Accident Reports
Appalachia, Summer/Fall 2008
Two Groups of Hikers Lost Above Treeline
On October 1, 2007, Peter A., 55, and Jinja A., 45, planned to hike the route known as the Franconia Loop—up the Falling Waters Trail, across the ridge, and down the Greenleaf Trail and Old Bridle Path. They started rather late, at 11 a.m., with little food or water because they intended to get both at the Greenleaf Hut on the way down. They also had no lights, map, or compass.
On the summit of Mount Lafayette, they missed the sign pointing west for the hut, and continued northward along the Garfield Ridge Trail. At the junction with the Skookumchuck Trail, they were confused and decided to continue along the ridge. As darkness approached, they called 911, and were advised to continue to the summit of Mount Garfield, then to descend by the Garfield Trail as long as there was adequate light. Rescuers with food, water, and extra lights met them about three miles from the trailhead.
On September 9, 2007, Alexandra C., 32, and Matt M., 40, planned to hike Mount Washington by the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail. They decided to descend by the Jewell Trail as they feared that the rain had made the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail too dangerous. Somehow they missed the junction and were benighted. They were found by rescuers at the intersection of the Castle and Link trails.
Comment: These two incidents are almost identical, apart from the location. Both groups missed a perfectly obvious, well-marked trail junction, and persisted in continuing long after they had, or should have, concluded that they did not know where they were or where they were going. Unlike Bruce F. and his daughter Abby, who were off the trail, these pairs never left the trail; they simply were not on a trail that would take them to their intended destination.
Every year, in both summer and winter, at least one group of hikers misses the trail junction at the summit of Mount Lafayette and continues on along the Garfield Ridge Trail. This can only happen if the hikers are totally ignorant of the most basic geography of the region. A cursory look at the map is all that is needed to know that, on the summit of Mount Lafayette, anyone who plans to go down by Greenleaf Hut should make a sharp left turn rather than going straight ahead. The hut is visible from the summit.
When they reached the junction with the Skookumchuck Trail, they realized that they were lost. Had they called 911 then and there, they would have been advised to go down that trail. Instead, they went up almost 1,000 feet of rough terrain to reach the summit of Mount Garfield.
The second incident is almost identical to the first, except that the location does not show up as regularly in these pages as does the summit of Mount Lafayette. To reach the junction of the Castle and Link trails, they must have followed the Gulfside Trail to the Mount Jefferson Loop, sumitted Mount Jefferson, and descended by the Castle Trail. With lights they might have continued to Route 2, where they would have had to hitch a ride back to their car.
They were on a very well-marked section of trail. Anyone can miss a trail junction, even if well signed, but had they had any idea of the geography of the area, they would have noted sign after sign telling them that they were past the Jewell Trail.
I believe that a map, and the knowledge to understand it, are as essential for hiking as are boots. In neither of these incidents was a compass really needed. In the incident on Franconia Ridge, looking at the map would show clearly that, on the summit of Mount Lafayette, one should turn left rather than go straight ahead. In the Gulfside incident, any of the plethora of trail signs they passed would have alerted them, had they consulted a map, to the fact that they had overshot their mark.
A full listing of Accident Reports may be found in the Summer/Fall 2008 issue of Appalachia.
- Mohamed Ellozy, "Accidents" Editor
