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Missing hiker on Mt. Adams found dead

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    • Da Wolf wrote:

      Da Wolf wrote:

      foolish for going alone. foolish for going in that weather. no need to die like that.
      and i don't buy that bull.... " she died doing what she loved"
      Yeah, I've been getting annoyed by people using the "died doing something she loved" excuse in this case. Her death was completely avoidable, and the whole thing is just a shame.

      Matthew Mcconaughey's father died of a heart attack after making love to his wife while skipping work on a Monday morning. He died doing something he loved.
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      Da Wolf wrote:

      Da Wolf wrote:

      foolish for going alone. foolish for going in that weather. no need to die like that.
      and i don't buy that bull.... " she died doing what she loved"
      Yeah, I've been getting annoyed by people using the "died doing something she loved" excuse in this case. Her death was completely avoidable, and the whole thing is just a shame.

      Matthew Mcconaughey's father died of a heart attack after making love to his wife while skipping work on a Monday morning. He died doing something he loved.


      literally
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • socks wrote:

      Da Wolf wrote:

      Da Wolf wrote:

      foolish for going alone. foolish for going in that weather. no need to die like that.
      and i don't buy that bull.... " she died doing what she loved"
      Right, who likes to die freezin' to death, hell of a way to check out.

      Yeah. She would have spent her last hour or two knowing what was coming.
      And at 32 she had close to 2/3's of a lifetime left to do lots of other things she loved. I sort of hope I drop dead on a trail but after another 20 or more years.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • Rasty wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      Did she have any shelter or sleeping bag with her....I still haven't read that.

      .....the search & rescue guys I think said it best, she had experience, some equipment and determination, but she was irresponsible to be up there in those conditions.

      No sleeping bag or shelter. No snowshoes. No shovel.
      I believe it was the Boston Globe article that said she had a shovel.
      Don't remember which article it was that I read, but they were able to tell from her GPS that she had summited Mt. Madison, made her way over to Mt. Adams and summited that and then must have finally realized that she couldn't make it over Jefferson and Washington as she turned around after Mt. Adams and seemed to be attempting to get below treeline. What it appears that happened is that the winds blew her off the trail. That must have been when she was injured. None of the articles that I have read so far say to what extent she was injured, but it must have been to an extent that she couldn't continue upright nor could she use the shovel to dig a place to be sheltered from the wind. My conclusion at this point is that it was irresponsible not to turn back when she first got above treeline and saw how bad it was but she was a badass young woman who pushed the edges and she obviously thought she could be successful. May she Rest In Peace.

    • hikerboy wrote:

      Da Wolf wrote:

      Da Wolf wrote:

      foolish for going alone. foolish for going in that weather. no need to die like that.
      and i don't buy that bull.... " she died doing what she loved"


      i agree. so much as i myself would like to "die doing something i love", what she did was foolish.if she had done her homework, she wouldnt have gone.
      I don't agree with the groupthink that seems to condemn taking consolation that she died doing what she loved. Would you or I rather die as a result of a car accident or of a heart attack or cancer? I think not.

    • interesting take on the plb failure:dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2…witched-cellphone-on.html

      Volunteer mountain rescuer Steve Larson told the Boston Globe if they had Mastrova's correct location they would not have spent hours trekking through the woodland in the wrong direction.

      'One lesson in all this, for all of this whiz-bang technology, it obviously is not spot-on,' he said
      its all good

    • Technology is not a replacement for experience. Experience is what we get by learning from our mistakes. The White in winter are not to be taken lightly. I've turned away from summiting in winter because my parner forgot his headlamp & it was getting late in the day. The weather was about as could as you could ask for in Feb. treeline even a shovel is little use. Mt Washinton gets about an average of 100 100's a year. 100 days with winds over 100mph. In many places the snow just blows away. Her relying on a PBL put the SAR people in danger. I've climbed with a few people on that crew & trained with a few of the Fish Cops when I did my Woofer Training (WFR) at Pinkham Notch. One day we opted for a box lunch up at Square Ledge.rs. One climber lost his legs due to frostbite. The other wasn't as lucky. Two mebers of the SAR team died when they were hit by an avalance. So before thinking on using that SPOT. Is it worth endangering other people?
      Images

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    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      So before thinking on using that SPOT. Is it worth endangering other people?


      If I ever have to light my PLB, I no longer have the choice of not endangering them. I will have endangered SAR by having the accident in the first place, and once I've had an accident, I know they're coming for me whether I light it or not. I see the PLB as offering some hope they'll be in less danger, by finding me faster and with fewer searchers. I'm not expecting that they'll be in time to help me, so I try very, very hard not ever to be in the situation where I'll need to light it. I'm surely not relying on it to get me out of trouble!

      Which puts SAR at greater risk, a focused search for an active PLB, or a wide-area search for a missing hiker?
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      So before thinking on using that SPOT. Is it worth endangering other people?


