Mt. Washington claims another life
James B. Riley
Mount Washington, N. H. (AP) - Mt. Washington has claimed its third death of
the year, a college student who plunged 100-feet into a crevasse.
Cheryl Weingarten, 21, of Hewlett, N. Y. was sliding on snow and
ice at Tuckerman Ravine when she fell to her death into a 70-foot chasm
about 30 feet below the top of the ravine.
She slid over the ravine's famed headwall into a crevasse created
by a waterfall, said Rebecca Oreskes, U.S. Forest Service Spokesman. Oreskes
said Weingarten, a graduate student at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.,
died Sunday afternoon of a broken neck.
Her body was recovered from the bottom of a waterfall yesterday
afternoon, 18 hours later.
Oreskes said Weingarten and two friends has hiked to the mountain's
6288-foot summit and were headed down. The ravine is roughly a mile below
the summit.
The ravine is a natural bowl on the side of Mt. Washington that fills
with snow in the winter. Daredevil skiiers flock to it each spring to ski off
the clifflike headwall at the top. Other thrill-seekers slide down portions
of the ravine on plastic saucers, snowboards, and even their clothes.
Melting ice and snow flowing in a waterfall over one end of the
headwall created the crevasse. Skiers generally stay clear of the waterfall.
Weingarten's companions sought help at a shelter at the bottom of
the ravine immediately ofter she fell.
Ten mountain resue experts from the Forest Service, state Fish and
Game Department, Mountain Rescue Service, and Androscoggin Valley Search and
Rescue went to the crevasse, but found it too foggy, dark and dangerous.
Yesterday morning, Fish and Game Lt. Jeff Gray, clad in a diving
suit, entered the crevasse to recover the body.
"We put a warm suit on him and had to use a variety of innovative
hauling systems with pulleys," Joe Lentini of the Mountain Resue Service
said.
"It took a lot of courage for him to go down into the waterfall to
get her," Mike Pelchat of the Adroscoggin Valley Search and Rescue told The
Berlin Daily Sun.
Pelchat said Gray spent 45 minutes in the icy water to find the body
and prepare it to be hauled out of the chasm.
Lentini said the women were not prepared for hiking on ice. "They
were marginally prepared with long underwear. But they had no crampons or
ice axes. For that kind of hiking you need crampons and ices axes," he said.
Crampons are spiked footgear.
People die or are hurt every year in the White Mountains, particularly
on Mt. Washington.
Since 1849, when records were first kept, 114 deaths have been
reported in the White Mountains.
The 6,288-foot peak is the tallest in New England. Although short
by world standards, the mountain is notorious for its bad weather. The
highest wind gusts recorded on the planet, 231 mph, were registered in 1934.
Two knowledgeable hikers from New Jersey died of hypothermia on the
mountain in February.
In January, a University of New Hampshire student froze to death
while hiking while hiking on nearby Mt. Jefferson. His companion walked
and crawled about three miles in temperatures that reached minus 42 and
winds that gusted to 103 mph for help.
Arthur Evans Jr
> Tuesday May 3, 1994
>
> Mount Washington, N. H. (AP) - Mt. Washington has claimed its third death of
> the year, a college student who plunged 100-feet into a crevasse.
[deleted]
It is of course tragic that yet another life has been lost. However, I
quibble with the title of the post, which I realize was taken from the
first sentence of the quoted article.
What claimed the life here was lack of proper preparation, which IMHO is
responsible for most wilderness accidents. Mt Washington is _always_ a
dangerous place, and Tuckerman Ravine in spring time is particularly so.
We with enough interest in the outdoors to read r.b can grieve for the
deceased and her family and friends, but we must also continue to be aware
of the objective hazards of what we do and prepare accordingly.
Art Evans
Robert B Simmon
>>
>> Mount Washington, N. H. (AP) - Mt. Washington has claimed its third death of
>> the year, a college student who plunged 100-feet into a crevasse.
>[deleted]
>It is of course tragic that yet another life has been lost. However, I
>quibble with the title of the post, which I realize was taken from the
>first sentence of the quoted article.
