The search and eventual rescue of hiker Derek Mamoyac on Mount Adams in southern Washington featured prominently in the news earlier this month. The Sierra Trading Post blog lists five ways to survive an injury in the mountains.
You need to read this; many of us hike at high elevations, and injury is always a risk. Of course, Derek was also hiking alone. If he had a companion, things would have been much different.
(Gotta point out that Derek was eventually found by a search-and-rescue dog that just happened to be a golden retriever. Some of you may know that I’m quite fond of the breed, and that my Molly is a twelve-year-old golden. Here she is on the Pacific Crest Trail on the way to Deadfall Lakes.)
This whole affair brings up questions about hiking alone. Do you do it? If so, what precautions do you take? If you are day-hiking, do you bring warm clothes and some sort of shelter, like a poncho or space blanket?
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My brother died on Mount Adams over twenty years ago climbing alone. If his friend had been there (who cancelled at the last minute), perhaps they both would have died, because ice fell down from above, and apparenty he died instantly from the fall.
I do hike alone often, but I always tell someone where I am going, and I like to choose routes where other people are as well. Even in the height of summer I usually bring all of my survival gear for that unexpected surprise.
I admire Mamoyac’s will power on Mount Adams. It reminds me of the book that I just finished, “The Long Walk”, about a small group who walked from Siberia to India during World War Two. The beginning of the book is very depressing, but the walk itself is astonishing! Towards the end they even have an encounter of what they believe were yetis.
Most impressive though was their tenacity crossing the Gobi desert – going days without water – then crossing the Hymalayas in winter. It inspires us all to never give up!
Hello Mary,
Thanks for sharing your personal story. There are always risks when we enter the wilderness – the potential danger we face in return for the beauty and peace we enjoy when we’re out there.
Your hiking-alone strategy of telling people where you are going, and hiking where other people are, is a good one. I’m especially careful when hiking alone to not do really dangerous stuff.
I checked out The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom on Amazon. It looks like a fantastic book with mostly five-star reviews. I put it in my shopping cart.
I hike and backpack alone 90% of the time. And, to do so safely, I carry lots of stuff that one wouldn’t ordinarily take, especially on dayhikes. I pack extra food and warm clothes (fleece, cap, gloves, and raingear) as if something will happen to delay me 24+ hous. Along with a small first aid kit, I always take my head lamp, candles, and lighter. I also let someone know where I am, and if going to a pretty deserted area, I check in with the closest ranger station. In addition, I ususally take multiple copies of a Topo print-out, just in case I lose one (most of time I end up giving away copies of my maps to other hikers I meet on trail who didn’t bring one.) Most importantly, I don’t take risks that I can’t handle. So, I ask myself: “What’s the worse that can happen if I do ‘x’?” This can be taking a cross-country route or climbing up slickrock or stream-crossing. If I can’t handle that worse-case outcome, then I don’t do ‘x’. Being over 55 years old, an honest reality-check of one’s capbilities is critical.
You are one very prepared and smart hiker. All of these suggestions are excellent, and I urge everyone to follow them.
I especially like the multiple copies of the topo map, something I’ve never thought of doing. Sometimes the wind can really be howling, and it can rip a map right out of your hands and whisk it into oblivion.
And your calculus of being able to handle the worst-case outcome of a hiking option is spot-on.
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