      If I ever have to light my PLB, I no longer have the choice of not endangering them. I will have endangered SAR by having the accident in the first place, and once I've had an accident, I know they're coming for me whether I light it or not. I see the PLB as offering some hope they'll be in less danger, by finding me faster and with fewer searchers. I'm not expecting that they'll be in time to help me, so I try very, very hard not ever to be in the situation where I'll need to light it. I'm surely not relying on it to get me out of trouble!

      Which puts SAR at greater risk, a focused search for an active PLB, or a wide-area search for a missing hiker?


      it doesnt matter if the plb is malfuctioning, does it? the lady in question would have been better off trying to use her phone. the plb wasnt rated for the conditions she was in, if they had known exactly where she was, they may have been able to get to her on day 1.

      but you're both right. every time we go out, we run the risk of getting in trouble and needing rescue.this is even a bit more troublesome for those of us that refer to hike solo. ill leave an itinerary with someone when i leave for a trip, but really? plans change and sometimes im incommunicado for a few days. this may mean double the time it would take for rescue if it were necessary.in addition, if i tell my family ill be gone for a month and not to expect to hear from me until a day or two after i come off trail, well if i get hurt on day 3, noone would know for a few weeks.
      the past few years, my hikes have been a bit more social, so i really havent worried about it.but in a few more weeks, i'll again be out on my own for a while, which i havent done enough of lately.
      its all good

    • Blue Jay La Fey wrote:

      What is it about the net that draws people to rail against those who cannot defend themselves?
      Possibly the fact that it is soooo easy to pile on the dead.
      Believe me I love to argue, however I require an adversary.

      there is nothing wrong with allowing the young woman's death to have some meaning in outlining some of the pitfalls ofsolo hiking in winter, so that others can avoid making the same mistakes.nothing disrespectful.
      she made mistakes, she paid for them with her life.
      its all good

    • Trebor wrote:

      I had the paddles used on me once too. Glad I was unconscious when the Doc hit the buttons.......


      I've used them on folks and won't want consciousness if I needed them.


      AnotherKevin wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      So before thinking on using that SPOT. Is it worth endangering other people?


      If I ever have to light my PLB, I no longer have the choice of not endangering them. I will have endangered SAR by having the accident in the first place, and once I've had an accident, I know they're coming for me whether I light it or not. I see the PLB as offering some hope they'll be in less danger, by finding me faster and with fewer searchers. I'm not expecting that they'll be in time to help me, so I try very, very hard not ever to be in the situation where I'll need to light it. I'm surely not relying on it to get me out of trouble!

      Which puts SAR at greater risk, a focused search for an active PLB, or a wide-area search for a missing hiker?



      A focused search is preferable. however an activated beacon is a tough find in difficult terrain.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      So before thinking on using that SPOT. Is it worth endangering other people?


      If I ever have to light my PLB, I no longer have the choice of not endangering them. I will have endangered SAR by having the accident in the first place, and once I've had an accident, I know they're coming for me whether I light it or not. I see the PLB as offering some hope they'll be in less danger, by finding me faster and with fewer searchers. I'm not expecting that they'll be in time to help me, so I try very, very hard not ever to be in the situation where I'll need to light it. I'm surely not relying on it to get me out of trouble!

      Which puts SAR at greater risk, a focused search for an active PLB, or a wide-area search for a missing hiker?


      I have no problem with proper use of Spot or any PLB. It's people who think it's a "Get out of Jail Free" Card & a replacement for experience & good judgement. When it come to a point when a person considers turning around but thinks...Hey why not go on, I have a PLB if I get in trouble. A person should know their own limitations. I know I have pushed them at times. But many times I have decided the risks weren't worth it. A person has to take responsibility for their own actions. Granted there are acidents where these devices help save lives. Both injured & SAR people. It's doing stupid, reckless behavior that pisses me off. SAR will go help you regardless of the cause as I would help. The point I was trying to make is that having a PLB isn't a license to take risks!

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      I have no problem with proper use of Spot or any PLB. It's people who think it's a "Get out of Jail Free" Card & a replacement for experience & good judgement. When it come to a point when a person considers turning around but thinks...Hey why not go on, I have a PLB if I get in trouble. A person should know their own limitations. I know I have pushed them at times. But many times I have decided the risks weren't worth it. A person has to take responsibility for their own actions. Granted there are acidents where these devices help save lives. Both injured & SAR people. It's doing stupid, reckless behavior that pisses me off. SAR will go help you regardless of the cause as I would help. The point I was trying to make is that having a PLB isn't a license to take risks!


      We're in violent agreement, then. :)

      I also don't want a Monday morning quarterback deciding that I was reckless, because everyone has 20/20 hindsight. Sooner or later, I will get in trouble out there, likely because I've made multiple mistakes. Assuming some other mistake or happenstance doesn't kill me first. Anyone who's bagged a peak with me can tell you what a wimp I am how much attention I pay to safety, but nobody's perfect.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      I also don't want a Monday morning quarterback deciding that I was reckless, because everyone has 20/20 hindsight.


