Quote:
Originally Posted by fatlazyless
June 18, 2022 ........ 53-year old, experienced male hiker freezes to death on the Gulfside Trail below Mt Clay, close to Mt Washington ...... http://www.nhfishgame.com/2022/06/20...-mt-clay-dies/
November 20 or 21, 2022 ...... 19-year old, experienced female hiker freezes to death on the Old Bridle Path trail descending Mt Lafayette ...... http://www.nhfishgame.com/2022/11/23...d-mt-lafayette
So ...... attention everybody ....... here's the big question ..... with hindsight being 20-20, what would have kept these two different experienced hikers from Massachusetts alive and still able to go hiking, here in New Hampshire again today, if they had both done something different on the day they got froze to death hiking the White Mountains in New Hampshire?
Answer: Don't die climbing the mountain, turn around and go back, and wait for a better weather day, plus having warm protective clothing, food, drink and a headlight flashlight helps, too.
And, how come their smart phone did not save them? |
Well to start, a very good understanding of weather and where to find the pertinent information. Looking at the MSN icon on your phone is not a proper weather briefing for a hike like this, especially in or near the winter. You need to understand that the adiabatic lapse rate is about 3 to 5 degrees per thousand feet elevation. ( so sea level to 4000 feet is about 15 degrees less at altitude than at sea level) This does not account for other conditions such as fronts, inversions, etc. Wind generally increases at altitude, as a cold front goes through and especially after a cold front goes through the wind can go from calm to crazy in minutes.
Cell phones don't work in these areas, this means maps on your phone too, unless you have made preparations ahead of time.
You need to map out your route and make sure someone knows it. Write it down.
As the webmaster noted, EPIRBs are very inexpensive now and can have rescue crews to your location quickly. Get one. In fact I probably will get one for snowmobile season if we get any snow here.
Hike with a buddy. For so many reasons it's a bad idea to hike like this alone, especially this time of year.
Dress or carry clothes that will allow you to survive really cold weather for the night, or more.
This is common sense to me. But a young person just may have not done the research.
There are many hobbies that are just not forgiving of missteps or negligence, as innocent as this girl's mistake probably was, she paid the ultimate price. Hopefully others can learn and not repeat the mistake.