The thing I hate most about this is this is why they enact restrcitive laws on us all the time. People don't use common sense. So I think they should enact a rule and not a law. The rule should be that due to a specified variation of weather conditions search and rescue teams will be suspended until weather permits a safe attempt for the rescuers in the search and rescue process. So all the responsibility is on the idiot hiker at that point. If they know there is no help coming then maybe they won't go. That way we do not have anymore bans and the local wildlife may get a special meal out of it if they decide to attempt it anyway.
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Hiker dies in the Presidentials
- Thread starter FrugalFannie
- Start date
My guess is that dude is probably that guy in the Home Depot commercial who get pussy whipped into buying wallpaper or some BS instead of the grill he wants. If I was going to make a wag him saying "You know maybe you should do this another time? It's pretty ****ing cold out." would not have been well received.
-Mike
Just a dedicated hiker. I believe she'd already hiked Mount McKinley (Denali), Mount Kilimanjaro, and in the Himalayas. Definitely not a very good decision, but she wasn't the only one. At least one other hiker was in the same area the same day and made the choice to turn around and head back.
Rockrivr1
NES Member
My question always comes down to what the hell are those guys going to do with her once they find her. (If she's still alive of course) You're not getting a chopper up there, which means they have to carry her out. That has to up the danger to them 10 fold. So one stupid mistake can get 4 other people injured or killed.
Don't get me wrong. It's great we have people in our society willing to risk themselves for these idiots. But at what point do you just say "f" them,their on their own?
Don't get me wrong. It's great we have people in our society willing to risk themselves for these idiots. But at what point do you just say "f" them,their on their own?
I've done that hike and it's definitely not a day trip, particularly in the winter. I went skiing in VT on Friday and got frost bite despite frequent trips inside. It was brutally cold and windy in the in mountains this past weekend. No time to be above the tree line on foot alone, no matter how much experience you have.
Some people are willing to risk their lives to save others. God bless them. They know the risks and do it anyways. I'd hate to think of a society where everyone collectively says "F you, you are on your own".
There have been several rescues this winter already. A hiker passed out hiking Washington, and the group dragged her down in a sleeping bag. 2 idiots were hiking in jeans and hoodies needed help finding their way out.
The search was suspended because of weather originally. They make the choice to go just the same as other hikers. Nobody plans on being rescued (not to say they don't plan for the possibility). Not too long back trails were actually closed at times based on weather conditions. They went away from that (to recommendations to not use instead), and rightfully so. All the responsibility was on her. She knew that.
A partial Presidential traverse can be done in one day, even in winter.
MisterHappy
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The difference between stupid and ballsy, is that with ballsy, you didn't get hurt (or dead).
I re-read the article and it didn't say where she started. I guess I just assumed that she was hiking the whole route.
Holy crap!!
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I have done that hike. It was nasty when I did it (early spring). In those conditions? Alone? Nope.
I remember going on white river rafting in Oregon. There was a group of boxers taking a bro-trip. They have never rafted. Instructor explained that river was class 2-3. Dumbasses with egos a little smaller than Barry wanted to know what's the highest class (6) and then bitched about how they needed to go on class 6 or else and that this trip is bullshit. ![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
This kind of describes a lot of type-A dumbasses. They didn't have the patience to let dude finish saying that by definition class 6 is impassable, i.e. that you die. No, **** that, they wanted 6. A lot of them took a plunge on that trip and they could not even ****ing row in unison. Their ****ing raft was going in circles because they were rowing like mad, stroking as hard as they could without regard to direction or unity.
I can totally see them going on this hiking trip in NH in the future in the worst possible conditions just to brag about it.
This kind of describes a lot of type-A dumbasses. They didn't have the patience to let dude finish saying that by definition class 6 is impassable, i.e. that you die. No, **** that, they wanted 6.
A lot of them took a plunge on that trip and they could not even ****ing row in unison. Their ****ing raft was going in circles because they were rowing like mad, stroking as hard as they could without regard to direction or unity.I can totally see them going on this hiking trip in NH in the future in the worst possible conditions just to brag about it.
ISOTOX
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Ya, now they were a couple of dummies for sure....sail the North Atlantic in the winter...just a day after Blizzard conditions....good deal on a boat on e-bay...They don't have sail boats in Australia? Stupid hurts on all counts!!
