By the grace of…
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Just read a similar story. Guy was well prepared for anything that he would usually expect. Then there are the other times… one of those is waiting for all of us.
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On the other hand, a dear dear friend of mine, who had been a fellow wilderness guide instructor and acdtive in BSA trek leader training with me for more than 30 years died suddenly recently while hiking with his wife on an easy public trail near his home. He simply sat down unable go any further. Wife instantly called 911 at the FD that was less than a mile away. EMS worked on him to no avail. He was an active hiker in reasonable shape for a 75 yr old, and had had a routine EKG showing no issues just 6 weeks prior. Sad.
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I have not done any summits in the White Mountains since my 30s. I have been up in the Presidentials in May and found hip high snow on the trails in the upper levels. Used to carry small snow shoes with me.
These days I just hike in and “basecamp” near one of the trout river/streams in the lower elevations. From there, I do day excursions with the flyrod. Even then, I have a day pack with a small pad, fire starter, windbreaker, turkey jerky and a very lightweight emergency tarp. (T6Zero Emergency Shelter System – Coalcracker Bushcraft) But, I am aware that if I am not careful, I can just as easily (if not more likely to) drown in a river as I am to die of exposure.
By the grace of…
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PS. Just saw on the news that the the three young guys from RI who were rescued this weekend were charged a total of $500 for their rescue. No complaints from them. They were happy to have been rescued, saying they were huddling together and still shaking and getting hypothermic. The video they have of their trip showed them with daypacks and street clothes (i.e. cotton jeans, shirts, etc).
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If people choose to ignore warnjng signs, it sounds like a good case for letting natural selection take over. By all means charge those that ignore warnings.
For those not willing to “live free” (and take personal responsibility) or “die”, NH is now ramping up penalties for rescues to another level for those who are deemed irresponsible:
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Another article link:
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Charges were appropriate.
Gads, the fine should have been ten times the amount they were charged given the circumstances.
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I agree wholeheartedly! Blatant negligence and irresponsibility shouldn’t be tolerated. If this had happened in the pre-cell phone days, these guys would likely have died. They should be thankful that someone was actually willing to rescue them and perhaps they are, as the outrage expressed over the charges isn’t coming from them. It’s somewhat sad that it has gotten to the point that the threat of heavy fines and criminal charges is necessary to try to discourage this behavior, but since the advent of cell phones this type of reckless behavior has increased dramatically. It needs to be dealt with firmly, even harshly, if that’s what it takes to get the message through to people and prevent a few idiots from ruining things for everyone.
The whining about this being unwelcoming to new hikers is just BS. A “newbie” with any sense will at least be somewhat prepared for whatever adventure they plan and stay within their abilities. People who have unfortunate accidents and/or injuries that aren’t the result of negligence aren’t being prosecuted or fined. Just use your head, obey the rules and you can have all the fun you want in the NH backcountry.
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I intend to buy a “hike safe” card when I purchase my 2023 NH fishing license. 
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me too… I think I am prepared but maybe I would not be in the eyes of others… It’s cheap at any rate.
I also agree on the fine. I used to lead hiking trips and did my best to explain what the terrain was like and what weather to expect.
I had a mother and daughter show up for a 14 miler up and down a rocky trail wearing Keds. They turned around after a few miles and never joined us again.
Then there were the husband and wife who joined us on a fall hike with rain predicted in cotton sweatshirts. Of course it rained. The woman was very cold by the time we got some trash bags on them and some hot tea in them. They also had to turn around and never joined us again.
Noone had to be rescued but both resulted in serious delays.
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It’s been tough for rescue crews in the White Mountains this past year. Lots of (cell) calls for help. Two people died just within the last 1.5 months.
Thought it would slow down as the pandemic induced outdoor interests recede. Not so, evidently.
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Anyone who buys a NH hunting or fishing license automatically receives the same benefits as a hike safe card.
