Posted on 02/04/2017 10:59:55 PM PST by BenLurkin
A group of 10 hikers in their 50s and 60s were traversing a path called the Little Jimmy Trail at an elevation of about 7,000 feet when cold, snowy conditions caused half the party to fall down a 70-degree slope, according to Michael Granek, a helicopter pilot with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Around 11:30 a.m., about an hour into the hike, a woman slipped and fell down the hill, Granek said. When a male member of the party reached out to grab her, the icy, steep terrain pulled him down as well, propelling both down 300 to 400 feet.
...
Shortly after the initial incident, another man and woman slipped off the ledge of the trail, and then a fifth person fell as well, according to Granek. Although the party did not have cell service, a Ventura County Search and Rescue team happened to be training a short distance away and became aware of the situation, which they referred to LASD.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
Spot Gen3 GPS device is a nice addition to off-grid safety. For $17.95 you can add insurance for evac 50,000 incident x2. http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=100
They could have waited until June to do this hike.
I hope that these were experienced hikers and not a bunch of old geezers imitating all of those TV commercials that show decrepit old geezers doing stuff more suited to 22 yr olds. A 70 degree slope? Shite!
A guy I went to high school with died in a similar accident in 1967. His younger sister began to slip, and he went to grab her and they both went over. Very tragic. A very nice family, and the loss was felt throughout the community.
A few years ago a couple of friends and I backpacked the Shenandoah leg of the AT, but it was in the early summer. It was beautiful.
You are attempting a through-hike south to north?
How many days are you planning?
What gear and techniques do you suppose would be appropriate for the conditions? Any evidence of a qualified Alpine Guide?
The rescue party immediately shifted to a helicopter based operation. They came to the same conclusion-—it wasn’t a practical option to traverse the slope.
Many of the accidents detailed by AAC occurred to people who might not characterize what they were doing as “climbing” either; Climbing doesn’t necessarily mean hanging from a rope from a cliff.
I used to spend a lot of time in the White Mountains, with a well organized and equipped group. We were on several occasions called upon to help find someone who was “hiking” in non-hikeable conditions, usually clad in jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers, somewhere on the slopes of Mt. Washington, where they had headed in a general upward direction. They weren’t “climbing” either.
However, if someone slides out of control down a 70 degree ice slope to their death, the semantics aren’t really applicable, and the lack of proper training, equipment and respect for what they were attempting, to include recognition that they were not taking a walk in optimal conditions on level ground, is the direct cause of their demise.
If it was a 70 degree slope they needed rock climbing gear for winter
My guess is they were somewhere by mistake or should have turned back
11 minutes before your prediction came true.
Sometimes it’s Freak Republic
The nasties come out
If you get a chance to report back to FR during your hike please comment on the fire damage in NC on the stretch between Hwy. 64 outside of Franklin and the Natahala Outdoor center in the gorge.
I’m guessing that’s about three days of hiking. Wildfires were burning through various parts of that stretch of the trail last fall, especially from Wayah Mt. to the Outdoor center.
That is a difficult question.
Dead is indeed a grave outcome (pun intended), but I have also met and spent time with people who had suffered grievous injuries. Their situation was horrible to a point beyond tragic.
It's a good thing they weren't carrying their BB guns. Somebody might have lost an eye.
I am going to re-start at Fontana Dam, NC southern point of the Smokies. I hiked thru there in April - the winding starts was burned out three miles before Franklin last year. I will report on the Smokies for you.
I knew someone who died in an ice chute fall in the same area. He took a pack of young Scouts up to the mountains over a winter break. One of the kids stepped off of a trail and began to slide, the Scoutmaster went to rescue him and stepped on an ice chute and fell to his death
Wrightwood is a town up in the mountains that I know a bit. My guess is that these people were hiking rather doing anything like mountain climbing. The 70% slope would likely have been next to their trail rather than something they were climbing. The ice chute is what made it deadly, especially in the weird weather that we have had here lately. Maybe atc23 has an idea of what their trail was like.
Gatlinburg Fire didn’t make to the crest of the Smokies. Are you planning on staying at the LeConte lodge?
Well, that would-be one heck of a ‘crazy scenario’.
Winding starts?
What does that mean?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.