ISOTOX
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Silly fools that do this shit should just be left on the Mountain till Spring .... Putting dozens of searchers at risk....let the fools freeze or drowned....So now the guy gets to pay for the funeral plus the cost to drag the silly bitch out of the woods....
you really can not hike above the tree line in weather like we just had without THREE people, Winter gear (i.e. 80 lb packs), snow shoes, crampons, ice axes, full face masks, and sturdy rope to keep you from being blown off the mountain. even then it would be almost impossible to find your way in total whiteout conditions. And if you can not see the trail, you can easily just walk off of a 1000' cliff.
It is possible she was an experienced winter mountain hiker, but thought a mere 5000' mountain would be no trouble at all.
Hey, i almost got hypothermia in the middle of summer hiking up washington. and we had some gear with us.
It is possible she was an experienced winter mountain hiker, but thought a mere 5000' mountain would be no trouble at all.
Hey, i almost got hypothermia in the middle of summer hiking up washington. and we had some gear with us.
The Presidentials have a notorious reputation for being some of the worst in the world for weather despite the fact that they are much lower in elevation to a-lot of the other bigger mountains known around the world, so she probably thought it would be no different from her previous hikes.
But still...I have no problem with her doing this, if she's that type of person, let her go, do i think she's nuts?... yes, i wish i had balls just a fraction of the size of hers. Most people call it shear stupidity, she knew exactly what she's doing so i call it balls.
These people are cut from a different cloth, and there is no stopping them. In my eyes this is no worse than base jumping, it's stupid and moronic, and if you do it long enough it's bound to bite you back, there was nothing stopping her.
But still...I have no problem with her doing this, if she's that type of person, let her go, do i think she's nuts?... yes, i wish i had balls just a fraction of the size of hers. Most people call it shear stupidity, she knew exactly what she's doing so i call it balls.
These people are cut from a different cloth, and there is no stopping them. In my eyes this is no worse than base jumping, it's stupid and moronic, and if you do it long enough it's bound to bite you back, there was nothing stopping her.
SpaceCritter
NES Member
My folks were up that way on a (cold) snowshoe long weekend circa the Franconia Inn (i.e. the trails near there and the airstrip), and they called last night to tell me about this. Big news around there, as one could imagine.
I haven't been hiking up there. It's on my short list... to do in the summertime, with good weather forecast, and with someone who has done it before.
I haven't been hiking up there. It's on my short list... to do in the summertime, with good weather forecast, and with someone who has done it before.
She was found 1/2 mile from Madison Spring Hut southeast of Star Lake, well off trail.
Apparently she was planning a partial traverse of Madison-Adams-Jefferson-Washington. Don't know of where she left from or what trailhead from Washington she was planning on being picked up at. Whatever case, she didn't make it very far. Left at 0500 and activated her emergency transponder at 1530...
Thanks, even her route was bad, would have started at Jackson and went North, falling out at pierce and retreating to mizpath camp, you know by then if you are done and can back out. North to south leaves no out and all exposed. No body fat, plus female = frozen at 10 degrees. Add another notch to the yellow signs everyone laughs at.
Sadly she wasn't the first and won't be the last to make the same mistake. The White Mountains may be small compared to most, which is why they are greatly underestimated. The signs don't lie, some of the worst weather on earth is correct, especially for the day she went. Second coldest recorded place on the planet.
I was planning on Pierce and possibly Eisenhower tomorrow. Actually been planning on them for a bit now. The bitter cold has relegated that plan to just an afterthought. Not a chance. Hoping for some nicer weather.
I was planning on Pierce and possibly Eisenhower tomorrow. Actually been planning on them for a bit now. The bitter cold has relegated that plan to just an afterthought. Not a chance. Hoping for some nicer weather.
Smart, hiking is fun or at least what I try to convince others, not worth dieing over, pointless death. Plus if you need blazes or snow cairn, you are already screwed, been years since I was familiar with the trails , I am more respectful than ever, know your strength but your weaknesses better.
Did anyone see info on what equipment she had with her? I'm just wondering if she might have otherwise been properly prepared (but things just happened to go bad). Not that I'd ever consider being ALONE there in the winter to be properly prepared, no matter what.
Somewhat conflicting reports but totally non-specific. Someone from NH F&G said she was only prepared for a day hike. One of the individuals who recovered her said she was well prepared. Neither where very specific besides the one individual saying she had plenty of electronics including one that helped them eventually find her. He also said she was not found with snowshoes.
I'm with you, something went wrong and possibly more than just the weather.
I'm with you, something went wrong and possibly more than just the weather.
