Peak Experiences: Danger, Death, and Daring in the Mountains of the Northeast

Sub-Zero Weather Incapacitates

Todd Bogardus Sub-Zero Weather Incapacitates In mid-February 2003, a man started out from the Nancy Pond Trail on Route 302, planning to complete a 15-mile hiking/snowshoeing/crosscountry ski trip through the Pemigewasset Wilderness. He lost his way on the trail around Norcross Pond. He did find his way back to the Carrigain Notch Trail, but eventually ran out of steam and couldn’t go farther. Slumped on his pack against a tree, he sat with his dog through the night and all the following day, exposed for more than 24 hours to bitterly cold temperatures and high winds. On February 13, New Hampshire Fish and Game search and rescue teams headed out in search of the overdue hiker. One of the teams, Samuel Sprague and Brian Abrams, set out from the Nancy Pond Trailhead but, as darkness fell, they still had not found the missing man. Sprague and Abrams pushed on through the darkness and cold. Communications were hampered because their radio batteries were getting low, and transmissions were limited because a fire had damaged the communications building atop Mount Washington. At 9:30 p.m., the search team lost all radio communication after Sprague fell into an area of deep snow. The team continued to battle their way through the snow, at times chest deep, at the same time coping with temperatures reaching 30 degrees below zero—not including wind chill. The extreme temperatures also affected the operation of their radio and GPS equipment, but the two did not turn back. Sprague and Abrams valiantly kept up their search through the night, and eventually they came upon the exhausted hiker. Suffering from hypothermia and severe frostbite to his feet, the man could not walk. The search team needed help to transport him, but the radio was still out. Sprague and Abrams did what they could to keep him alive through the night. They built a fire and gave him warm drinks, food, and extra clothing. At 8:00 the following morning, a crackly radio transmission went through. The team would need an airlift from their location, 8 miles into 77 r escues i n t h e m o u n t a i n s the backcountry. Later that morning, a National Guard helicopter swooped in to fly the hiker to Laconia Airport, where he was put into an ambulance and taken to Lakes Region General Hospital. Before leaving on his 15-mile wilderness trek, the man had wisely left an itinerary of his planned route with his innkeepers. Had he not done so, he would most likely not have survived the ordeal. The helicopter then returned for the search team and the dog, culminating a successful rescue by New Hampshire Fish and Game. “Sprague and Abrams braved deep snow, extreme cold and high winds, overcoming their own exhaustion to persist in a very difficult search in the backcountry—an effort that saved a man’s life,” said Major Jeffrey Gray. “These officers are real heroes. Without their extraordinary efforts, Mr. L. The hand of Old Man Winter. Photo by Dan Stone 78 pe a k e x pe r i e n ces would not be alive today.” Sprague and Abrams received Lifesaving Medals from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in recognition of the remarkable endurance and professionalism they demonstrated during the rescue. Although this saga had a successful outcome, Gray cautioned that the man’s experience is a grim reminder that hikers, snowshoers, and skiers need to be extremely well prepared when venturing into the backcountry. Cliff Note Frostbite is the freezing of body tissue and usually affects the extremities and exposed areas. Mid-February 2003 was a period of intense cold, when an extensive solo outing would not have been appropriate. In the situation described in this story, self-rescue became impossible. Check the weather forecast before heading out! While you are active—and your heart rate is up—you might not feel cold, but when your activity stops, the sudden drop in core temperature can plunge you into hypothermia, especially in extremely cold weather. Know your limits. And always tell someone your route and expected return time. It could save your life. ...