It's Sink or Swim.

"I am quickly learning that every ounce counts- both when you are packing and when you are minimizing."

Have you ever heard the term "Sink or Swim". It's a common phrase used by many to encourage. Encourage you to give it your all.

Actually, that is my interoperation of it. I am sure many have their own. As an avid hiker, you learn so many things along the way. Not to mention you learn even more about yourself. The list starts when you are a beginner, the first thing I learned was hiking a "mountain" is not as easy as it looks. Then came proper clothing, equipment, amounts of water to miles, comfort, etc.

Then came the medical emergency parts to it. I quickly picked up on all of the negative things that could go wrong while out in the middle of no where, let alone on top of a mountain that just took you several hours to get too.

I joined a local search and rescue team shortly after moving up to New Hampshire, and was inspired to do so because I read the book Not Without Peril by Nick Howe. I personally know Nick Howe as he is a frequent visitor to the Weather Discovery Center as well as the fact his brother worked for the Mount Washington Observatory years ago.

Many people I had worked with on Mount Washington had told me how to join a team and even helped me get the application to join one. I have been volunteering for Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue for 4 years now. I have been on rescues and recoveries. Some more memorable than others. Just like hiking, you learn more and more by helping others. Things you would have never really thought about on a given day out and about traversing across the Presidentials.

Last year, Presidents Day weekend was by far an incident that happened that was and still is today the most memorable by many. A young woman lost her life to those beautiful, yet "small" mountains we have here in New Hampshire. I say "small" because I work for the Mount Washington Observatory where I hear the question every single day- "You're mountain is only 6,000ft and there are mountains double the size and how is it you claim Home of the World's Worst Weather?"

I spend my entire 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week educating the general public on why Mount Washington and our "small" mountain has such extreme conditions. The biggest reason is it's Geographic Location. Mount Washington sits directly under where 3 major storm tracks collide. 1 and every 4 days we see gusts over 100mph in the winter time. Our lowest temperature ever recorded was -47F ambient. Ambient temperature (actual temperature) not wind chill. If at all anything, learn the difference between ambient air temperature and a wind chill.

The weekend Kate lost her life in our mountains, the forecast the Observatory posted was to be taken very seriously. It urged people to stay indoors and not to reach for the higher summits. The forecast called for winds sustained in the 100's and gust up to 140mph. Temperatures were suppose to drop rapidly and they did, hitting -34F ambient that night.

Tragedy struck a young woman, who was ambitious and smart. What was the reason for her wanting to attempt something so difficult in such extremes? The only person who will ever have that answer, is a person we look upon now to learn our own lessons from. It's not about the gear she had on her, it's not about her plans that day, it's not about how she died, and it most definitely isn't about what she could have done right. In my own opinion, it happened, it's over. All that matters now is that we ask ourselves the question of "Is this the day for me?" "Am I prepared for the worst case scenario?" "If I were to get myself into a bad situation, how will I react or try to get myself out of it?"

 

"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."

We must push forward with our own adventures, and learn from the mistakes of others- not question their choices. We all choose to do things for a specific reason. That can vary between choosing to carry a shovel in the winter while hiking or not, or to carry out what you carried in. We are all different, we all have different comfort zones, and some of us accept that there will or could be consequences to our choices.

I have had an entire year to reflect on the night I received the phone call that said "This is an AVSAR call- We have reports of an overdue hiker- woman in her 30's possibly on the back side of Adams." I remember my first reaction to this at 8:30pm that night. I immediately called, messaged, and texted all of my hiker lady friends in their 30's who I thought MAY have been out in the northern Presi's that day. My heart sunk. Denise was good, and I was waiting on Whitney to text me back. She finally did. I wiped the sweat from my face, but could not sleep a wink that night.

I did not go out on the search for Kate- due to a death in my own family. However, I know many who did.




A year later- It's Sunday afternoon and I am just walking through the door from my 5 day's off. I listen to my voicemail. It plays. . .This is an AVSAR call. Possible recovery in Castle Ravine- Stand By. I take a deep breath. Again- for some odd reason this one hit close to home for me. Not much was given out for information to the volunteers because nothing had been confirmed. I started again thinking about all the FB posts I had seen over the weekend on who was out and about. My friend Jay B. was the first I thought of. I immediately tried to contact him to make sure him and his group of friends were all safe. With word from another friend- they were all good.