      Unfortunately you are doing the wrong activity. When a motorcycle goes down, other bikers gather together and help. If a skier goes down a black diamond by mistake they get other skiers signing their cast. Hikers do far more than Monday Morning Quarterbacking, they pile on and on and on. My theory is that it's because most are really good weather hikers. If you are out there day after day sooner or later you will fall, often more than once, no matter what age or condition. The quarterbacks have 20/20 foresight and stay in bed.

    • Blue Jay La Fey wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      I also don't want a Monday morning quarterback deciding that I was reckless, because everyone has 20/20 hindsight.


      Unfortunately you are doing the wrong activity. When a motorcycle goes down, other bikers gather together and help.

      Being an exbiker this reminds me of the Harley riders hand signals. If you see a brother on the roadside you give him a thumbs up and thumb down. If he replies back thumbs down you stop to help, thumbs up you keep riding. Now if you see a jap bike on the side of the road you give him the middle finger, meaning I have no metric tools you should have bought America and screw you.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • Blue Jay La Fey wrote:


      Unfortunately you are doing the wrong activity. When a motorcycle goes down, other bikers gather together and help. If a skier goes down a black diamond by mistake they get other skiers signing their cast. Hikers do far more than Monday Morning Quarterbacking, they pile on and on and on. My theory is that it's because most are really good weather hikers. If you are out there day after day sooner or later you will fall, often more than once, no matter what age or condition. The quarterbacks have 20/20 foresight and stay in bed.


      Hikers gather round to help when it goes pear-shaped. I've seen them in action. It's the cyber-hikers who pile on. Them and the folks who write angry letters to the editor when any newspaper reports on a hiker rescue, trumpeting how reckless they were and how much of the taxpayers' money they wasted.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      Blue Jay La Fey wrote:


      Unfortunately you are doing the wrong activity. When a motorcycle goes down, other bikers gather together and help. If a skier goes down a black diamond by mistake they get other skiers signing their cast. Hikers do far more than Monday Morning Quarterbacking, they pile on and on and on. My theory is that it's because most are really good weather hikers. If you are out there day after day sooner or later you will fall, often more than once, no matter what age or condition. The quarterbacks have 20/20 foresight and stay in bed.


      Hikers gather round to help when it goes pear-shaped. I've seen them in action. It's the cyber-hikers who pile on. Them and the folks who write angry letters to the editor when any newspaper reports on a hiker rescue, trumpeting how reckless they were and how much of the taxpayers' money they wasted.


      new story
      newhampshire.com/apps/pbcs.dll…/NEWHAMPSHIRE03/150329725
      its all good

    • Blue Jay La Fey wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      I also don't want a Monday morning quarterback deciding that I was reckless, because everyone has 20/20 hindsight.


      Unfortunately you are doing the wrong activity. When a motorcycle goes down, other bikers gather together and help. If a skier goes down a black diamond by mistake they get other skiers signing their cast. Hikers do far more than Monday Morning Quarterbacking, they pile on and on and on. My theory is that it's because most are really good weather hikers. If you are out there day after day sooner or later you will fall, often more than once, no matter what age or condition. The quarterbacks have 20/20 foresight and stay in bed.

      despite bailing on my last two hikes due to weather and cold, I've fallen 4 times in the past week. I need to stay in bed. :)
      Lost in the right direction.

    • hikerboy wrote:

      new story
      newhampshire.com/apps/pbcs.dll…/NEWHAMPSHIRE03/150329725


      And I see the first three commenters are immediately screaming about sending her the bill. I'm sure that when I get in trouble Out There, as I inevitably will if I keep going Out There, the same sort of people will be screaming how negligent I was.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      new story
      newhampshire.com/apps/pbcs.dll…/NEWHAMPSHIRE03/150329725


      And I see the first three commenters are immediately screaming about sending her the bill. I'm sure that when I get in trouble Out There, as I inevitably will if I keep going Out There, the same sort of people will be screaming how negligent I was.

      i laughed when i read the comments.
      its all good

    • hikerboy wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      new story
      newhampshire.com/apps/pbcs.dll…/NEWHAMPSHIRE03/150329725


      And I see the first three commenters are immediately screaming about sending her the bill. I'm sure that when I get in trouble Out There, as I inevitably will if I keep going Out There, the same sort of people will be screaming how negligent I was.

      i laughed when i read the comments.


      Honestly those first four comments were much more reasonable than I had expected.
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Now if you see a jap bike on the side of the road you give him the middle finger, meaning I have no metric tools you should have bought America and screw you.


      I realize that you were being funny, but just in case you were serious, Bikers do not drive past any stopped bike on the road without checking. We might insult you with a smile. In the old days, pre and during AMF it was the Jap bikes that stopped to help us.