When wandering into wild places, a certain amount of respect is in order. Wild places are beautiful and a wonder to visit, but they can kill you very quickly, especially in colder parts of the year. Most years, it seems, someone goes into the wilds unprepared, and some of them live to regret it.
In New Hampshire recently, no less than 20 people wandered out onto the summit of Mount Washington and had to be rescued after getting stuck in whiteout conditions.
More than 20 "ill-prepared" hikers were rescued from the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire over the weekend after they got stuck in whiteout conditions, officials said.
The hikers had reached the mountain's 6,288-foot summit, but "most had no idea that summit services would be unavailable and that the state park was closed for the season," Andy Vilaine, the assistant general manager for the Mount Washington Cog Railway, said in a statement.
"The summit is halfway," Vilaine said.
Vilaine said that many were hypothermic and without gear "even near suitable for the conditions."
It sure seems like some people just trust to dumb luck in these ventures, hoping the weather won't turn bad. These people got back safely; one wonders if they know how lucky they are.
Some of the hikers even admitted it was "their first hike ever," Vilaine said.
"Please don’t become a statistic and do your research before venturing out," he said.
Mount Washington, New England’s highest peak, is known for its extreme and severe weather, earning it the nickname "Home of the World's Worst Weather."
This happens everywhere there are wild places. My first year in Colorado, I read about a family that had gone hiking - a mother, father, two children, and a dog - unaware of a cold front closing in. They wore only light clothing, had no way to start a fire, and got caught in heavy snow and plummeting temperatures. The dog was the only one that survived.
Wild places can be dangerous, and we humans aren't really very well suited to cold weather, biologically speaking. We can only survive with proper clothing and, ideally, a way to start a fire.
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Here in the Great Land, this happens all too often as well. The bush swallows people up from time to time, and some simply disappear, with no traces ever found.
Always dress for the worst possible weather you may encounter. Carry some way to start a fire: A match safe with waterproof matches, a butane torch lighter, or something. Even in summer, at high altitudes or high latitudes, nights can be cold, and if it rains, hypothermia is inevitable unless you're prepared.
The 20 New Hampshire hikers, as it happens, weren't the only knuckleheads who should be happy to be alive today.
"Multiple people have arrived at the summit the last few days very unprepared for winter and required assistance. Be ‘wildly responsible’, and please do some research on current higher summit weather and bring everything needed to hike in winter conditions or just hike another day," the New Hampshire State Park wrote on Facebook.
For the luvva Pete, people. You're venturing into the woods in cold weather. At least pretend to try to do your homework first. Your life may depend on it.
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