of the office Monday afternoon and could not be reached.

Kilby was on duty Saturday when the group of about 30 people arrived. He said most were Boy Scouts about 12 to 15 years old.

The park already had about a half-foot of snow from Friday's storm, and Kilby warned the Scout leaders that more snow was in the forecast. He said signs at the park also warn visitors of drastic weather changes on Mount Rogers.

"They were told about the weather, that we were supposed to have more snow and temperatures dropping," he said.

But the group appeared to have a lot of gear, he said, and decided to forge ahead about 10 a.m.

Capt. Junior Reedy with the Rugby Rescue Squad said the troop hiked about two and a half miles into the park and were on National Forest land when they set up camp in the area known as Rhododendron Gap.

Meteorologist Jan Jackson with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg said the temperature near Mount Rogers on Saturday night was 4 degrees and the wind chill was minus 15 to minus 20. It snowed Saturday and Sunday.

"People don't seem to understand that the temperature most of the time is eight or 10 degrees colder back where they were at," Reedy said.

By Sunday morning, some troop members were too cold to walk out. One chaperone, a 60-year-old who had recently had a lung removed, was the most ill-affected, Reedy said.

Those who could walk hiked out to find help. Reedy's squad got the emergency call about 10 a.m. Sunday and was joined by several other squads. Rescuers took all-terrain vehicles into the park to find the Scouts, but the snow had drifted so badly over the trails that they had a hard time following them.

When they reached the Scouts, medics loaded them onto the ATVs and drove them to the park road, where an ambulance was waiting, Reedy said. They were then taken to a triage area outside the park office.

"They got so cold back there they couldn't hardly get their shoes off them," he said. Rescuers at the triage area had to cut frozen laces to get some of the boys' feet out of their shoes.

"The ones I saw, they just had on these regular tennis shoes and things," Reedy said.

He said some of the Scouts' clothes were wet, so they were stripped down and wrapped in blankets to begin the warming process. By the time the last member of the group was brought off the mountain, it was dark, Reedy said.

According to the Declaration of Independence, a weekly newspaper in Grayson County, 15 people were taken to Ashe County Memorial Hospital in West Jefferson, N.C. They included 11 Boy Scouts, one Scout leader and three members of the Rugby Rescue Squad.

Six Scouts were admitted for treatment of frostbite and hypothermia, and four of those were discharged Monday morning, the Independence newspaper said.

John Wadsworth, director of field service for the Blue Ridge Mountain Council in Northwest Roanoke, said winter camping is not an unusual Boy Scout activity, but it requires preparedness and common sense.

"A lot of times you will find sort of a goal for a lot of troops is they like to do one outdoor trip a month," he said. But "the kids are trained before they're put in that kind of environment, and even then, there's got to be some discretion."

Wadsworth said Scouts should be educated before any outing, including cold-weather camping. And parents have the right to keep their son from going on Boy Scout outings if they so choose.

Some Boy Scout outings are designed to teach Scouts wilderness survival skills, but "there's not any badge that would challenge someone to go into extreme cold," Wadsworth said.

Reedy and his squad have gotten used to rescuing hikers and campers from Mount Rogers over the years, but he hopes people will refrain from camping during the worst weather of the season.

"I hope they wait until spring."


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© Copyright 2005

[Lone Wolf]

Just shows any fat-ass yahoo can be a scout "leader".

[SGT Rock]

I notice the quote "But the group appeared to have a lot of gear, he said, and decided to forge ahead..." I guess the math is:

(a lot of gear)*15 = prepared for anything
Bad Weather

I guess a lot of gear isn't enough to hike in really bad weather.

I am sure the scouts learned a lesson, I hope they all end up OK and maybe with a healthy dose of respect for weather and a healthy skepticism of adult scout leaders

[Youngblood]

When you go out on the trails, you need to know your limitations, whether you're a scout, hiker, backpacker or whatever. A lot of times folks take unwise risks and make it okay, but that doesn't mean it still wasn't an unwise risk. I don't support the 'hike it or die trying' philosophy... three members of the Rugby Rescue Squad where also admitted to the hospital. The Rugby Rescue Squad in particular and everyone else associated with the rescue did a great job in difficult conditions. It sounds like it took multiple trips to get everyone out of there.