>What claimed the life here was lack of proper preparation, which IMHO is
>responsible for most wilderness accidents. Mt Washington is _always_ a
>dangerous place, and Tuckerman Ravine in spring time is particularly so.
I was considering climbing Mt Washington around this time last spring,
and although the trip planning didn't make it very far I don't think i
would have brought crampons along. Where would i have found warnings
that winter mountaineering equipment was needed? Is it necessary for
all of Mt Washington in the spring, or just certain regions of the
summit?
-rob simmon
David E. Mann
>Tuesday May 3, 1994
>
>Mount Washington, N. H. (AP) - Mt. Washington has claimed its third death of
>the year, a college student who plunged 100-feet into a crevasse.
> Cheryl Weingarten, 21, of Hewlett, N. Y. was sliding on snow and
>ice at Tuckerman Ravine when she fell to her death into a 70-foot chasm
>about 30 feet below the top of the ravine.
> She slid over the ravine's famed headwall into a crevasse created
>by a waterfall, said Rebecca Oreskes, U.S. Forest Service Spokesman. Oreskes
>said Weingarten, a graduate student at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.,
>died Sunday afternoon of a broken neck.
Reading between the lines it sounds like the party approached the
headwall from above. This portion of the headwall opens up with
nasty crevases and sink holes nearly every year. I am guessing that
1) the party went up top via LionHead Trail and thus didn't see
the gaping crevass or
2) the party went up thru Tucks and simply underestimated the
danger of hiking above the headwall.
Does anybody have any further info on what happened? Like the other
3 deaths in the Presidentials this season, it sounds like a lack of
respect for the mountains and a lack of knowledge and preparation.
Very sad.
From the AMC's White Mountain Guide...
"Most of those who misjudge conditions and their own endurance get
away with their mistakes, and thus many are lulled into carelessness.
The mountain spares most fools, but now and then claims one or two
without mercy."
Dave Mann
Peter G. Green
>>> Mount Washington, N. H. (AP) - Mt. Washington has claimed its third death of
>>> the year, a college student who plunged 100-feet into a crevasse.
> >[deleted]
>
>>It is of course tragic that yet another life has been lost. However, I
>>quibble with the title of the post, which I realize was taken from the
>>first sentence of the quoted article.
>
>>What claimed the life here was lack of proper preparation, which IMHO is
>>responsible for most wilderness accidents. Mt Washington is _always_ a
>>dangerous place, and Tuckerman Ravine in spring time is particularly so.
>
people donate them.
>I was considering climbing Mt Washington around this time last spring,
>and although the trip planning didn't make it very far I don't think i
>would have brought crampons along. Where would i have found warnings
>that winter mountaineering equipment was needed? Is it necessary for
>all of Mt Washington in the spring, or just certain regions of the
>summit?
>
There used to (and might still) be some warning signs at some trailheads.
On every part of Mt. Washington (like many mountains) on every day of the
year, you must exercise your own judgement as to the necessary equipment
and behavior for your own safety. Above treeline, the wind can be
murderous any day of the year.
-Peter
Tony Flanders
Robert B Simmon <rs...@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
>>> Tuesday May 3, 1994
>>>
>>> Mount Washington, N. H. (AP) - Mt. Washington has claimed its third death of
>>> the year, a college student who plunged 100-feet into a crevasse.
> >[deleted]
>
>> What claimed the life here was lack of proper preparation, which IMHO is
>> responsible for most wilderness accidents. Mt Washington is _always_ a
>> dangerous place, and Tuckerman Ravine in spring time is particularly so.
I think there is a little confusion here. If, by lack of preparation, you
mean not bringing the correct equipment, then I disagree 100%. Equipment
is just a tool; it doesn't kill you or save you. What killed this hiker
was poor judgement, probably the result of grossly inadequate experience.
If I were in the same time and place without ice axe and crampons, I would
simply find another route down.
You know, it's not subtle. Anybody who hikes down Tuckerman's in May
without being scared is either very experienced or totally out of touch
with reality. It is really, really steep. And you don't need anybody
to tell you that there is snow there; you can see it with your own eyes.
She surely knew that she was taking a chance, although she probably didn't
understand the nature of the risk.
