Disaster trail stories
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One of the best disaster trail stories I know was a trail journal post by SoloGirl (aka Censored, aka Katalina) at Postholer.com for the 2009 PCT season - her entry for Jun 3 I don't know for sure if the link works and you probably have to register (free) at Postholer to see it, but try If the link is non-functional, go to postholer,com login or register try the link again if that doesn't work go to trail journals for PCT 2009 look down the list for SoloGirl go to her 38th post (for Jun 3) Great story.? She made some mistakes (more than most, but we all have some under our belt) and she describes the consequences really well. I met her about 2 weeks later, just South of Muir Trail Ranch, and we had a nice talk.? If you don't know it, Postholer is a great site originally dedicated to the Pacific crest trail but with a lot of very useful stuff for us. John Ladd 415-648-9279 (landline) |
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EDITED 4/13/23 5:11 pm
Since we have all made mistakes, I don't think it is disrespectful to identify the mistakes here and to learn from them Lost hiker story - use an Incognito browser to open it if you aren't a SF Chronicle subscriber ?
I'd say this is the key passage of the SF Chron article:"... he fell off the trail and slid perhaps two to three body lengths down a steep grade. He could have attempted to scramble back up the loose rock, but opted for what seemed like an easier tack. He angled along the steep face and walked parallel with the trail, thinking he could intersect it." And therefore the key lesson of this story: Even with a well-travelled trail, it is really, really dangerous to try to angle back to your trail after you'd lost it. For example, the JMT is heavily travelled but if you happened to be dead reckoning back, you might well cross it at a place where yo don't see it (e.g., granite). So you think the trail is still ahead of you when it is now actually behind you. This is an even bigger mistake on a trail that comes in and out of visibility, as was the case here So, for me, the key lesson here is> There is noting wrong about losing a trail via a fall or just a wrong turn. Happens all the time. You do make a mistake if you don't promptly return to your last known point where you were, for sure, on the trail. Even if you have to cut back a substantial distance.? Never, never try to intersect a trail that you strayed from. Admit your mistake, turn around, and retrace your steps. Prior thread on this:?/g/JMT/topic/85831842#75052 -- John Curran Ladd San Francisco, CA? 415-648-9279 |
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Another thought on Sologirl at the start of this thread
If I had a worry for myself in situations like Sologirl's it is that hypothermia would cause me to lose my mental abilities, so even if I have the "guts" to stay alive, I can't do it if my brain has stopped working and I don't have a hiking companion to help me out. I like hiking solo but I do think it can be riskier.? In general, if you can keep?dry, you can keep?warm.? That's why I hate seeing people leave raingear at home because it "rarely" rains in the Sierra summer.? (No disrespect to UL hikers, but I personally think it's a mistake even if many hikers do it) -- John Curran Ladd San Francisco, CA? 415-648-9279 |
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Snow season guru Ned Tibbits had these thoughts:
I finally got around to reading Sologirl's account in the snow short of Trail Pass on the PCT last June.
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First, it is interesting that we were in that area just weeks earlier teaching our annual Snow Advanced Course from Kennedy Meadows, up and over Forester Pass, and on out Kearsarge Pass to Onion Valley!
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Now, the first thing she did that put her in trouble is not preparing for the worst that can be ahead. In other words, her gear and clothing and training were dangerously insufficient for what the sierra can throw at you! A little pre-hike snow training would have taught her what "works" when things go so badly.
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Second, she should have "read" the storm and sought shelter from the start. Her decision to try to "walk through it" lead to the "exposure," wet conditions, and inability to create both shelter and heat that she later experienced. There is no shame in stopping early on during a bout of precipitation to assess it, plan how you're going to stay warm and dry through it, and what you're going to do if it gets worse. Just pitch while you're still warm and dry!
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We can all learn from the mistakes of others. At least she was humble enough to share them with us so we can!
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Parable of the story? Be Prepared, even if it means more planning, training, knowing yourself, clothing, gear, and weight....
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-- John Curran Ladd San Francisco, CA? 415-648-9279 |
开云体育Trash bags would have helped her out immensely. Key, light-weight gear I carry is about three 33-gallon trash bags. Makes a great emergency poncho. Can help keep things from getting wetter. Can use as head cover. Can use as lower body cover, etc. This is one of the key items I teach to carry in the Hug-a-Tree session for kids. Two Dogs On 4/13/2023 16:42, John Ladd wrote:
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John Ladd
Derek Koonce