Youngblood

[dje97001]

I agree that this expedition sounds absolutely moronic. Either a case of testosterone gone-wrong or maybe just stupidity and inexperience. These leaders acted very irresponsibly.

Do consider that typical scout-leaders are volunteers who are trying to give their kids and other people's kids (who don't take the time to teach their own kids things about the outdoors) an awesome couple of years worth of experience. They often walk the fine line between mentor and teacher and generally do not have much instruction. But they take time out of their busy lives to enrich the lives of a younger generation.

My own leaders were awesome. Half of the experience is pushing yourself to try new things and develop a quiet confidence in your ability to succeed (be it outdoors or elsewhere). These leaders sound like they violated the trust that the boys and their parents put in them--and their "good judgement." And that unfortunately contributes to stereotyped portrayals and decreased credibility for the organization as a whole.

Lastly, stories of good experiences in the boy scouts very rarely get published--those don't sell papers. I'm sure that most people on here who have been a part of scouting (girl or boy; leader or scout) over the years could share some incredible stories of things they did, or the positive impact that scouting had on their lives.

The leaders in this story acted like jerks. Let's not generalize based on such a limited sample.

[Lone Wolf]

You're right. Not all scout "leaders" are bad. There should be some sort of nation wide training program for prospective scout leaders. I'd be damned if I sent my kid out in the dead of winter with some inexperienced buffoon.

[J.D.]

You're right. Not all scout "leaders" are bad. There should be some sort of nation wide training program for prospective scout leaders. I'd be damned if I sent my kid out in the dead of winter with some inexperienced buffoon.

Agreed! Just heard about this "expedition" from a friend in Blacksburg. Like other postings, my first reaction was anger at the so-called Leaders.

But.... Perhaps the vast experience that is *HERE* could help prevent a "next time" which could be fatal. Like everyone else, I have no time to volunteer.... Guess I should just MAKE THE DAMNED TIME! Maybe save some poor kid's toes...

I have no kids and don't know any Scouts; but, think I will call around this week and offer my two cents to any Scout group that will have me. What's one night a week gonna cost me besides a few less beers...?

"IF" some group accepts my offer, would anyone like to suggest an itinerary? Gotta be basics-basics-basics and something kids will grasp.

Anyone else...?

Happy Trails,

J.D.

[dje97001]

Yeah they do have both national and local training programs... but how much can a weekend/week do when compared to a lifetime of experience? What this worthwhile organization needs is experienced outdoorsmen--such as yourself --and outdoorswomen to share their talents and ensure that no boneheads will be leading the trip. That isn't to say you need to have lived in the woods and killed you a barr when you was only 3, but sometimes you get people who have a lot more energy than experience--and these people need role models too.

[Youngblood]

You're right. Not all scout "leaders" are bad. There should be some sort of nation wide training program for prospective scout leaders. I'd be damned if I sent my kid out in the dead of winter with some inexperienced buffoon.

Yeah, but volunteer programs can't always be that selective or they might not have a program. When you volunteer for these things (kids athelitic programs are the same way) it is usually when your kids are involved and you learn a good bit about what you are doing as you go. These folks usually have full time jobs with a family that takes huge demands on their time. They make the time so that their kids have the opportunity to participate.

[The Cheat]

"IF" some group accepts my offer, would anyone like to suggest an itinerary? Gotta be basics-basics-basics and something kids will grasp.

Anyone else...?

Happy Trails,

J.D.

Here's a reference, the BSA guide to safe scouting:

http://www.scouting.org/pubs/gss/toc.html

[RockyTrail]

Very well said, dje97001.

People will make mistakes, even Boy Scouts. I hope they and the rescuers all are well and have no permanent injury from this incident.

[SGT Rock]

From their own guide (http://www.scouting.org/pubs/gss/gss13.html)

Winter Camping Safety

There is magic to camping in winter. It is one of the most advanced and challenging of outdoor adventures. Special considerations for winter camping include the following:

Leadership. In no other camp is the type of leadership as important as in the winter camp. It is vital that a leader be an experienced camper with a strong character.

Equipment. Do not attempt to camp unless completely outfitted. Even if equipment for winter camp is more expensive than for summer camp, Scouts must be adequately clothed, and leaders should ensure that blankets and other equipment are of suitable quality and weight.