> I was considering climbing Mt Washington around this time last spring,
> and although the trip planning didn't make it very far I don't think i
> would have brought crampons along. Where would i have found warnings
> that winter mountaineering equipment was needed?
If you want to go into the mountains, you can't expect to rely on warnings;
you have to be responsible for your own actions. So you would try to
climb Mt. Washington at X time of year without crampons. Fine. Plenty
of people climb Mt. Washington in mid-winter without crampons. Just
accept the fact that you will turn back if you hit steep ice or hard snow.
Would you bring crampons to hike up Hungington's Ravine in August? Of
course not. Could you run into 45-degree ice in Hungtington's Ravine in
August? Absolutely.
- Tony Flanders
d...@inmet.camb.inmet.com
Jason G. Lillard
: were marginally prepared with long underwear. But they had no crampons or
: ice axes. For that kind of hiking you need crampons and ices axes," he said.
: Crampons are spiked footgear.
eventualities. I mean seriously, why make an attempt descending through
Tuck's when you hadn't climbed to the peak that way? Why do it without
proper gear? I was at the ravine the day this woman died, and noticed a
bunch of idiotic things occuring, from the mundane but stupid littering
that occurs when you put assholes in nature who are out there to impress
their idiotic friends, to braindead chairlift pampered skiing and
snowboarding enthusiasts getting dangerously close to crevasses (and in
one case jumping a crevasse!). The point is, we cannot keep people from
experiencing those natural thrills that we enjoy, so it is up to all of
us in the know to educate others who need to be. Peace, and remember,
"For each one ,teach one."
--
* Jason G. Lillard | voice:(802)860-1911 |"I don't wanna work *
* University of Vermont | |I just wanna ski in *
* 440 Pearl St. | E-Mail | the Bumps all day!"*
* Burlington,VT. 05401 |jlil...@moose.uvm.edu| *
Mark Stoffan
>>>
>>> Mount Washington, N. H. (AP) - Mt. Washington has claimed its third death of
>>> the year, a college student who plunged 100-feet into a crevasse.
> >[deleted]
>
[more deleted]
>I was considering climbing Mt Washington around this time last spring,
>and although the trip planning didn't make it very far I don't think i
>would have brought crampons along. Where would i have found warnings
>that winter mountaineering equipment was needed? Is it necessary for
>all of Mt Washington in the spring, or just certain regions of the
>summit?
Only the higher peaks still have dangerous snow conditions, for the most
part. Tuckerman Ravine, along with its neighbors Huntington Ravine and the
Gulf of Slides, are special cases as the east-facing headwalls catch a lot
of snow that remains far into the spring in most years.
It is important to know that the trail up the Tuckerman Ravine headwall is
OFFICIALLY CLOSED by the Forest Service when this type of condition
exists. Climbers ascending Washington use the Lion Head Trail as an
alternate route. Such warnings are usually posted in the Ravine and at the
AMC basecamp near the start of the trail.
The people at the AMC office or the several local Forest Service ranger
Stations should be able to advise on current snow conditions. Heed their
advice and if it looks like too much to handle, reschedule the trip for
another location.
Mark
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\ The above does not represent OIT, UNC-CH, laUNChpad, or its other users. /
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Broeking
Where do think "warnings" on what equipment such as crampons should be
posted? I only know Mt Washington from its rep, but when I travel in the
mountains in Colorado I always carry what I think is the proper gear
such as an ice axe and crampons, esp in the spring when the snow is
hard. I agree with your post that lack of prep led to this accident. I
do not agree that there should be "warnings" posted... it is a given
that it is very dangerous every time you leave the trailhead to climb a
mountain. Just my thoughts, Bob
----------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Broeking in Colorado Springs // "bbro...@nyx.cs.du.edu
" I'll get the rope..." Anderl Hinterstoisser, North Face of the
Eiger, , July 19th, 1936....
----------------------------------------------------------------
>
Steve Chase
(Tony Flanders) wrote:
> In article <ohmec5S00...@andrew.cmu.edu>,
> Robert B Simmon <rs...@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
>
> >>> Tuesday May 3, 1994
> >>>
> >>> Mount Washington, N. H. (AP) - Mt. Washington has claimed its third death of
> >>> the year, a college student who plunged 100-feet into a crevasse.
