Another Death at Cannon

[ceo]

I've seen a report from one of the searchers that they found her food and water at the summit of Lafayette. Since she was looking to summit Lafayette, Lincoln and Flume, it's likely she went up Old Bridle Path to Greenleaf Trail and made it to the summit, then decided not to attempt the ridge and headed back down. There are a few sharp left turns on Greenleaf Trail where it's really easy to lose the trail in poor visibility when going down, and if you don't figure it out in time, you end up in the Lafayette Brook drainage. She made it over 1000 feet down from there, but apparently there were dense, deep snowdrifts that the rescuers had trouble getting through, and in running tights and trail runners, she probably got soaked through rapidly.

 

[BodeMiller1]

^^^
Sad,
R.I.P.

 

[2Planker]

Been doing S&R for almost 40 years.
That was definitely one of the toughest ever. Monday night was -5 w/ 50 mph gusts.
Only a few could handle the conditions for more than 30 mins.

 

[BodeMiller1]

What are you talking about? There is not 5 feet of snow or close to it anywhere in the northeast right now.

Snow and wind = drifts

Good point though. Are you the guy that thinks Tuckerman Ravine gets 80 feet of snow?

 

[BodeMiller1]

Been doing S&R for almost 40 years.
That was definitely one of the toughest ever. Monday night was -5 w/ 50 mph gusts.
Only a few could handle the conditions for more than 30 mins.

How did you do it? Did you start as a Ski Patrol or how?

-5 50MPH gusts, not compatible with life. Around 20 or so years ago there was a fire on top of Washington. The guys that went up to fight it got frost bite in their lungs.
Not sure how they made out.

Thanks for trying...

 

[2Planker]

How did you do it? Did you start as a Ski Patrol or how?

-5 50MPH gusts, not compatible with life. Around 20 or so years ago there was a fire on top of Washington. The guys that went up to fight it got frost bite in their lungs.
Not sure how they made out.

Thanks for trying...

In the Medical field since 80's. Patrolled at Stratton while in college. then spent 23 years at SR and 5-6 on & off at Wildcat.
Now in NH so I serve on the Androscoggin Valley Search & Rescue, Mt. Wash. Volunteer Ski Patrol, and White Mt. Swift Water Rescue.

Basically, NH Fish & Game have a call list for each area. My wife worries every time, especially on ones like last week when the elements are against you.
Frostbite is a regular occurrence, my finger tips are just starting to feel normal

 

[kickstand]

In the Medical field since 80's. Patrolled at Stratton while in college. then spent 23 years at SR and 5-6 on & off at Wildcat.
Now in NH so I serve on the Androscoggin Valley Search & Rescue, Mt. Wash. Volunteer Ski Patrol, and White Mt. Swift Water Rescue.

Basically, NH Fish & Game have a call list for each area. My wife worries every time, especially on ones like last week when the elements are against you.
Frostbite is a regular occurrence, my finger tips are just starting to feel normal

Friend of mine's brother does S&R down in Belknap County. He gets called in quite a bit, from what I hear. Heard some stories about his work. Pretty difficult work. So, thank you for volunteering for such a hard and thankless job.

 

[BodeMiller1]

Friend of mine's brother does S&R down in Belknap County. He gets called in quite a bit, from what I hear. Heard some stories about his work. Pretty difficult work. So, thank you for volunteering for such a hard and thankless job.

Thank you

 

[Abubob]

Another hiker found on Lafayette. https://www.wmur.com/article/officials-identify-hiker-found-dead-on-franconia-nh-trail/42340756

 

[BodeMiller1]

^^^
Maybe a better plan next time.

 

[BodeMiller1]

I've seen a report from one of the searchers that they found her food and water at the summit of Lafayette. Since she was looking to summit Lafayette, Lincoln and Flume, it's likely she went up Old Bridle Path to Greenleaf Trail and made it to the summit, then decided not to attempt the ridge and headed back down. There are a few sharp left turns on Greenleaf Trail where it's really easy to lose the trail in poor visibility when going down, and if you don't figure it out in time, you end up in the Lafayette Brook drainage. She made it over 1000 feet down from there, but apparently there were dense, deep snowdrifts that the rescuers had trouble getting through, and in running tights and trail runners, she probably got soaked through rapidly.

... and the latest guy. At this point you have to just laugh. It's like the other guy in the clear plastic ball that got off course and went over a cliff. Let's call him bubble boy.

How many have died at the ski area? 10 in the last 11 years? This shouldn't happen.

Chick gets hit in head with falling rock. DOA
ETC.

These are just deaths. How many sprains, At this point, we don't know,

Meow

 

[2Planker]

This one should have never happened. Hiking alone, and very under prepared.
Summiting Lafayette in the dark and then hiking the Laconia Ridge trail is a rescue that should have cost $5-6,000.

About 12-15 volunteers spent their Christmas Eve at 4,000’ w/ temps in the single digits.
2nd time in a month on Lafayette.
Hopefully the last.
But we always say that….