My phone rang for the 2nd time in response to the stand by and they were now calling all volunteers to assist with the recovery. My pack was thankfully packed, mostly from my overnight to Doublehead Cabin just a few nights prior, so I was in my car and on my way to the requested meeting location.

Myself and 5 others including 1 F&G officer hauled our stuff into the Snowcat at the base of the MW Auto Road and headed to the summit of MW. Here we geared up and hit the trail across the northern presidentials and over to Edmands Col. This is where we would meet up with a few others and one other F&G officer.

The weather was quite spectacular and was working in our benefit for the long evening ahead. This recovery is one that I will remember for quite some time. A man named Tim set off on his adventure and some how his life was ended by these mountains. Similar to Kate's. Most people know that the Presidentials are known for quite a list of perils that have happened in the last 150 years. What most don't know about those perils, is that the vast majority of them are from exposure or hypothermia.

As someone who is helping to retrieve an injured person, or a body from a mountain side you are given a sweet taste of reality. It refreshes your memory as to why you choose to be the one person out of your hiking buddies who carries a first aid kit for an army, or that extra bottle of water, or that extra fleece that is weighing you down. You quickly remember that being light and fast is not always the best choice.

I spent my entire summer minimalizing all of my gear- right down to the bare essentials. As soon as winter started up, I did the same thing. Not realizing until after this night- how bad of an idea it really was.

I spent 5 months on the road educating others on how important it is if you are winter hiking to not break things down to the bare essentials. I am quickly learning that every ounce counts- both when you are packing and when you are minimizing.

Shortly after Tim's recovery a press release was announced that a woman in the Adirondacks had also been recovered and had also died from hypothermia. Again, as per the description and an article the family wrote- she was a very experienced woman, but chose the "light and fast" method over the "heavy & slower" method.

Kate was an experience Mountaineer who had climbed mountains all over the world in training for what she set out to do that morning in the Northern Presidentials of New Hampshire. She knew how to use an ice axe, she carried multiple forms of GPS devices on her including a PLB. However, what failed her was the forecast. Could she have ever survived with or without the gear she had on her? I am not entirely sure.

Tim was the founder of Northeast Mountain Guides on Long Island. He was experienced and had skills he would teach others about the wilderness. He was smart and had achieved such great things in his time hiking and enjoyed venturing out solo. What happened to Tim is an absolute mystery to me. Again though, could he have survived with or without the gear he had?

Hua, she was an avid hiker- known to be a very fast but light sort of hiker. Also known to be a minimalist. She also died of hypothermia, alone. She was found with not much for clothing on her and remnants that spoke to her trying to start a fire with her fleece gloves she had been wearing. Could she had survived with or without the gear she had on her?

All 3 incidents leave a boggling thought in my head. It's not "what were they thinking?" It sure as hell is not "why were they alone?" and it most definitely is not blame. I do not blame anyone for mistakes. Stuff happens. I have made many mistakes and have taken ownership to them. I have watched others do the same and learn from them.

Life is a story full of mistakes and lessons. Some of them more unfortunate than others. In the 4 years I have volunteered my time as a rescuer and I have never once placed blame on anyone that I have recovered or rescued for me being on scene. THAT IS SIMPLY MY CHOICE. Just as it was some of their choices to do the things that either set them up for failure, disaster, or lucky enough to get away with it.

The last thing I am constantly reminded of, is that these are people just like you and me. The were out doing something they loved, and they are part of a family somewhere, or friend, relative, husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, they are human beings. Better yet they are fellow hikers.

There is a lesson to be learned in not judging any book by it's cover- or judging any person by their story. It's not until you unfold the pages of the mystery that you learn the true person on the inside and the truth behind their actions.

In Loving Memory:

Kate Matrasova

Tim Hallock

Hua Davis

 My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to all friends and families involved. May their families and friends know that they are in a better place and that they all died doing what they loved. As a fellow hiker, I will continue my future hikes with all the stories these fellow hikers have left behind.

 

Hike Safe & Keep on Trekking