> > >[deleted]
> >
> >> What claimed the life here was lack of proper preparation, which IMHO is
> >> responsible for most wilderness accidents. Mt Washington is _always_ a
> >> dangerous place, and Tuckerman Ravine in spring time is particularly so.
>
> I think there is a little confusion here. If, by lack of preparation, you
> mean not bringing the correct equipment, then I disagree 100%. Equipment
> is just a tool; it doesn't kill you or save you. What killed this hiker
> was poor judgement, probably the result of grossly inadequate experience.
> If I were in the same time and place without ice axe and crampons, I would
> simply find another route down.
>
> You know, it's not subtle. Anybody who hikes down Tuckerman's in May
> without being scared is either very experienced or totally out of touch
> with reality. It is really, really steep. And you don't need anybody
> to tell you that there is snow there; you can see it with your own eyes.
> She surely knew that she was taking a chance, although she probably didn't
> understand the nature of the risk.
I would wager to say that this is the case with many of the folks who go to
ski Tucks in the spring. Most have no idea what the term objective danger
means, let alone what the actual dangers are--falling ice, crevaces, goofer
skiers skiing out of control. These folks come to Tuckerman's because it's
the happening thing to do in the spring, to show that you're a hotshit
skier, and to party. Having good mountain experience and judgement is not
deemed necessary in these folks' eyes. It seems like the AMC should cut
through this hype and educate folks about the dangers involved. They could
also do a better job in helping folks understand the tremendous impact on
the area that this level of use brings every spring. At least most of
these folks are concentrated in Tucks and not other areas of the range
where the skiing is fantastic and relatively unknown.
>
> > I was considering climbing Mt Washington around this time last spring,
> > and although the trip planning didn't make it very far I don't think i
> > would have brought crampons along. Where would i have found warnings
> > that winter mountaineering equipment was needed?
>
> If you want to go into the mountains, you can't expect to rely on warnings;
> you have to be responsible for your own actions. So you would try to
> climb Mt. Washington at X time of year without crampons. Fine. Plenty
> of people climb Mt. Washington in mid-winter without crampons. Just
> accept the fact that you will turn back if you hit steep ice or hard snow.
I agree, and I have hiked the northern presidentials in the winter numerous
times without crampoons. I also know though, that the eastern side of Mt.
Washington, known as the alpine garden, is the most dangerous place in the
range, and can be notorious for boilerplate ice conditions that make
crampons mandatory, not to mention weather that nobody can survive. People
have died after slipping and taking a long ride who were wearing crampons.
Their mistake was venturing out in those conditions to begin with.
>
> Would you bring crampons to hike up Hungington's Ravine in August? Of
> course not. Could you run into 45-degree ice in Hungtington's Ravine in
> August? Absolutely.
>
> - Tony Flanders
> d...@inmet.camb.inmet.com
--
Steve Chase
Cha...@Mail.fws.gov
Naturally, the opinions expressed here are solely my own, not those of the
USFWS or anyone else...
David E. Mann
>>> Tuesday May 3, 1994
>>>
>>> Mount Washington, N. H. (AP) - Mt. Washington has claimed its third death of
>>> the year, a college student who plunged 100-feet into a crevasse.
> >[deleted]
>
>I was considering climbing Mt Washington around this time last spring,
>and although the trip planning didn't make it very far I don't think i
>would have brought crampons along. Where would i have found warnings
>that winter mountaineering equipment was needed? Is it necessary for
>all of Mt Washington in the spring, or just certain regions of the
>summit?
>
>-rob simmon
>
1) Is it somebody's responsibility to post such a warning. The Whites
in general and the Presidentials specifically are so uniquely special
because of the tremendous access they have. In a few short hours you
can walk from the comfort of your car to some of the worst weather
on the planet. These mountains are not an amusement park. We are
responsible for our own safety not the management.
2) Many trails (including Tuckerman Ravine Trail) have USFS signs
warning about the severe conditions found above. Its not uncommon
to see the uninitiated (wearing blue jeans and sneakers) leaning
on these signs, mugging for a snap-shot.
