Scott Gordon is my guest this week. The wild places here in the northeast are a soul soothing escape for many from near and far. And perhaps because of their unassuming nature, these inviting mountain tops can sometimes lull the experienced and inexperienced alike into situations that quickly go from “wonderful day in the woods” to “tragic day in the wilderness”. And few understand this better than Scott. As a member of the New Hampshire Outdoor Council and an avid hiker, he takes his role in promoting the safe and responsible enjoyment of the backcountry through education and information sharing quite seriously. If you enjoy hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, or frankly any other wilderness, this will be valuable information. It might actually save your life.
Guest Provided Resources
HikeSafe 10 Essentials:
● Pocket Knife
● Rain Jacket & Pants
● Fire starter
● First Aid Kit
● Whistle
● Headlamp or flashlight
● Water & Food
● Warm Clothing
● Compass
● Map
Hike Plan
● Keep the goal reasonable within the scope of your ability.
● Avalanche terrain, climbing terrain, winter hiking require a different perspective, gear, and skill set.
● Communication: Leave plans with someone which includes start and estimated finish times, trails, bailout options, plan B, gear, food, water carried, and people in the group. Specify a person designated to call S&R at a designated time with enough flexibility to not be calling out prematurely. This is the ideal.
● If you leave a plan and a time, you commit to a plan and a time unless your safety deems otherwise.
● If you start in a group, it's best to stay in a group. Conditions may require otherwise. A group of four allows an injured person, nurse, and two runners.
● Groups are not necessarily safer than solo. Group dynamics really matter.
● When to turn back: when the weakest person in the party should turn back (hard to gauge sometimes). Bad weather, fatigue, changes in trail conditions, water crossings, animal encounters, snow conditions, and of course, unexpected complications (forgot food or needed gear), when your instinct says to turn around, and time of day (!) are all reasons to turn around.
New Hampshire Outdoor Council: https://nhoutdoorcouncil.org/
New Hampshire Fish & Game Hikesafe Card: https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/get-outside/hiking-safety
Mount Washington Observatory Weather Forecasts (Higher Summits, MWV, Regional) https://mountwashington.org/weather/
Northeast River Forecast Center (River
https://www.weather.gov/nerfc/
Mountain Forecast (Mountain Specific Weather Forecasts) https://www.mountain-forecast.com/
Hikesafe 10 Essentials and The Code: https://hikesafe.com/the-code
WMNF Closures and Alerts https://www.fs.usda.gov/whitemountain
New England Trail Conditions (crowd sourced, but valuable info) https://newenglandtrailconditions.com/
Recommended Reading:
Where You’ll Find Me by Ty Gagne
The Last Traverse by Ty Gagne
Critical Hours by Sandy Stott
Not Without Peril by Nicholas Howe
Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury
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