Mike
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THANKS for that tip! Took me a bit of digging around the NH Fish and Game site to confirm, but
" If I have a valid NH hunting or fishing license, do I need a Hike Safe card?
If a person has a current New Hampshire hunting or fishing license, current Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle or snowmobile registration, or current boat registration, they receive the same benefit."
When the hiker fell to his death off Mt. Williard (up by Crawford Notch), I thought about the Hike Safe card. Back in my younger days, I would hike up Crawford Notch to Ethan Pond to start my 1-2 week backpacking loops in the Pemi Wilderness to flyfish for backcountry brookies. I would often find hip to waist deep snow in May and get hit with snow in October (the two months that I normally backpack to avoid crowds). These days, I start into the Pemi Wilderness by the popular (relatively easily inclined) Wilderness trail and stay off the peaks just to camp and fish the river and feeder streams. Nevertheless, at my age, who knows if and when I might need a rescue (or recovery)…
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A lot of people now seem to think that having a cell phone is their lifeline in case anything goes wrong. We all have a responsibility not to get into trouble, get lost or get hurt. Once in awhile something bad might happen. If people need rescue, I think they should pay for it. It would act as a deterrent, and help some people wise up.
I have needed rescue once in over 60 years in the outdoors. I broke my femur in a mule wreck in remote Oregon. The bill for a fixed wing airplane with EMTs was $15,000. My insurance paid on ly 5k. I negotiated with them because the plane was not just transportation, it was also the only way to get a splint and morphine. They paid half.
A mule wreck? Too fast for conditions, lost traction, stopped to stomp a mountain lion?
I was a late adopter of cell phone, instead carrying around a pager/beeper for those who need to reach me. I finally got a cell phone after an incident in 92 (93?). I was helping to cover an emergency shelter in downtown Boston during a blizzard. After 8 hours or so (and not having brought lunch with me), I decided that I would head into Chinatown (about 4 blocks away) to get some food (since Chinese rarely ever close). It actually was NOT a great decision as the snow was whipping and there were very few people and cars out on the snow covered streets. When I got to Chinatown, most of the restaurants were actually closed. Before I was about to really do a full walk-around of the Chinatown streets, I saw a somewhat elderly woman shuffling to the edge of the sidewalk, across the street from me. She stepped off the sidewalk and I watched in horror as her foot slipped and the ankle twisted and then broke in a weird angle. I ran across the street to where she was sitting in a puddle of slush on the road next to the walk. I tried to calm to her the best I can in my broken Chinese (I more fluent in English than Chinese). But, I had to get her out of the puddle and the street. So, I went behind her, wrapped my arm under her armpits and half lift/dragged her onto the sidewalk and finally against the wall of the building.
I looked around and there was no one else around to help. She was soaked, wet, and in pain, as the snow and wind kept whipping around us. I got somewhat frantic, fearing she was going to get hypothermia or go in shock sitting on the wet snow. Thankfully, this was a period when folks still read newspapers. There were several newspaper vending boxes across the street. I ran over and fed quarters into the boxes and took out all the newspapers available. I took these back to the woman, laid them out next to her and then lifted her onto the newspaper to get her off the snow. Felt like we were there forever, waiting for another passbyer so we can get help. A car drove by and the driver ignored or didn’t see my frantic waving. Sometime later, another car was coming down the street. This time, I jumped into the street in front of the approaching car. The driver stopped, opened his window a crack, and asked what I needed. I pointed to the woman and explained the emergency. The driver nodded, reached into his pocket and pulled out a flip cell phone. He called 911, said the EMTs were on the way, and then drove away. Thankfully, there is hospital with an emergency room at the edge of Chinatown. I actually heard the ambulance siren crank up and saw the flashing lights minutes later. To our relief, help finally arrived.
The next day, I went to a Verizon storefront in downtown and signed up for my first cell phone.
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This past year’s sad White Mountain tragedies just keep on piling up:
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