3) One could learn much by reading, reading and more reading. The
AMC White Mt Guide is a starting place. Calling the AMC at Pinkham
Notch or the USFS Ranger Stations for conditions is also a good
idea.
4) The gullies on the eastern flanks collect lots of wind blown
snow. To the best of my (limited) understanding, Tucks gets 70-100
feet of snow most year. Northern faces tend to hold snow and ice longer.
The trails just below treeline can remain ice and snow covered
long after snow is gone above as shade protects it. Carrying
some form of crampons thru May is not unreasonable, depending on
the spring.
Dave Mann
Michael Bacon
they can mess with humans. Get your guns! We'll get the first
mountain we find, and take it out with lots of explosives! Call the
coal mining companies, they seem to be good at it. We'll do crevace
and core testing to make sure it's the right one, and if it's not...
Well, we'll just have to keep going until we get the right one!
(I'm sorry. I do feel sorry for the family of the hiker, and I think
it's a tradgedy. I was merely satirizing the concern over cougers
expressed earlier.)
-Michael
--
_____________________________________________________
Michael Bacon --- ba...@ncssm-server.ncssm.edu
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
The opinions expressed here do not represent those
of NCSSM, the author, or anyone in their right mind.
Eric Schultz
speaking as some one who just arrived at hermit lake when the incident
happened i'll say this: it sure affected our decision not to ski in the bowl
on monday, but stick to hillman's and the lower snowfield.
admittedly very few people we saw coming out carried crampons (i didn't either
that weekend and regretted it) and not many more had any emergency gear in
their day packs. and true, many were wearing jeans.
but if we insisted that everyone who skiied tuckerman's had crampons, an axe,
and $$$ worth of gear then the backcountry would become inaccessible to most
poeple. which means most of us would never have started going into the
backcountry, let alone reach the point we're at now.
nearly all the people i've met at tuckerman's (and elsewhere) have been kind,
courteous, and unselfish. and most of them were wearing cotton! i certainly
don't want to see myself prevented from meeting more of these people. but
similarily i don't want to see a lifeless body coming flying out of a gully
(as some did may 7th).
maybe these people didn't know what they were in a dangerous situation. maybe
these people thought they could make it when they couldn't. maybe they were
unlucky. maybe no one was there to help them when they got stuck.
finally, it's been said before, and i'll say it again. your gear is the last
thing you should rely on: know yourself and know what you're doing. and share
that knowledge with those who don't!
-=> it's not the shoe, it's the foot inside!
Headed for the second star to the right and straight on till morning...
Schultz
er...@eicon.com
Eicon Technology Corp.
Garry N. Ray
: The trails just below treeline can remain ice and snow covered
: long after snow is gone above as shade protects it. Carrying
: some form of crampons thru May is not unreasonable, depending on
: the spring.
We went up Lion Head trail on Sunday and I was glad to have had my ice
axe for the descent. There were at least 3 sections ofthe trail where a
slip would have meant a 30 to 50 foot slide with only trees to stop the
fall. Most of the ice and snow will probably be gone by the end of the
month. Oh.....winds were 125+ MPH on thre summit of Mt Washington this
saturday.
--
+---------------+----------------------+-------------------------------+
| | | "I've come to the conclusion |
| Garry N. Ray | gn...@netcom.com | that most Americans are |
| | | stark raving loonies." -Anon.|
+---------------+----------------------+-------------------------------+
Russ Vreeland
>month. Oh.....winds were 125+ MPH on thre summit of Mt Washington this
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Question: Winds are not anything like that normally 6600' up any other mountain
in the US, so what is it about Mt. Washington that causes the extreme weather?
--
R.E.Vreeland TRW Ballistic Missiles Div. - Nukes 'R Us
Fighting entropy, authenticating myself, just foolin' around.
Views expressed here are mine, are true, reasoned, and devoid of
malice, selfish interest, and the usual 20th century human stuff.
JonoH
many experiences can attest, the reason for the unusual weather
conditions in the Whites and the Presidentials in particular has to
do with the alignment of the mountains in relation to the
predominantly westerly winds and the fact that they are the highest
thing between the arctic cold (from Canada) and the ocean.