 

[Abubob]

... and the latest guy. At this point you have to just laugh.

I’m sorry but someone dying is not funny.

 

[MidnightJester]

Both this past recent Asian hiking death and the November death of the young woman in her 20's on the Franconia ridge defy the logic of looking at any weather app or website for weather forecasts for their hikes they are going on "it seems". Both hiking victims hiked into nearly 0 degree temperatures and crazy winds and Windchill's into darkness.

I hiked that hike and the ridgeline in the day and it was a hard hike. With a phone app map it wasn't easy and was the first hike that got caught coming down as the sun was setting leaving from the hut up there on one of the hikes that weekend. "Thank you to the hiking couple for lending 2 headlamps"

They wore clothing and layers to a level of 40 degrees and that's maybe. When the weather reports at the top said snow, ice and 0 degrees or worse. I really don't understand. Going on the Ski mountains in the day I would have a 3 or 4 layers(t-shirt, long t-shirt, sweatshirt and outer jacket) a mostly wind and waterproof outer shell and 2 layers of pants(usually pajamas and outer snowsuit pants)

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Chastises hiker for being unprepared. Admits to doing the same hike unprepared and requiring headlamps from strangers. You can’t make this shit up. Based on your posts, you are prob the most likely on this board to require professional rescue.

“Hey who wants to drive 400 miles from long island in my 10 mpg pick up truck to ski backcountry terrain I have never skied before and know nothing about? Looks fun on the internet!”

 

[raisingarizona]

Both this past recent Asian hiking death and the November death of the young woman in her 20's on the Franconia ridge defy the logic of looking at any weather app or website for weather forecasts for their hikes they are going on "it seems". Both hiking victims hiked into nearly 0 degree temperatures and crazy winds and Windchill's into darkness.

I hiked that hike and the ridgeline in the day and it was a hard hike. With a phone app map it wasn't easy and was the first hike that got caught coming down as the sun was setting leaving from the hut up there on one of the hikes that weekend. "Thank you to the hiking couple for lending 2 headlamps"

They wore clothing and layers to a level of 40 degrees and that's maybe. When the weather reports at the top said snow, ice and 0 degrees or worse. I really don't understand. Going on the Ski mountains in the day I would have a 3 or 4 layers(t-shirt, long t-shirt, sweatshirt and outer jacket) a mostly wind and waterproof outer shell and 2 layers of pants(usually pajamas and outer snowsuit pants)

That’s more cotton than your sentences have length.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

lol pajamas and hoodies!!!!

 

[MidnightJester]

Chastises hiker for being unprepared. Admits to doing the same hike unprepared and requiring headlamps from strangers. You can’t make this shit up. Based on your posts, you are prob the most likely on this board to require professional rescue.

“Hey who wants to drive 400 miles from long island in my 10 mpg pick up truck to ski backcountry terrain I have never skied before and know nothing about? Looks fun on the internet!”

You either are partially or fully mixing me up with another guy that talks about Backcounty or just are currently having a Kusty moment. My questions or advice havn't been self endangering about anything here. It mostly leads to me or other people trying to be better Skiers or snowboarders. And I listed the best "stepping" stones to backcountry I know of locally in VT and no where else unless my late night habits typed something I forgot.

There is a difference from being underprepared for things that come up and unprepared for UN-survivable weather that was on most weather listings. One person wore tights or leggings into deep snow and low degree wind chills and the other wasn't wearing winter gear and had not done many hikes at all before doing a winter Franconia hike in the similar Bad or worse conditions. I don't think they looked at weather forecasts at all and took the surrounding weather as OK and not mountain weather into consideration.

As to borrowing 2 headlamps being a unprepared thing. It was the beginning of fall and we were a group of 5 hikers and one was unprepared with light and one was out of battery power and using his phone for light. Would of made it down regardless or if things turned worse would of "self-rescue" as they call it since we had a group.

What should I wear as a second layer under my snow pants or Shell? I don't like most Long Johns or tight Underlayers. I Recently picked up a Airblaster "Ninja suit" that I am looking to tryout sooner or later. They sell 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 snow pants that have insulation or fleece like material as the removable underlayer of the snow shells. I swap out my underlayer pajama/sleep pants "Fleece or some other warm or cool material" thicker or thinner depending on conditions.

While I do drive up to 400 miles one way sometimes to get to Jaypeak or Smugglers Notch it is usually more 300ish.
I don't have a pickup truck and I do have a mid size 4wd SUV. I do get 18ish MPG on mountain trips if I am not running the truck hard or at night for truck camping.

 

[jimmywilson69]

To stay on topic, I had a theory the other day. Could these have been suicides? Like if I make ok and if I don't then that's what I want?

Pretty crazy thought but the level of unpreparedness is just unfathomable.

 

[ThatGuy]

Never rule out pure unadulterated stupidity in these cases as sad as it is.
Could be someone with a deathwish though.

I think people just don’t understand the fatal indifference nature has to our survival.