Physical Condition. A physician's certificate as to physical ability must be obtained by each Scout before preliminary training begins.

[neo]

the only scout i would venture with in any harsh weather is my oldest son
hank 11 years old,aka the warrior,i would not lead anyone else,s kid,s into extreme stuff,me and hank are a hell of a team in the backcountry neo

[Bolo]

One Scout leader with 11 boys? That's not a recommended ratio. Should have been at least 2 leaders.

Some Scouts wearing tennis shoes???? Poor judgement by the Boy Scout, here, but then it's difficult to get young boys to wear anything but tennis shoes. My son recently wore tennis shoes on a ski trip. If if hadn't been for the ski boots, his feet would have froze!

Boy Scouts (and leaders) are trained in First Aid, Camping, Hiking and Backpacking and these skills are re-inforced during the boy scout years (11-18). While most leaders are volunteers (some are paid scouters), many older leaders simply will not go to BSA training for updates, reinforcement etc, because they think they 'know it all' and don't need the training. In my experience, an 11 yr old, unless he is an experienced cold-weather camper, will not know what to bring to protect him against the elements. Again, this is the troop's fault for not providing a gear list prior to the trip and ensuring the boys had all the gear needed. Parents can't be blamed because, no doubt they thought the boys were in good hands.

Unfortunately, poor judgement by scout leaders of this troop got them into trouble. My guess is it will be a long time before they attempt another cold weather trip, which is sad. It's the only way they will learn.

I'm currently a scout leader, female, not a backwoodswoman and not a fat-assed, thank you Lone Wolf. I volunteer apprx 20-30 hrs per week to scouting which includes training and running a troop of 30 boys. Recently new to this site, I would like to thank all of you who have posted such wonderful information regarding just about everything there is to know about the outdoors. It continues to be an excellent resource I can pass on to my scouts. You can believe they know what to take and when to attempt a cold weather outing!

Bolo

[lobster]

There was snow on the ground prior to the start of their little outing? That should have been enough to not allow kids to take part with just sneakers.

[J.D.]

I'm currently a scout leader, female, not a backwoodswoman and not a fat-assed, thank you Lone Wolf. I volunteer apprx 20-30 hrs per week to scouting which includes training and running a troop of 30 boys. Recently new to this site, I would like to thank all of you who have posted such wonderful information regarding just about everything there is to know about the outdoors. It continues to be an excellent resource I can pass on to my scouts. You can believe they know what to take and when to attempt a cold weather outing!Bolo

Thank you, Bolo! I am sure that we all appreciate your work & time & volunteering.

Thanks!

J.D.

[SGT Rock]

This past weekend with temps near 0 and wind chills near 20 below a troop of boy scouts with about 30 members went to mount Rogers area and camped... ... Winds at Rogers on Sunday where in the 50 mph range.

Captain Chaos called me Sunday after coming from Mollies Ridge Shelter to rub in the fact he went hiking that weekend too (and I didn't get too). He reported some very bad conditions such as a -5F temp Sunday morning, 50mph wind gusts, deep snow, etc. He even said they had a guy coming in Saturday night near hypothermic. It also seems a lot of shelters are getting full from reservation. What gives? Was it Masochist Weekend?

Just as a sort of informal polling, when do you call it on account of winter weather?

p.s. I would have gone out last weekend if I would have had the chance, but I don't know about taking my boys on such a hike.

[Bolo]

I have no kids and don't know any Scouts; but, think I will call around this week and offer my two cents to any Scout group that will have me. What's one night a week gonna cost me besides a few less beers...?


J.D.

J.D. Sounds like you want to get involved? Call your local BSA Council office and get the name of some troops in your area. The Council can also put you in touch with Scoutmasters. Troops meet once a week. I'm sure they would love to have you speak. Tell the boys about the unfortunate experience of the above troop. Guarantee you mention frostbite and the consequences to an 11 yr old and you'll get his attention. Offer to give a stove demonstration, show them your gear. Tell them about your hiking experiences, or better yet, go with them on their next outing or campout. Sign up to be a leader or a Merit Badge counselor!
Scout leaders also have many meetings (training, roundtables, banquets) where they need guest speakers. Just volunteer!!
Bolo