The weather in the Presidentials apparently most closely approximates
that of northern Labrador and the worst weather there is about the
same as Antarctica.The "AMC White Mountain Guide" (from which I'm
loosely quoting) gives a pretty good idea of the weather conditions
which can be encountered there. Unfortunately not enough people take
it seriously - it is a very serious place which is made more so but
the relative low height and accessibility.
I've enjoyed many a beautiful and challenging trip there in all
seasons: I've also retreated a few more times than I've summitted in
the winter. Happy trails anyway.
david mann
> In article <gnrayCp...@netcom.com> gn...@netcom.com (Garry N. Ray) writes:
>
> >month. Oh.....winds were 125+ MPH on thre summit of Mt Washington this
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>
> Question: Winds are not anything like that normally 6600' up any other mountain
> in the US, so what is it about Mt. Washington that causes the extreme weather?
>
>
weather in the Presidentials and on Washington, in particular. If I
recall, the article appeared in Backpacker about 2 years ago. Heres
the recap as best as I recall:
1) LOCAL WEATHER PATTERNS: the article mentioned 5 seperate standard
storm tracks in New England that converge on the Presidentials. It
is not uncommom for bad weather to hit from more than one direction
at a time. The effects are cumulative.
2) HIGH "RELATIVE" ALTITUDE: Although the
summit of Mt. Washinton is under 6300, the surrounding land is also
low. The result is that Mt. Washington acts taller than its altitude
might suggest.
3) MOUNTAIN EFFECT WIND: Like all mountains, Mt Washington acts
something like an airplane wing. Passing winds get compacted and
speed up as they are forced over the top of the peak/wing.
All this book learnin' is great but to really understand it
you need to experience it (in small, safe doses). Stand above
Tucks in the alpine garden as the weather blindsides you from
the west and slams you into whiteout conditions like a cartoon
door crashing shut. At 6000' or 12000', bad weather is bad.
Dave Mann
ma...@math.nps.navy.mil
Recreation News Account
Hey now,
I believe a couple weeks back somebody else mentioned that
there is also a jet stream close by. I suppose its elevation
occasionally decreases to 5000-6000' ?
Mike
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mike Miskulin m...@qedqcd.rye.ny.us 70053,5...@compuserve.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Chase
mann) wrote:
Winds have been clocked in excess of 210 mph, with 125 mph being pretty
common (you can access the Presidential Range daily forecast on one of the
WWW weather servers.)
The Alpine Garden is probably the most dangerous place on the
mountain--experienced folks have died there. It is not the place to go
when the weather is bad, especially in winter--this is especially true for
young hotshot climbers with a bunch of hard rock climbs under their belts
but no mountain judgement--beware kids--death ain't worth it.
A good book to read on the mountain is--The Worst Weather on Earth--A
History of the Mt. Washington Observatory--by William Lowell Putnam.
Chessler Books in Kittredge Colorado had copies of it cheap--$5.95 or
something like that.
--
Steve Chase
Randolph Mountain Club
don_haines
>In article <gnrayCp...@netcom.com> gn...@netcom.com (Garry N. Ray) writes:
>
>>month. Oh.....winds were 125+ MPH on thre summit of Mt Washington this
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>
>Question: Winds are not anything like that normally 6600' up any other mountain
>in the US, so what is it about Mt. Washington that causes the extreme weather?
>
>
shifts over and down a tad........
Steve Mahon
>>month. Oh.....winds were 125+ MPH on thre summit of Mt Washington this
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>
>Question: Winds are not anything like that normally 6600' up any other mountain
>in the US, so what is it about Mt. Washington that causes the extreme weather?
>
I spent several hours at the summit talking to a few of the year round members of
the weather station there. I was told that the jet stream comes closer to the
summit of Mt. Washington than any other mountain on the planet! The highest wind
speed recorded there is a world land record 237 MPH (or was it 232, I forget). I
also got to talk to the guy who runs the photo lab (yes they have a professional
color lab as part of the weather station). He showed me some incredible color
glossy 8x10s of the winter summit. It sure looked like Antarctica!
--
Steve Mahon
sma...@lfs.loral.com