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

Preface

Preface The stories in this volume describe peril, triumph, wonder, terror, and exhilaration. In spite of the risks of life-threatening conditions, injuries, and myriad difficulties, why do we keep going back to the mountains? Not long before he disappeared on Everest, George Mallory was asked why he climbed mountains. “Because they’re there,” he quipped. Those three words might well describe the culture of peakbagging that exploded in New England and New York after World War II. The Adirondack Forty-Sixers organization began in 1948, based on the intrepid explorations of Bob and George Marshall, who climbed all forty-six of the High Peaks over 4,000 feet in elevation (as measured at the time). Bob Marshall went on to found the Wilderness Society. In the White Mountains, peakbagging began in 1957, when a list of the forty-eight peaks above 4,000 feet was created as an enticement to explore lesser-known mountains. Hikers who climb these and the other 4,000-footers in our region become “Northeast 111ers.” (Thanks to more recent measurements, the number of such peaks has now reached 115.) In 1962, the Catskill 3500 Club was established, requiring climbs of the Catskills’ thirty-five peaks over 3,500 feet, and four winter climbs. People discover to their delight that winter is an exquisite and exciting season to be in the peaks. There is great satisfaction in pushing limits and achieving goals, but the mountain experience is much more than bagging peaks. Adventuring in the mountains is found to be recreation of a higher order, literal “re-creation” that nourishes the soul. After a period in the mountains, our batteries are recharged and our spirits given sustenance. In wildness we experience some of our greatest joys. “I have a thousand memories of amazing places, success, failure, pure effort and exertion, shared experiences, and scenes of beauty on this earth that will be with me all of my life,” writes Ben Potter, one of this volume’s authors. “I find happiness and peace in situations where my skills, fortitude, and ability to make decisions correctly under pressure will be tested. Someone once said that nothing worth doing was easy (and it may not always be safe either), but if we all practice our skills, sharpen our talents and wit, and exercise a good measure of honest judgment, the possibilities are endless and the risks manageable. No one wants to end up over their head having to make hard decisions, but how you act in those situations can define you as a person. Here’s hoping that xii p r e f a ce our resolve may be tested, but not broken; our strength pushed, but not exhausted; our experiences invaluable, and not forgotten. Let us respect the hills and learn from those that have suffered in pursuit of their majesty, and strive to one day look back upon the risks that we have taken with a smile and never a regret.” Beginning climbers are often surprised by extreme weather, especially above tree line—they might begin at the base on a warm, pleasant day, only to climb unprepared into wintry blasts. They might be confronted by the terrifying power of a swollen river, or find themselves in dangerous terrain, unsure of how to proceed and perhaps lacking proper gear. Our human tendency to believe that misfortune “can’t happen to me” sometimes makes us resistant to turning back. In pursuit of a summit, a peakbagger may abandon prudence—as a few of these stories show. Reading such upclose -and-personal experiences can augment the comprehensive study of ice, wind, rock, and water required to safely venture into the mountains. The Cliff Notes scattered throughout the book provide additional advice, analysis, and asides. As search and rescue specialist Peter Crane writes, “A hiker must constantly ask: Do I have the patience, skill, and strength to manage difficulties, the knowledge and intelligence to recognize and avoid dangers, and the wisdom to know the difference between what is unpleasant and what may be damaging or deadly, such as lightning, avalanche, and super-hurricane winds? Potentially fatal changes can occur with uncommon suddenness. The difference between an exciting trip and a disastrous one can be as simple as a turned ankle or a broken snowshoe.” Safe hiking is much like safe driving—both require our best judgments and a continual awareness of the immediate environment. In the mountains , as on the highways, even a brief moment of inattention can lead...